Genealogy Chat

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I've just discovered that part of my tree has been tacked on to someone else's on Rootsweb. Don't get me wrong: his 28k tree is quite impressive and solves the problem (I assume) of what happened to some of the farflung cousins. But my information has been simply uploaded from a gedcom. It is instantly recognisable because it hasn't been edited in any way, so presumably hasn't been checked in any way. I'm not being precious about 'my family' but would be interested to know how others send gedcoms? I wouldn't want my contact details plastered over a website, but am considering a source message 'this information was not compiled by the owner of this tree' As I'm a lousy typist, I tend to use gedcoms, though there is much less on them than is scattered amongst books & photocopies. If the trail doesn't come back to me, which I have had proof that it doesn't, then most people will perpetuate any mistakes I've made and not realise there is more info out there. Suggestions, please?

This is the down side to genealogy. Once you have passed your info around you have no idea what others will do with it. I tend to produce reports from my family tree rather than send gedcoms. This automatically does the typing for you and I can then edit out anything I wouldn't be happy about seeing elsewhere. Cheers, Horatia

It's only because there's a slightly bizarre source that I can be sure that it's my work, rather than someone else's. But yes, Horatia, I do often send word documents, particularly for beginners who won't want to be overwhelmed by irrelevant cousins.

can I ask how do you send a report as the same thing happened to me , I thought I had only sent the part he needed but turned out he downloaded my whole tree even people that are no relation to him at all

I do not use gedcoms, but I keep each surname on a seperate spread sheet, so if anyone ask me to open my tree I say no and just send over the name they are intrested in. You live and learn. But what I find worse if someone has stolen parts of your tree is that if anyone comes across it they will contact the person who pinched rather than you who has put in all the hard work. Lou

Hi Phoenix, It really relies on people checking the research others give to them. If they find errors 5 years down the line then it is their own fault for not checking the research. We are all human and we all make mistakes. You are just submitting your research as you thought to be true on a certain day - a fortnight later you might make modifications. It is up to recipients to use the research as leads not the gospel truth. Cheers, Horatia

I NEVER open my tree and just issue reports from my family tree software. Re Reports: I use Family Tree Maker 2005 so this reply will only be relevant to those using that programme. You just click on the person you want to show descendants from and you can just do a Family Group Sheet (very basic and not many people on it). Or you can do a Genealogy Report. Just click and highlight the person you wish to start with and then ask for a Genealogy Report. This will show everyone descended from that person. There is a setting to restrict generations at the side when making up the report ,so you can cut out living rellies by just letting them see just one, two or three generations. When you have done your report in Rich Text Form .rtf you can then do a spell check on it and do a Find and Replace for any common repeating errors. You can also delete any overly personal information you have entered. You might not want to let all and sundry know that your great-great grandfather died of syphilis!!! I always scan read my reports to make sure I am not letting anyone see more than I am happy with. PS My great great grandfather didn't die of syphilis by the way! ;-) Cheers, Horatia

I imagine that all software will do that, Horatia. Legacy certainly offers you the opportunity, and you can whittle off the odd branch before you start, but I'm more interested in source messages and signatures: someone on this site suggested a way of embedding a source message so that data could always be attributed to a particular researcher, but I can't remember how it was done.

Hi Phoenix, Yep. I'm sure other programmes do the same or similar for reports. I was just responding to Valeries query! LOL! Cheers, Horatia

Phoenix, On FTM (as on any other programme!) you can add the date and who compiled the report or you can add sources in your report if you wish to. But as I don't use Legacy I wouldnt be much use to you. Cheers, Horatia

I found a rootsweb site with my greatgrandmother married to her sister's husband. Not my work. I simply added a postit note offering the correct details. Another relative who is descended from the other sister has also posted the correct information. I don't know what else you can do about wrong family trees. I don't keep anything private on here. Just in case. best wishes Anne

I recently linked into another tree,supposedly well researched and documented.Some of the details could be verified as being correct quite easily,but one marriage apparently produced 9 children,and there wre partners for 7 of the 9 children shown. After two afternoons of bmd and census lookups (yes all, i'm now a fully paid up ancestry subscriber) i managed to cull it to 3 children and proved the parentage of the other 6 to be incorrect,plus at least 4 of the marriages looking very suspect. The other tree has now been amended to still include the 9 children but 3 marriages are male to male!!!!Didn't even think GR tree allowed male 'partners'. Glen