RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Logdore on Friday 08 February 08 13:40 GMT (UK)
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Could I have some advice please?
I’ve been contacted by another member of GenesReunited who shares the same name as one of my ancestors and he has asked to see my tree.
He has given me access to his tree, but this contains one name only –his own. He has not given me any information on his family or indicated where he thinks the connection might be. Should I give him access?
I do like to help people where I can, and have often shared my tree with other researchers but can’t help feeling distrustful about this.
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Just ask him for some more info.
Don't feel obliged to open your tree until you're sure there is a connection.
Diana
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Sounds a bit suspicious to me. I agree, ask for more information - be interesting to see what kind of response you get.
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If he has no names in his tree how does he or Genes R know you share a common ancestor ??? Thats always puzzled me
It once happened to me, I asked for further info and heard no more
Simon
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I expect he found it through the search other trees thingy.
I use that quite a bit - when I'm looking for family of other people I'm doing a tree for - very useful - but I always start out by saying what I'm doing and exlaining that tree isn't on GR
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I expect he found it through the search other trees thingy.
I use that quite a bit - when I'm looking for family of other people I'm doing a tree for - very useful - but I always start out by saying what I'm doing and exlaining that tree isn't on GR
Mum44
Thanks, didn't even know there was a search other trees thingy, I will go and have a look.
Simon
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Mumm44
I did know that search other trees thingy was there, I'd just forgotton as it is that long since I've used it
Simon
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Forgotten it Simon ? ???
You don't look old enough to be having senior moments! 8) ;D
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Mum44
Where family research is concerned I often get senior moments ;D ;D
Simon
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Thanks for the advice. I'll ask him where he thinks the connection is and see what he says.
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Hi Logdore
Not necessarily suspicious!
I have established that several people on Genes are related to me, simply by checking as many names as possible that I know from my own tree (which is not on GR) and finding folk whose names match with lots of them!
I have contacted a few of these people and shared info with them, without putting it onto the GR site. In exchange I have had access to their trees (some more populated than others, lol!) and to other info that they have chosen not to add to a semi-public forum.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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I've contacted people on GR and they me the only thing I don't like is some people copy what you have taken a lot of time to find
One who is not a close relative on my mother's side has all my Dad's family in their tree as well
This I find pointless to anyone who searches for the family in years to come ..................I would find out what this person has first before letting them look at your tree
Elizabeth
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Is there only one name on his Tree? (Top of the board)
Some Trees have a number of relatives but only show one name on opening. If more than one name,do a search for the name you have in common.
I agree with Mum44, very easy to find a joint name and try for a contact.
If you are not happy with the contact then just don't follow it up.
Spring
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Hi Logdore
I'm with Arranroots here, even though I have been burnt! Try to establish the link primarily and correspond with the contact to get a feel if they are genuinely interested in sharing info or just a name collector. However as Diana says, do not be obliged to opening up your tree.
Sallysmum
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Hi Logdore,
I am with everyone on this, try to make a good connection first before opening your Tree.
I think most genuine people would give as much information as they can before needing to view your Tree anyway.
I can't view large Tree's on GR (they admit there is a problem with this), so I really do need more information first....
I too have had people open a Tree to me with just on name on it....what are they sharing ::)
Ambers
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Hi,
I was all keen to share my tree when I started and put as much as I could find on Ancestry. However, I now know that some of it is not as accurate as I first thought.
I certainly would "suss" out this person so they dont benefit from all your hard work or have mis information in their data.
I have a good contact with a distant rellie on my Dad's side and we are now good pals and help each other. I and he were a bit hesitant. ie playing our cards close to our chest ;D
Barb
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Thanks everyone for your helpful comments.
I've made further contact with the person concerned, who has explained that he is just starting out on his research, so can't yet prove any connection. However, he does seem genuine enough, so I've decided to let him see my tree.
As some of you have said, I just don't like the idea of someone taking and using my family tree without having a solid connection and without offering anything in return. I also think that when making contact on GenesReunited, it is polite to at least offer an introduction or explanation, rather than just asking to view a tree.
Regards,
Logdore
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I've made some great contacts via Genes. Be careful before you allow strangers into your tree make sure you have 'hidden' your live rellies, I keep the more sensitive information on a private tree which no one but my family can see.
