Genealogy Chat

For the first time since I started my research I have been given access to a family tree that is connected to mine. However, his tree has over 4000 names on it (compared to my 53!) and I cannot find the point where our two families are connected. There must be a way of doing this...could someone please tell me? Thanks Lyndsey

Hi When you open their tree is there a search box where you can put name in (one that you think connects theirs to yours)? I know that it can be tricky to navigate through large trees on here!! joanne

Hi Joanne Yes there is, but when I put in the name we have in common and try to navigate from there, that particular branch seems to stand alone with no other 'names' linking to it. I hope I'm making sense!

You have to click on each name to bring up the names of the poeple to whom they are linked........spouses, children etc. The GR system doesn't give you the full picture to start with............ Reg

click on shared trees, then view tree, then enter the name of the person you are looking for in the search box (top left) click on search, their details will appear then click on the actual name e.g edith cook, click on cook, and it will take you to that part of the tree. Roy

Trying to link the Sargeant and Ramus families is impossible when there's over 4000 people on the tree. When I put a Ramus family member name in the Locator box I just get more Ramus names. The maiden names of females marrying Ramus men are not always recorded. other marriages are not acknowledged at all. Think I'll call it a day for now! Thanks Lyndsey

With not much to use for reference, Dates, marriages maiden names and so on, If it was me with nothing on the tree to verify these entries or a link, i would exclude the tree as not valid and move on Roy

If you can't see the link it may be that some of the info on the tree is incorrect. It might be worth looking at it as a possible guide,and try to verify what you can see,then you know if the tree is of value to you,but if the tree holder has just pulled possible names from the census,it needs some digging about to check the details. Glen

Thanks for the tips chaps

Lyndey, I am inclined when people have over a 1,000 names on their tree not to open mine without a really good connection. I have been doing my tree for over 5 yrs and only have about 500 people. From past experience they take all of your tree and add it to their's even when a lot of it has nothing to do with them. And I might add put wrong places of birth. Carol

Hope your not knocking people with big trees, Carol?? (**Joking!**) Could I just say that since I last uploaded a gedcom onto GR it has around 10% gremlins with wrong dates recorded, which are not wrong on my home tree. With about 2800 people on my GR tree it is taking a long time to search out the gremlins. I don't give anyone access to my GR tree though (because of the gremlins)....prefering to give out reports from my home tree. Maybe you should ask the person with the tree if they would send you the relevent info from their home tree?? Merry

No Merry I was knocking you, I know you are a genuine researcher, just that I have had a few bad experinces. Regards Carol.

Hope the word NOT is missing from your last reply, Carol!!!!!!!! LOL!! Merry

Merry, should have worded that better. It is just I had a guy who I opened my tree to, he had 4.000 people on it, did not realise at the time, not being too good with computers. He was related to my husband about 5 generations back. He then put all my family on his tree with wrong places of birth, could not even copy properly, and put my children on, (which I have now removed) still feeling angry about it. No offence intended. Regards Carol.

A word of warning which may be relevant. My grandaughter (aged 12) has started her own tree on here, and she gave me permission to look at it. and see how she was getting on. Of course I did so, but, to my dismay, I found that I could alter entries that she had made on her tree, without consulting her at all! So it seems that people to whom you have granted permission to view COULD assume permission to change any or all of the info on your tree - without so much as a 'by your leave'! I am very wary of giving permission to view my tree anyway, (even to my grandaughter!) the connection has to be well proved and documented - but I am very happy to give relevant info. for the particular person/family if I can - but only special people get a 'yes' for the whole tree. It seems wrong to me that if you message someone via GR the default gives them permission to view your tree - regardless of a connection being established. I do think this default is wrong. On Tribal Pages only the tree owner can edit his/her tree- whcih does have a lot to recommend it! Rosi

Gosh Rosi, If that's the case then there's no point at all in granting tree permissions. They should be a definite NONO if people can go & bug*er up all your work. I know you can change One World Tree stuff but that's much less personal - with this the tree owner might not even know that it's been altered........ I'm going to check.... back soon... Sarah :-l

Oufff!!! Just went into my brother's tree that I have access to (5 names on it) COULDN'T change a thing! He's never been on my computer & I've never been on his (meaning that our respective computers have TOTALLY separate passwords etc) Perhaps your problem came from using the same computer (??) - I'm not very technical - you may have gathered! Sarah :-) - smiles again

Rosi Not wishing to be argumentative, but how come your 12 year old granddaughter is a member of Genes? I thought the minimum age for membership was 16? UPDATE: Derhhh! Silly olde crone, of course you dont have to be a member of Genes to put your tree on the Site....I will go away now. Olde Crone (who worries about the safety of very young members)

Hi Lyndsey To go back to your original question, I'd contact the person again and ask how you are connected. I was looking at a shared tree today and hadn't a clue why I was able to see it. By a lucky coincidence I noticed some distinctive forenames, but there was no way it was obvious. Ordinary family history software progs usually have the facility to work out the relationship between two people, but that isn't available on GR.

Thanks to everybody for their replies. Reading through them makes me realise how much I have still to learn! I have e-mailed this chap several times over the past weeks and never received any reply and assumed my messages weren't getting through, so was suprised to find I had access to his tree. I had hoped to get some valuable information from him but he obviously goes for quantity not quality so he probably couldn't tell me anything anyway! However, having just looked at his tree again he doesn't appear to have taken any information from my tree..... I don't understand some people...surely half the fun is finding out all you can about these people from the past - not just collecting a series of names and dates? Lyndsey