LOOKUP-L Archives

Archiver > LOOKUP > 1997-11 > 0879508146


From: "Joan " <>
Subject: RE: Blanket Lookups
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 97 22:37:06 UT


Hi, Helen!

I agree with you completely. People aren't looking very far into the site.
While 99% of them are very nice and write thank you notes, I had one the other
day requesting a blanket lookup on a surname, so I sent what I had from the
resources I had. What I got back was: "I know all that - send what you have
in the USA", (no please, no thank you!) and I don't have any resources at all
in the USA!

Best wishes,

Joan in Colorado

----------
From: Helen Steller
Sent: Friday, November 14, 1997 4:49 AM
To:
Subject: Blanket Lookups

Hi all

I had a query the other day, which I answered by looking up the census
and parish register resources that I had available. What bothered me
was the reply - "I see that most of the data you had found was on the
1851 census". I had assumed that I was being asked to look up the
census, because that is what is on the Lookup Exchange page, but when I
reread the query, it was very general. This person was just lucky, it
seems!

But, what I think is happening is that people are coming to the
England/Scotland/Wales Lookup Page, and then just clicking on the name
next to the county that they are interested in, and emailing their
general query, without even seeing the county lookup page, let alone
knowing what the pages contain, or even knowing that they exist.

My question is - is it necessary to have the co-ordinators name next to
the county name on the main pages? I am sure there is probably a very
good reason, but I think it is giving people a way to send their query
without reading the instructions (which they mustn't do on the main page
anyway) and asking for a specific request.

Any comments?
Helen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Helen STELLER, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
email:
co-ordinator of Somerset & Devon Lookup Exchange pages

This thread: