Ancestor is not significant

[RossGillbanks]

So this is a new one for me!

Today working through my DNA matches, I had a distant match. Not much on their public tree, no issue as I saw one name of which I was able to estimate our relation. Anyhow I messaged them to let them know who I speculated our common ancestor is and if they wanted any information in regards to what I know (as my tree is private) to just ask, this what part of the reply:

'Hi Ross, looks like we share our 4th great grandfather, although not really significant enough for me to get excited about really...'

I wasn't sure how to reply! Although they don't even have the individual on their tree. But this really got to me, maybe it's because im passionate about my research I find every ancestor significant and important in my research, I suppose everyone using family research sites have different reasons, but to say an ancestor isn't significant enough to want to discuss them or see what information I hold just really got me down.

Anyway rant over, thank you for reading 

[Maggsie]

Love it!
Yes, I have had the same.
I know a family who their youngest Great Uncle married my Great Aunt.
They have all the other great Uncles and Aunts but not this one.
I asked them about him and the said no, no nothing to do with them.
Years later they came back and asked me to update them........Huh! I thought, No.
I said you didn't want to know.

Wait for a while and they will come back for the information.
Maggsie

[iluleah]

So it is someone who researches their ancestors not extended family..... personally I enjoy researching extended lines as I found early on that many led  very interesting lives and added to my knowledge about research...eg some extended family lines migrated, or went to prison so that meant I got the opportunity to learn about those records and you can often find out more information on your ancestor as they go back to them too

[RossGillbanks]

So it is someone who researches their ancestors not extended family..... personally I enjoy researching extended lines as I found early on that many led  very interesting lives and added to my knowledge about research...eg some extended family lines migrated, or went to prison so that meant I got the opportunity to learn about those records and you can often find out more information on your ancestor as they go back to them too

It wasn't even so much the extended family part, I couldn't care less if they wasn't interested in my line, but for them to say that about their 4x great grandfather (which is my 5x), just seemed to me as if they were implying that that part of their ancestry isn't of interest and shut down any notion of what information I potentially had to share.

Shame for them as the information I hold isn't the type to just stumble across, but I would never ever dream of saying to someone sorry that ancestor isn't significant to me. Any direct ancestor or extended family I would love to share/hear information about. I can only assume that they use the DNA and family tree on the website for another reason and not so much for researching all their lines. I blocked them as to be honest I know they will attempt to message at a later date and backtrack what they said.

[RossGillbanks]

Love it!
Yes, I have had the same.
I know a family who their youngest Great Uncle married my Great Aunt.
They have all the other great Uncles and Aunts but not this one.
I asked them about him and the said no, no nothing to do with them.
Years later they came back and asked me to update them........Huh! I thought, No.
I said you didn't want to know.

Wait for a while and they will come back for the information.
Maggsie

They will struggle with that one! I blocked them after reading that message, if that line doesn't interest them at all then no point in continuing the conversation with me. If I didn't block them a few choice words would have escaped 

[River Tyne Lass]

I would certainly view a fourth Great Grandfather as significant.
But then I too am passionate about research so it is all significant.
I wouldn't like to think a descendant of mine in the future would describe me as insignificant!

[RossGillbanks]

I would certainly view a fourth Great Grandfather as significant.
But then I too am passionate about research so it is all significant.
I wouldn't like to think a descendant of mine in the future would describe me as insignificant!

Neither would I! If anything my 4x great grandfather on the side I share this match on was very difficult to figure out (thanks to RC members we managed to work it out). But as you said I am equally passionate about research and maybe this person is far less invested, I suppose they will never know what information I had to share with them.

[pharmaT]

So it is someone who researches their ancestors not extended family..... personally I enjoy researching extended lines as I found early on that many led  very interesting lives and added to my knowledge about research...eg some extended family lines migrated, or went to prison so that meant I got the opportunity to learn about those records and you can often find out more information on your ancestor as they go back to them too

There is a polite way to way that they didn't research extended family and that was not it.

[River Tyne Lass]

Apparently we have 126 bloodlines from the line of  fourth Great Grandparents but take just one away at any point in the line and we would not exist!!  Perhaps they wouldn't describe ancestors as insignificant if they cogitated on that.