Genealogy Chat

Hello All,

Would like people's opinions please, here's the situation:

I've been researching my family tree for over 5 years now, I had little to go on and major brick walls on my father's side of the tree, I found a connection with someone on that side and we exchanged a few emails but we had little information to swap! So we obviously allowed each other access to each others tree's and thats how its been left for a couple of years now.

Just recently I noticed on my hot matches with this person has been going up and up, before we probably had about 15-20 matches now we have about 100!

I looked at his tree and to my amazement he has copied my whole tree (near enough) to his ! He has even took details from my mother's side which he has no connection to whatsoever !

Now as many of you are aware, the time and the cost of researching a family history can be enormous , and alot of the time required certs, phone calls , purchasing microfiche, visiting graveyards etc.....and he has just swiped the whole lot without even an email to me !

Ok I have had my rant......

Question is .... Do I confront in an email ?
or Do I sulk quietly to myself ?

Your thoughts guys??

Donna

This is the problem when you leave your tree open. I am guilty of leaving them open as it feels a bit mean to close off access but it does leave your tree in a vunerable position to be 'cloned'. I only put scant info on my tree now to get 'matches' and then after establishing contact swap more detailed info.

I would be angry the same as you but would probably not say anything. You know you've done all the work and can back it all up. Another thought is that times are harder for people now so more of this kind of thing is going to happen.

It makes me want to close access to 'old contacts' but it seems not right somehow.

Good luck in what you decide to do

I think a lot of us have had that happen to them, I know I have. I don't think a confront in an email will do any good unless of course he has listed living people in which case I would confront.

If you gave access to your tree then that would be the same as giving permission to use the information how they see fit, within the rules on GR but GR rules do not apply on other media

However if it was me i would only allow this with close rellies and i would insist on sending documentation to prove my tree eg parish records, bmd certs, census info via email.


Roy

And the moral of your story is:

Do not give anyone open access to your family tree.

By all means help one another out by providing specific information about individuals that you share but that can easily be done without granting permission to view your tree.

Whether or not you make contact with the person is entirely up to you. You are obviously aggrieved by what has happened so I would be inclined to make contact were I in your position. Your approach need not be aggressive. Simply point out that when you gave permission to view your tree your intention was that they should extract only the facts that related directly to them, not copy those which did not. You might also point out that it is a requirement of GR that before any individuals details are included in a family tree the author must have the permission of that individual if they are still alive.

Some great responses there !

All much appreciated !

Some of the details he has taken are of living relatives too including my mum, aunts, uncles and cousins on my mother's side (to which he isn't connected to!!)
It seems to me he just wanted to 'make the numbers up' so that his tree seemed a little more impressive but couldn't be bothered to do the research himself !

I think I will definitely cut the access from him to my tree and if he contacts me for a reason, then I can state my case !!

Grrr! I will definitely be taking more care of who I give access to.

I love to share my facts with people who appreciate and understand the work involved , a little common courtesy to 'ask' if my info can be used on their tree is all it takes!!!

Thanks for your responses :-)

Yes, definitely cut access to your tree. (I'm surprised you haven't done that already.) I would also contact him and demand that he remove the living people from his tree. If he doesn't comply contact Genes and they will do it.
Actually do you have permission from those aunts, uncles and cousins who are still living to have their names on your tree? I don't have any living people on my tree except for myself.

Oh Dear, is it that time of the month?

I.e. for this topic to come up again?

Hi all, I'm very interested in this for the same reason, however I didn't know I could cut access to my tree once I had opened it for someone.
As a bit of a techno phobe... how do I go about removing access?

Welshbird

IGP ?????

Go to your list of contacts. Where it says "Access to Your Tree" click on "Stop"

Hi Margee, thank you very much, so simple when you know how.

Welshbird

You're very welcome, Welshbird.
IGP, could you please explain your comment?

My comment which someone has decided to report? It was not offensive at all. Regular readers of the boards will understand that this topic comes up approx once a month, sometimes more frequently than that, and would have understood exactly what I meant.

Members views tend to fall broadly into two camps. Those who share their trees and those who don't. I take the view that as long as I feel comfortable with the other person, having exchanged messages and interests and they have a genuine connection to my tree then I will share with them.

To this end I share my tree with approx 400 members on Genes Re-united and have access to around 600 members trees. The difference in number being that some members are more free in granting access than perhaps I am.

Personal experience of over 8 years as a member on here is that most members are genuinely interested in researching their families and not in collecting names as is often suggested. In all that time I have only come across one name collector who suggested I send him a gedcom so he could add my entire tree to his, and one member who copied info against my permission. Both were given short thrift.

At the other end of the spectrum are those who, for whatever reason, refuse to share their tree with anyone. Each to his or her own.

IGP, your comment just said "It must be that time of the month" making it sound as if certain females were being grouchy because of that. You really should have explained at the time.
BTW, I was not the one who requested review.

Poor choice of words on my part, perhaps, but as I said above, nothing to do with being grouchy.

Original comment now restored and I have added an explanation.

I have access to about 100 and I would say 98 of them are not related to me at all, but if they wish to share there tree with me thats up to them.

400 to 600 trees with direct ancestors must be a big family?

Jax,

Trees with genuine connections, not necessarily direct ancestors.

One of my particular interests is in researching mini "one-name studies" for some of my lines for the families found in specific areas of the country. Many of the connections I have made with other members are through this work.

Hi all,

Sorry I never had an input yesterday, internet on the blink!

IGP - indeed poor choice of words, could upset many, only just read this, but get the gist of what you mean.

Margee - Indeed I do have permission to put the living relatives I have on my tree - the other person who swiped my info doesn't.


Can I just add,

I am not in any way selfish , I enjoy sharing my info with others and do regularly, but with people who are genuinely interested!

I do not want people thinking that I am not willing to share, because that isn't the case, just a little miffed why this person done this without even thinking of contacting me first.

An email is being sent his way in regards to 'living relatives' details.

Thanks all

:-) :-)

Hi Squeaky020
i can not see the problem to be honest you could of asked the contact only copy infomation you want them to have you could hide living people i thought the idear of the GR site is to share infomation dont you ever take infomation from a contact which you might want ? & there is a case that in small towns & villages familys married in to a family more than once you aint gonna know this unless you research all the family members which you have been given access to it has happend to me Richardson family married into the Shaw family lots of times i would not of known this if i just stuck to my direct line of the family plus marriage certificates have witness's its nice to know who they are & how they fit into your family
i think there has been given some good advice on here but dont stop shareing your tree if every body done that what would be the piont of GR
Kind Regards Stu