I am not always organized and efficient. Some of my searches are re-searches. Occasionally, I will find that I've asked myself the same questions for several years and never found the answers. Many times I'll ask other people for "New Eyes" on a project so that I can get some clarity for myself. People see things in many different ways and having a fresh look is often quite helpful. However, that leads to a lot of frustration on social media sites for both the person asking the questions and the person trying to answer them. Here are some helpful tips and advice for both the person considering posting for a request and the person about to read and help someone asking for the questions. For those of you who may be considering asking for help, here are some things that I think are a must if you are posting on social media sites such as a Facebook group dedicated to researching a specific area or topic.
NOW --- for those of you who just posted that question, keep in mind people are not really reading these requests and comprehending. They want to be helpful but in order to be helpful, they're trying to catch up with what you already know. So... if you already have a good deal of information, you're going to get quite a few messages like : Here is the 1910 census, his obituary, the 1930 census, here is the marriage, all their children....... but not the one thing you asked for. It's frustrating for sure. Trust me, I get really bothered by it. Over-sharing is not caring. It's annoying. For those of you who want to help people:
In Summary - Ask efficient questions and give effective answers. Stop and comprehend the questions asked and reply to questions with specific solutions. Social media is a difficult (while overly simplied) place to convey information. It can be a wonderful resource to utilize in genealogy research. However, it's also very frustrating to answer the same question a thousand times simply because someone is not reading the Original Post (OP) fully and they aren't taking the time to verify what is actually needed.
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AuthorMichele is an obsessed mother of 4 residing in North Alabama. Hobbies include long walks in the woods, on the beach and in strange cemeteries and libraries. Genealogy friends need only apply. Categories
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