General Chat

Rose, I have seriously tried these last few days (and it is only last few days) to be as nice as possible to everyone. I did not read the detailed instructions about the threads but did see what Genes had posted as the purpose of the company ie mission statement.

I could not find social networking as one of their aims, and so when I was invited to look at the Welsh thread I did see similarities with social networking sites - which I am suspicious about and have had some bad experiences with (well, my family has, not me).

Very quickly, I was told (sometimes quite forcibly) that I had got the wrong end of the stick, that chat threads provided a lifeline for people drawn together by an interest in genealogy and they were very friendly and supportive to each other.

You have not annoyed me, Rose :-) Truly, no one has annoyed me. No one has begun even to get under my skin. And I quite like a lot of the antagonists, who seem very nice to everyone else but me. I quite like you, and really admire how forthright you are. I am well aware that people have a different opinion to mine, therefore a wrong one by definition ( there I go again). :-D

I remember teaching you back when. I ddin't realise I polarised opinion then ( I was still recovering from the war and that horrible Kaiser) but I remember I also adored you. What an attentive girl. Are you still as pretty and slim?

LOL John sad to say you cannot have been my tutor, you are too young :-D, I am still attentive especially to History and English, but sadly not still pretty and slim.

The definition of the 'General Chat' board has been always rather 'fluid' rather than how GR defined it... stems partly from when there was a 'General' board and a seperate 'Chat' board...merging the two rather muddied the waters as to the purpose of it :-D

I am sure were you to post a Welsh genealogy thread on the 'Genealogy' board it would be interesting to many , who may not read this board at all, there being a lot of people who don't read this board as it is less about genealogy and more about friendly ( usually!) chat :-D

John, You seem to be having an enormouse amount of trouble with your tree since things have changed :-S,may I suggest that if it continues for much longer you purchase a "Chainsaw" they,re most effective in sorting out problems with trees. :-D :-D :-D :-D

Rose :-D <3 I thought you might be offended by my suggestion you were at school when the Kaiser ruled Germany. Not a bad idea at all about Wales genealogy thread. I often help people to translate Welsh gravestones. I still cannot really get my head round Patronymic naming. I know it is the same as the Bible - Isaac bar Abraham. In Welsh that would be Isaac ab Abraham, after civil registration started, many Welsh families had to stop that tradition and use the English naming pattern.

Even many Welsh people do not realise that Powell and Preece are the same as ap Hywel and ap Rhys. Or Howells, and Rice, Rees etc. There are probably real experts in these sort of Welsh areas on Genes, and that could be very useful to some. Also a village near Holywell has always been called Newmaket by the Welsh and is now called Trelawnyd, mainly by non-Welsh speaking people. But I think Welsh speakers still use Newmarket. Strange.

Merlin You are right. Lost you message from my screen, so hope I get the gist right. Am trying to work out my strategy at he moment. Have got a few months to decide what to do. But how I wish I could stay with Genes after never once complaining in 9 years of membership. Doubt it will be 10 years long service medal - unless they can be bothered to do what they said and update us regularly about any changes.

John there have been quite a few posts asking for translations, or ideas of place name spelling, I know a little Welsh , a VERY little, and some of the likely place names that come with a double 'l' or double 'f' :-) but I am sure it would help a lot of people if a 'Welsh genealogy' thread with a Welsh speaker came up in Adv search.

(edit, just to say I know there are already some Welsh speakers on the boards, but a specific thread might be of interest also :-D)

John


which browser are you using??


It seems that people using Google Chrome are currently have few, or no, problems with their tree.

GR say they are working on the tree, and all modern browsers will be the same.



If you are not using Chrome, it might be worth your while to download it, and see if it does help you.


It is free, so won't cost you anything.



I cannot vouch for this myself, as I do nothing with my tree, and that has been the case for the last 3 or 4 years

............... and I really do not like the idea of having to get one specific browser just for one site



BUT people on here that I trust, say that Google Chrome is working very efficiently for them.


Just a thought.






sylvia

Rose Taken up your suggestion and started a Welsh genealogy thread. Will keep me out of trouble. There are some very clever people who know a lot about researching Welsh roots (some I have crossed swords with this past week) and I am really hoping they will want to add their pennyworth.

Sylvia - I have got a Google browser. And I have gone on the tree a few times and found some of the basics out. But I just feel so uneasy about it. Not in my "comfort zone" - which posibly is a bit to comfortable. But I want things to be easier now, not harder. I loved the idea that you could see someone on one page, and hate all this pulling screens across (like these new WC's on trains that slide to reveal you as a prize).