Linda
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Thats a good idea Linda to keep your children and close family on another tree
Just went back into my tree and had a look at the person who has done a lot of copying from mine , she even has my children in her tree this I feel is very unfair of her
Can I ask is there a way to download my tree from GR to a CD
Elizabeth
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They are not allowed to add living people without the express permission of those people ~ and I personally don't think that minors should be considered capable or mature enough to give permission.
Make them remove minors, and any adults who haven't given permission. This is what I have had to do in the past.
Now I've hidden my living relatives. I never had my husband children, sibling, etc, on because I think too much info on the Internet is not wise. I have even done what was advised by someone else on here ~ not put a date of death for my father and 'hidden' him.
The Internet can be a dangerous place. We can benefit such a lot from the help and support of other genealogists, but we must remember that anyone can access the information on the 'World Wide Web'. We must be cautious.
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Thank you Tricia I think I will send a mail to this person
Elizabeth
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Hi i wonder if the person who has been in touch with you is the same one who got in touch with me last April he was supposed to have an ancestor with the same name as one of mine in his tree and he only had himself on the tree and still has i could not make anything of him so i took my tree of his computer he would not tell me anything about his ancestors so i refused to keep in touch i felt uncomfortable with him. be carefull. Margaret55.
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I have sent an e-mail to the person who had my children and grandchildren added to their tree and they have removed them and apologized to me
Elizabeth
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That's good news.
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I've made some great contacts via Genes. Be careful before you allow strangers into your tree make sure you have 'hidden' your live rellies, I keep the more sensitive information on a private tree which no one but my family can see.
Linda
Just what I have done, I have seen some Genes users who put even the shoe sizes on it (well you know what I mean) and they are so open to identity theft.
I have 707 names in my tree now and everyone who is alive is now marked as eg "living Jones" born "1970" place "England". So an outsider has no chance of working out who they are
My family tree maker s/w is the only place I have all the details, safe on my pc behind a firewall, and the online is just dead rellies and very little on the living.
It just had to be done - I had my debit card cloned about a year ago - so now I take great care in all my private data. Unlike the goverment ;D
Ken
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I have only about a hundred rellies on my tree in GR - keeping it simple .
I have just found someone with a match for a dozen of my rellies - a couple of complete families.I messaged them with a question, and they replied with a simple "I have shared my tree", but without answering the question.
So I've had a look on their tree but nowhere can I see a link I've been up and down the names we have in common and there is a dead end in all directions.
As their tree contains over 78,500 names could I reasonably deduce that they are not connected and are simply collecting names ?
what does the team think? ;)
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i get a lot of people asking about my ancestors and if we share trees and they turn out not to be mine i remove my tree of their computer.i also wonder how people can say they have a connection when they only have themselves on their tree.gr keep sending matches and most of the time they are way of the mark and are no where near a match. i have met up with a relative from my tree and we get on very well we are very distant cousins but is nice to find someone connected.margaret55.
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As their tree contains over 78,500 names could I reasonably deduce that they are not connected and are simply collecting names ?
Usually if a tree has that many names, I give it up as a lost cause...for goodness sake, that's five times as many names as I've got in my one-name study!! They've probably been collecting the names of everyone that even remotely links to their tree (their 14th cousin 8 times removed's wifes 4th cousins uncle probably married the wife of your 2nd cousin once removed half the time), and unless someone that isn't going to cause six months of searching through the tree before even finding out presents itself I don't see it worth the hassle.
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Thanks Guys 'n Galls
..........thats about what I thought.
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As their tree contains over 78,500 names could I reasonably deduce that they are not connected and are simply collecting names ?
;D ;D ;D ;D that is so funny
I used to get cross with people who took info and simply dumped it in their trees (one went from 30 to 7500 names in a couple of months with lines back to the 1500's), but it doesn't bother me at all now.
After all they are content with a heap of junk, and I know the extent to which I have learned about my rellies and something of their lives and examined the original documents which is a lot more interesting than counting names
cheers
Monique
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everyone who is alive is now marked as eg "living Jones" born "1970" place "England".
