Genealogy Chat

I've just had a series of 3 emails from someone on GR

1. New message from R------ 22/09/2007 07:03:48

New message to Sylvia

From R------


(That was it!)


2. R----- Request to View Your Tree 14/10/2007 21:44:23

Please would you give me access to view your tree.

Thank You



My response:-

R------- Re: Request to View Your Tree 15/10/2007 03:29:55

Sorry.

I don't open my tree.

I don't think we have anyone in common


Sylvia


3. R----- Re: Re: Request to View Your Tree 15/10/2007 19:41:17

Thank-you for your reply Sylvia,I always have high hopes.
R--------


- - - - - - - -
I was gobsmacked!!!


Was she just fishing???

As far as I know, I have not had any contact on the boards with her!


sylvia

You're a smart Lady Sylvia. I never open my tree either without solid evidence of a genuine match.......yeah, I think she was just nosing around.


Deb:)

Thanks Deb!


I've had lots of requests to open my tree ..... but never one that's come back with that kind of answer!


sylvia

Well to be honest I have the opposite problem.

I have numerous automated messages telling me that 'XX' has opened their tree to me.

Checking back I find that 'XX' and I have never had previous contact!!!!

I do send them a PM suggesting they withdraw my permission, explaining that I think it is a Genes 'blip'

Chris

Julia,

The best thing to do is to exchange information with the contact to try to determine whether there is a real connection. Only open your tree after that.

For example, I had one this morning asking about a John Jeffs in my tree, both born at about the right time, both in Buckinghamshire, hers unknown village, my presupposes a certain village. She opened her tree to me right away (a no no in my opinion!!).

My gut feeling was no connection, especially as my John Jeffs was the father of the wife of a younger brother of my ancestor, ie no real connection!

I started to answer her that way, but then thought I might as well check her tree.

Sure enough, wife different name, daughter did have same name as mine but about 15 years difference in birth years and a different bridegroom for her.

What I usually do is

a) not respond at all to those Request to Open Your Tree that say absolutely nothing about who, when or why!

b) if they give me a name, I check my tree, then I email back saying that my so-and-so was born in such and such a place, married so-and-so, and if this matches then we can go from there.

When I contact anyone because of a hot match, I NEVER ask right away to see their tree. I say that it seems as though we might have a connection. My so-and-so was born in this year in this place, son/daughter of so-and-so, and married so-and-so. Does this information match. Then we can exchange information.


Hope this helps.


sylvia

chris,


I think one of the problems is that the system is set up to send these automated requests. People don't really think before clicking on them







and I guess soem of them go on fishing exercises, like my R.......!!


sylvia

Sylvia

I think you are right and it is a fault in this system...

It is too easy, when you don't know your way around the Hotmail/Search/Contacts facilities, to click on 'something' that sends a message to another party. That 'click' could ask for, or give, access to a tree. A request/access that you didn't intend to send.

I have suggested to Genes that there should be a further question asked after someone has clicked anything that gives access or asks for access to a tree.

Along the lines of

"You have asked XX to view your tree . Did you mean to do this?"

Or

"You have asked XX for access to their tree. Did you mean to do this?"

The instigator would then need to click yes or no for the message to be sent.

I haven't, unsuprisingly received a response from GR.

Chris