Unacknowledged Copying

[Siamese Girl]

I know this often come up as a gripe, but about a year ago I shared with someone who has an Ancestry tree quite a lot of my research. I've never put my research on it (mainly due to most of it being done on bits of paper over the years which I've never got around to digitising) I knew they had put it on their tree without asking my permission but I've now had a look to see how far it has spread - one person has even posted my hand written trees online - the person I shared them with must have passed them on to them as they didn't upload them themselves. I see if "I ask nicely" I might be able to see what is obviously my own research on someone else's personal tree ..... I also gave the original person the parent's names of one of our shared female ancestors but not the research that I had done on that branch of the family, but they didn't pick up on the clue I gave them and I'm not sure I feel inclined to give them any further information.

I don't think a "would you mind?" would have come amiss or am I being too sensitive? After all they are my distant blood relatives and so what I know should be of interest to them and not really to anyone else so perhaps I should just share it but not look again to see what they have done with it?

Carole

[JACK GEE]

Hi Carole,
sadly once it is "out there" it is out there.

An acknowledgement is simple courtesy.

As the original source and if the information needs any correction you have the right to contact said persons and point them in the "right direction".

The Genie caper is full of traps and sadly when information is incorrect  some people don't take the hint to change or at least have a discussion.

All the best in your genie journey.

Jack Gee

[Greensleeves]

I must admit this is my major gripe about people who keep their trees private on Ancestry.  I know for certain that a considerable amount of my data has been filched and put into private trees and I am told I might be given access "if I ask nicely".   I am quite happy for the research I put online to be shared, but I do like to be asked first.  And it does outrage me that photos of my ancestors, of which I hold the originals, are now being used in ways I know not, and to which I have no access.

At one point I got so fed up with this that I made my tree private.  But then it seems unfair that I then was able to use all the research available from the 'open' trees, without giving anything back in return.  I don't mean by this plundering them, but using them as pointers for my own research, which can often be very helpful when I'm stuck.

I think I've said before on another thread that I think if people want private trees, they should then not be able to see and use the research of those whose trees are open to inspection.  Unless of course there was an algorithm which would make a private tree open to anyone whose data had been used.

Regards
Grumpy GS   

[Siamese Girl]

It's just really irritating isn't it? Perhaps it irritates me me most because I don't have my tree on Ancestry and I know that the person I originally shared it with didn't upload my research themselves but handed it on to someone else without bothering to ask me first.

Perhaps very distant relatives turn out to be just as irritating as some of the closer ones can be at times ? 

Carole

[andrewalston]

In my research, I am careful to record sources. Where data has come from another researcher, I record the contact method as well. So, something like "Via Ancestry: Joe Bloggs" is my source.

However, if I upload to Ancestry, this is SOMETIMES thrown away. The event then gets "Unsourced citation" instead.

[Andrew Tarr]

I'm a bit bemused by the problems people see in this - I am reminded of two things.

Once word 'gets out' - however that happens, and especially with the internet - it is rather like a good old-fashioned rumour.  There's no control of how it may change, and it is no longer 'yours', it's public.

The other thing is the genie in the bottle, or Pandora's box.  If I publish family information I try to be sure that it is correct, and that I don't mind it being published.  Otherwise I keep it private, or I might discuss it without revealing any names, as an example of something interesting.

[Siamese Girl]

Well I would have had no objections if I had published my research online, but I don't and I just think it might have been polite of the person I shared it with privately could have asked me before handing it onto to someone else who then uploaded it.

Anyway, at least they've got some correct information on their trees now, to go along with the information that is absolutely wrong! 

Carole

[Lisajb]

I made my Ancestry tree private because stuff was filched. I asked one of the filchers, nicely and politely, if she could assist with something in our shared ancestry, just one little query - there was no response.

[cati]

I made my Ancestry tree private because stuff was filched. I asked one of the filchers, nicely and politely, if she could assist with something in our shared ancestry, just one little query - there was no response.

I made mine private after my ex-husband started filching things to add to his tree (which I note is now also private, but was public at the time) and added details about my family which were not on my tree because they were - and still are - living relatives.