They join, they enquire and then immediately disappear. Why ?

If someone can move their research onward because of an input from myself then I am highly delighted. Those that give the common courtesy of a thank you far outnumber those who never reply and that is satisfaction enough for me.

Regards
Hugh

 

I know of at least one instance where a new member started a thread, received several replies and then established contact with respondents by PM and then email to further the enquiry. I am sure it happens in many cases, question asked, interested parties get in contact, end of Forum activity.
In the case I mention I am still in very frequent contact with the 'new member' who is heavily involved in some ground-breaking WW2 archaeology and research. I cannot say too much about it as yet but when I am able I will summarise the results of the Forum's input to the subject here.

Mike

 

I joined this forum after stumbling across it while googling for relatives who were in WW2. The help I have been given here by members is fabulous, and I now feel like part of the family. I don't know as much about WW2 as others here (in fact my knowledge is very small), but I am learning more here than I ever have anywhere else - and like Diane says "I am interested". I log in nearly every day to see what's new, and I post what I can when I can. If what I post can be of help or interest to someone that's great, if not, I'm not too fussed because at least I've tried. But for those of you that go to great lengths to help others by spending hours researching for them or writing huge amounts from your own personal experience/knowledge in order to give them the answers they need - I take my hat off to you - you guys (and girls) are wonderful, and I for one am extremely grateful, and pleased to have friends like you in this forum.

Have a great day everyone, you do a great job!
Wendy

 

I think one reason why someone may be put off continuing is the reaction one receives when something controversial and perhaps delicate is posted. I speak from experience!!! My very first posting was a rather clumsy comment about the holocaust. The reaction was quite incredible. I was accused of everything, a denier being the most pleasant!! filthy language the norm!! (the posts are still there)

I have had a look at the thread you mention, and I'm afraid I don't agree with your assessment of it. Most people suggested you do a little more reading on the Holocaust. I'm not really sure what you would expect for questioning in a very clumsy way the number of dead in the Holocaust.

If you feel this forum is such an unfriendly place why do you persist with it?

 

I joined this forum after stumbling across it while googling for relatives who were in WW2. The help I have been given here by members is fabulous, and I now feel like part of the family. I don't know as much about WW2 as others here (in fact my knowledge is very small), but I am learning more here than I ever have anywhere else - and like Diane says "I am interested". I log in nearly every day to see what's new, and I post what I can when I can. If what I post can be of help or interest to someone that's great, if not, I'm not too fussed because at least I've tried. But for those of you that go to great lengths to help others by spending hours researching for them or writing huge amounts from your own personal experience/knowledge in order to give them the answers they need - I take my hat off to you - you guys (and girls) are wonderful, and I for one am extremely grateful, and pleased to have friends like you in this forum.

Have a great day everyone, you do a great job!
Wendy


And I should add that I haven't done any more with my particular areas of research lately due to my computer crashing some months back which had my family tree on it that I had been working on and which had all my information in. BUT yesterday I finally got back my family tree after my computer person was able to extract it from the damaged hard drive! Yayy onward and upward now (and I now have it backed up on disc!)

 

DBF:
No, I don't think I missed the gist at all. Unless I'm mistaken Ron is asking why members disappear. If he is asking why they disappear specifically after making a research enquiry which would be a very narrow term of reference then I indeed have it wrong, but I think he is asking in general terms why members come and go. Perhaps Ron could would be kind enough to clarify that point.

 

This was Ron's opening statement. It looks straightforward enough to me:-

"I've just had a casual look at the members list and was immediately struck at the high number of new forum members who join, make a research enquiry and then, having received, in some cases, substantial help from other members, simply disappear without a further posting."

I have yet to see anyone with a remotely sensible enquiry chased away from this forum. 'What-ifs' are of course excluded from this, especially if it's their first post.

Wading in with a first post on a subject known to be controversial is perhaps not the easiest way to long-term membership, it's akin to beating the door down rather than checking first to see if it's only on the latch. I saw a fireman do that once !

 

Fireman
DBF:
No, I don't think I missed the gist at all. Unless I'm mistaken Ron is asking why members disappear. If he is asking why they disappear specifically after making a research enquiry which would be a very narrow term of reference then I indeed have it wrong, but I think he is asking in general terms why members come and go. Perhaps Ron could would be kind enough to clarify that point.


As an acknowledged practitioner in the use of "very narrow terms of reference", may I confirm that what I was asking members to consider and comment on was indeed "why they disappear specifically after making a research enquiry"

I trust this is sufficient clarification ?

