Question

Is it not rude to ignore requests and/or messagess from other members ?

Comments

I think being ignored without explanation is too easily an assumption. Being from different parts of the world, we may not consider if the person is on religious retreat, or out of touch due to Covid-19. Many of us may be retired and it is easy to spend 20 hours on Wikitree, others may have children at home (especially now) and we have forgotten what it is like to be busy with other things. Maybe the person works in health care. Assuming being ignored vs. an obviously rude email or comment directed at another should be considered carefully before "announcing" it. There are those who are simply impatient and want an immediate response. There are things that are not covered (even in the honor code) that happen in life. Collaboration is "contribution" and we should resist turning Wikitree into a competition for honors and complement fishing. There are also those people that are isolated and simply never get email and don't use social media, and communication may be a bit awkward for them. I am sure there are people that are somewhat "rude" in the world and I am also sure there are many that are just misunderstood.

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Thank you Mark. All valid points well taken.

Answer 1

I think we have to realize that WikiTree and genealogy, for the most part, is a hobby. Some can spend a great deal of time on it, and devote many hours in a day. But others can only devote a few hours a week or just a month. Everyone has different time constraints.  I'm always very understanding towards those who can only devote little time.

Comments

Thank you James, ( another cool name ) I understand all of the comment by everyone,(thanks every body ) but seriously how long does it take to say I am sorry I cant help? 

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You are right James. They should at least extend the courtesy of saying 'sorry, but I have been unable to find any further information to help".  I know I have replied in a like manner to people asking for more information on profiles I manage.

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Thank you James, that is the answer I was looking for. Great minds think alike.( and sometimes share the same name! )

Answer 2

Yes but dont expect an instant answer. You should expect to wait at least 24 hours if not more to get a response.

If the other person is not active on Wikitree, then there are things you can do to deal with an unresponsive manager, especially if you need to work on one of their profiles, but getting angry certainly does not help.

Comments

Thank you, Robynne ( cool spelling ) I am not angry. Maybe a bit frustrated. Possibly disappointed. I just think it is rude and inhibits collaboration.

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Some people are on WikiTree every day, others not so often. Some are still here as profile managers but have moved on (lost interest, found other hobbies, passed away ...). One way to find out how active people are is to go to their profile and click on the line reading "xyz's 123 contributions". This will give you an idea how recent their last contributions were and sometimes helps determining how quickly one should expect an answer.

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Thank you Helmut. I am aware of all of that. I am talking about those persons that are simply ignoring someone.Very disrespectful. IMHO

Answer 3

It's rude to receive a message or request and ignore it.  There's no way to know whether another member receives your message or request, though.  So it's not possible to determine if he or she is rude or simply unaware.

Not responding after asking for and receiving help on G2G, now that's  a different question.

Comments

Thank you Herbert.You are right.This is the first I have seen your Answer forgive me for being tardy with my response.(pun intended) :)