Why do so many people not acknowledge answers to their questions?

Question

Lots of questions are asked here, and lots get answered. In genealogy questions there are lots of requests for help that get answered with some informayion at least, and followup questions are asked of the original poster in order to improve the answer.

In my experience almost 90% of the original posters never acknowledge the answer or provide information requested. Members should get an email advising them of the answer, unless they turn the notification off, do anonymous users get notified? they are only identified by IP address so I guess not. Are people not answering because they cannot find the post? or is it they forget to look and do not know there is an answer? or some other reason?

Comments

I'd like to know the answer to this too.

Anonymous users can enter their e-mail address so they hear about replies; I assume most do.

One possibility: some messages may get caught in spam filters. Since they're not regular WikiTree users and don't usually get mail from WikiTree, it may get tagged as spam.

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Perhaps members who post questions should not be able turn off the notification email and Anonymous users should be required to enter an email address, making it plain that it is only for advising them of answers to their question, and to help them find it, as well as a warning about spam filters.

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I have to say that, if I ask for more info, the asker has usually replied.  When the asker is a WikiTree member, I usually get a response and we sometimes become good WikiTree friends.

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I've noticed that if a person uses the reply option (your comment box) it doesn't show up as an answer in the numbered answer box, so at a quick glance people might not realise someone has actually replied or answered their question. Perhaps this could be a partial explanation to the vexing question of no reply?

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I found out today that if someone on a profile page clicks on the obvious box ' Ask a question about...' that puts a link to the g2g forum on the top of the page, posts the question in the g2g forum but does not advise the profile manager that there is a question. If the rather less obvious link to post on the profile is used the PM gets an email.

I wondered if the questioner also misses an email that there is an answer if they asked on the profile page, so even if they have notifications on, or have left an email if anonymous they will not get an email.

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I think it's just a facet of our immediate gratification society.  I want it, I get it and move on.  I always return calls and respond to emails but rarely get the same in return.  It's the lack of face to face interaction we grow used to and forget that closure of a thank you, it's sad really.  I think this site is full of helpful and respectful people and I enjoy participating in this environment.  I also think you are all wonderful to go out of your way to help those who just use this site to get information and yet don't contribute to it in any way.  Merry Christmas everyone!  :-)

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I will soon fall into this group, but will try my best to at respond once to each post I make. I know that where I will be spending most of my time this summer they kick you off of the internet after about one half hour per day and unfortunatly Wikitree is not the most important thing that I have to do online.

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My experience has been like that of Rhian's. Especially the Anonymous posters who ask for help on a specific line. Most of the time, someone will come along and do some census lookups, or dig into NEHGS for colonial ancestors, and provide information. I'd say that at least 90% of the time, Anonymous never responds, much less thanks the volunteer who did the research for them.

When I have time, I do what Roland does (below) -- convert what I've found into profiles, often creating them when they don't exist.

Chris, remind us again: why do we allow anonymous postings to g2g? At least if they weren't anonymous, we could follow up with them.

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Wow, Chris. That makes them seem like those who "fly by night." Could we give them a certain icon so we realize that they are "invisible participants"? Something symbolic of their position at the edge of our efforts? ––so we know the accurate situation.

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Roberta, they show up in g2g as "anonymous" - that's how you know.

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for me, I could not figure out how to find the answers.  I got email notification and a link back to this page, but no instructions how to read the answer.  Once I got that figured out, the next question was how do I say thanks... ah yes the little box at the bottom that says "add comment"..  Thank you all for your help and answers.  I am fairly new to doing gene. on the computer, and while I have started trees first on Ancestry.. where I could not get any answers w/o paying and then some of that info was so WRONG.. incorrect spelling of names or even the names themselves, birth dates... if this is what we find w/info that we have and know to correct, how do we trust when we go back two generations, and don't have info.... aside from that I appreciate Wiki, hope that I can be of more help once I learn "the ropes"...but I find this site harder to use than some of the others, so I many have to ask a whole lot more questions before I can help a lot.

Answer 1

This is not an answer to the direct question, but how I make it matter less if the original person who asks a question aknowledges a response.

If I look up records in response to a G2G question, I usually update the relevant profiles with my results, and indicate such in the answer here. That way, the whole WikiTree community benefits from my profile updates regardless of if anyone even sees the answer here on G2G.

