Genealogy Chat

Evenin all.

I've often heard people on here complaining about tree bandits ie people who, without asking, copy your entire tree onto theirs, but never been a victim - until now!

The last 3 people I have shared my tree with have all done just this - even down to my young children!

Apart from matters of courtesy, this has now rendered my hot matches completely useless, as every time I get the same 3 names with 30+ matches!

Some people need to get a life! A similar thing happened to me too. In my case they were a distant relation of a distant relation and not even blood related to me.

I think some people do it because they like to know how *they* are related to *you*. But copying your kids details too, that is probably over the top.

Karen been there twice.I dont even have my grandparents on my tree now.But saying that i am in contact with a lovely bloke who has opened his tree to me and has 26,759 people in his tree and he has not asked to see my tree.When i asked about a certain person that was not in his tree,he said that was a second marriage and not related to him.Think he dont want every Tom Dick and Harry. Annie

ITree bandits, name collectors call them what you will. The one AND only way to prevent all your tree info appearing elsewhere without permission is to keep your tree on a family tree programme and just release the parts that are relevant via a GEDCOM file.

Unless you have a full sibling then nobody else will share your entire ancestry and they don't need to have the details of every name in your tree.

A family tree prog allows you to just share info relating to your common ancestors and keep the rest private.

I'm sure they don't mean any harm, but it's a bit disquieting to see your kids' details on the tree of someone you don't even know!

Glen! Where've you been?

Ozi.

Sorry to hijack your thread, Karen, haven't heard from Glen for ages.

Glen isn't allowed out without his tinsel knickers........and they look daft in a heatwave!

Reg

I got so fed up of seeing so many replies with duff info and lots of "i think" that i just had to put somebody right on here today.

As for where have i been.......... busy creating lots of visual guides and illustrated "how to" stuff, county and country boards, FTM help forums, trawling through thousands of websites to add as links and listing just about every reg office in the uk.

I gave up researching my tree for about 5 months just to find and add stuff to the wiki section of the other site.

Hello Glen, Reggie & Ozi.

I'm sure Glen is right, & when I've completed my degree in IT I will follow his suggestions! lol

Gosh Glen,

you have been a busy boy!

It's good to see you back, Glen. We've missed you.

Ozi.

"tree bandits" - LOL, I love that.

I cant see a problem, although the rules regarding living relations should be complied with.

The main purpose of this site is to re-unite genes, is it not, although you would not think so reading these board sometimes.

I have over 200 contacts on here and some 150 have connections to my family tree. We share our little bits of information and I have found cousins I did not knew existed.

I also do mini one-name studies for some of my names too, and will welcome anyone who has a connection to share our details.

I agree Michael

I think when people join GR there should be a large warning that this site is meant to be for sharing information and that trees on here should only be what you are happy to share.

I keep loads of information offline which I can share with proven relations and there's nothing on GR on my tree which gives personal details about living people.

Sue

I try to keep a balance nowadays.

My tree on here is my "draft" tree - and I'm happy if someone tells me I have wrong info here and there (which has happened twice over the years). It contains no details, no full dates (just years), no info (or not much) re marriage dates etc.

If someone is a genuine contact I am happy to share full info with them and copy them certs etc.

If they nick my tree off here they get nothing else! More fool them!

Jill

Why don't people ever learn???

You do NOT have to share trees to share information on your "Tree".

I refuse to have a complete tree on Genes or anywhere else. I do have my complete tree on my own Family History programme on my computer.

I have just over 200 names with few details on Genes and if people start to think that those "poor" people who only have a couple of hundred are inexperienced, then they are deluding themselves, and they are the losers, nobody else.

Why does everybody have to have a "Fixation on Trees"?? I have Scottish, Irish, English and a bit on Sweden and Italy and NOBODY wants all my tree. People SHOULD only be interested in a particular query, which may lead them on to help them with a particular line. I am in contact with Americans interested in my father's side, which I have shared, but they have no interest and nor should they have an interest, in my mothers side, any more than I have an interest in their mother's side which bears no relation to me.

You should NEVER have living people on any website never mind Genes. They should always be down as just LIVING whatever.

NEVER put your correct name and date of birth on any website including Genes, unless you want to invite Identity fraud.

From a Family Historian of 30+ years, who has got back to 1600's on one side only, has bought many certs and done a lot of sideways work in CRO's and belongs to 6 Family History Societies, as well as having many contacts all over the world, sharing much information with GENUINE CONTACTS.

Janet North London Borders

Many times I've sat here 'til goodness know what time in the morning because I'm "on to something". Certs & Ancestry subs have cost me a fortune & yes I'm more than happy to try to help anyone get started.
What I'm not prepared to do is hand all my hard work to someone a plate because as often is the case "they haven't got time to do research" only to hear them say "look what I've found!"

I 'm sorry but we ALL only get 24 hours in day & it's our choice of how we use them.

Classic sign of a tree bandit? They have one line going back to Adam & Eve & the rest stop at their grandparents

I only put about 100 direct rellies on my GR tree only enough info so I'm able to research the ancestors and to carry on trying to go backwards so I can access the tree bit I need if I'm on ancestry for free at the library.

I keep all my tree info though on a family tree maker on pc as with linking connections at one of my greats on my dads side and their branches with the same gramps takes the total upto about 700 and counting on the gramps's and I don't want all that on my GR tree as its to much as I don't need it for research into me going back on my gramps so it stays offline, only info that helps me find my v.old gramps and info on what they got upto is online.

I don't mind people looking at my tree for info, otherwise I wouldn't have put the info on GR and I wouldn't have found the rellies I have found so far if I'd have left all my gramps details and bro's and sis''s off,,, and I don't have all my cousins added either as some are to young and I wouldn't want their details bein passed out so I left them off, simple. Yet they're on my pc tree.

My goodness, here we all are again. This is like deja vous.

Michael, you seem to have mellowed a bit, lol. I'm too tired to go through it all again.

The main point is, if someone is genuine in their enquiry they should be perfectly happy to accept the information you deem relevant, and are prepared to share, in the form of a private message through GR, or as a gedcom file.

BEWARE of anyone who is persistently insistent on viewing your tree despite your refusals. It can only mean one thing!

Amanda x

In my working life as an electrician if someone said to me" can I borrow a pair of pliers mate please" my usual answer would be,no problem and bring them back when you are finished.I would take great exception to anyone diving into my toolbox and helping theirselves with no please or thank you.
Please and thankyou,not big words but still much appreciated.