I think you need to be careful about this - I saw a tree which i thought might be linked to mine - i emailed twice - no reply ....
but between BMD indexes and directories, i found most of the "living" ...
admittedly not too common a name in the area I was searching, but still ..
eadaoin
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As their tree contains over 78,500 names could I reasonably deduce that they are not connected and are simply collecting names ?
;D ;D ;D ;D that is so funny
I used to get cross with people who took info and simply dumped it in their trees (one went from 30 to 7500 names in a couple of months with lines back to the 1500's), but it doesn't bother me at all now.
After all they are content with a heap of junk, and I know the extent to which I have learned about my rellies and something of their lives and examined the original documents which is a lot more interesting than counting names
cheers
Monique
I couldn't agree more.
Woody.
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I've just had a request to view my tree from someone with only their name in the tree they opened up to me!
I gave them my stock answer that their relative appears on the edge of my tree and the only information I can give them is obtainable from census records.
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everyone who is alive is now marked as eg "living Jones" born "1970" place "England".
I think you need to be careful about this - I saw a tree which i thought might be linked to mine - i emailed twice - no reply ....
but between BMD indexes and directories, i found most of the "living" ...
admittedly not too common a name in the area I was searching, but still ..
eadaoin
Hi eadaoin
Here is my reason for "Living Jones" which I should'nt really have to explain, but your comment has bugged me >:(
To my understanding it is against the law to place/advertise "whatever else" a living persons name and details without their full consent. But if you make the effort to find a Living Person that has nothing to do with me.
I proved it to a fellow rootschatter how easy it is to find out who they were, even down to the grandparents and that was from the info they left just in the rootschat forum.
So I dont see why you should add such a comment, for your information my tree now contains 1460 people, I never ask to see someones tree, if they want to make contact with me they must open their tree first "thats my rule" like it or lump it I say. If I do see a connection I will open mine and invite them to take anything they wish, If I dont see a connection "hard luck to them" I dont even reply.
Any info I take from them is rechecked via Census Records, BMD index, IGI, Rootschat etc so I know for a fact the details are correct.
So again my stead fast rule is they make contact first, they open tree first, If they have any info to share I will open my tree then. But I will not reveal living peoples details under any circumstances
Like I said in my posting on this subject I have been on the receiving end of a debit card cloning scam, so I reveal nothing now.
I hope you or any persons you leave details of dont fall for any ID theft, from details you leave on Genes/Rootschat etc. I do have a good friend who did have his full ID stolen, I can tell you it was a nightmare for him and his wife, now everthing they do using credit has been password protected at the credit agencies.
MancsMan
ps
On a final note - at 1460 persons in my tree, I am scratching at the outer boarder now, so someone with 78,500 names would not get a look-in what so ever at mine. I totally agree they are name collecting.
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Just to add an example to show that GR isn't a complete nest of evil- and wrong-doers ;D
I was recently contact by an xth cousin y removed's husband - we quickly ascertained the relationship and we've found out that we have different parts of that cousin's grandfather's genealogical researches carried out in the 1920s and 1930s. Unfortunately not all of it, but it's been good to reunite the material.
Oh, if only all of it had survived the house clearance mob!
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I too have bother with people adding to their tree all that I have had to search for :'(
To look for the relative you are looking for if you think is in your tree ::)
When you get through to a persons tree in the right hand top corner omit that persons name and enter who you want say Jack Jones then tick this tree you might come up with two or three Jack Jones then click on the year you want ???
you then find if he is your relative
Hope you can follow this ::)
Elizabeth
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Hi Elizabeth
Sorry I don't mean to be patronizing but..........
If you are that bothered about it, close your tree to them before they have time to copy your hardwork.
Or if you have 450 names and they have 25 again close or don't open it.
Or you have an uneasy feeling about a contact, again close or don't open it - it's that simple.
As in Rootschat I will help anybody out with info, if I have it, but I know a scammer/collector/lazys*d etc if I see one on Genes.
I am safety conscious not gullible, in all aspects of online data I upload.
I've just had a request to view my tree from someone with only their name in the tree they opened up to me!
I gave them my stock answer that their relative appears on the edge of my tree and the only information I can give them is obtainable from census records.
Nice one Sheila M what a great polite reply to get rid of them.
MancsMan
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Thanks for that Mancs
I now don't open my tree to those who ask
Elizabeth
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Hello MancsMan
I'm very sorry that you were upset by my comment - I just meant it as a warning about how easily people can find out stuff on-line. I haven't got my tree on the web at all, and I don't ask to see other people's trees, in general - it spoils the fun of finding things out for myself!
eadaoin
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I have been using GR since 2002 and over the years have exchanged information with many descendants of both my and my husbands relations.
In the early days some would put family members on, down to children born in the last few years.Their Trees are still open to me and now the majority are more circumspect.
I still get some genuine requests, but the ones whom I contact and have always made me very cross, are those who cannot be bothered to say "sorry, this is not my relation"
If someone contacts me and their Tree is open, then I have a quick look at the possible relation and make my judgment from there,always get back with a yea or nay and then it is their choice,because there is always that possibility that there is a link in earlier years.
4586 relations on my Personal Tree, but only 770 on GR. and I certainly do not copy(on GR) all the researches done by other relations, though I will put them as a Source. It boils down to a matter of respect and courtesy as far as I am concerned.
Spring
P.S. Rather than a GR contact, I had a recent PM on here and replied with my connection to the family. I did a search on GR and found the same person who had contacted me. Sent a message and opened my Tree. Two days and no response on GR or on Rootschat, so closed the GR link. Not everyone on here is perfect!! At least one can check on here to see if they have logged in, and this gent had, so no excuse for bad manners.
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Hi Logdore,
I have had lots of success with Genes Reunited, I have gained lots of information on ancestors without having to search myself and at the same time others have taken information from my tree, it can be a 2-way street however, it is always better to be cautious first rather than sorry later. To put your mind at rest though, I don't think Genes Reunited display the names of living relatives.
Good Luck
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You can set the preference to show or hide living persons within your setup on Genes, but it defaults to show, so it's up to you to hide them.
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I've just had a request to view my tree from someone with only their name in the tree they opened up to me!
I gave them my stock answer that their relative appears on the edge of my tree and the only information I can give them is obtainable from census records.
Nice one Sheila M what a great polite reply to get rid of them.
MancsMan
Thanks for that! After I posted the reply the first time I thought it was a bit rude of me.
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Do beware! When I first joined Genes, years ago, I put ALL my tree on their site, as I had the idea it would be safer online in case my house burnt down in a fire and destroyed my computer (I'm a bit of a drama queen!). I also opened my tree to anyone who seemed to be genuinely connected to me. As my tree was quite large it made sense to let them see it whole and work out where they fitted in. However, I found more and more people would ask for access to my tree, but when I opened theirs I found only about a dozen names on it.
What really upset me was that one contact must have spent hours copying names from my tree (even those relating to my inlaws, with no connection to them) and then opening their trees to all and sundry. This info was eventually added to other genealogy sites and if I google my surname I find dozens of trees, all replicating the mistake I made at the beginning of my research!
I now keep only a skeleton on Genes, and share information from the relevant part of my tree by email. I do want to share my research - it's stupid if we all keep reinventing the wheel, and it's a great feeling to make contact with a genuine 'relative' even if it's someone only very distantly connected.
However I have noticed lately there are a lot of people asking me to open up my tree without being able to say why. I therefore think there are people on Genes who are collecting names and information for their own purposes, which have nothing to do with being related to you.
So just be careful, is my advice.
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Bizarre, I was just about to open up a topic on this very subject.
After a couple of little successes on genes I found someone who has my Nana on her tree.... turns out she has over 13,000 names, a lot of it well referenced, but we are only related 5 generations back from my Nana!?!
I was chuffed when my tree went up to 700 at the weekend.
I'm undecided about how I feel about this. Her tree has given me a couple of different avenues to go looking in, but it looks like my Nana was just a name in her collection :-\
Saying that I think its mostly her work as it seems to be well referenced. I made a couple of notes but Ive no intention of copying as I dont know how acurate it is.
Is it normal for family trees to work downwards from relations as well as backwards? I just stopped at grandchildren of siblings as I figeured they would still know each other, or do others normally go to g. and g.g. grandchildren?? Where would you stop???
Or am I trying to confuse myself?
Sorry :-\
Tx
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Thanks for that Mancs
I now don't open my tree to those who ask
Elizabeth
I'm not sure that I'd go that far. If someone asks to see my tree, I politely ask them what relationship they are to the person in my tree they are interested in, for security reasons. That usually weeds out the time wasters.
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May I ask if any of you reply to enquirers who admit that they are not related to you?
I am working on a local history project researching war memorials, and I have contacted several people on GR who have the relevant people in their trees. I always explain what I am doing, and offer to share everything I have already found out. Not one has ever replied.
(Tell a lie - one did. Said it couldn't be the same person as theirs was born somewhere else. It is the same person. He moved. I gave them proof, and offered newspaper cuttings, military records, details of his children etc. Never replied.)
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In messages I send to people I contact on GR to enquire about a possible relative,I used to always open my Tree as a matter of course.However I don't do that now and it has nothing to do with "security" issues or the fear of someone copying my research.I started receiving a lot of what is given as one of the standard replies on GR;"This is not my relative".This is a reply which is not only considered by me to be extremely discourteous,it is also a reply which defies any logic that I can apply!Oh yes I was getting those replies from people if maybe the person I enquired of was not perhaps exactly as recorded in their Tree.Maybe the Birthyear was a year or two out,or perhaps I have the Birthplace in a different area of a village than they did!
Regards
Willliam Russell Jones
Cefn Mawr
Wrexham.
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May I ask if any of you reply to enquirers who admit that they are not related to you?
I am working on a local history project researching war memorials, and I have contacted several people on GR who have the relevant people in their trees. I always explain what I am doing, and offer to share everything I have already found out. Not one has ever replied.
(Tell a lie - one did. Said it couldn't be the same person as theirs was born somewhere else. It is the same person. He moved. I gave them proof, and offered newspaper cuttings, military records, details of his children etc. Never replied.)
Hi Cats Ears
Afraid to say I would be one of them GR'ers who would not reply, no matter what reason you gave for making contact.
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I am very happy with my tree, and always trying to add to it and confirming data I already have. But if someone else wants to look at my tree, they have to open theirs first "No opy-No Looky" ;D is my golden rule.
If they do have a connection I will open up and invite them to copy what ever they want, but if they open up and lets say they have 13000 names I will just hit the delete contact button.
At the moment I have 40(39) open contacts, 1 of which I still need to check the connection "but they have opened their tree" and 1 by someone who asked me to open my tree before they did, this will be deleted in a few minutes, it's no skin off my nose, may even be the most important contact ever but "Oh well never mind"
But thats just me.
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If I believe that they are related, I open my tree. If I don't, I won't.
I do think, though, that the research that I & others have spent hours on has simply been copied.
I think that some people actually regard this as research! :)
At least the info is passed on toother relatives ~ which is nice.
Some people, in their haste to add to their tree, also 'adopt' non-related people with similar names, so, unfortunately, some of the info being passsed along the branches of our tree is goimng to be incorrect.
If I was contacted by a historian, with a genuine request, then I might not open the tree ~ or I might ~ but I would certainly be happy to discuss the available information. :)
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Afraid to say I would be one of them GR'ers who would not reply, no matter what reason you gave for making contact.
I am very happy with my tree, and always trying to add to it and confirming data I already have. But if someone else wants to look at my tree, they have to open theirs first "No opy-No Looky" ;D is my golden rule.
Well, there wouldn't be much point in my opening my tree if I myself have no connection with your family. Wouldn't you be interested in info that I might have about your relative, though?
Anyway, I wouldn't necessarily want to see the tree. Mostly I am hoping to get a photograph of the man, or perhaps a clue to when and why he moved to our area, his occupation, that sort of thing.
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Afraid to say I would be one of them GR'ers who would not reply, no matter what reason you gave for making contact.
knew I should have left it simple - if you contacted me out of the blue I would completely ignore you, just like the other GR'ers you made contact with.
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knew I should have left it simple - if you contacted me out of the blue I would completely ignore you, just like the other GR'ers you made contact with.
Surely all GR contacts are "out of the blue"?
This has been illuminating anyway. Maybe in future I should start any message with "I do not need to see your tree". Perhaps that will allay people's suspicions. I have, with one exception, found all the men I'm researching in the census and BMDs, and don't need any family details. In most cases I probably have more to give than I hope to receive.
I never ignore anyone who contacts me on GR. I always reply personally, it is simple courtesy and good manners.
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;)
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May I ask if any of you reply to enquirers who admit that they are not related to you?
Those enquiring tend to fall into two camps - those who have just one name (and usually a birth year), asking if I have more information on that person. If the person they are enquiring about is the same one that I have, I usually reply with information that I have on that person, plus information on parents, if I have it. The second group are usually those asking for access to my tree, because they appear to have matches for more than one person, and in that case I will treat each enquiry on its merits - about 7 times out of 10 the enquirers will already have given me access to their tree. I have to point out that my tree on GR is much simpler than the one I have on Ancestry - this is for two reasons - the first is because I don't want endless enquiries about people that I've uncovered during "sideways tree research" and the second is because the GR tree falls over and stops once you go much above 700 people (my Ancestry tree is currently hovering around 3500 people).
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I don't want endless enquiries about people that I've uncovered during "sideways tree research".
I don't mind that so much, but I wish there was a way to indicate someone who has only married in to the family, as I don't research their ancestry and have to disappoint a lot of enquirers.
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Hi Nick29
I had GR - Ancestry and Tree Maker (pc) family trees and have just recently deleted the ancestry one.
I just replie on regular gedcom file downloads to my (C) drive from GR to update Tree Maker, also my Tree Maker is sat on a spare (E) harddrive I have.
So fingers crossed my pc & GR servers never burst into flame at the same time ;D
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Cats ears, That doesn't always apply.
Where families have lived in the same area for generations ,they often intermarry.
I have a couple of (seemingly non-related)Spouses who are turn out to be related by birth, way back to a blood relative. And whilst it may not be obvious at the time, later on ,we all share a miniscule portion of DNA link.
As for GR then why get all steamed up about other members foibles!!
one could say the same about Rootschat. Click on any name on here, you get to their profile ,Family names are there. click on their postings and any one worth their salt could "steal" the information given and from the replies.
Had my rant for the night
Spring
P.s I relly shouldn't answer posts this late !!
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one could say the same about Rootschat. Click on any name on here, you get to their profile ,Family names are there. click on their postings and any one worth their salt could "steal" the information given and from the replies.
Hi Spring
This is very true I have proved your comment already to a fellow rootschatter. It was very easy to piece together someones details from rootschat postings, you could probably root me out if you looked at early posting of mine.
To be honest I did it twice but one denied it was them, but I knew better, they had a not to common name and referenced a shop in a small village in their postings, the other was shocked when I told them their address, phone number, parents, grandparents.
I have not gone paranoid over my data security, I just take very great care of who I allow into my zone.
If some of my past comments have rubbed some people up the wrong way, Sorry, But I have my way of doing things.
I proved it to a fellow rootschatter how easy it is to find out who they were, even down to the grandparents and that was from the info they left just in the rootschat forum.
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We all leave a considerable "paper trail" of clues as we traverse across the internet, and although most of the stuff we leave around may seem fairly inconsequential, a dedicated stalker or identity thief could generate a fairly bulky file on all of us, if they wanted to. Of course, the very nature of family tree research means that you will inevitably give away information about yourself, when asking for help or advice. Although it's very difficult to stop this completely, you also don't have to make it easy for people either.
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If people are so paranoid/scared/upset, by others copying their tree, and are not willing to share them, why bother to upload their tree or even join one of these sites?
You know your own research - how honest it is and how correct all the facts are, then if someone else copies/ messes up things then that is their loss.
If they are numbers game only types then they are very sad characters and should get a real life.
I have a full paper trail of all entries on my tree from parish records/BMD etc and can happily defy anyone to prove my tree in error -- that is proper research.
So I'll open up to scrutiny by anyone.
Barry
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I entirely agree with your sentiments Barry.
Regards
William Russell Jones
Cefn Mawr
Wrexham.
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On further thought Barry,I can only hope that the paranoid types Tree's were entirely created through their own research and they had no assistance from others!
Regards
William Russell Jones
Cefn Mawr
Wrexham.
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beady - wrjones
;D ;) ;D
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I think beady and wrjones are being a bit harsh
this thread reflects two ends of the spectrum of opinion and I couldn't say either one was right or wrong, but all views genuinely held
my own two pennorth
if you think you will be upset if people use your work-don't offer it or make clear the terms and conditions under which you proviide it
but
its the internet-don't assume that others have or will follow your rules
and
if they steal your research-the only thing that is damaged is your pride because they didn't acknowledge your efforts. I'd argue it isn't your copyright as they are public records of which you have taken advantage so if anyone needs to jump up and down its the ones who protect crown copyright
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I may well have been slightly harsh but I'm going to load the gun in my own direction again by stating;Secrecy is the enemy of genealogical research!
Regards
William Russell Jones
Cefn Mawr
Wrexham
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I may well have been slightly harsh but I'm going to load the gun in my own direction again by stating;Secrecy is the enemy of genealogical research!
Regards
William Russell Jones
Cefn Mawr
Wrexham
............. but is the saviour of your bank balance :P
Regards
Nick - you don't need to know the rest
Somewhere north of Cambridge
United Kingdom
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I started off, as I guess many of us did, by sending and receiving lots of requests to view trees on GR.
I've never copied wholesale anyone else's research though of course I'll pick people's brains - that's what sites such as this one are for! And I'm happy to try to help anyone else if I can, though I don't consider myself to be any sort of expert.
I spent quite some time trawling around parts of the country looking around graveyards and church records for one of my more important family names and was quite chuffed when someone living quite close to me contacted me via GR. We're distantly related - anyhow, I was happy to share my tree which was rather more, shall we say extensive, than theirs.
Blow me down if they didn't copy the whole bloody lot -- not just the names etc, but even all the comments I'd made about gravestones, other relatives via marraige etc etc. Where's the fun for them in that? But what really stung was that they never emailed back again -- not even a thankyou! I know there are no "rules" but to my mind there's an etiquette involved.
I still open my tree to people who seem genuine from a couple of mails and have made contact with some quite close relatives who were "lost" so that's great :). But I guess that we all learn from experience and I am considerably more circumspect now about who I share with.
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I have been contacted by someone who has done a huge amount of research on my family, but I wouldn't copy his tree, because I haven't checked it out for myself.
It's his research, not mine.
I have kept a note of it, to help with my own future research, but I haven't added it to my tree.
Yet others have copied mine ~ the whole lot ~ that I & other relatives have spent years researching.
I do still open my tree to relatives, and I accept that this is the nature of the game, but I don't have to think that it's ethical. Sharing and helping each other ~ even keeping notes of the information, yes, fine, but adding it all and passing it off as research isn't ethical in my opinion.
On the whole, though, I think that by opening up trees, etc, and contacting distant relatives, we all benefit. I have thoroughly enjoyed 'meeting' lots of distant cousins via the Internet. I wouldn't knock it. :)
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Hi
I upload my tree to GR by GEDCOM but only include the bare minimum that a GEDCOM will allow such as birth, marriage and death and withhold all the additional data such as notes etc. That way if someone copies my tree and disappears (they actually have to have a connection before I open it) they only get the bare details but if they are genuine I ask them to contact me on my email address and then forward copies of source material etc. This gives them a chance to check and add it themselves.
One of the problems with GR is that it seems to attract a lot of short term enthuiasts who enter a few generations, possibly by asking relatives, and then lose interest and the other problem is that there is no way of knowing whether a person is a subscriber or when they last accessed GR.
Andy
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Blow me down if they didn't copy the whole bloody lot -- not just the names etc, but even all the comments I'd made about gravestones, other relatives via marraige etc etc. Where's the fun for them in that?
Some people do it for the joy of doing it - others do it just to make themselves look clever in front of their friends and family.
