General Chat

Someone has just asked me if they can view my tree but has not given a reason. I do not know if they are related, if they have a match or who they might be looking for.

Is this normal?

Is there unspoken protocol on GR I am not aware of, (I'm quite new).

They have also given access to their tree!!!!

Any views on what I should do?

Sandra

Sandra

I will not show my tree to anyone but will glad pass info on them..The reason being as I had a match with someone about 18mths ago they completely copied my tree...just one was releted my GGMothers second husband on my dads side I have some of my mums as well.....so could see no reason why he wanted all my tree.

I qucikly learned that there are name collectors out there. Who just want a FT with thousand of names in it. When as everyone of mine has been or is being researched...

Ask them who they are looking for and what connection do they have.

Marion

If they do turn out to have a connection with you it doesn't mean you have to open your tree to them if you don't want to. You could simply tell them any relevant information.

If you do eventually let them see your tree then make sure any living people on your tree are not named as such. Check that no sensistive information exists on the GR tree you are going to share and when contacting this person tell them you are happy for them to copy only relevant information about any mutual ancestors.

If your tree doesn't contain any real details or any information about living people then no real harm is done if anyone copies a lot.

Some people like to enlarge their trees in all directions sideways as well as back so can rapidly gather a huge number on their trees.

Sue

If you check your email box the notification message from GR should show the name of the connected person.
I would never pass on any of my info without first establishing a definite connection then like Hayley, I no longer open my tree.
I find those auto message extremely rude, so I get one of those I ignore it

Thanks for your replies...
So as a general rule don't give access to your tree unless you know what they are looking for.

I have hidden all my living relatives anyway as I did not want anyone copying them onto their tree. I don't see why they would want my childrens names!

Someone did have my mothers name on her tree, (who has sadly died) as I came up with a Hot Match, I questioned this and the person apologised and removed it. (she copied it from someone else whom I had given permission to).

Sandra

Sandra if I were you I'd delete your children's names from here even though they are "hidden".

Thanks Claire,

I will take your advice.

Speak to all again

Cu soon
Sandra

why not have a look at their tree first to see if there is a connection - you might get a nice surprise!

I'm new to this and now a little concerned at what I have read.

I have joined GR to help me trace my dads family whom I will point out have all passed away.
So by tracing family I am hoping to find some relatives that are still alive, like 2nd cousins.....so by people I have contacted not allowing me info I come to an abrupt halt. How does that help anyone?

I don't understand why people would copy someone else's family tree if they are not related.

I hope I don't seem rude, I'm now wondering if this is a safe place to look?

Please put my mind at rest?

Shell

I've not experienced any problems Michelle and through GR have found two second cousins and a 1st cousin. Also found a second cousin through another source and he is a GR member - he let me look at his tree and vice versa and between us we have got a nice lot of info and we keep in touch which is nice

NEVER< NEVER< NEVER
Let anyone view your tree, untill you are sure they have a connection, I make people answer a load of questions to satisfy myself they have a valid reason to look.
even then, I have found some have passed stuff on without my permission. YES there are people who are just interested in name collecting....
Genes,Re-united means that people who may be connected genetically.

Strange things are happening on GR trees. I went to my message box yesterday and found two sent pms to a member offering my tree for them to view these were not sent by me so how did they show in my sent box I have mail the person they were sent to and explained what has happened . do we have a ghost that can get in our PMs without us knowing xHowie

There is no reason to panic.

Keeping Living people's names off GR (or any other online site) is just common sense. You need permission from living people to put them on your GR tree and if you then share that information with anyone else you have no guarantee that they will also get permission or won't then pass any information on.

It is still perfectly possible to use GR to find living relations. If one of your second cousins is also a member then their research will bring up recent ancestors in common. You can then exchange information, photos or whatever you like with them.

If your GR tree is kept as basic information with only what you'd be happy to share with anyone then there is really no problem.

Don't bother using the GR "Hide Living Relations" feature as that doesn't stop named people appearing in a search of the site. It is simple to call living people something like "Living Relation" or some disguised name. Don't use this site to keep your main tree with all details of children and all details about people's lives. It's better to save all that on your computer in files and send those facts to people who you'd like to know.

Don't assume a big tree means a Name Collector. There is nothing wrong with being a name collector anyway.......I am not one but some people are gathering huge databases of connecting people. Those databases can be extremely useful to researchers. If someone's hobby is collecting as big a tree as possible that is their own business and won't hurt you if they are only gathering information which is in the public domain anyway. Also someone with a big tree may just have the link you need to break down a brick wall one day.

Putting distant relations onto a tree who are perhaps only loosely connected by marriage isn't the crime some people think. Finding those sorts of links is often useful for working out interconnecting families in some places where they may have a number of marriage links over generations.

Sue
x

There is occasional element of paranoia on here about whether or not to allow access to people in case they wish to "steal" your names (whatever that means.....!)

I have contacts with over 300 people on here and some 200 of those have access to my tree. Only once in nearly 4 years have I come across a so called "Name Collector" who had but passing interest in my tree itself and we had no further contact once I realised that it was just the names he was interested in.

Do what you feel comfortable with, and remember just put the names on here for those you would like others to search against. If you are not comfortable, leave the name off or disguise it in some way.

Good luck

Hi all,
Can I ask a question please? I ticked the box to get all living relitives hidden, I think It spans about 120yrs, I can still see the names in my tree, but when you share, does it hide them? I should know Iv been a member since 2004.
Gill

Gill ticking "hide living relations" should prevent anyone from seeing the names when viewing your tree. By names I mean anyone born in the last 120 years who are in your tree without a date of death.

Problem
These same names will still appear on a name search so living people are best left off here altogether.
I need to put something between myself & my grandparents so Mum & Dad have been manually input as "living living" with the incorrect DOB & no POB.

Thank's Claire,
I hadn't thought of the name search,It's really only my generation and my children & grandchildren, I thought I was safe with there names hidden.
Gill

Shell although as I said I no longer open my tree I do provide confirmed links with a lot of information. This is usually sent as a genealogy report from my Family Tree Maker.
If you are stuck you could always ask on Records for some help or guidance

I go along with Peter and Sue.
I have many contacts with access to my tree (and I have access to theirs so I can see what is in them) and so far as I am aware my trust has never been abused.

However, I expect tree sharing to be mutual and if I don't get access to theirs then they lose access to mine.