All the lists and boards I belong to are quiet. I fear that the next generation of researchers will do it on facebook – the ones I belong to are really lively. BUT, searching for that elusive ancestor is a NIGHTMARE on facebook as messages vanish into thin air after a day (or so it seems to me) Am I just being a luddite ? Lots of folks seem to go straight for Facebook and I don’t think it’s a very efficient way of doing FH Fiona

Hi Fiona No not a Luddite, just sensible IMHO Facebook on the face of it (no pun intended) seems great but is virtually hopeless as a means of research, partly as you say due to posts being virtually hidden as soon as they are posted The main problems I see are the number of inexperienced researchers giving advice which is often inaccurate or down right wrong The structure of facebook groups is haphazard at best unlike the Rootsweb lists, anyone can start up a fb group and as easily just desert them Facebook groups for genealogy are more often than not closed and therefore only those in the group can see posts and only if they keep track of them, a lot of groups have members in the hundreds or lower thousands, very few appear to read all the posts and even fewer respond, I see posts like "looking for Jones in London" which I have rarely seen on the lists Facebook posts are not findable by google or search engines unlike all rootsweb list posts to anyone anywhere in the world Facebook has its uses, you can post pictures and images, for discussion of local history etc but for research its fairly hopeless I think more of an influence on the decline of use of the lists is due to the plethora of data now available and the fact that a great many questions once asked on the lists are now easily answered with a search engine (answers often found on rootsweb lists) and that people are a lot more computer savvy than they were say ten or twenty years ago For research I do not think you can beat the Rootsweb lists Long live the lists I say :-) Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 08/02/2016 12:41, Fiona Hall via wrote: > All the lists and boards I belong to are quiet. > > I fear that the next generation of researchers will do it on facebook > – the ones I belong to are really lively. > > BUT, searching for that elusive ancestor is a NIGHTMARE on facebook > as messages vanish into thin air after a day (or so it seems to me) > > Am I just being a luddite ? Lots of folks seem to go straight for > Facebook and I don’t think it’s a very efficient way of doing FH > > Fiona --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Hello Everybody, This subject crops from time to time and as I subscribe to at least 30 lists I find it is a recurring theme. Like other people I learn a lot from the lists about things I have never queried but often pondered over. I think Nivard has hit the nail on the head with his response and I can do no better than agree with him. Regards Rod, in wet and windy Hampshire. --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Hi I'm sick to death of Facebook .......does no one realise that oldies like me, would prefer to speak to others properly like over the Mailing Lists. To me Facebook is a nightmare !!!! I don't care if I'm a luddite Fiona..... Sheila (Fife)

Hi Fiona (stranger!) I am scared stiff of Facebook - I'm not a member nor do I intend to be in the foreseeable future. It is sad though that Forums and Lists are not as lively as they once were. This subject (Quiet Mailing List) has inspired me -- and I will shortly post a message about something I have just discovered. I will post this in the hope that others, like me - were unaware of this info and it may help someone (I'm just trying to build up the anticipation now!) June From: Fiona Hall via <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, 8 February 2016, 12:41 Subject: Re: [LAN] quiet mailling list All the lists and boards I belong to are quiet. I fear that the next generation of researchers will do it on facebook –  the ones I belong to are really lively. BUT, searching for that elusive ancestor is a NIGHTMARE on facebook as messages vanish into thin air after a day (or so it seems to me) Am I just being a luddite ?  Lots of folks seem to go straight for Facebook and I don’t  think it’s a very efficient way of doing FH Fiona :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: Buy or sell family research items on the GEN-MAT-UKI mailing list.  No fees!  The list's administrator can be contacted at [email protected] :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hello Fiona, I am on a number of Facebook sites. Middleton, Hulme/Ardwick/Ancoats and another for Moss Side. I have never seen a query posted on these sites. Mike Morris Toronto Canada From: Fiona Hall via <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, February 8, 2016 7:41 AM Subject: Re: [LAN] quiet mailling list All the lists and boards I belong to are quiet. I fear that the next generation of researchers will do it on facebook –  the ones I belong to are really lively. <snip>