How to handle requests for more information from non WikiTree members. [closed]

Question

I have recently been receiving a large number of requests for additional information about profiles I manage. The big thing is I do not have any information about the people in the profiles, except for a few recently deceased or still living people so what you see is what I have. Most of these requests are coming from non members and I usually ignore them but I wonder if that is the best idea. I do not like responding to private emails for these profiles and really usually have nothing to add anyway.

Comments

Same, Dale

Answer 1

Hi Dale.  I have gotten a few of these, and like you, I usually don't have any more data to offer than what was shown in the profile.  But I always respond politely and just say that, I don't ignore them.  (In one case I did put an inquirer in touch with a relative he didn't know who had previously offered me additional info, but wished to remain anonymous.)  I consider these requests a good thing!  They indicate that there are people out there who are interested and who are actually reading this stuff we post.  And they are potential genealogists and future members, and possibly unknown cousins who sometimes have useful data to offer.  So I like to keep the door ajar in most cases, even though there probably won't be further communication in a high percentage of them.

Comments

My problem Dennis is responding to these is not only time consuming to tell them I know nothing more but it has in the past made my email provider mark any email from WikiTree as "Junk" causing me to miss some actually important emails.

---

Admittedly it takes a little time.  But you don't have the capability to "train" your e-mail about what is junk and at least look at the contents of the junk folder??

---

Dennis, I could but that takes away my time from doing actual work and time is something you never get back. Also if when you added your comment I was working on a different site and if the WikiTree messages start to look like Spam I would not have seen it pop up and would have not been any wiser, so I probably would not have seen anything for at least 12 hours to make me even think that there could be a problem.

---

Actually, I consider replying as part of my work. I have a One Name Study with the Guild of One Name Studies, and responding is actually something you sign up to do.

---

But I have NOTHING to add.

---

I didn't say I did! It's just a matter of courtesy.

Dear whoever

Thank you for emailing me about xxxxxxxx.  Unfortunately, I do not have anything to add beyond what is already on WikiTree.

Thank you for your interest - and best wishes for your future research.

Me

---

Yes Ros! Just a cut-and-paste statement like you gave is enough to let the person know that their message has been received, and put the ball back in their court. I don't get a lot of those inquiries, but of those I have, some of the inquirers have turned out to be relatives, and as mentioned above, have had further info.

Vici

Answer 2

If you are not able to cope with the volume of requests then one option might be to reduce the number of profiles that you manage.

Comments

Lynda, So you say to stop others from causing problems for  my email I should just not work on WikiTree, that would be the result of your suggestion.

---

No Dale, that is not what I said. You can still work on profiles without managing them. If some of the profiles you manage are becoming a problem to you then you can let them go and concentrate on the ones you do have time for.

---

But my question was about non members thinking I know more than is what is on the profile. The latest one was asking specific information about military units and the profile in question has nothing about any military service on it. They admitted they knew more than what was on the profile, which is Open, but do not want to add it. They want me to research for them and they do not even want to join to help out here themselves.

---

Then a brief polite response should be adequate. You cannot stop people making contact if you are shown as profile manager. As I said earlier, if you do not want to be contacted then the easiest way to resolve it is to remove your name from the profile.