Genealogy Chat

hi i received a automated message from another genes member giving me access to their tree. i hadnt asked for it so contacted the person and asked who they were etcc. they replied that they had got a request from myself for permission to view their tree. . that was not the case. the last contact i had with this person was in AUGUST 2005 i have contacted genes and asked what is going on and i am awaiting a reply. it is scary to think that i could have had access to someone elses tree. the member just gave me permission without asking why. i didnt look at it but what an intrusion into their privacy . anyone else had this happen to them linda

This has been happening ever since they changed to the new tree system. sheila

Hello Linda, The system on Genes certainly has been a bit screwy ever since the last major update; I've had so many of these particular messages that I've lost count. To be honest, I thought that the system was randomly allowing access to people's trees without them knowing about it, and so I've removed most of my tree from Genes in case that happened to mine! However, if the messages are being generated as a result of people actually responding to requests to view their tree, even if they are randomly generated, then I shouldn't worry too much about invasion of their privacy. After all, it's up to them whether they grant you access or not. :-) Chris

every day i go to shared trees and delete about 10 contacts that keep appearing and during day they mount up too you would have thought by now Gene's would have sorted it out Jeanette

Yes, this keeps happening to me too. I get automated 'I have shared my tree' messages from people who are totally unconnected to me. If I ask them why, they say I came up in their contacts list! (yet we have never exchanged info.) All rather worrying. G.R. - SORT IT OUT PLEASE!! J.

Yes this has happened to me too, people have apparently requested to view my tree & after contacting the member asking why they wish to view my tree I don't even get an answer, surely common curtsey would be to at least respond. I've also been given permission to view other's trees even when there has been no contact. I always let them know I've got permission and that I've not asked for it, just so they are forwarned. It is very worrying. Lou

I am having the same problem and I am fed up deleting people I have never been in contact with. I deleted my whole family tree ages ago because of all the dodgy goings on so I advise you all to be very careful as there are loads of nutters out there.

Ive had the same problem, messages from people ive never contacted opening their tree to me, and asking me to do the same, I like most have just automatically deleted them from my contacts, this has only happened in the last 3 months or so, so guess its all down to the new tree format........and they call it progress!!!!! Nicky

From previous threads, it seems that the new 'ticks and crosses' system on the messages link may be confusing people, and also the 'default' setting when you message someone is that the 'allow to view your tree' box is ticked, so you have to remember to UNtick it. But why random messages such as you're describing are being generated, I've no idea! Has anyone actually contacted GR recently about it - they don't read these boards, I don't think, so us moaning to each other won't get anything changed! Sending GR a message might not change anything, either, but it's worth a try I'd guess. Bx

Thanks everyone for your replies had no word back from genes - no suprise there then. linda x

Hi all Suffering from the same problem. GR respnded very quickly today to say the technical team would be advised of the problem immediately and it would be looked into. We'll see! Chris

tonight i have received 3 more tree permissions that i have not requested. i have advised the people concerned to hide any info on living relatives. this is not looking good still no reply back from genes linda

I told GR about this some time ago. I have a new friend now. We were deleting each other just about daily and ended up apologising to each other. We are now e-mailing and quite chatty! The creepy thing is that our new 'contacts' were appearing recently at about the same time as we were sending e-mails. GR are trying to work out why that should be. But the random tree accesses are weird too. Sue

You may have to wait a long time for a reply from technical support as my query was being sent to them on the 9th May according to the email from genes and still no reply. Christine

There are no random messages being generated, it is down to people playing with the new system. There was one issue though, when the upgrade was introduced, certain contacts who had previously been deleted reappeared. If permissions to view had been set at the time of the earlier deletion, these were still present. This caused a lot of concern as some members though permissiions were being generated at random, when in fact they were not. The best way to delete old contacts is to delete all the messages, remove any tree permissions then delete the contact.. However if your name is still in someone else's contact list and they happen to click in one of the tree request boxes, you will receive a message and the contact will reappear on your list, even if they immediately unclick the box to remove permission.

thanks for that info peter but one the tree permissions i got yesterday was from someone who i email privately adn they assure me they have not been on the genes site for over 2 months ! and i have no reason to doubt what they say as they have been out of the country on a cruise for 6 weeks .so i dont know what happened there but i have deleted every contact on my list because the ones i am incontact with i have there rivate email.well as my mum used to say ' it will all come out in the wash ' linda

Hi all Ive just receaved one so Ive replied to this person asking her what surnames she is tracing I will report it if were not connected Joyce

I am continually getting messages saying I have access to peoples trees. I don't look at them and just delete. Because of this problem I have removed my entire tree, I don't want people to access my information without my knowledge.

As someone of you know, Ive just been shocked that someone was able to access my account and change my board name. I have contacted GR who tells me this cant happen - LOL, it DID - unless someone knows my account password. I can only think all these strange happenings are due to someone inside the organisation who thinks its amusing to cause worry and chaos. I understand that the main servers of GR arent in this country but abroad.

Could be an error on the part of the sender. I sent a message the other day to someone who had sent a query in 2005!! I had been deleting contacts and came upon this one and accidentally sent a message instead of deleting the contact! If it was from me then I'm a numpty!