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Warning to receivers of BLANK messages

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Her Indoors

Her Indoors Report 9 Oct 2006 20:27

If you have contacted another member, even with a blank message, that fact will show up in any searches you do on names which you expect to share in common. This will be true for the actual names of living relatives who the member has chosen to hide. I don't like the feature, but I have used it to sort out the relationship of contacts who choose not to reply to messages, even when I have good reason to believe we are connected. (I don't mean that I have ever sent a deliberately blank message, just searched for the trail left by an unanswered one). The facility could very easily be used by someone for sinister purposes, and I would welcome a tightening up of the search facility. If I know who you are, and your parents' marriage history is straightforward, I can have a pedigree sorted out in about an hour by this method. It's creepy.

Bridget

Bridget Report 9 Oct 2006 19:14

I feel sure he has seen my tree as he complimented me on the details of my research, which made him decide to start his tree again, because he now doubts some of the info he has gained from other GR contacts ...

InspectorGreenPen

InspectorGreenPen Report 9 Oct 2006 19:11

Why don't you ask him? It may be that he hasn't seen your tree at all but managed to trace certain names by virtue of the fact that they were highlighed as a contact. It is not that difficult

Bridget

Bridget Report 9 Oct 2006 18:57

Like many of us, I never grant access to my tree until I am convinced we have a connection. Because of a blank message I asked the person to email me direct. This he did, thanking me for all the info he had found on my tree! Astonished I leapt to 'my contacts' found his name BUT the tick box remained empty! So he was viewing my tree without my knowledge or permission. As GR only appear to be able to reply to emails with automated responses, I think I have them confused as they have yet to respond!