Suggestions

Messages sent to make first contact – At the time you may have sent these to a potential tree owner.
Are deemed that you have made contact with the addressee even if they have never opened their mail.

This is cockeyed way of thinking – Therefore I suggest this, that only when the mail has been opened should this come into play. This will eliminate indicators for those which contact has not been made.

Surely that is what the envelope by the side of the message is for.

If you have a suggestion for the site management, put it on the Suggestions board

errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


Reggie .......................

This IS the Suggestions Board!! :-)

First Contact - ET Phone Home

:-D :-D

Hi all,

We are working on a resolution to the unanswered messages to dormant members query. We appreciate all suggestions in the meantime.

Regards

Shelley

Shelley

There is no solution to this 'problem'

1: You cannot force people to answer
2: How do you know any tree/account is dormant as there are many 'free' trees on here.

The only 'solution' could be to do what Ancestry do and show on the contact the last time that person logged on. And this is not that accurate.

:-D

Shelley ........................

There can be no resolution to the problem of unanswered messages ..................

we ALL know the reasons ......................


1. Home email address changed but GR not informed

2. Member dead or incapacitated, and no-one else (family or friend) has the password and access information, and are not interested in finding out what to do; and / or that member's email address closed down

3. Member no longer interested in family history, and treats GR emails as "spam"

4. Member has forgotten they set up a free account on here, and has assigned GR to the "spam folder"

5. Member is exercising his / her right to not reply to any pms ....... either out of disinterest, lack of time, or because the request is couched as "open your tree".

6. I was once told by a couple of members that they only check on here, or any communication with GR, once or twice a year.


GR COULD possibly start designating "member last active xxxxxxxx " or "tree last updated xxxxxx"


but that would only be a guideline as to whether the member actually is still active.





You must also be aware that many of us are extremely wary about sharing our trees with others ............................ once bitten, twice shy for most of us.


In my own case ....................

I will provide information, but not open my tree

I will NOT respond to anyone who does not provide me with excellent reasonings as to why they think we might be connected

I am extremely wary of "number collectors" .......... ie, those people who are interested only in the number of names on their trees ........... to the extent that they want not only information on the one person who might be connected, but then "steal' all the names in the whole tree.

If Genes was to change the tree set up and make access to all trees a possibility without the tree holders consent. I fear that you would lose many trees. Thus making your site less likely for people to want to use.

I do not have a tree on here and only have my account so I can access the Community Boards which I enjoy.

And I know I am not alone.

The primary function of genes was originally the trees, the message boards have only come into there own as a result of those seeking more information. Or gossip in some cases which is secondary to those with trees.
It is one thing to have and use this function and another for those who pass comments about which they know little. What ever manner you use this function it matters not it is how we interact to the exchange of information to further each persons needs. Some share the actual tree this can have varying amounts of information in the form of bear minimum persons names and how they are connected to elaborate progressions of that persons life marriages, children etc:
Others keep their tree just to store and ogle at their achievement of finding information that others have not managed to redeem. Only to see the data lost when they are no more. it may be the case that others poach
this information but if you don't want people copy information don't show it on site. Keep a copy of site, this can be stored on a memory stick no problem these days.

DazedConfused – you say there is no solution to this problem

The more you look into these issues, the more you realise that all is not as it seems for there are processes going on behind the scenes which we are unable to see.
As for a solution there is one, but don't make assumptions based on what you regard as fact .

Once again, eponymic makes comments regarding things that he apparently knows and we don't ........................


"DazedConfused – you say there is no solution to this problem

The more you look into these issues, the more you realise that all is not as it seems for there are processes going on behind the scenes which we are unable to see.
As for a solution there is one, but don't make assumptions based on what you regard as fact . "

This thread seems to have gone way off topic and is duplicating the arguments in eponymic's other suggestions.

The OP suggestion was a valid one, as in the present setup it shows you have made contact with other members once you send a message.

In future, when you look at your contacts, it would be convenient to see whether a reply had been received, without having to wade through the sent messages list looking for unopened envelope icons.

Good morning
It is true that this thread appears to have gone a little of topic although in some ways they are similar connected, by resolving each component within the package the difficulties that are experienced will eventually prove conveniently worthy.

So KenSE you think that one of eponymics suggestion of deleting all dormant trees a good one. One of his previous suggestions!

Imagine you only come on here occassionally, only to find your tree has been deleted because you have not done any work on it for some time. How annoying would that be.

Stephen G/eponymic seems to have 'insight' into the goings on with regard to both Genes and FMP (yeah right!).

He posts the same on FB.

Wants his own way, and throws his toys out of the pram (by deleting threads when people do not agree with him).

And as the tree is FREE you do not need to pay for this facility, the whole premis of this thread is truly pointless.

:-D

DC - Don't be Confused.
Sorry that’s not correct i am not saying delete dormant trees - That is not how it would work. I don’t know why you should think this - These should be filtered out when doing a search - can you imagine three strikes and out. the site would crumble as soon as it was put into place.
AS for deleting threads - you make your comments good or bad makes no difference free speech helps to broaden one’s thinking. The thread is removed when it is no longer required to make room for others like yourself , but if you feel so hard done by why have you bothered to put yourself out make such comments.
It is time for you to open your own thread and not rely other to pave the way. Of the 2174 posts you have made how many did you start. ;-)

Very few started by me. Only when asking for help on the General Chat, non genealogical. Once on the Find Living Relatives and a couple on the Genealogy Chat.

I certainly to do not feel hard done by, where on earth does that come from? :-S

No DC, I am saying that discussion of dormant trees should be done on one of the other threads, probably 4.

This thread was about the indication you get when you make contact.
It is not helpful when you have sent a first contact message for it to say Yes as that implies there is two way contact.

The envelope indication does help if you have a few contacts and not many messages.

Basically it would be nice to have a single indicator in the contact list which tells you that you have tried to contact that person and also tells you if you received a reply from them.

Surely if you have received a reply from any one they then appear in your contacts list?

They do but the problem is that they are in your contacts list before they reply.

So after a period of time you may not remember whether you have had a reply or not.