RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: barbaramc on Sunday 26 May 13 03:07 BST (UK)
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I have read a lot on this forum about people kidnapping someone else's tree. Here's what I did, was it ok
I got an ancestry hint about another tree which looked promising. I contacted the tree owner and received no reply. Since he had a different address for granny than I did, I checked the census with his address and voila, there she was!!! I did this with a bunch of his info, that is to say, if he had different info than I did, I checked his stuff. Some of his was for my family, some not. Since I had checked out each and every document and person I added to my tree, I don't think I did anything wrong. I just used a hint he gave me, albeit unknowingly.
I haven't copied any pictures or stories from his tree. It's all public records. If you can't use hints ancestry sends along, what is the point of sending them? Did I do something wrong?
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"Did I do something wrong?"
Nope, nothing wrong. I never import trees or even branches or twigs wholesale, but I look at lots of them for clues. I have found useful clues even in trees where I can see that a large proportion of the information is hogwash. Just because someone has made a lot of mistakes doesn't mean that it's all wrong.
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No of course you didn't do anything wrong. For a start the tree is a public tree so the owner is aware that any member of ancestry can access the information and use it however they like.
From your point of view you have done exactly what is required after being given the "hint," that is double checked all the information to verify what is or is not correct before adding it to your tree.
I have never been lucky enough to find anyone else who is/has done my paternal line let alone provide photographs but like you I would be very loathe to copy them from the site without first asking permission. Maybe send follow up emails for a few weeks then if no reply go for it?
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Hi
Contrary to what some people might think once a person posts something on the internet that can be accessed by others then, provided it is not subject to copyright, anyone can utilise that information. It is important however, as with all research, to verify that information yourself and not just copy it as the tree may not be correct. Putting aside the likes of personal stories and photos trees are really just a compilation of data. If someone has an issue with others utilising information on their tree then the answer is simple, don't put it online in the first place.
Andy
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Great, thanks!!! I'm glad I didn't do anything wrong. I don't see the point of copying wholesale, who knows who those folks are? But if you can check it all out...
Thanks again!!
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This is exactly how someone else's tree should be used!! If they have info on there that we don't have, we can find the source to back it up, and if it is correct, use it. It's only when people just copy info from one tree straight onto their own without checking it that it is a problem.
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Yes, I found the son of an ancestor on someone's tree. This family is definitely related distantly to me, but they did not check thir sources properly. They found an 1861 census with correct names for the father's family and a similarly spelled name or the mother, and they imported this family with all the children into their tree, and added the child who was their ancestor, but not part of this family. If they had checked properly, they would have found the real family had been in NZ since the 1850s, and were not a family of fruit sellers from Surrey. This kind of thing must go on fairly regularly...
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No you did n't do anything wrong. I got a big breakthrough this way but I was able to contact the person and we exchanged info and sorted out a few problems. I would have checked the info out like you did if they had n't.
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I am totally against putting my tree online because as has been said people just take great chunks of it without checking it.
Having said that I recently checked on some trees on Ancestry using the name of an ancestor who has been my brickwall for 7 years. Most of them have parents unknown the same as me but one had his parents names. I did a lot of checking, at some expense I might add and they were correct.
Having said that the death they had for the mother wasn't correct. It was obvious she had died between 1841 and 1851 and using free BMD they was only one death of that name in the county she lived in during that period. So I sent for the death certificate and it was the wrong person.
Next I did some research to find out where she would have been buried assuming she died at home.I got a date and place of burial so I entered the name and correct quarter into free BMD and one popped up but in the wrong district and county.I looked at the actual sheet on Ancestry and the type wasn't clear but what was clear was that the transcription was wrong, and it was in fact mine. I sent for the death certificate and it was correct so I have contacted free BMD to tell them of the mistake.
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I have found plenty from other trees. Check the sources.
I strongly believe in sharing my info, because I have my info on my website, many people have contacted me
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I use trees on Ancestry for as a resource for information about my own tree - which I don't keep online anywhere. I sometimes copy photos, but I don't use them online in any way, nor do I give them to anyone else. If the information and photos are on a public tree I reason that the tree owner doesn't mind other people seeing them, or indeed using them privately.
If I am able to give anything back that the owner doesn't seem to have, I will contact them directly via Ancestry, or post a comment attached to which ever individual on their tree it applies to. Sometimes the owner says thank you, sometimes they don't seem to be interested, but I think it's only fair to offer some return for the help I've got from being able to see someone's tree.
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I'm all for having my Tree online, which I have on Rootsweb, this tree I think also appears on Ancestry.
I was contacted a couple years ago about a ancestor Rees Lewis who came to Queensland, Australia circa 1886.
This led to several of us sharing information, then researching him and his wife, we ended up being able to go back 4 generations or more. This was the 1st I knew I had Welsh Ancestors!.
One relative quite often contacts me to query the information I have on Rootsweb and this has led to finding more about our Ancestors.
I also look at Trees on Ancestry, don't always agree with the information, however I have found it can lead to further research.
I sometimes leave notes so anyone checking can see why I don't agree with information on the tree or trees.
Mick
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Definitely nothing wrong. As already stated , you have used the tree information as a resource, checked and verified it, and used the info you didn't already have.
The problem we all have is when other people take your tree wholsale and add it to their own, regardless of how tenuous the connection.
Well done for what you have done.
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I'd also guess it's okay, IF you use it merely to check out your own research. Not grabbing wholesale - and don't believe it without properly checking, in any case!
It's annoying though, when you see errors and kidnapped / mixed up families on trees - double the number of children for one couple, because as I knew, they'd mingled two different families in the same small area (I'd nearly done the same myself, ages before, then commonsense had kicked in and I'd checked it out more thoroughly)
Sending messages to point out firm errors or offer further information can be frustrating if you don't get any response - and months later you happen upon the same tree and they've done nothing. Makes you wonder if it's worthwhile trying to help out.
I feel a lot better, though, having sorted out things by myself, from records, I'll admit. Very little has been helped by viewing other peoples' trees - but loads of help given on "Rootschat" when I've been stumped. I always am reluctant to ask, wishing more often that I could more often give some help in the same way.
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I have sen some trees where they have children with earlier birth dates than parents. While I have nothing against using other trees, you do need toxheck the sources before borrowing!
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I have always attempted to contact the person who puts the tree in the public domain, and do the checking accordingly. Sometimes I have had a reply sometimes not. The mantra is 'check, check and check again'! I have found mistakes and again have attempted to contact the person of the tree concerned, and again sometimes they correct it, but mostly they don't!!!
Anna