Poor Etiquette and available resources

[Story]

1) If you ask a question and get a response, it won't kill you to hit the little "LIKE" button under the respondent's post. See also

How to Say Thank You in Many Languages

Making the effort to show even a basic understanding of the local language can go a long way, so we'll show you how to say thank you in many languages.

reference.yourdictionary.com

2) If you are tagged in a post that a respondent wants you to specifically read, it won't kill you to acknowledge it.

3) Most of the folks here love helping with tough questions. Easy questions (like tell me all about the person this name) should start with your own work - google.com is wonderful, as is findagrave.com . Ancestry.com and Fold3.com you have to pay for, but so do the people whose time you're asking to use for free.

There's probably more to add to this list. but I'm going to go make coffee now.

 

[Story]

4) There are such things as stupid questions. Guilty parties should cease and desist from asking them, charitable folks should stop wasting their time answering such.

"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces" (Matthew 7:6).

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

charitable folks should stop wasting their time answering such.

True ... but many times it takes the charitable folks more than a few inquiries from the same person before "red flags" start to fly.

Personally, I try to remember many visitors that come to this site asking questions have no in-depth knowledge of the War,
no idea about military terminology, and don't care about the regimental numbers, ect.

I think many are asking for our help about their personal questions:

Where was my relative at ?
What happened to him ?

Anyway ... just my personal take.

 

[lupaglupa]

I certainly try to be forgiving of those who approach Civil War records with no experience - I certainly had a lot to learn when I began my digging and I still learn new things every day. But I understand @Story's frustration with certain posters who don't seem to learn any tips about how to ask for help and return again and again with the expectation that the kind folks of the forum will turn their few pieces of genealogy straw into a gift wrapped golden family history.

 

[Story]

True ... but many times it takes the charitable folks more than a few inquiries from the same person before "red flags" start to fly.

I have personally rendered my assistance (which TBH is worth exactly what you pay for it) to those sort of folks, until such time as they revealed themselves to be uncouth leaches.

 

[KianGaf]

True ... but many times it takes the charitable folks more than a few inquiries from the same person before "red flags" start to fly.

Personally, I try to remember that many visitors that come to this site asking questions have no in-depth knowledge of the War,
no idea about military terminology, don't care about the regimental numbers, ect.

I think many are asking our help about their personal questions:

Where was my relative at ?
What happened to him ?

Anyway ... just my personal take.

I'd go along with that. I love history and geography for example. I don't ever get offended when asked a dumb question id rather help folk out if they are inclined to be corrected. As an Irishman I get them all the time when abroad ie Ireland and England are the same country. It sounds offensive but I always give the person credit that they don't know history or politics. The answer is no we are not. I love traveling to the United Kingdom but they have their thing and we have ours. Just an example, when you are knowledgeable about a topic it's easy to take a offence to what you perceive to be a stupid question.

 

[captaindrew]

Remember a dumb question in some of our eyes is not so dumb in someone else's. I don't think there's a person here who's an expert in every forum topic discussed here. I'm not an expert in any really, except I have many years of reenacting experience that I enjoy sharing with others who may have a "dumb question" You have to start somewhere, I'm sure I asked plenty and continue to do so around here on topics I'm not familiar with. I was a fishing charter captain for 30 years, I made a good living answering dumb questions with a smile every day. You're right, a simple thank you or just a like is appropriate but I don't take offense if it doesn't happen. So be patient, none of us are experts at everything.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

As an Irishman I get them all the time when abroad ie Ireland and England are the same country. It sounds offensive but I always give the person credit that they don't know history or politics.

I've never understood the confusion between the Republic of Ireland & the UK either.

My maternal Grandmother was an O'Grady from Connacht ... specifically Galway.

She would get furious when people would ask the same thing about the two nations.

 

[KianGaf]

I've never understood the confusion between the Republic of Ireland & the UK either.

My maternal Grandmother was an O'Grady from Connacht ... specifically Galway.

She would get furious when people would ask the same thing about the two nations.

It's gets further complicated than that. I'd never use the term Republic of Ireland, my passport states Ireland and my head of state is President of Ireland or Uachtarán na hÉireann. I'd never have an disagreement on the matter with anyone. It's a complicated topic. I have my opinions on the matter but I let the ballot box decide the issue. In a democracy the majority rules.

 

[Story]

Remember a dumb question in some of our eyes is not so dumb in someone else's.

We're all guilty of dumb questions, myself first and foremost (but in my own defense, I've answered dumb questions here and elsewhere ad nauseum).

What I'm talking about is something completely different and I'll try again to make the difference clear to all.

I wrote stupid. Stupid is when you're too intellectually lazy to find turn the page of a book on your lap. It's the researching equivalent of asking someone to change your diaper because you didn't feel like waddling over to the bathroom.