Ron

 

I understand the person who joins, seeking finite information. Once they received it, they move on.

What irritates me is those who join to ask these questions who then never say thank you.

We had a woman join at WW2F, seeking information on the unit her grandfather was a member. It was a small, "niche" unit that had very little info available. Several member spent a great deal of time locating information about this unit and posting it for her. They never got so much as a fair-thee-well from her. That chapped my butt to no end. I know whe had to see it, she logged on well afterward, but didn't have the common courtesy to offer appreciation for research provided to her for free.

 

And some of us stuck up for you too.


Interesting comments. I am a new member and it is news to me that the vitriole can surface. I consider this to be quite a placid site!

I fully appreciate the points you make. As a newcomer to another forum, I have experienced very strong senses of ownership of the history by some members. The supportive PMs were always nice though I wonder why they had to be PMs rather than open postings.

People get scared. The forum of the digital era can be distorting, but I suspect people were and will always get scared in what are essentially social nets they construct, then manage to get themselves caught-up in.

Michael

 

I'm new here, And even tho this forum is dedicated more to the British side of the war. I plan to continue visiting, I may not post much cause even tho I have been interested in World War 2 since I was a kid my knowledge is limited. I hope to change that by staying a member of not only this forum but ww2f as well. Both forums seem very well put together with amazing member's that go out of there way to help.

 

Having participated now for 7-8 years in various forums on a WIDE range of subjects...and some of them ARE far more red in tooth and claw than here!...there's exactly one thing I can say with certainty...

There are no rules or trends about why people come to a specific location; every person who uses a forum does so because of what THEY want at the time. To join, to participate for whatever reason for whatever lenth of time is a purely subjective decision on their part.

 

i love the fact we have veterans, people who were actually there

 

i love the fact we have veterans, people who were actually there

I agree. And not bothering to thank them when they provide assistance is even ruder.

 

If the forum can help as many people as possible then every so often a pearler comes along.


A few stay longer at the watering hole.

 

Hi,

I am a fairly new member and have posted some items and rec feedback, I value what you guys know and appreciate the help that you give all of us, I keep a low profile because I am not very knowledgeable in these matter but read the posts with interest, if I omit to thanks someone for their input, my apologies

 

I visit this forum because it is not inhabited by "nutters" who can be scary. The knowledge and academia is of a high standard, far beyond me. I do have time on my hands and use it to trawl the web to find answers to questions posted on the forums I visit.
I find some of the "pop in members" put out blanket requests on similar forums. When I ask if the question has been posted on another forum then the poster goes very quiet. I dont know why , I will pass on what I have found out . It just saves time answering one post rather than two or three.

 

Arkrite, I believe the 'blanket' or 'scattergun' approach is very well monitored by Mods and Admin on this and similar sites (who do talk to each other). They do an excellent job in keeping us and the forum safe for the genuinely interested members.

Mike

 

Hi Ron
As a new subscriber I may have something to add, even if it simply confirms what Andy surmised in his first reply to your question. I am a hobby genealogist i.e. not a professional. I have been subscribing to another forum on genealogy for several years and as well as asking for help from time to time, I try to give help, as I was doing just before returning to this forum. It was a link in a thread in that forum that led me to this excellent forum.

My interest, as I said at the time I joined, is fairly narrow and it is to find out more about my dad's war. I am not a war gamer or have any special interest in regiments, vehicles, theatres of war etc. I certainly have no skill or knowledge in any of those things. I'm a complete rooky.

On the other hand I was born immediately after the war and have therefore met over the years some very brave men who served. Ranging from a holder of the MC; a shy and humble ex commando, a Normandy Veteran who was involved in hand to hand fighting, a man who lost a leg to a mortar shell and an ex-prisoner of war in a Japanese prison camp badly affected by his ordeal.

I know that you are a veteran and I am full of admiration for what you and others like you did for us. I am told that the "Private Ryan" film which I've seen a few times, is one of the more authentic portrayals of what it was like. If that is so I cannot imagine the courage it took to keep on keeping on.

Having said all the above my personal view (which I recognise might cause offence to some on this site) is that wars are the result of a failure of politics and common decency and that they are invariably started by vainglorious men who seldom take part in the fighting themselves. Our servicemen and women are and have always been heroes. Sadly our politicians are donkeys who seem unable to learn from history.

As I said before I started my "rant" my interest is very narrow and I have very little to give back. I am however very grateful for the help I've already had from subscribers to this site.