General Chat

As i have said on previous threads, i am on several sites with my full tree, but this is my main one for sharing information and tips, the message boards are great as someone will always help and i try to help with the knowledge i have, i use the general board for fun, opinions and debates, happuiness, sadness and a moan and groan occasionally with the friends i have made. I will continue to do so, with old and new friends. happy hunting sandra

Thanks, everyone, for all your replies, also for being so honest. Is there any way we can work through this thing together, without some of us deciding we have to leave. As many other folks have said in various threads, we all enjoy one another's company, and the world would be a poorer place without any of you. The main problem seems to be GC's inability to listen to what we have to say, at least as far as the active members are concerned. Who are these anonymous people, and is there any way we can get their attention and ensure they will pay proper attention to us in the future? As far as the stirrers and spoilsports are concerned, I watched the recent tarring & feathering of one member, and it wasn't a pleasant sight. Would it be better, as some folk have suggested, if we don't rise to their bait and just ignore the provocative or abusive messages? Far better this, surely, than indulging in a free for all, which let's us down and makes us behave in the same way. Trying desperately to think of solutions.... How about agreeing a solemn pledge that we will each stay in membership until at least the end of our respective subscription periods, and give GC a final chance to get their act together? We've too much to lose if we all abandon ship now. Sorrowfully, Philip

Hi everyone not having problems now must have been gc thanks tracey

didn't have to put a title for this reply. Philip: I have been a member of GC since last September. It has its ups and downs, like other sites - message boards in particular are more the product of the members than the site owners. However, in recent months there have been more downs than ups and I have to say that many of the downs are either caused by GC or at least not helped by GC. In particular, poor service in the form of non-response to emails, slow loading of pages, poor consultation/communication with members - despite its own stated aims. And where others outside of GC have been responsible for problems - eg abusive emails etc by paying members and non paying members alike, and abuse of personal privacy by individual GC members who have listed living people's details without their permission, GC has failed to provide the service it states it provides - ie reacting promptly and appropriately to reports/complaints. That about sums it up as far as I am concerned. I am certainly not an old GC lag and am here in the main because I want to research my tree and talk to likeminded people in a comfortable, safe and friendly environment. If I can't do that, as I'm increasingly thinking I can't, then I will do what others are dong and go elsewhere. Angela :)

Righto! I'll look forward to seeing some of his verse. Many thanks for that. Any other comments, anyone? Philip

Thanks for that one, Terri. Umm..., ulterior motives, do you think? I don't know who the bosses are at GC/ GRrrr/ G Disunited etc, anyone we know? Also, what should be the right speed for this site? I'm finding there are no real delays, while clearly other people are. Time of day, perhaps? I'm a daytime rather than night time user. Or is it related to our means of linking to the internet - I've got an ISDN line, which is much faster than a modem? Incidentally and ignorantly, who is Colin? I've downloaded his site, and am looking forward to giving it a try, once it's up and running. Thanks again, Philip

Thanks for the speedy response, Jeanette. Nice to know my favourite northern weather correspondent is alive and well! We'll have to form an alternative Michael Fish partnership (or perhaps he's far too gloomy - lol!) to advise the rest of the universe. In fact, as we speak, the rubber band on our sun is pulling it back into its rightful place! Thanks also for the other comments. I do understand what you are saying and, like you, I joined in order to pursue a genuine genealogical interest. It's very difficult to know, when you first become involved with a website, what it's really used for by the folks who use it. Anyway, thanks again, and please do keep the replies rolling in, other folk. Is there a definite advantage or not in decamping to another site? Opinion seems to be divided. Philip

Hi Philip I told you that you'd spoken too soon about the weather! lol. Hopefully the sunshine will be back this weekend. I can only speak personally regarding your message. I think the name change is ridiculous - it doesn't make sense. You can't be reunited with either dead people (well hopefully not yet!) or with distant relatives you haven't met before. The new name and the wording on the homepage gives the impression this site is to reunite members with long lost friends and family. While I appreciate that that does happen sometimes, the primary aim of this site is for genealogy. Well that's what I joined for. I think the main worry is that the boards will now be taken over by the 'trying to find' brigade and family history will have to take a back seat. Take a look at the success board already. And there is also the problem of the servers not being able to cope. It's slow enough as it is but if many more people join it will be impossible. Jeanette

I had similar problems yesterday when I tried to open various threads, I got a meaasge saying "page not available". When I retried, I then found that I normally got through. Software glitches in the GC server, perhaps? On the broader issue, as a new boy I'm rather bemused by this present great row over GC's actions/ behaviour. To a friendly newcomer, it does seem that a considerable number of members have an axe to grind with GC, but it's not clear whether (a) this is something recent and particularly related to the change of name; and/ or (b) there is a more serious underlying problem, and the name change has simply opened the release valve. Could you please put me in the picture. Ona related matter, I see that a number of folks are proposing to decamp to another family website. Is this primarily to get a better service, or because they want to keep in touch with each other socially? (Putting it delicately, obviously many people know each other quite well - old website lags, perhaps(?) - and get the impression this is just as important as developing their own family histories. For newcomers like me, we don't want to rock the boat, but we can feel like grockels (Devon newcomers, lol!) at times.) Anyway, looking forward to getting some feedback. Incidentally, for the weather watchers among you, I've got a beef - after all my cheerful comments yesterday about our glorious summer weather in the banana belt, someone's nicked our sun this morning. Please will you return it asap, or at least let us know where we can find it again! Many thanks. Philip

Terri perhaps its GC's new way of stopping unwanted threads makes you wonder dosnt it. Penny

Same problem here, Tracey. Oh. Wait a minute, it worked this time!

Tracy I've just replied to a thread (8.20am) and I didn't have to put a title. Maybe it was another one of those things that GC were 'fixing' LOL !! Hope it works for you now, Mandy :)

I have had a similiar problem when I tried to amend my thread re page cannot load it keeps knocking out the title so I have had to leave it as is, very strange, Penny

can any one help with this since when have you got to add a title to a reply to a thread i thought it was only when you put a thread on that you had to have a title as i have not been able to reply to a thread this morning thanks tracey