My latest news is

[MadNZ]

I'm back! Under a different pseudonym.

I have had a break from membership of Lost Cousins for about 2 years but most of the time I had been reading the newsletters and watching what can be seen of the Forums.
Of course it was sad to see Peter go but he has left a wonderful legacy from which to build on. I am impressed with how the Forums are working now.

However, while being an outsider looking in I have been able to look objectively at what seems to be a waning interest in the Forums.
For example, Tim has posted a message about the latest newsletter email issues but at last look it only had 24 views which is approximately 1% of members. I would call that a poor show, wouldn't you?

What do you all think? Could we generate more interaction between members? and how?

 

[Margery]

I became a Lost Cousins member shortly after its inception. Over the years I have received great assistance from members in tracing my family history and I hope that I have similarly helped others (particularly Australian research). I am not currently actively researching though I always read and enjoy the Lost Cousins Newsletter. I acknowledge that the advent of DNA accessability has changed the face of FH research but I wonder if we have lost the "thrill of the chase"? Nothing will match the excitement of finding that unknown document or visiting a cemetary to find a missing family member.
Those who remember the days of the Rootsweb Mailing lists may feel that something similar might generate more member interaction? I understand that it would need quite some organising, though!

 

[Sue_3]

Rootsweb was where I got the answer to one of my thorniest research problems, such a long time ago now. In the early days of having access to the internet my life was transformed by being able to contact other people who shared my hobbies and obsessions. People who I would never have met in 'real life' became collaborators and friends. In some cases we all moved on, because the shared enthusiasms were fleeting or because we lived in very different parts of the world. Other people I found online actually became part of 'real life', because we met or kept in touch and continue to share our interests.

 

[G6JPG (John)]

[snip]
However, while being an outsider looking in I have been able to look objectively at what seems to be a waning interest in the Forums.
For example, Tim has posted a message about the latest newsletter email issues but at last look it only had 24 views which is approximately 1% of members. I would call that a poor show, wouldn't you?

What do you all think? Could we generate more interaction between members? and how?

I have always found - as with other similar forum offerings - it's too detailed; it's a whole new tree to learn, and I don't know where to post a query. So, I basically don't use the forums to ask things; I'd probably post a query in (the newsgroup) soc.genealogy.britain . For example, if I had a query about something in Cheshire in 17xx, where would I put it? I think there is a Cheshire section of the forum, but how do I find it - and, equally, how do I know anyone who might answer might find it? And, if it's about say birth records, shouldn't it be in a part of the forum related to those - or, both?

I do follow the fora by frequently clicking on the "new messages" posts, and responding where I think I can help (if only, sometimes, by asking the poster to clarify something so that others can help better; they have sometimes thanked me, sometimes even saying that my question has helped them think about their problem). That way I know my response will be in the correct part of the forum - or, rather, will be in the part the poster posted in and is presumably monitoring for replies, even if it's the wrong part! (For example, I have no idea what part this discussion is in.)

I don't have a solution to this problem, I'm afraid.

 

[MadNZ]

I have always found - as with other similar forum offerings - it's too detailed; it's a whole new tree to learn, and I don't know where to post a query. So, I basically don't use the forums to ask things; I'd probably post a query in (the newsgroup) soc.genealogy.britain . For example, if I had a query about something in Cheshire in 17xx, where would I put it? I think there is a Cheshire section of the forum, but how do I find it - and, equally, how do I know anyone who might answer might find it? And, if it's about say birth records, shouldn't it be in a part of the forum related to those - or, both?

Thanks John for your response. Finding your way around the Forum isn't rocket science, it's really easy once you know where to start. There is a structure to it and your remark about the Cheshire section has reminded me that I saw that section just the other day when I was refamiliarising myself with the structure.
If you click on the actual word 'Forums' at top left and not on the arrow you will see the Welcome and the full structure, scroll down the page to British Isles, choose England then click on sub forums to see Cheshire in the list.

If you can see this: Forums News Latest news at the top, it is telling you this is the Forum for News and the sub forum for latest news.

There is nothing to stop anybody from picking up an old Forum entry to further the discussion or update information.

Getting people involved is the answer, perhaps a reminder in the email that goes out about the latest newsletter could contain a reminder about the Forums.

I don't have any experience with Rootsweb but we already have a bulk emailing system which Sian uses to send the emails about the latest newsletter which is why I have suggested the reminder.

 

[G6JPG (John)]

So that's click, scroll, click, scroll, click. Not rocket science, but not as simple/intuitive for me as it clearly is for you. and were I to use another genealogy forum, things would be organised in a subtly different manner, and I'd have to memorise both.
I do appreciate your trying to help me out, but I'd like a less-divided thing. (Also - what do we do with a query that qualifies for two different parts of the forum "tree"? Posting it in both means people who only follow one of them will not see the answers posted in the other one. Unless there's a way of ensuring followups go to both, as on usenet.)
Perhaps we could have a general discussion/query section, with the ability for people who know their way around the tree to redirect - in an easily-followable manner - threads to the relevant section; would that be possible? (Again, I'm thinking usenet.)

 

[MadNZ]

(Also - what do we do with a query that qualifies for two different parts of the forum "tree"? Posting it in both means people who only follow one of them will not see the answers posted in the other one. Unless there's a way of ensuring followups go to both, as on usenet.)

I am sure you must be familiar with bookmarks, how about bookmarking the menu page? On that menu page you will find the 'Where should I post this message' which explains what to do if you're not sure.
All new posts regardless of where they are posted will appear in Latest Posts, where you found this one.
I'm not familiar with usenet but having taken a quick look in Google it appears not to be free, Lost Cousins is free.

 

[G6JPG (John)]

Usenet - or newsgroups - is free, and dates back to the 1980s or before. You have to sign up (once) with a newsserver (such as the free eternal-september, or the Berlin one which is €10 a year [but is not taking new customers]), and use a news client such as Thunderbird (which does news as well as email).
I'll think about your suggestion of bookmarking the menu page; for now I'm managing OK with just Latest Posts, but of course that's just for responses, not new queries.