Options for addressing inactivity in a Surname project

[John-DownUnder]

What are the options for getting something done about a small Surname Project that has apparently had no activity for a coupe of years? It has just 23 members (which includes me and my father who have this surname).

In the "About us" section on the Group page, it says, "The surnames in this DNA Project are researched as part of the XXXX one-name study. You can learn more about this significant research, and the associated family trees, by contacting the Group Administrator." It also says, "We are just getting started and encourage you to join us in our discoveries."
This site has no "Activity Feed" section for posts, and the entire sit has remained unchanged over the last couple of years!

I have emailed the Group Admin 3 times (in 2016, 2017 and recently) and never received a reply. The email address is at [email protected], so a year or so ago, I emailed the 'Guild of One-Name Studies' for advice and alerting them to this inactivity. they said they'd check with this contact person (same Admin of FTdna Group Project) but I never heard back. I will email them again too.

I am a Co-Admin for a different project covering another surname in my tree, but am relatively inexperienced. I do however understand the amount of time and effort Admins put in, or need to put in, for a project to at least progress, even if slowly.

Thoughts?

[Jim Barrett]

As a co-admin of a project you should have received emails from them providing email addresses to be used for admins and co-admins to contact support.

Use one of those addresses to contact FTDNA.

[billdickason]

One-name.org

Why didn't you give your surname that you are working on?
Go to https://one-name.org/
Type your surname into the search box. That will give you the contact for that name. You can message them.

[John-DownUnder]

Bill, I didn't feel I need to 'name and shame', but since you asked, it is the O'Mara surname, which includes Mara, Meara, Omara, O'Meara, Marah, etc. The Admin and her email address is the same in the Guild of One-Name Studies for O'Mara as for the FTdna project of the same name.

I have sent another message to the Guild, asking them for feedback following their response to my message last year, where they said they would contact this Admin.

Jim, I cannot find any emails I was sent from FTdna when I became a Co-admin of the Mannion project. Maybe it would be easier if someone quoted a generic email address here? I have also opened a Support request.
John

[Jim Barrett]

FTDNA Email Addresses For Admins

John,

I sent you a Forum "Private Message" containing two addresses. Hope they help.

[John-DownUnder]

John,

I sent you a Forum "Private Message" containing two addresses. Hope they help.

Thanks Jim. Will see what response I get from Support in next 48 hours, and then consider using the first email address.
Cheers
John

[billdickason]

Suggest you email [email protected]. 2 years ago this was Ed Frisken.

The [email protected] points to what is supposed to be her real email address. She has either changed it, or has died. You don’t see any internet postings with that email in the last ten years, and you do find some earlier. So I think that she is deceased.

Ask FTDNA to be assigned as the new administrator for the project. Hopefully that will get some action.
Over 12 years ago, I took over the Dickason project when the only administrator died with no successor. Fortunately, I recognized early on what had happened.

[Nanaof3]

I recently took over as Administrator for my husband's Surname Group. Like yours, it is a small group, only a handful of men have been tested and a few male/female cousins who have also asked to join. Since I have been trying to recruit men with the surname to test, I was disappointed to find none of the 3 Administrators were willing to continue, so I volunteered. I sent out a bulk email to introduce myself and have emailed one person who appears to be really active in his testing, since I have a suspicion he is way more knowledgeable than I am. I haven't heard from anyone. I also made a post on the "Surname Project Forum", which I just realized isn't for our surname but rather for this Forum, thus only for Administrators. My goof, but I think I will copy and create an Activity Feed, which our Surname Project doesn't have presently.

When I contacted FTDNA Surname Projects to ask about how to contact an administrator, they told me that many projects find themselves without administrators and FTDNA does not take projects over. They were more than happy to send me an invite to become one, even with my limited knowledge.

[dnaforsennett]

The Guild of one name studies does have a DNA project advisor - if this surname project has the Guild logo badged on it (in project searches) then the Guild DNA advisor will have helped set it up, and should be able to help, even where a surname study admin is no longer active. Even if it doesn't have the guild badge, it would still be well worth while contacting the Guild DNA advisor. I'm guessing that is one of the email contacts Jim Barrett has passed on to you. If not, PM me and I will tell you who it is.