When people don't provide important details they already know

[Liviani]

This is nothing to do with anyone here, but it's just a general rant.

I'm in a few genealogy groups across various mediums. Today, I have spent the best part of an hour and a half doing some research for someone only to find that they already knew what I had found out.

They were looking for information on someone, and they had posted their birth record and that they couldn't find anything else about them after this.

I had found comprehensive information about the child's mother, grandparents, siblings and other circumstances. I had searched various resources including records from other countries and cross-referencing with other records.

I am quite happy to do this when someone is truly stuck. I love research and I also enjoy helping people where I am able to do so.

I then check a well known public family tree site and discover the person asking information (they had the same picture and name across both sites) had already found out everything I had spent the last hour and a half researching. I could've spent that time looking into my own tree or helping someone else.

I understand if someone is new to research, but this individual has a well researched and evidenced tree.


All it takes is a few extra sentences of "they were here on this date, their children were here..." etc.

I deleted my response in the end.

I also should've checked the other well known site first before diving in so blame is partly on me for not doing so.

Please, anyone new or old to research please include as much information as you can to save people researching what you already know. I have been guilty of this in the past as a newcomer, but it is important to consider other people's time.
Thank you!

[[Ray]]

Hi
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.

I do not expect to be correct on my searches, just add to the choices available to the person we try to help.Just seeing a name could trigger "Iv'e seen that before. Let me review my notes"
The info found may prove inclusion or exclusion of any facts whether source was/is verbal or already found as factual.

The bottom line is that the person asking for "help" is disrespecting  those willing to help and, especially (of course) ME 
I could be helping someone else, more deserving ( I may say ).

Ray

[Liviani]

The bottom line is that the person asking for "help" is disrespecting  those willing to help and, especially (of course) ME 
I could be helping someone else, more deserving ( I may say ).
Ray

Thanks Ray, you are spot on.

One huge detail was missed out of the original info in the request I came across today. It was a crime (I'm trying to be as vauge as possible) and a report contained so much info pertaining to the family in question, relationships and circumstances, and the OP already knew it but didn't tell anyone. 

[louisa maud]

It makes me annoyed also, thank you for putting it on a post,  thing is, not every body will read it, frustrating  as it is.

About time someone mentioned it

Louisa Maud

[jess5athome]

Hi, (Stand's in front of firing squad)......................................

Hand in air, I did something similar today on here but nowhere near as bad as you describe, I was looking for a father to someone and gave name, age, siblings and widowed mother etc from the 1911 Irish census, the first answer I had from a wonderful Rootchat member was asking if I had checked the 1901 census................................ I had and had not mentioned it in my opening request, to say I was devastated was an understatement.................

Frank.

[Liviani]

Hi, (Stand's in front of firing squad)......................................

Hand in air, I did something similar today on here but nowhere near as bad as you describe, I was looking for a father to someone and gave name, age, siblings and widowed mother etc from the 1911 Irish census, the first answer I had from a wonderful Rootchat member was asking if I had checked the 1901 census................................ I had and had not mentioned it in my opening request, to say I was devastated was an understatement.................

Frank.

Hi Frank, I'm sure most of us have done this at some point along the way. I have in the past also.
Family tree struff is vast and it's all too easy to forget what we've gone over before.

Easy oversights happen, but this person left massive important gaps that would've been so relevent to any searcher.

Not having a go just a gentle reminder makes things easier for everyone. 

[coombs]

Oh yes they say "Can you give me some info on Joe Bloggs born 1850 in Leeds?" and you spend the next half an hour giving them census results, parents names and all that and they say "Thanks but I knew all of that. I wanted to find where he was buried". If you said the specific info in the first place, you;d save me a lot of time.

Also annoys me when they state a parish but not a county if the parish was a village or small town and a long way from where the helpers live. I'e "Born in Ruskington". At least give a county after a parish unless it was London, Manchester or Brighton, Norwich etc.

[PaulineJ]

You're heading into murky waters here.

But I'll add in the
"1851 census details of John Smith and family in (town of 20,00 people).
-I'll know which one is mine by the wife's name"

Pauline

[groom]

I'm an Admin on quite a large Facebook Genealogy forum and our favourite pending question so far is

" My great grandfather was John Smith born in London, is anyone related? " Needless to say it didn't get accepted.