Stupid is real. Stupid is toxic. Stop the Stupid.​

 

[SeaTurtle]

It's gets further complicated than that. I'd never use the term Republic of Ireland, my passport states Ireland and my head of state is President of Ireland or Uachtarán na hÉireann. I'd never have an disagreement on the matter with anyone. It's a complicated topic. I have my opinions on the matter but I let the ballot box decide the issue. In a democracy the majority rules.

I'm not Irish, but I do use "Republic of Ireland" in some situations, mostly when people I'm speaking to start getting confused about whether Belfast and Dublin are in the same country, that kind of stuff. Sometimes it's necessary in conversation to differentiate between the "republic" and the "north" for people who don't come from this part of the world. Particularly in the wake of Brexit...

The American Civil War, a bit like the Irish Civil War and related conflicts, can be a confusing subject, so I try to give people the benefit of the doubt on either topic if they ask a question where the answer might seem obvious to me. I've certainly met Irish people who don't know what state Boston is in, or what the Mason-Dixon Line was/is.

And lord knows I've made my fair share of dumb comments on this forum, sober or otherwise. So I try to be as patient with other folks on this forum as people on this forum have been with me.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I'd never use the term Republic of Ireland

I ment no offense.

But it seems to me, that's the easiest term to use when explaining the difference
between The United Kingdom and everything south of Ulster ... for those
not familiar with the complex history of Ireland.

 

[KianGaf]

I ment no offense.

But it seems to me, that's the easiest term to use when explaining the difference
between The United Kingdom and everything south of Ulster ... for those
not familiar with the complex history of Ireland.

I took none my friend. I understand the differences in opinion & use of different terminology on the topic . I've very often unintentionally got something wrong myself when discussing the war between the states.

 

[SeaTurtle]

I took none my friend. I understand the differences in opinion & use of different terminology on the topic . I've very often unintentionally got something wrong myself when discussing the war between the states.

Heck, even the name of the conflict itself can cause offense or confusion in different circles. "Civil War", "War Between the States", "War of Northern Aggression", "War of the Rebellion" ... all depends who you're speaking to. Just like the "Ireland/Éire/Republic of Ireland/26 Counties" thing.

 

[captaindrew]

We're all guilty of dumb questions, myself first and foremost (but in my own defense, I've answered dumb questions here and elsewhere ad nauseum).

What I'm talking about is something completely different and I'll try again to make the difference clear to all.

I wrote stupid. Stupid is when you're too intellectually lazy to find turn the page of a book on your lap. It's the researching equivalent of asking someone to change your diaper because you didn't feel like waddling over to the bathroom.

Stupid is real. Stupid is toxic. Stop the Stupid.​

Consider something else, for a new member especially, they could be asking a question to make conversation and participate. Much more enjoyable that just hitting Google. Isn't that why we're all here?

 

[Sheltowee]

It's gets further complicated than that. I'd never use the term Republic of Ireland, my passport states Ireland and my head of state is President of Ireland or Uachtarán na hÉireann. I'd never have an disagreement on the matter with anyone. It's a complicated topic. I have my opinions on the matter but I let the ballot box decide the issue. In a democracy the majority rules.

I venture a dumb question…..

Why not "Republic of Ireland"? Just trying to learn….

 

[SeaTurtle]

I venture a dumb question…..

Why not "Republic of Ireland"? Just trying to learn….

Kian can give you a more detailed answer. But in short, "Ireland" is the official name of the independent state. Sort of like how it's the "United States of America" and not "The Federal Republic of the United States of America".

There are some who don't like to differentiate "Ireland" along the partition lines. Using terms like "Republic of Ireland" can be seen by some as acknowledging that "Ireland" stops at the limit of the 26 counties... there are some folks who prefer to think of the whole island as one entity, despite current political divisions.

 

[Fairfield]

Why not "Republic of Ireland"? Just trying to learn….

Because that's not the proper name. It is simply Ireland.

 

[Story]

Consider something else, for a new member especially, they could be asking a question to make conversation and participate. Much more enjoyable that just hitting Google. Isn't that why we're all here?

many times it takes the charitable folks more than a few inquiries from the same person before "red flags" start to fly.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Kian can give you a more detailed answer. But in short, "Ireland" is the official name of the independent state. Sort of like how it's the "United States of America" and not "The Federal Republic of the United States of America".

There are some who don't like to differentiate "Ireland" along the partition lines. Using terms like "Republic of Ireland" can be seen by some as acknowledging that "Ireland" stops at the limit of the 26 counties... there are some folks who prefer to think of the whole island as one entity, despite current political divisions.

Thank you for this explanation !

I had no clue.

I honestly don't think many people around the world know that "Republic" is a
controversial term in Irish political history.

"We" were always taught ... after the Irish won their independence following World War One ... the Country became a republic.


The things one can learn on this forum.