Genealogy Chat

A while ago I had a contact and we opened our Trees to each other.

Our contact was several generations back and now I see that they have copied my complete Tree.

I have absolutely no objection to this, I realize that once I have given them permission to see my Tree that may happen.

What I find strange is that they have copied it all with no verification on what I have added at all. It could all be wrong for all they know.

Are these people what you call people collectors?

Linda

Having a family name that has altered through the generations I was suprised to be shown a tree identical in every date and detail to mine
but the surname was the modern one . all the way through!
When I asked what the source was I never really got a straight answer. I explained that she would never get a match with mis-spellings, so she had missed many VIPs and the historical interest. I never did get to work out how we were connected!

I think its more inexperience and excitement at getting a whole load of free additions to put on their 'tree' all at once.

Once you have been doing this for a while, the penny drops and I, for one, realised that numbers are totally meaningless and its the stories behind ancestors that are the more important thing.

I did get the outline of my family tree from internet resources, but now find more enjoyment from visiting the records office and putting the full story together with the assistance of old newspapers, poor law records, maps, school reports and all the other things that are sitting there just waiting to be viewed.

In quite a few cases, I have been able to correct errors I made by assuming that internet resources were accurate.

I won't give access to my tree because I know there are errors in it that will be compounded if someone copies it all over the place. I will, however, provide extracts if I have verified them.

So yes, people collectors exist and the problem they cause is the dissemination of incorrect information, which can lead to a lot of wasted time to those who accept things from the internet at face value.

This subject comes up all the time. Have a look at the "Tree Bandits" thread

Hi Peter

Yes I have, the difference is that I don't mind, I just think it's strange

Linda

I had a look at someones tree and they have got 55151 people in there tree, can anyone beat that.
Debbie

55,151 - lol

If they have got certificates for 25% of them, thats over £91,000. (Yes, I know - certs only started in 1837)

Whichever way you look at it, to have that number of people in a tree must have cost thousands of pounds in research.........

Unless, of course, they are not researched and therefore pretty meaningless.......one mistake can lead of to several thousand wrong connections.

Got to admire them, though! lol

Some add everything, cats and dogs and all. Honest! eg -enter Tiddles Cat into the search box. Born on the school field allegedly!

I wonder if the name collectors put the dogs and cats into their forest too?

Hi Linda, I don't mind either.

However, I will only let people see my tree after they have proved themselves, usually by several message exchanges, that they have a genuine connection.

I have connections with over 250 people on this site, and almost without exception, most have only added the names that are of close interest to themselves. I think from memory, only three have added myself and wife's family.

There is a bit of paranoia regarding this subject, which does tend to crop up regularly, as you can imagine.

Here we go again.

No it doesn't have to cost a fortune to have a big tree.

No not everyone with a big tree is a name collector.

I am descended from William the Conqueror and most of the nobles who came over with him.
I am also descended from Harold II who lost Hastings and the early kings of every European country I have looked at so far.

My own tree is probably many hundreds of thousands of people. There are so many that I don't actually need to keep them stored on my own tree on GR or in my computer because they are in numerous online trees devoted to medieval genealogy. If I were to add in every sibling and spouse as well it would be vast.

Many other GR members have the same early genealogy judging from the Hot Matches I get.....which is another reason I don't put the early ones on here. I can hardly claim as cousin someone who shares an ancestor nearly 1000 years ago.

Sue

Hi Sue,

Wasn't trying to accuse anyone of anything.....just commenting on the fact that someone added all my relations onto their tree the same day I opened it to them. Meaning that he couldn't have authenticated any of it

Linda

Linda,

How many names added to this persons tree are we talking about?

I suppose its all things to all people. I would imagine that a significant proportion of the UK is descended somewhere along the line from some notable personage from the year dot. If they want to include them in a tree then so be it thats fine.

If someone wants to have a 'tree' with thousands of names in it that have been gleaned from someone elses work, then thats also fine.

But theres no getting away from it, if you are going to do your own research properly, it costs. Fees to Ancestry, cost of certificates, transport to record offices, copying fees, wills, software, etc. etc.

The alternative is to accept other peoples work at face value. Or just build a list of names.

Whatever, it is up to the individual and not for anyone to say otherwise.

Hia all
I dont usually join in things like this.but thought i'd have my say.I don't mind showing my tree as long as they can say they have a connection which i can see is right.Knowing this they can add as much as they like from my tree ,giving me the choice to add any of theirs .On doing so i like to check for myself and double check it would be terrible barking up the wrong tree.I get a buzz when i add a name dont know about you .I've bought lots of cert and shared with others.It's nice to know your on track (Well hope i am)LOL.With the help of other members this makes it possible to make your tree grow.
Avril

Just thought that I'd add my opinion, for what it's worth. I will open my tree to anyone who can prove they have a connection, no matter how small it is. I always tell them to use any information they want, as long as they check it first, and they let me know if I have made any mistakes (it has been known). I also politely ask them not to add the names of living people.

I will also copy someone else's tree, if they give me permission, and if they are connected. I tend to add anyone who my Family Tree Maker can work out a relationship for, but only to my personal tree, not my tree on here.

Maggy, I agree totally, and do exactly as you.

My main tree has everyone who is related to someone, somewhere on my tree, who has proved a connection.

My GR tree is a cut down version, of those who are ancestors or cousins of me or my wife.