GenesReunited advice needed

[Nick29]

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.

[Sloe Gin]

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.)

[wrjones]

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.

[uk2003]

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"  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.

[Tricia_2]

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.

[Sloe Gin]

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"  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.

[uk2003]

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.

[Sloe Gin]

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.

[uk2003]