Have decided I will stop building my tree now (23,000 is a lot, and I have only met about 21,500 of them personally), probably cease membership (although I do quite enjoy parts of the Community now I have ventured that way) and begin to plan how I am going to get all my trees and background notes into some sort of interesting form for my descendents and anyone else who may have an interest. Aim is to give them a platform for further research long after my day ie after 2052 when I expect to shed this mortal at age of 106.

But I appreciate your notes. Sorry I am now a lost cause to this new tree.

I WANT THE OLD TREE BACK (tears of frustration)

John

I wish you well with your new thread , it was forward thinking of Rose to suggest it.

Many peeps try to translate the wording on their ancestors headstones, with great difficulty. Even with a smacking of Welsh language knowledge most won't have a chance, as Welsh doesn't translate into English word for word.

As an enthusiast in genealogy I hope you can help many people with their brick walls.

Sandie.

John, re The Medal ,May I suggest you apply to Genes for the MBE. ( My Bloody Effort) :-D :-D

Genes

By now you must have noticed that a few members are not using the new format and are more than a little frustrated.

I wonder if anyone in the team has yet noticed any upset. I know members leaving and not paying their subs any more is neither her nor there. It is only income to pay for wages and site development and therefore of no importance at all.

The official line since 2nd Aug has been that the new format has been welcomed and some changes are being made that mayl eventually stop members losing their eyesight. Any chance (and I realise you are probably all on holiday till early October) that one of you could put out an announcement that acknowledges revolting customers and whether you intend to address these revolting people's upset.

No response yet to all the emails sent to the team. No announcement. No word that anyone reads these threads, even the blog that you started. Please tell us somebody is there and that you know that a few of us (I think I have counted more than 300 on various threads and rising daily) want the old tree back..

This is not just a moan like the great flock wallpaper debate of 1896. This is very serious for you - and all of us.

John


I'm betting that you won't get an answer to your last post



GR staffers do not read the threads in any great detail.

Sylvia

It is the brick wall that is baffling me. I assume they know the unrest - even if only 10% of those who said they would leave have actually left yet. I know many have cancelled their automatic re-subscription so they will have to write to them for some more money in future rather than dipping into our bank accounts.

I wonder if it is not only the computer boffin who has left the building. I wonder if they have all gone - and leaving us all to our own devices. Thank goodness there are so very many clever and active members - I want Roy to be in charge :-D At least for a few months.

I think Roy should be in charge for ever !!! ;-) :-D

Quote
The official line since 2nd Aug has been that the new format has been welcomed and some changes are being made that mayl eventually stop members losing their eyesight. Any chance (and I realise you are probably all on holiday till early October) that one of you could put out an announcement that acknowledges revolting customers and whether you intend to address these revolting people's upset.

John
I guess you mean that customers are in revolt not revolting.
<3

I like the new style. The old dark blue background was useless when I wanted to do a screen copy and printout.

....one of you could put out an announcement that acknowledges revolting customers ...
Surely we are not THAT bad? ;-)

....one of you could put out an announcement that acknowledges revolting customers ...
Surely we are not THAT bad? ;-)

Thelma, missed your post. Customers are in revolt. I am certainly revolting. Surely nobody would disagree :-D

Robin Not suggesting everybody is revolting. But many are. RU revolting?

Like these new threads on the Suggestions Board. They have been started by Estelle, so we know that our supportive or revolting views are being taken on board

John, re your post of 4 Aug 2012 22:33 on this thread I see your post count has gone up from 19 to 264 in just 20 days. That is 12 a day or 4,380 per year, so you can see huge post counts can be achieved over time.

Yikes, KenSE :-( :-( :-(

You are right. Decided a week ago to just concentrate on the Wales Genealogy thread and anything that caught my eye on Chat - I was thrilled to see someone start a thread about Princess Alice, mother of Duke of Edinbugh and also the Paralympics. And some excellent points made by several posters on those interesting threads (not been challenged yet on my views about Paralympics, but that is a joy waiting for me this weekend probably)

But my main hope is that we can have this old tree back. And despite being put down more times than a pack of ailing foxhounds, I feel the anti new tree feeling that welled up 3 or 4 weeks ago when old tree was finally rested and retired is now being addressed seriously by the Genes management.

Thanks for reminding me that my future looks so bleak. Am trying hard to address my problem, and the "pack" are helping me considerably to overcome my new addiction

:-D :-D