RootsChat.Com
General => Technical Help => Reference Library => Topic started by: daval57 on Monday 25 August 08 05:15 BST (UK)
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I've just noticed the stats posted. Call me boring if you like, but I am one of the folk that is interested in this (where's my anorak? ::))
I suppose that's a pretty high hit rate, 10,000 out of 70,000 posting their interests. If it was sales, someone would be due a promotion.
However, considering we all have a common interest, I'm surprised that more members don't add their surname interests.
I wonder whether the link at the bottom of each page is prominent enough? :-\
I know SIT is also mentioned in the child links (if that's what they're called?) but maybe there should be a drive to get more members to add their interests. Not sure how the server would cope so that's one for the Mods I suppose.
Assuming there is a valid reason for not being able to make the [Your Surname Interests] link more prominent, would it be out of order to place a post on say, The Common Room board pointing out the link?
Interested in what other people think - I sit with bated breath awaiting to be shot down in flames. ;D
Dave
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Hi Dave.
I keep forgetting to mention this, but I have an interest in the O'Brien surname and have tried on several occasions to check whether or not other RC people are chasing the same family. Your message reminded me and so I tried another search and came up with the following message (which is the one appearing each time I've tried to search in the past).
"Sorry, looks like the "O'Crikey Syndrome" has struck again:
We are having problems showing names with apostrophes ... but we are working on it !"
Sorry I've been slack in the past and not commented, but now that you've reminded me...................
Philippa
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Hi Philippa - I've just tried adding O'Brien and it worked fine. Don't understand why you would have a problem.
Try it now - it would seem the glitch has been sorted.
Dave
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Wasn't the addition of the name, Dave, but the search to find if others were researching the same branch. I was going to check that first and then add my branches name if nobody else was involved. Trying to avoid duplication is all.
I hit the search button, then clicked on the "O" in the alphabetic list, and squillions of names appeared. When I clicked on the O'Brien box, that was when the message arrived.
Sorry for the confusion - should be clearer in what I say :-[
Philippa
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Sorry for the confusion - should be clearer in what I say :-[
Philippa
Bloody Irish!
Kidding. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
No, on hindsight, your post is perfectly clear.
You wont duplicate.
Go to the link, add O'Brien with other details you want and save.
Then click on "Show all with my surname interests"
You should get a list of all members looking at O'Brien.
I just tried it as a test and it worked OK.
Dave
MODIFIED
PS I just tried it your way and O'Brien works.
D :)
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Hi Dave
Maybe it could go in the "Jump straight to your area of interest" part of the page where it would stand out a bit more.
Regards
Mariac
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Done as you said, it worked, and I am now an official SIT resident. Thanks for the help, Dave. Have no idea why that strange message appeared, though. Never mind all is well.
Don't worry about the b** Irish tag - it has been used often in the past and will certainly be used again in the future (probably with justification). ::)
Added to that, my mother always used to say I was placed on this earth for the sole purpose of confounding and confusing, so I can only be a dutiful daughter and try to live up (down?) to her expectations can't I? ;D
Philippa
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Well I am a good little Rootschatter as I have all mine up in the surname Interest table. ;D
Which is why I also would like to see more in there, also some days when I want to go and check it I forget how to find it. :-\ or is that just me.
obviously not clear enough and I know its there!!
Perhaps a locked thread at the top of the Common room.
Margaret
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The suggestion about putting the "your surname interests" in a more prominent position has been mentioned before - a good place would be at the top beside welcome, home etc.
It's been so long since I joined rootschat that I can't remember the process involved, but perhaps when you register you could be 'encouraged' to add some names then?
I don't know about anyone else's experiences, but I haven't had a match with any of the names on the SIT yet. I've contacted several people but no matches with those who've (bothered to) reply. ;) I think I've been contacted by two people, again no matches.
I find that with the more common names, there is a huge overwhelming list of dozens of other people researching the same name, and it's a bit daunting to go through them all. The way the lists are set out, I think it's also easy to miss a line of names when going through them.
I wonder if more people may contribute if it was easier to search for possible matches? I also think that adding just a surname and a county is too broad. I think a town/village (where known) should be added, plus names, dates and possibly occupations or similar so that anyone searching is able to find closer matches.
There also seem to be a lot of people who join rootschat, add their surnames, and not return. I imagine that many of the contact details would no longer be valid. (One day I had a look at the birthday list and several of the people hadn't been on rootschat for years) :-\
This is not a critisism of the way anything is done on rootschat, as we're SO grateful to have it, more a suggestion on possible improvements, which may encourage more people to contribute. ;D
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Perhaps a locked thread at the top of the Common room.
Margaret
Good suggestion Margaret - that's kinda what I was leaning towards but hadn't thought it through yet. Would that attract any more interest than the child boards though? :-\
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Some good points in there too Ruskie.
It is really daunting if you are looking up a common name, Smith, Jones, McSporran etc but the facility is there to narrow down your area of interest.
I'm working through mine at the moment to qualify the district and era I'm looking in. Whereas previously I had ,e.g., Forrest, Scotland, I now have Forrest, Stirlingshire and the era.
