Genealogy Chat

why are people so reluctant to let you see their tree? are they frightened of something

Some people spend a lot of time and money getting the information to go on their tree so unless you can show a definite connection many people don't want to run the risk of people simply copying the whole tree - some of which might not be relevant to the person asking for access.

Kath. x

they are afraid that you may 'steal' their tree.........!

This subject comes up at least one a fortnight. Have a look at the 'Stolen Tree' thread to see the most recent debate on the subject.

If you want to see a tree and have a firm connection there normally isnt an issue but so many people want to simply have access to a tree because of a remote link then people are defensive...and why not we have spent a lot of time and money researching

Why should they have to share their work with you?

In my experience (several years and well over 250 connections with other members) only a very tiny minority try to copy chunks of my tree. By far the majority of members are only interested in their immediate branch.

I have only ever come across one true name collector - who got short thrift.

I have also come across people who have complained that their tree had been "stolen" only to find that they were talking about no more than 20 names, which were in the public domain in any event.

Unless you can give a solid reason for wishing to see another person's tree, I can quite understand their reluctance to share with you information which they have collected , often at no little expense.

If you can't show that you have a definite and provable link, I don't see what you can gain from looking at another person's tree.

WEll, sometimes it can be useful to see if there IS a link. I have one such scenario where by a person is unable to prove his connection to a particular (famous) family, and I have a similar difficulty but with a slightly different branch. We opened our trees to enable us to check it all out.

But I agree, there should be a reason, whatever it is.

Margaret

How's about this one then !

I am quite proud of my tree, it has taken me thousands and thousands of hours work not to mention the cost in traveling and purchasing info ! I dare not tell the missus how much it costs.

I open my tree to people to help them and I help as much as I can with people who contact me for help.

Then I get a message from GR telling me that a contact does not like the photo/title that is beside my name in my tree and finds it upsetting. I thought it was a laugh myself. I had to delete the photo and title to please a contact that I only wanted to help in the first place.

I am so paranoid now about opening my tree to anyone because of this incident.

Simon

Yes perhaps thats what I could do DET , but If you choose to hide living rellies on GR , it hides them for a couple of generations back.

I have access to peoples trees that have hidden their living rellies and to be honest , some of the trees are not worth looking at because its hard to follow who belongs to who !

I feel that the person who was not happy with my photo should have talked to me about it , not GR.

If they were not happy with it then I could have blocked them from seeing it, problem solved.
But I do not know who it is and they still have access to view my tree.
I'm so broken about it !

You know what ,Simon.You are so right about "hiding living relatives".
I am thinking about removing access to anyone who uses it.
It is a sloppy method of presenting a tree.
There should be nothing in the tree that needs hiding.

I sent two messages to some one who had members of my great grandmothers family on hot matches, they read the messages but did not reply' so I asked to look at their tree which they let me , no wonder they could not tell me their link to my great grandmother's family, over 10,000 in their tree , no way was I going to let them have excess to my tree so they could add them to theirs.

Annabel

That's right Jim

If it needs to be hidden then it should not be there in the first place. This is a forum for people to share info if they wish to do so and if asked.

any tree information that I do not wish to share is stored on my hard drive for myself only to view. I am displeased that a person has had access to my tree and finds a photo in it displeasing.

I removed the pic just to please GR and keep things level

Hi Annabel

I agree it is so unearthing to open your tree to a person who has many thousands of people in that tree. I only have a 1000 in mine and , gosh its cost me the earth in time and cash.

I love to share info with the people that truly seek it ,but to hell with the "name collectors" I can not be doing with them,..........scrounging , penny pinching *********.!!!!

Hi Simon

on the good side is letting new genuine family member see your tree, I got a contact last week from my grandfather's youngest brother's grand daughter, she and her family are thrilled and have given me new information including a copy of the report of my great grandparents diamond wedding which was in a local paper.


Cheers Annabel

i have 10,000 people on my tree. most of which i have spent the last 5 years or so adding. on the whole i have found these people myself from various sources paid and unpaid. if i find someone i put them on it seems rude not to somehow. just because someone has a larger than average tree does not mean that they are 'stealing' info from other people. i am always happy to use my sources to help people, even using my pay per views in scotlands people and 1911. as well as my subscriptions to sites such as ancestry and geneology . by the way i have had this done to me. a little annoying but only because they put my children and other youngsters on without asking......

There is also the question of identity theft. Unless you hide living relatives (and even that's not foolproof) anyone you allow access to can find out your mother's maiden name and when/where you were born - the standard questions banks ask you for identification. Not only yours, but your siblings' and children's too. Don't think that GR members wouldn't do that sort of thing - every community has its rogue elements.
So my tree on GR now has just names and birth years with living relatives hidden (uploaded as a gedcom as you can't leave birthplaces out otherwise). The tree with all the details stays on my PC. This means people can find matches and contact me if they're interested and I can then decide who I share information with when I'm satisfied they're genuine.

I agree Carol.
I also have over 10000 people on my tree but I have researched it.
I have never used a gedcom because I do not know how. I find it fascinating working a line back to a small village and then seeing how the families are inter connected. I add a new person and then want to find out about his family giving me confirmation that my details are correct.
I am certainly not a name collecter.

Hi Simon

Can't believe GR would ask you to removed your personal photo because some other party does not like the look of it.

Surprised you complied. I would have asked GR to clarify the request as to how it would be causing any offense.
Might have been difficult for them to do so unless it was a full body shot with no clothes on. Now theres a thought!!!!

many thanks to all the people who answered my question.it never occured to me that some-one would steal a tree, why ever would they do that. i have to ask to see a tree as i only have 3 things that i know about my father. one is his name, who he married and the city in which he lives,so when those 3 things come up in a hot match what am i supposed to do except ask to see the tree?i expect it might be a shock to his family but the only thing i want to know is just a little information on him.i do not intend intruding in his family, but at the end of the day he is my dad.i have waited 65 yrs for this, as i have only recently found out anything. once again many thanks sandra