I know several people who have taken up family tree research after I've spoken to them about mine - and all but one gave up at the first hurdle. Of course, you don't need to be clever to research your family tree - you only need a little dedication and a lot of determination. Some just prefer the easier way, but that's their problem, not mine :)
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When I first started my research in 2003 I didn't know the proper names of my four Grandparents.As a result of help I have been able to access from contacts plus my own research via Census and BMD etc I now have over five thousand in my Tree.When I see that other contacts have more info than I have,I always check out the info for myself.On GR I have access to over fourteen hundred trees and have given access to my own Tree to probably more than that.I have often quoted from these Trees to help people with queries on this Site.I would consider it bad form for myself in remembering the help I have received when I first started,if I were to refuse anyone of info from my own Tree that could help their research.
Regards
William Russell Jones
Cefn Mawr
Wrexham.
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I entirely agree that you should be cautious before opening your tree to anyone on Genes.
Any real researcher should either tell you why they want to see your tree upfront, or if for some reason they don't do that, should answer your query about what they're looking for. Why not?
There is someone on Genes who is remotely connected to me, and when I opened my tree he simply copied all the names, connected or not connected to him - after all why does he want all my partner's family?
After that I did all my tree work on Ancestry, where I have a private tree, and I only invite people to the Ancestry tree. Even so, whenever I search on Ancestry for connections, this man's tree pops up with all the wrong details I originally had!!
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There is someone on Genes who is remotely connected to me, and when I opened my tree he simply copied all the names, connected or not connected to him - after all why does he want all my partner's family?
I agree with Igor - people who talk about researchers being paranoid have missed the point. I used to keep my very large tree on Genes, and shared it with anyone who seemed connected, but Igor's experience was also mine. I was quite happy for her to copy all my research for the branch of my tree that overlapped hers - after all, I've had loads of help from other people. I'd also spend a lot of time copying info from BMDs for people who are interested. Sharing info on your family is one of the best parts of genealogy.
However, this one person on Genes copied my entire tree - this was huge, and must have taken her ages (although someone suggested she may have used a digital camera to aid the attempt). But this tree included the families of my children's partners - which I've done so my grandchildren will know both sides of their family, not just mine. It also included the entire tree of my aunt by marriage - again done as a favour to her. These people are no relation of mine, so couldn't possibly be of interest to the Genes researcher. This was a couple of years ago, and since then this person has clearly opened her tree to all and sundry, and I keep finding my research on public sites on the Internet. I know it's mine because a big mistake I made at the beginning is now immortalised on all sorts of genealogy sites!
So Igor I agree wholeheartedly with you, and will keep repeating this message so other people will be wary.
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I too have encountered folk on GU who appear to want to collect the names of anyone vaguely connected to them and I agree it is an irritation. However, they haven't done any harm as far as I can see so I'm prepared to live and let live. I suppose I could delete the 'name collectors' from the 'my contacts' bit but I can't be bothered. GU has provided me with some very useful leads and has put me in contact with family members so I'm prepared to put up with this minor irritation and stick with it. I'm certainly not going to get my bowels in a knot about these people.
Woody.
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My opinion for what it is worth which isn't much really ;) Information comes from the strangest sources, so follow them all but be prepared to share. I keep a little tree on GR and don't pay subs. I get contacts and once we establish we have a real link I offer to open my Ancestry tree (pics certs the lot) if the person is forthcoming and willing to go with it and share. If I know it is a positive link once I fish about a bit but I don't feel the good vibrations I let them view my little GR tree, because I don't believe it is worth being mean (even though I have spent a flipping fortune), if I can help.
Sometimes you have to cast your brancehs wide, as someone may just have that illusive info or pic you do not, or you may have their Aunt fanny sitting on a wedding pic at your G Aunty Flos' reception, some of my best swaps have been with distant twigs.
What I do find though is a lot of people on GR willing to open their tree and have done so on the initial PM, very trusting of them so it is.
I have been blessed with some fantastic contacts, and hope I have been equaly good for them.
I have pics of nearly all my G Grandparents now and one GG, thanks to contacts.
Be cautious be helpful but also be understanding, not everyone knows how to go about the building of a tree. One lady lately took about 2 months to convince she was not related even after I showed certs and all sorts to prove it, but bless her when she finaly admitted she was wrong and needed to start again she said "I think I just so wanted to have your tree family as mine they look so lovely"
I so wish I could have obliged :)