I'm working through them being more specific.
Hard work for the developers of the site but the idea of folk adding interests as they join is great.
I really did think I'd get adverse comments to my first post. It seems I'm not alone in my thoughts.
Keep the comments coming.
Dave
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There also seem to be a lot of people who join rootschat, add their surnames, and not return. I imagine that many of the contact details would no longer be valid. (One day I had a look at the birthday list and several of the people hadn't been on rootschat for years) :-\
Yet another good point. That is something that was mentioned in a post within the last week.
I wonder whether some think that if they add their name in SIT that they will be notified everytime someone adds a post? You know, like that other site I wont mention. >:(
As usual, I find a point, in my occasional posts, to compliment RC on the format, the members and the organisers and Mods. Well done.
JUST GET THE SIT ADVERTISED ("advertized" for you USAicans)
Dave ;D
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It would be interesting to see stats on the 70K total users broken down by various categories. Such as, how many use RC a few times and don't come back; how many use at least once a week on average; once a month; several times a week, etc. I suspect there is a small core of regular users that make up much of the 10K in SIT.
Here is my story, and then to bed...
I joined a year ago. Use regularly, but when I first joined I put a half a dozen names in my profile and those same names in SIT (mostly just the Scots and Englanders). Then I was eager to start finding stuff.
One week ago I had some extra time and made the effort to stuff new surnames I had found, and all my long-time American names in. It can be a daunting task for someone who has 2-300 years worth of ancestors and only searches for them when work, family, general living, and other trivialities ;D get in the way - obviously not my problem, or I wouldn't be pounding on the keyboard at 2:30 am.
Nick
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I'd be interested to see the stats too Nick.
We can come up will many good ideas, but the rootschat volunteers can't really be expected to implement the changes. They already go above and beyond the call of duty ...
It's just a bit of a shame that the SIT is 'sitting' there not being used as much as it should be.
Dave, I try to add specific dates, places and names to my SIT entries too. I think it's worth the extra effort. ;).
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WOW
I DO LEARN NEW THINGS EVERY DAY
OOPS STRIKES AGAIN
SYLVIA
I HAVE NEVER TRIED THIS
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OK I have just found out about this facility but after succesfully adding my prime surname, I get an error each time I try to add a subsequent surname. Am I doing something wrong?
The error I get is:-
Either the Member_name or Member_ID is wrong !!
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The SIT is a great idea. I've posted mine and have tried contacting others but very few responses to enquiries. Anyone else had a similar experience?
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I've only contacted a couple hiraeth but have had successful responses. I think I have been contacted by others a few times too.
Every time I see a thread about it, I am reminded to go and add the latest surnames to it. ::) ;D
Kerry
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Hi Dinor,
Topic: "Either the chatter-name or chatter_id is wrong"
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,158788.0.html
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Hi Bob thanks for the answer although I still don't understand what is happening. I haven't changed my name or username in my profile since I joined that I can remember. When I search for the only surname I can register (Weston), it shows my real name not my chatname! Confused ???
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Hi Dinor,
I've now changed your name in the SIT to Dinor (and sent you a PM :) )
Bob
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I'm as guilty as anyone of not taking the time to keep my list of interests up to date. I haven't added to it since joining... And believe me the list is much longer now!
Therein lies part of the problem I suspect. We're all busy working on our research, creating web sites, transcribing etc. And entering these interests, even if it would be beneficial to many, seems to get relegated to the bottom of the list.
A suggestion which I made once before, and which could be accomodated in the interests page, is to include a members website address so that it is visible without having to go into profiles. That way, if someone shares some of your interests, they can go take a look before making contact. In my view this would add to the usefulness of RootsChat, would result in more exchanges between members, and as a by product, would boost the search engine rankings of member sites, therefore enabling new researchers to find information otherwise hidden in the dusty corners of the internet.
I'd be interested in other people's views.
Regards
Martin
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I didn't really get the SIT idea until I read this thread - I've now added the main names that I'm researching. I'll try to keep it up-to-date!
maybe I need a reminder every Dec 31 - to make a New Year Resolution!
eadaoin
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Eadaoin
We all need a reminder from time to time! Thanks you've reminded me to go and add some new surnames.
Kerry ;D
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Me too!
and it was my thread! :o :o :o :o
I'll do it tomorrow. Honest!
Dave
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Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today ;D ;D ::) ::) ;) ;)
Kerry
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Or alternatively, never do today what you can put forward until tomorrow!!!! :-[
Philippa
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Have we not got another hour today? (UK)
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Add that to the daylight saving hour in a major part of Australia and you might even work it so that you can have an extra week!!!!!
He who procrastinates is not necessarily lost. :-X
Philippa
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Good suggestion Margaret - that's kinda what I was leaning towards but hadn't thought it through yet. Would that attract any more interest than the child boards though? :-\
Forgive my ignorance but what are the "child boards"?
Thanks,
Grothenwell
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If you go to the Home page, they are the subheadings under most of the main headings.
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Something I use all the time and didn't notice they were called child boards.... thank you