General Chat

soo true maggie, when me and my hubby split up, he moved into a flat, he doesnt vote, he always ticks the box so not on seeing electrol role and is exdirectory..... because of some silly lady at my sons old school didnt like senco children, there was a witch hunt of all these children and their parents, me included, they had all my details but not his only name and mobile number............... they got all his details of the net............ we encurred over 2 years of abuse from these people, even though i changed my sons school and used a dummy school to pass info over to his real school......... :(
please anyone who wishes to help others, be carefull what you find for others, some are just out to cause pain, suffering and menace..
kaz xxx

I KNOW A LONG TIME AGO
I WORKED AT THE SCHOOLS
BUT SOME OF THE CHILDREN
HAD SUCH A HAUNTED LOOK
IDEALLY NEEDED EXTRA HANDS
THEY WERE TO FRGHTENED TO LET GO

Unfortunately, this site is NOT secure!

Try "Search Trees" for John Smith, born 1998, +/- 10 years. You will get 95 children, born between 1991 and 2008, most with their birth places!!!

So much for the 120 year block on viewing people!!!

Lindy xxx

Well said Sally, I put up a thread looking for someone last week I think it was.
I did not think for one minute that there may be any reason not to.

I am looking for a young girl... well a woman now who seems to have disappeared I was a bit worried about her that's all.
BUT that is a good point, and we all know someone who has had cause to disappear, don't we?
Thank you for pointing that out.
Deanna X

My point is that the 120 year block does not stop searching for living people, when you use "Search Trees". Try it for yourself.

Also, I don't think that children, especially the younger ones, have the wisdom to know everything that is involved by giving permission to be put on anyone's tree. This permission is necessary for ALL living people who are put on trees. Therefore, I think that GR should hide all these children as a matter of course. And not leave it open for anyone wishes to search.

Lindy xxx

Sorry I'm late in coming back into this thread as an original contributor, but my Broadband has been down. Though on here is open for all to see, I was having a conversation last night, about identity in general. A couple of years ago I went with my OH to the local registry office as he needed a copy of his birth certificate so he could apply for a private pension he had paid into. As mine was due the following year, I thought I'd get my copy in readiness. I was, and still am, more than surprised, that with so little information, I was able to get a birth certificate. And yet, after that, I was involved in organising a school renunion. It was decided that we needed a bank account, to pay in ticket revenue for the night, and then the 'profit' to a charity. I was asked to be a co-signator, for the account. I do not have a passport, driving licence,etc, so took a utility bill (paid, I must add), to the designated bank. I was turned down instantaniously, and have never felt so humiliated, and embarresed in my life. It would not be unfair to say, and without seeming to be bragging,that I was not without means. I suppose I am just trying to get this off my chest, but it seems to me, that you can access a persons identity far more easily, than you can a bank account, in this country. And they want us to pay an exorbitant fee for an identity card. I've already got one, and though nothing to hide, don't want another. Sorry, don't mean to offend anyone, it's just how I feel
Julia in Derbyshire

Just remembered a spooky experience I had a few years ago. My maiden name is unusual (as it was my dad's adoptive name, I haven't got it on my tree), but occasionally I will type it in.
I was shocked to see the names of both my (adult) nephews names come up, along with their places of, and dates of birth!! Then I saw their dad, my brother's details.
None of these people are on my tree, and no-one else in the family I know of (apart from mum who doesn't have a tree on here) who would need their details is doing genealogy.
I e-mailed the person who had put their details up - his name just came up as John - no surname, and asked him his interest in these people.
He sent a cryptic reply about his sister. this flummoxed me a bit, but I replied with another crypric comment and he then realised who I was. We'd only met a couple of times, but he was my sister in laws brother!!
He was a policeman on an investigation that meant a lot of sitting around - and he was bored, so he was accessing various websites and seeing how much personal information could be put on before it was noticed!!
We then went into a discussion about how insecure this site was/is - and he removed the names!!

Just broaching on the Tree thing,,,,,,,,,

Some then scream blue murder---**My tree has been stolen,,they have me my husband ,and my children on their tree now.*** !!!

Question is,,,,,,,,,Why have your nearest and dearest living family displayed on your tree in the first place then give access for it to be viewed by any joe blog,?!!!

Electorals or sites that do this are not illegal.

If someone wants to find another person it can be done,but even if no electoral gives results,often persuers will back track to last known area and can be given leads, this happened to someone I know,they kept intouch with past friends persuer got information from them and went to the new living place,so not all blame should be laid to happenings on here.but should be used as a very wise word of caution.

hi maggie, what you proved is soo what this thread is about, no one can stop someone finding another person/s details, if they are determined too and it doesnt help with all the info around us ready to find at a click of a button, its the reasons behind the looking that sometimes have to be questioned.....
an old saying, not everything that glitters is gold.....
take care,
kaz xxxx

Sorry, Budge, but according to the GR rules, to put living people on your tree, you must have their permission. Then, once the living people have given their permission, you can opt to use the 120 year block.

But this block does not apply when using "Search Trees" at the top of the page. This is obvious when you see the number of little children who are posted and cannot possibly understand what their "permission" is for. Or, of course, the tree owner has not asked for the necessary permission.

Lindy xxx

P.S. Of my original 95 John Smiths, 12 are 5 years old or younger.

Lindy xxx

I can mever understand people who have their near relatives /children on a public tree. I am well aware of who my siblings are and who my children/grandchildren are, so no need to have them on. I'm on, but my surname is ***, same for my mum.
I realise some people are searching for lost siblings/parents, but this is a genealogical site, not a missing persons site.

I've watched the boards today, and people are still making these kind of posts. More importanly, well meaning people are pointing them in the right direction. Someone was asking about people born in 1946/8. Just a bit close to home, I think.
Julia in Derbyshire

There seem to be more and more of them to me Julia. Someone said they think that people have the wrong idea about GR and as maggie said it's a genealogical site, but some use it as a missing/lost persons site.

Yes, I agree with you there Sally
Julia in Derbyshire

n
Because I think this is important enough to nudge back up the board so that everyone can see it before it disappears into the mists.

I thought under the Data Protection Act you could not put details of any living person on the Internet without their permission. So it seems to me that if you are trying to find a living person you do not have their permission to put their details on the Internet. Therfore if GR allow this they are contravening the Data Protection Act.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

There is nothing in the Data Protection Act which specifically prevents details of living persons being published on the internet or anywhere else for that matter.

The Act is all about the 'fair' use of personal data and imposes rules around the manner in which organisations who hold personal data on their systems manage, control and allow access to it. Confidentiality is a factor, but not specifically mentioned in the Act.

I have not heard of any case being brought against a private individual, although I am not saying this could not happen the likelihood of this happening is remote.

Anyone who gives permission for their personal data to be used in a particular way is automatically exempted from the provisions of the act, but the converse does not necessarily apply, so even if permission hasn't been granted, it doesn't mean the law has been breached.

Information published for recreational or research purposes is also exempt, so it is likely that genealogical data falls into this category.

I agree, Sally! This is an important Thread to nudge. People need to be so wary these days.

Lindy xxx

As you will see from this thread if it's your first reading there are a lot of people who have grave concerns regarding helping to trace living people via GR. There have been several suggestions on here that maybe GR could give better guidelines for people looking for parents, siblings etc. I even reported a post of MINE so that I could put these suggestions to them.
Well 14 days later and absolutely no response from GR is forthcoming! Should I be surprised?