The Genealogy & Family History Social Network
does the chat actually discuss genealogy?
I just joined the site about 9 days ago. I have been sitting quietly in the chatroom for the past 4-5 nites. I have yet to actually see anything concerning genealogy being discussed in there! So far, I have read about someone having hundreds of computer viruses, organ transplants, sewing projects, everything under the sun EXCEPT genealogy.
If this is the way this chat is run, I think I'll keep looking for a chat that really DOES talk genealogy.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rosie on
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I have visited chat on quite a few occasions, and let me assure you, genealogy is the topic of choice.
Genealogy is an addiction, and all of the chatters are hooked !!!
However, unless someone asks for help, or initiates the conversation, peripheral topics- like software used to maintain and manage a database are fine by me, as is non-geni/social stuff, as long as it gets dropped when a geni enquiry pops up.
There are lots of folk who visit chat, from experienced to very new researchers, and everyone is willing to help. You will find people from all over the world, with all sort of resources and experience to assist.
My advice to you and other lurkers, is to stop lurking, say hello.
Go in, ask about their brickwalls, ask if you can assist, make an offer to help someone, and see what happens.
Rosie
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Permalink Reply by Lea on
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I hate to disagree with you, but after sitting in the chat for 5 nights in a row, and not one time seeing the subject of genealogy even come up from anyone present, it's obvious that this is more of a chatroom social club.
I am a professional genealogist, but will not waste my time trying to work through non related subjects. I believe I will just continue searching for one that does stay on topic more than this one. Thank you.
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Permalink Reply by Shirley J. Vreeland on
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You have answered a question of mine. The value of the chat portion of this site. I'm not going to jump and try to sound smarter than I am, for I'm not super knowageable on genealogy search. But I'm interested and really learning. Right now I'm reading all the discussions......learning. However, the time will come when something will make me join in the conversation, when I have to share. Just saying now, I have a better idea of the chatting thing. Shriely
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Permalink Reply by JC Flynt on
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To be honest, the chats I've run into deal more with the paranormal rather than actual genealogy as well. I can understand that there are genealogists that have an interest in this as a side hobby, but it really doesn't help those of us that are trying to do actual, solid research.
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Permalink Reply by Lisa A. (Thamm) Spegal on
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perhaps you were there on scheduled paranormal chat days? chatters are all in and out depending on what's going on in their lives, their schedules, etc. but we discuss a great amount of genealogy (I have piles all over to prove it) as I'm sure others do as well.
It's possible that you just happen to make it in when there's a scheduled chat going on, and don't know if you OR LEA have checked the scheduled chats for topics of interest to you if you are looking for specific topics (there are lots of different topics covered each month). I hope you'll come back, say hi, and ask for or offer some help. We're all anxious to help if we can.
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Yes, and I'm afraid I came off wrong. *I* am the one with bad timing LOL! I really didn't mean to be disparaging, just that that particular chat is irrelevant for me and I kept hitting it when I'd look at the schedule. I'm sorry for the way my post came off and hope ya'll will accept my apologies. I've decided, due to this thread, to try to get into chat just whenever...I have and have found wonderful people there. Thank you :) And I'm sorry for any quick judging I may have done due to my own timing issues.
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Permalink Reply by Cathy Transue on
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I agree with JC Flynt. I was deterred from joining Genealogywise when I saw a "paranormal" chat listed EVERY WEEK as if it were a vital, integral process used to document ones genealogy. It must be popular but the paranormal isn't genealogy: paranormal - occurrence of an event or perception without scientific explanation.(dictionary.com) Call it mysticism, but it's not genealogy!
Now I see why many people go to other genealogy website's chats -- ones that support and encourage concrete, documented research rather than speculated aberrations.
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Permalink Reply by Caren on
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If you actually attend the paranormal chat you'd learn that it DOES pertain to Genealogy. From somebody having an "experience" at a cemetery at the grave of a loved one to being haunted by loved ones themselves.
Genealogy is not just family history but rather HISTORY period. You learn about various subjects. And often times the subjects lead you to finding something your ancestor was involved in and lived thru.
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Golly ladies, quit beating up on Lea! She does have a legitimate point of view. Why oh why do women have to be so catty? Let stop the cat fights and take a look at our own selves!
Let's keep our genealogy research fact-based and not allow it to stray to being emotion-based. I'll repeat myself: paranormal - occurrence of an event or perception without scientific explanation.(dictionary.com) Afterall, aren't we all frustrated with those family trees that have entries that aren't based on facts but rather someones perception of what they believe it to be?
I suggest that if some people want to discuss their paranormal "experiences" in relation to their genealogy research or any other activities in their life, they pursue chat rooms elsewhere that discuss this kind of thing. Please don't infiltrate the genealogy websites that provide concrete evidence that's used to assist those who are researching their family's ancestors' history.
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Permalink Reply by Melinda on
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Cathy and Lea and everyone else.
You all have valid points that deserve to be heard. However, this genealogy site is Gena's. She approves designated chat topics in advance and schedules them according to the availability of the leaders. I suggest that if you have any concerns about the chat or anything else about the site that you would like addressed, you take it up with her. From what I understand, this site has been up a good year or so. I joined at the beginning of the summer, so I don't know how things were before that.
I'm sure Gena would be more than happy to talk to you both and explain her rationale for all of the chat topics. And if you have any suggestions for talk topics, please let her know. There's always room for a new subject or area of interest.
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Good one Melinda!!
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It's not about Lea OR you! But the paranormal chats have been here before ya'll joined. We're not going to stop them just because a few newbies come and tell us to do so. NO-ONE is required to attend them, every member can check the chat schedule and decide which, if any, schdeduled chats they would like to attend and perhaps learn a few new tricks, etc.
The rest of the time the chat room is used for people to wander in and out of and either :
1) ask for help- and any of us with subscriptions to databases or websites will try to find some information for them or give pointers, or perhaps links to websites that might help and that they don't already have...
OR
2) offer help to others - lookups in resources they may have, subscriptions, or even local searches if they happen to live in the area that's needed, etc.
3) when no-one is there with genealogy to discuss at that particular time, we socialize until someone does come in needing help or offering help. Sometimes, no-one comes in asking for help. So what do we do? close the chatroom until people only have genealogy to discuss? It might be closed a lot then as it would be hard to know when members want to discuss genealogy and when they just didn't have anything new to work on, or perhaps they are taking a short break from it as they are getting nowhere. Many times there's only a few of us in there for any length of time, we mostly wander in and out.
This site has no databases to glean concrete evidence from, only the lookups offered by kind members willing to spend some of their time trying to help others get past that brick wall.
If you, Cathy, or Lea, or anyone else doesn't come in, say hello, and tell us what names, states, countries you are working on and ask for help , if you need it, then how are we to discuss genealogy with you? Must we first be discussing genealogy BEFORE you will say hi, etc. That just doesn't sound right.
We all have our points of view, I'm not saying anyone's right or wrong, only that you apparently didn't actually come into the chat room and participate, perhaps there might have been a different outcome if you had.
I'm done, I can't explain it any better, I don't intend to enter into ANY cat fight. I just don't think you should come to an already established genealogy website and chatroom and expect us to change things to suit your expectations. This site has been here for about 2 years now, we're comfortable with it, the members feel at home here, why should we change that or dismiss chat hosts when there's always the option to simply not attend chats (usually 1/2 to 1 hour in length) that you don't approve of? They are scheduled, feel free to come into the chatroom at any other times and talk genealogy,we don't have scheduled chats all day and night long and we're always open and available. Give us a chance! We'd like to see new faces and hear new stories!
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