Genealogy Chat

Of course people who you give access to your tree can see the notes - they can see anything that you have there and always have been able to. Why would it be different? If you use a family history program to create a GEDCOM file to upload here (and you should) - then have a look at the options for the GEDCOM export, if the program is any good it should include options to not include notes and also to not include living individuals or to only include names for them plus several other confidentiality options.

Also Family Tree Maker is not the only option.. I use the PAF free from the family search site.. very easy to use and very easy to navigate your way around.. I also have FTM but still use the PAF far more often than any other software I have had.. Mo

Hi Sarah yes if you use the hide living relatives the other party cannot see the names... as long as there's no death dates in.. I had access to a tree the other day and within half an hour I had all the living relatives from her tree.. as Birth dates and years of Birth are a great gift with the help of Ancestry... Nothing in this world is now private.. Mo

can somone tell me when you hide living relatives other people who have access to a tree cant see the living relatives name but the owner of the tree can? sarah

Thanks Glen! Good to know! Laura

Just For Info EXCLUDING NOTES IN A GEDCOM FILE USING FTM This will require using Family Tree Maker's ability to export and import GEDCOM files. 1. Create a GEDCOM file from the file you want to share. By default a GEDCOM file will include all of the facts, information and Notes that are in your file. 2. Next open the GEDCOM file that you just created back into Family Tree Maker creating a new file. During this process you will see a Facts to Import button that will allow you to decide what information you want to include in the file you are creating. In this case you would choose NOT to import the Notes field. This gives you a duplicated file, one with notes and one without.

I agree with what Barry has just said.. I hand put all names onto genes.... I never add birth, baptisms, marriage or burial dates.... now and since I lost all my notes to a fellow member on here who uploaded everything onto genes via a small file that I sent her... I lost all my typing up of Census where I had found things via Historical directores... etc.... all my thought and feelings on this family... with not a mention of who all the work belonged to.... Since then I have found out a different contact who I did trust has forwarded a personal file of mine onto someone.. in turn this third party uploaded all my cousins etc..onto here.... complete with all birth dates... of my parents....he had since taken the details of his tree on here with a long hard battle only to find out he has put the whole lot on Ancestry... I would'nt do this to his family .. so dont see why he or anyone else should do it to mine... Once a degree of trust has been built within a contact then I would say well did you know this... now I am at a point of saying enough's enough... and Im getting to the point of not wanting to share info which I have sought out and paid for.. A lot of people believe its the how far you can get back... to me I like to try and find out the whole story behind these people even if I was stuck at say 1866 which I am for one line.. the thrill has been finding out what life was like for her.. anyway rant over.... but yes basically anything you add to notes... anything you add photo wise can all be claimed by a person who has viewing of your tree... nothing is sacred.. Mo.. PS another point of interest anyone who has uploaded a gedcom file and has just spent a while deleting them notes from genes... sign out sign in and have another look.. the notes are probably still there.... uploaded from the gedcom....

You have to be careful about birth dates of living relaives as these cld be linked to bank a/c details........ Roots Magic is a good software package but only buy the basic package as the deluxe version is full of stuff u don't really need.....Do other people like this package too? And at the risk of being controversial when I open my tree for people for people I'm happy for them to copy it.....sadly, most people are not that interested and I've yet to appear in anyone else's tree ;-) Una

Even if you hide your living relations, do the notes still show? Laura

My GR tree contains just names, together with a birth year and location - nothing else. If a GR contact wants further information I can release as much or as little as I want until a level of trust is established. Once that stage is reached I will share anything I have, including bmd certificates, wills and parish records. Barry

I went into the account page to tick the hide living relatives box, but it will hide people who do not have a death date in the past 120 years (I'd love to know what they've been taking if they're still alive after 120 years!) Which means I'd have to go through each person on tree and add a guess date as If I don't know when they died, I've not filled that bit in. But I still wouldn't like strangers to see the notes and theories I have about people who were around 150 years ago! they are notes, not complete facts - I used them to jog my memory when I was working on the tree itself. I think that shouldn't be available if someone is looking at your tree. I guess I feel slightly sick at the thought of someone being able to see the notes (you may have guessed that I have some fairly 'dodgy' ancestors!) Carole

Computer Skills Zero With regrds to your Children or any living relations you can with hold their information on your tree. Go into your My Account details and make sure you have yes marked for living relations This will halt anyone not getting names of living relations off your tree. Isobel

Do you know, I've just uploaded my FTM gedcom and thought everything was dandy as living relatives are hidden etc etc. Then I realised the notes after looking at this post! Grrrr! Myf amily definitely would not have been happy with that and have just had to delete them all ( I think I got em all!) Not happy.... Thanks for this post as it will make people aware! Laura

Glen, as general interest for those with FTM - could you explain how to create a gedcom from it without the notes added please.

I've changed the title of this thread as it appears that I'm not the only one who didn't know about this!! A bit of a relief to know I wasn't being a thickie! Carole

Thank you everyone (esp Glen), I've copied the nudged thread for future use. Carole

You might well catch this from the other thread but in a nutshell if you were to buy say Family Tree Maker (FTM) you could put your tree onto FTM via a gedcom, it would save having to type every detail for every name on your tree. Saves hours and hours of work!! You would have to export your tree from Genes, it comes as an e-mail attachment (takes from an hour to a day to arrive from GR). Then save the file to your computer. Then open the file using FTM, by doing so you can then transfer everything, lock stock and barrel in one go, no manual typing and no worries about mistyping a date and it takes about 3 seconds to do.

That's not a daft question. Gedcom is one of those words that causes people to have a slightly blank look. They sound like a mysterious thing only hardcore family tree nutcases would ever use. I posted a gedcom guide thread a while ago, i will give it a nudge for you. It might not tell you quite everything about them but it is a good starting point. I have a better version of the thread on another site, in amongst a useful Family Tree Software help section that is mostly centered around FTM (Family Tree Maker). Using different colours and fonts makes it easier to highlight the main points there than on here. The site is invite only at present but if you want an invite just pm your e-mail addy and i can send one out to you. Glen

I apologise in advance for the stupid question I'm about to ask... Can someone explain what GEDCOM files are all about? I'm a relative newbie to all of this and from what I've read on the boards I think I'm supposed to know about these! Carole

I have no idea if you can with hold it but I would like to know this as well. i am right in thinking that this wasn't always the case? This is why I want to get proper software, it's helpful to have it all together, but i wouldn't trust GR with all its gremlins not to disply the notes in the future. Carole