Comments

Yes that is what integrators try to do, but often there are questions asked of the original poster that go unanswered  so the question is abandoned.

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So, are you saying if, original poster reads the original answer and decides to ask another question that it doesn't get answered or is abandoned?  Maybe, a lot of people do not realize that unanswered questions go to the tab marked unanswered under G2G?  Unanswered tab is located just above the question in the tabs section in the second box over from the left.  I try to remember, to check the unanswered box as often as I can and answer them as well as I do the original questions.

I'm going to make a guess that between half to 3/4 of the questions do not get answered.  Simply, because the person posting the question just gives the name of the person they are seeking.  I understand that is all the information they may have at times.  It is hard to answer a question if you don't have at least two of the following:   Current name, LNAB, birth date, death date, (or) City, County, State, Country, or a link to their profile to get this information from.  Example:  with out one of these City, County, State or Country there are literally tons of places to look.  Hope this gets more questions answered.   Once again if you need help post me on my profile (or) if private at least post there that you have left message in my    e-mail.  If, I have failed to thank any of you for your help I am sorry, as you deserve to be acknowledged for your time and effort.

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No that was not what I said. I f a followup question is asked and the is no reply then research cannot continue on that thread. If another question is asked with more information that can be followed up. The biggest problem is the anonymous posters, as there is no wat to follow them, if a member asks and does not answer follow questions they can be contacted, but as they asked the question you would think they had an interest in following the responses.

 If you ask who was Joe Blow you get little response unless you add a country or continent and at least a century if not a decade. If you know neither of these then a relative might help, but jusyt a name from somewhere on earth in the last 2000 years does not excite anyone to do the reasearch for you.

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Or often they give little information, and when you reply with more information that you've spent time looking up, they respond that they already KNEW that much!  Lol!

I know how hard it was starting out with a family tree, not even knowing where to start, so I like to help when I can, with or without being thanked for it.  Still, an acknowledgement of my efforts might be nice...I've gotten a few thanks for it, which is cool!

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At the risk of my comment to this 1 yr old question, getting lost,   I will add this comment  Thus the efforts one or more have done by maybe answering question, or clarifying other things, might not be answered  by the person if theywere never taught to thank people for what they do.   .  My comment is most people here on WikiTee are so friendly and thank each of us..  My observance in life is some children who later become adults were never taught by their parents to show respect, to thank people for what they do.   

I hate to end this with a question, but do those of you reading suppose we need to add one more thing to remind newcomers about:  LOGGING in to Wikitree.??  

 

Richardson-7161

 

 

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Hi, when I have asked a question I have provided lots of into - as much as I have.  I am seeking info on my father's father, all I have had till recently is his first and last name, a circa dob, that I know he lived in city, state of a foreign country, and that he died in that city.. Have included the name of gm and what info I have about her, and their other two children and where they lived... so I get a reply w/my father's immigration/ship name to US, where he landed, and the 1930 and 40 census (which info I had, and didn't need) some of that info was included in the info I sent w/my questions.. it gets very frustrating to receive that same info over and over... now I may be missing that the ship manifest may say where my grandfather (who never came to the US) was born... but I doubt it.  US census has so much incorrect info, it makes me crazy.. wrong spelling of names, wrong names, and wrong dob...

I appreciate all the time and effort it takes to look up info, because I know how long it takes me to find something. It has to be more than frustrating to be told, I have that already... but that leads me to believe that some of the helpers are so "used to finding some info", they don't pay attention to the info submitted.  till two days ago I could not find a way to get to the answers, perhaps my fault for not reading instructions if they are available.. and how to reply to the answers.. another "let me guess" it is "add comment". perhaps that addresses some of your concerns about why people don't respond... we are all on a learning mission.. some of us just have more to learn.

Thanks for what you do - it means a lot to someone like me.

Answer 2

its possibel that they have turned off their notifications and if a person is unlisted there is no way they will get notified of any answer.  If the answer is important to them, they will return to 2g2 to see if their question has been answered.

Answer 3

I get an email when a question I've asked is answered (and when a merge is approved, etc.) But there is no link to send a "thank you" from the email.  I have to go back, find my question (not hard) then search out each response . . . . Putting a "TY" button in the email would likely increase the responses.

I was about to send this answer when I noticed the box to email me or not when my answer is selected/commented on.  Some folks may uncheck that and not know when there is an answer.  Don't know why I would, but obviously someone thought there should be that option.