Genealogy Chat

Hi Everyone

I'm just wondering how many people use the hot match facility that GR provide?

I check through mine as soon as they arrive and email the relevant people hoping for a match.

But if they come up as a match on my tree, surely I come up as a match on their tree?

As of yet, I haven't had anyone contact me enquiring about a hot match. I do get replies when I contact them though which is good!

Via hot match, I've found my mum's cousin who lives 30 minutes away, a 5th cousin in America and a distant realtive in Australia.

Just think it's a shame if people aren't using this facility, but I could be wrong of course

Natasha :D

I don't use mine. I went into them about an hour ago and had 17 pages worth - I got bored after checking about 20 potential matches and deleted the rest.

However, if someone contacts me regaring a match then I do reply!

The matches are just plain ridiculous, most of them aren't even from the same County and some not even from the same Country. Also, the 'main' names in my tree never get matched, it's only the people who marry into my family and who I'm not really interested in!
Sam x

I know what you mean about getting loads that don't match by county just name! Maybe that's what it is then, people see them as a nuisance!

Just out of inetrest, where abouts in Stoke are you from Sam? I;m in Trentham!

Hi, a fellow Stokie!

I live in Hanley but am working hard in Newcastle at the moment :0)

Sam x

Stokie born and bred! Quite literally.

All sides of my family come from Stoke. If you search for Rhead on census stuff, 90% of them are from Stoke, and I'm sure the rest originally did somewhere along the line. Ccan go back to 1693 at the moment, to Whitmore just up the road from where I live now.

And my dad's mum's side is just as bad! They're all Biddulph, Norton, Burslem and Smallthorne at the moment!

I have moved out of Stoke for work though, I'm in Leek, using their internet connection instead :D

I am the same as you Natasha, I email most of my hot matches and wonder why they don't contact me when half the time we have the same people.
It's a bit annoying sometimes but most do reply

Just find it interesting that people see them as a nuisance that's all. Only have to open it to see if the other info matches and if it doesn't just close it and move on to the next one.

Only takes me 10 minutes to check them and contact any matches.

The majority of the people I contact do at least reply to say that they aren't a mtch which is good. But I think the problem is Rebekah, that even if people don't use GR anymore, you can still find matches, it's not that they're ignoring you, they just don't know the messages are there.

Seems very daft to me that GR hasn't got the capability to email you when you get messages and stuff

I think GR can still email people, unless they have changed their email addy. It is frustrating though that a lot of the hot matches only match because their gt grandmothers sister in law's uncles wifes aunt married into 'my' family.
I do go through the new hot matches, delete any that are obviously not a match, contact any that really do seem 'hot' and leave the others for another day when I dont have anything else to do.
It does seem strange though that nobody ever contacts me. Perhaps they are put off by my 'strange' first name.

Huia.

am very frustrated at the moment as there seems to be only one other person on GR who has the person I am looking for in their tree. I have emailed tham and have not heard back.

I know they may not use this site anymore or not check very often but after months of looking your heart does a little dance when you see a familiar name.

I will keep trying and hope tehy reply

Rebekah, it was several months and several PMs from me before one of my relatives replied.

Huia.

I won't give up just yet.

Oh no don't give up! You never know when they may reply.

I spent ages looking for my mum's family on here a few years ago and gave up. Within 48 hours of signing back up again in August I found my mum's cousin!

I do get excited when it really is a hot match, but the othr side don't tend to share my enthusiasm which is a shame but nm!

I do find that very annoying when they were born in totally different countries but share the same name but still go through hot matches just in case.

I do wish other people took more intrrest in this. I often show my mum or sister etc and they glance at it over a cup of tea but never ask any questions or show much intrest even though it is there family history as well.

Has anyone tried to disable their "receive hot matches"? I have had several attempts but the things still keep on appearing. Don't even bother to look at them any more, but delete the lot every so often.

If anyone contacts me, I am more than happy to give as much help as possible, even if it is a case of, sorry but.

Having said that though, new members can find the facility useful on occasions.

It would be alot easier if they matched by county as well, but until then I'll just keep sifting through them, cus you never know wot u might find :D

I've been very lucky with my family, in that they have taken an interest in what I'm doing and what I've found. My parents are separated and I don't live with either of them, but I always send them email updates of what I've found, my mums more into it than my dad, but he's getting there with it all.

My nana wasnt too keen on me doing it, but now I've started it she's seeing names she'd forgotten about and she's quite pleased with it all.

Just wanted to add to all the other comments that I found part of my husbands family in Aus through hot matches. It has been really nice to be in contact with them.

I'm glad to hear some success stories, as I've had two major ones through them

Hi Natasha
I'm glad someone else reads their hot matches. I check mine and remove all obvious ones immediately. As for people complaining that the place of birth doesn't match the name , we are dealing with computer logic. The system has to deal with places of birth, sometimes the parish is entered,other times the village where they lived is entered, other times the town is entered, other times the county is entered, other times people enter England ,upper case, lower case, spelling mistakes how does a computer know the difference? it doesn't ,so they do the next best thing and let us decide.
I think its an acceptable facility but perhaps I've just been lucky.-JLe

Thanks Janet

Just glad I'm not alone!

No you're not alone Natasha! I always check mine and have had some good 'finds' and made some friends along the way. I even go through the list where there is only one contact because ...you just never know.....this may be the link that's been worth waiting for!

Be patient, tonight I had a pm from someone saying "I agree", and when I checked back, he was a contact from back in July!!!