General Chat

You can't open people's trees. When you search for someone it doesn't tell you much but contact them. Whats the point in putting your family trees on this site and not being able to see what other people have or insufficient data.
Its frustrating when you think maybe you've found a family member only to find out they don't have anything that you can verify it with online. ie found my John Smith someone was looking for same Worc and Staffs but couldn't access their tree.
Does anyone else feel the same way about this?

No, I really don't, Barbara. It would horrify me if anyone could open my tree and get access to private information, at any time, without my permission.

It seems to me, that when one has a 'hot match' on someone else's tree, GR have properly arranged it that we may contact them and ask their permission to view their tree, or, failing that, ask if they are willing to verbally share any information that they may have re. a possible relly. No-one that i have contacted on the site, so far, has refused to answer me, and I must say that some have gone out of their way to help me, even though it has later turned out that we didn't have a connection, after all.

Good hunting,

Meri

I feel the complete opposite Barbara..................I like the option to only open my tree to real contacts who can exchange information if needs be.

There is so much more to be gained by contacting the tree owner................I have exchanged photographs, certificates and census information plus family anecdotes this way.

Why should someone be able to view my work without my permission?

Someone please tell me this is an April Fool's joke done a couple of weeks late!

Hello Claire, I don't think it is a joke. I probably shared Barbara's views when I first joined this site. If you are used to other sites like rootsweb and ancestry etc which display people's family trees, then I can see where Barbara is coming from. However, I understand people's views about privacy too.

Hi SRS, Barbara's account is nearly as old as mine although she may have left it dormant for quite sometime

I would be happy to have my tree available to anybody.If they contact me I just open it up immediately and if they want to know any more they can contact me again.

Wouldn't want my tree to be available to anyone who wanted to see it on the offchance they could have a link without coming through me first! Without the system in place any Tom, Dick or Harry could come on and search whatever trees they wanted for WHATEVER purpose. A total nightmare for people's personal detail security.

Thats the idea Margaret,!

Not to be able to view without prior consent....!and make a personal contact to the tree owner then if proved share data.