General Chat

As we now are approaching the 6 million mark, may I make this observation. It appears that the average Tree on GC should contain 11 individuals. It also seems that the majority of members are more mature, therefore Self, Spouse, 2.4 Children, Two sets of parents and 4 sets of grandparents. That is 17 people already! As we know that many members have far more than that I can't help wondering if a lot are entering themselves, partners and children and then sitting back waiting for someone to say "Ah my missing link" and present them with a Family Tree going back to Adam. That is purely my opinion and I am sure some will disagree. Jim

If you look back on the posts, I started a thread on this a few week back when the number of members was approaching half a million and there were five million names. With several thousand new members joining every week there will always be some with very small, but expanding, trees. Some trees are reportedly massive, but, as you say, many must be small and virtually dormant.

Hi boys I think we need a good dose of Miracle-Gro and lot of good spade work for those little saplings!!! Vera Manchester LAN

How would you recommend we put our info on. I have my site with my names and my wife has here details on her site. Is this preferable to having one tree with all the information on. I am also loathe to expand my tree sideways with all the should you or shouldn't you put living people on. Stephen

Sorry Vera, But I need a sledgehammer! A very frustrated June,Nr.Preston.Lan.

Hi all I like some are very confused with the 'should we,should'nt we' re living,so deleted my tree (paranoid or not) l'm gradually putting it back in. Am about to put a message on TIPS re:Meninsky,because for years l have been trying to find details of Grt Grd father,also l will need details on my Grt Grd mother,whom my father tried to trace years ago(he died 1986). I have quite a few other members of family to be added. I could do with some 'Miracle-grow', l'm not expecting to sit back, l have been trying,like many others!!!!!! Jude.H.(s.wales)

Hi, I may be a worry guts but I deleted over a hundred names of living people from my each of my trees (I've got 2, greedy me) a week or so back, leaving only the dear departed, and sketchy details of my direct living ancestors, but it has still left me with quite a reasonable tree. I think its great that people show enough interest in their history to register at all, we can all help them piece together their roots. Liz STS

Six million up today

Very well said Margaret,thank you l could'nt have put it better myself.I've been trying to re enter my names which l'm doing slowly,but feel pressured all the time with remarks like James and others that l should have more names in my tree.I have loads of written details all over my table,but unfortunately no one can see it - in my time l will add it to my tree, as l'm sure other people will do.If anyone has problems with this then perhaps its GC you should complain too and just leave us to do what we all like doing - OUR FAMILY TREE.Really it would be better for me not to reply to these messages,but it really annoys me and l want to stick up for others out there.The help l've had recently has been brilliant.Barney Meninsky was indeed my grandfather,and atlast l know his parents names thank you again. Jude(s.wales).

You may know this already but if you want to know how many people someone has in their tree, just click on their NAME(when they post messages) as though you are going to send them an Email, and it tells you how many people they have in their tree and when they started it. This then tells you whether they are either sitting back waiting for someone else to find them and do all the legwork or whether they are having a hell of a time trying to find more info to expand their tree.

This seems a little unkind to beginers like myself. I do not assume that someone will complete my tree for me,but find the tips that can be picked up,from reading the boards, very helpful. Please be gentle with us or we will be frightened to ask for advice and guidance. regards Tricia

Yes l do know this,but it does'nt mean everyone is sitting back waiting for tree's to fall in our laps.Lets just get on with the family tree search and stop being so sad.If this is happening you won't stop it anyway,but l can assure you l'm not. Jude(s.wales)

If you saw the last message "so what" it was in error, sorry Jude

Oh Dear another can of worms. Vivien - lol - my old mums 86 on a good day 89 on a bad, William - I stopped adding too and took some off. Patricia - my sentiments exactly I also agree with Margaret and Judith. Incidently I have just been given a huge amount of info from a reative who had already researched part of my husbands family. This is her hard work and i'm not intending to put the details on my G.C tree. When I began all this a couple of months ago I didnt set out to see how many thousand names i could collect. I just wanted to know basic stuff like who were my G.G.parents etc. The fact that by asking questions lots of wonderful people have given freely of their time and knowledge, well, i just hope that i can return the favour one day. Sue.

Thanks guys. Jude.

Thought for the day: "`We are just statistics, born to consume resources." From 'Epistles' by Horace (Quintas Horatius Flaccus) 65-8 BC. Roman Poet. That just about sums up a genealogist, don't you think? Vera, Manchester LAN PS -And, No, Horace is not one of my family. Just wish I had got back that far!

David Don't worry about it,you beat me)l'll have to catch up now!!) Jude(s.wales)

Thank you all for your comments. No, my comments should not be taken as a criticism but as an observation. I just found it difficult to understand why the average number of names per member is so low. When we can see that some members have an awful lot it must follow that some have hardly any. Someone said, sorry I forget who and if I go back to look it up I lose this message, that they are taking their time and enjoying the experience. This is a far more commendable attitude than those who jump from generation to generation and build their tree almost overnight on the shakiest of foundations. Jim, Gosport HAM

Jim Cheers for that,you sound friendlier now!! David - another go tomorrow,cheers. Jude(s.wales) l'm off to bed,sleep tite all.

Yippeeee I got 12 now, more later!! Jude