Suggestions

There is a thread again about people 'name collecting' by having access to many trees without establishing a connection.

This is possibly sometimes caused by a 'match' which when clicking on 'send message' has an automatic tick box giving access to the senders tree.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to have the tick box automatically unchecked rather than checked as it is very easy to miss that box. Even though I know it is there I have sometimes hit send before remembering to uncheck the box.

I couldn't agree more. It would be far better to have the box automatically unchecked so connections can be established prior to opening trees.

Some people's criteria is not genealogy but to add as many people as possible no matter how intangible the connection to their tree and so for most it would be better to have this box unticked.

I have lost count of the times I too forgot to unticked this box and then having to go to contacts and remove access before they notice

It would be a very good idea -- nay, an essential idea.

No one's personal info -- let alone a raft of third parties' personal info -- should *ever* be disclosed to anyone *by default*.

The default setting should be non-disclosure -- tick here if you *want* to disclose your tree. I'd go farther and include an explanation: It is recommended that you allow access to your tree only after you have established a connection with the other member's tree -- and you may prefer to share particular information about your shared ancestors rather than give access to your entire family tree.

Just as the default setting for boardname / real name, in account details, should be boardname. And again, I'd go farther -- if people want to disclose their real names to anyone at this site, they should have to do so expressly, by private message.

I suppose if someone wants to use their real name as their boardname, there isn't much could be done to stop it, but at least they would have to expressly choose that boardname, and again, there should be a recommendation that real names be disclosed only by private message to selected other members.

thanks for expanding on my suggestion Janey - you have a much better way with words than I do! I agree with all you said

As regards boardnames - probably many people do not realise that they now have the option

I think board names are a good idea...BUT

Our tree etc were all set up in my husband's name and when I started to read the boards I picked an appropriate board name. When GR changed things recently so that everything appears under the board name and I told my husband that in future he would be known as Andysmum his face was a picture!!