General Chat

Hi, on the "Find Living Relatives" forum there dose`nt seem to be any replies to questions, can anyone explain why please.(or is it just me and my lack of computer skills).
Thanks
Wayne

In order to protect people's privacy, there are no replies in public but one is invited to send a reply directly to the poster, so I understand.

According to the heading post by Genesreunited, "This board is private so only initial posts are visible" - weird

Hi Wayne, if you read the advice given by Genes at the beginninhg of page it explains, that as this is looking for living relatives you can only get a reply through private messages.

Carol.

Thanks eveyone now it makes sense,

I have put a post on there myself looking for someone and find it interesting reading knowing your not the only one searching.

Many thanks again.

Wayne

The problem, of course, is that the posts themselves more often than not disclose far too much personal information about the people sought -- that they were the parent of a child born outside marriage (often with adultery specified), the names of the person's spouse and children, dates of birth, etc.

If replies could be added, experienced members would ask that some of the details be removed and the search could continue with other members' assistance, with sensitive info being sent privately and posts in the thread to let other members know this has been done.

On the Living Relatives board, all that other members who are concerned about third parties' privacy and security can do is request that the post be deleted.

When a post there is deleted (as for any other post that is deleted), the poster is NOT given reasons for the deletion, beyond a statement that the content violates the terms of the site.

As a result, people are posting the same thing over and over on that board, four or five times, sometimes insisting that their post does not violate any rule, when plainly it is inappropriate in terms of the information it alleges about people who have not consented to being discussed on the internet.

One can search for one's birth father without saying he is one's birth father, without saying he committed adultery with one's birth mother, without naming his wife and children.

Not very effectively, maybe, but that's life. There are other places on the internet where one can post such things (free of charge, besides), but a reputable family history site is not the place.


If you check out the Suggestions board, you will see there has been a lot of discussion by members who are really unhappy with this set-up. Feel free to join in.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a cash cow designed to cash in on the Lost Families television show and the publicity it generated for this website.

Someone posted the other day that they had paid 76 pounds !!!! to join this website to look for their father. Multiply that (or even the basic subscription fee) by the number of posts by new users on that board ...

Thank you Janey,
I can see the point of this now and I have edited my post, as like alot of people on here (BulI in a china shop) I am looking from my point of view frustrating as it is and not thinking of others.

Thanks for the info.

Wayne

You're welcome, and I hope you didn't take it personally, because I hadn't even seen your post on that board!

But don't you wish this site gave that kind of guidance? ;-)

On the Suggestions board, Lindsey (I think it was) has suggested that posts on the Living Relatives board be by way of a form to fill out, so inappropriate content would be less likely to go up.

Guidance in the shape of a form to fill out is a great idea.

And Janey no I did`nt take it personally, as I`m new here it`s nice to have a little guidance.