SIT: Not enough users?

[daval57]

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.   

Dave

[IrishOrigins]

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

[daval57]

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

[IrishOrigins]

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

[daval57]

Sorry for the confusion - should be clearer in what I say

Philippa

Bloody Irish!

Kidding.   

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 

[mariac]

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
 

[IrishOrigins]

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?  

Philippa

[little meg]

Well I am a good little Rootschatter as I have all mine up in the surname Interest table.  
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
  

[Ruskie]

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.