My tree is private, and it's not just about living people but I am sick and tired of apologising and explaining myself as to why I put it on ancestry and why it is private (clue not so that people cannot 'steal' information).
If someone is a DNA match to me and they contact me I will send them any information they may need (providing I have it).
It seems to me you want to be "in control" of what people can get from you. Who would want anything from your tree unless they were a match to you? So ask yourself why you just can't give it freely and how it's going to hurt you if you do.
I said in my post that I was
sick and tired of apologising and explaining myself and yet you post expecting an explanation. I
alsosaid in my post, that it was
NOT to stop people taking my information, at least that is not the main reason. It is mainly to avoid upsetting a lot of people.
So since you insist, here are my reasons, that I have explained several times:
1. My grt grt grandfather was illegitimate and I have no idea if the legitimate line know so I do not know if the ligitimate line know about this nor do I know how they'd take it. I do not want to end up in a shoot the messenger type situation or be the cause of upset to my 3x grt grandfather's legitimate descendants. Both my grt grt grandfather and 3x grt grandfather died in the 1880s so not recent deaths.
2. Another great great grandfather (died 1890) spent time in a debtor's prison. My first cousin once removed is furious about this and wants the evidence buried. That goes against what is important to
me about
my hobby which is to strive to accurately record all that I find. It means it's better to record it but keep it private then my cousin doesn't get too mad.
3. My grt grt grandmother on another line (died 1890s) went to prison for stealing food. For the same reason as above I want to record it but there are 4 cousins who would be angry at me publishing this.
4. I previously had my tree searchable I had a woman message me and demand I stop researching
her 3 times great grandparents, "or else". Keep my tree private means that I can continue to research this couple who are also
my3 x grt grandparents without encountering the wrath of this woman.
5. I was given documents for my tree regarding a 4th, 5th and 6th grt parents on one line. It was given on the condition I did not publish it. I try and keep my promises,seems mean to do otherwise. Is it really selfish to try and keep promises?
6. I have another relative, a 4th cousin who does not want our MRCA to appear on my tree as he does not want anyone to know that he is realated to "someone like me". At this point i refer you back to what I said about wanting to accurately record all that I have discovered about my tree and remind you that these people are my direct ancestors. If I keep my tree private I can have these ancestors on my tree without announcing that I have the same ancestor as he does and keep him content.
7. I have had it drummed into me since I did my undergrad year that you donot publish something which is a work in progress. I consider my tree to be very much a work in progress. It does not feel comfortable to go against all you've been taught.
8. I prefer to share information by communicating with people. Not so much that want to control who gets information or what information they get but as part of my persuit of accuracy. I would feel incredibly guilty if someone indavertantly copied a mistake I had made. If we were in comunication I am going to be forced to relook at that section of my tree and am more likely to spot a mistake or they would spot it therby allowing both of us to have the correct information.
You me see all that as selfish, your posts certainly suggest you will but maybe it's OK to be selfish occasionally. I am not actively hurting anyone by having a private tree. Conversely if I make it public I would be upsetting a lot of people, some of whom I have known all my life and have to spend time with. I usually try and avoid deliberately upsetting people.
This is my only hobby,it is important to me to accurately record all I find and to strive to find all records available for each individual in my tree. Having a private online tree allows me to ahve an off-site back-up of all my reasearch (20 years worth) without upsetting people. If I followed your advice and "just left these people off" that it would leave massive gaps in the 19th century section of my tree (applying to people referred to above).
