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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Essnell on Saturday 07 February 26 06:15 GMT (UK)
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Hi every one,
I am so upset that I am shaking.. I have just discovered that Ancestry has been adding people and dates etc to my private tree. It's gone from 6 people to about 61and there are so many duplicates and unwanted additions. Plus a lot of incorrect information. I just do not know how to fix it. Can I delete it. Do I need one on Ancestry or anywhere else.
Then one person who may have been married twice is now sporting both names as a full name. There are now 22 links to this one person including a very old one of mine on a totally different site. Nothing to do with Ancestry at all yet it's on the list.
The big issue is it's all copying from these other people.
I have tried ignoring and dismissing and even saying it is wrong but they still keep adding.
Any ideas on what to do.
Thank heavens it only has one line and not a full big tree.
Essnell
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??
Since when do Ancestry add entries to anyones tree?
Are you sure you didn't give editing ability to a collaborator?
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or, when you have added a person, did you scroll down and make sure their associated people were not added. EG if you add someone from a census, it would like to add the rest of the family group, but you can review each person and say yes or no. Tick boxes.
If you do want to delete pick on a person
then top left is the name of your tree. Select the little downward arrow
select tree settings
scroll down.
On the extreme lower right is a 'Delete Tree" option.
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Have never known of Ancestry being able to add information to any trees private or public
Did you at anytime invite members to view your tree?
Rosie
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Hi Wexflyer, I do not know when this started. there is another tree belonging to someone else and every now and then get a message that the tree is growing. I do not bother with this one as it's not really important.however it's an instant. sometimes i get a message saying that they have some 40 people to add to the tree . I never accept.
It's been a while - sometime last year through hints. If I ignore them or dismiss them and someone else has the individual on their tree it gets included in mine as duplicate.
this has messed up my tree as often the information is wwrong or is slightly differenet because no research has been done or they are guessing.
Since I posted I have been through and tried to remedy the mess. Merged where possible, added a couple of things so the system accepted it.
But aall the children were broken up into halfsiblings and siblings. one child actually became a mother of her own mother. Bizzare.
It is now looking reasonably decent but I will need to check it ever few days. Especially as I find newer information. what might close things down would be to include all the source docs i have but available if requested. Even my own first cousin has incorrect information that they will not alter.
And no I have not got a collaborator - so no editing.
Thanks for asking and I really cannot see the reason behind Ancestry.
Mickha489
Are you saying that if I add someone from say an1881 census and give the place, it can go find the census and add all the associated names? That's really interesting.
I recently was looking at a grave record here in Aust. and I also got info on two children whom I knew about but were not on the grave headstone and not related to those individuals. That came from our City Council database. Unasked for.
ummm anything seems to be able to be dug up from anywhere these days.
One other thing. over time i have had to update Ancestry and i have old accounts one of those was on that list. I do not seem to be able to access that .
Any ideas. might try support see what happens there.
rosie . No it's always been private and I never send anyone to look.
Essnell
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Do you use Thrulines?
It is very easy to evaluate the suggestions and to inadvertently add them to your tree.
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As you don't have many people in your tree I would delete it and start again just make sure you have it private .
You could also try contacting Ancestry and see what they say
Rosie
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Do you use Thrulines?
It is very easy to evaluate the suggestions and to inadvertently add them to your tree.
Truelines are a disaster >:(
Rosie
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Hi
Surely this cannot be happening for everyone. Roots chat would be inundated with literally millions of comments about it if it was. Are you sure that you are not inadvertantly agreeing to add content from your DNA matches trees. I looked at a Youtube video on this and there are several ways it can be done including from Thrulines but also through the add button on the right of each matches name.
It may be best to start a fresh tree the old fashioned way (without reference to DNA or other peoples' trees), paying attention to all the clues. For example looking carefully at the birth places given on the census and any odd nieces or cousins included in a household.
I hope it gets sorted soon
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Essnell, firstly stop shaking, take a few deep breaths. Ancestry don't add people to your tree. As somebody else has already suggested you might have given editing privileges to somebody who is doing it, or you are accepting hints either intentionally or inadvertently, which will be added to your tree.
Zaph
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Hi everyone, thank you all for your good advice.
My tree was quite small , just for basics. I did this intentionally as I knew it was going to be difficult.
Thrulines do not work as it is so small.
Which is probably a good thing right now.
It has been on Ancestry for many years about Two or so decades and it has never been like this.
It's most likely as suggested coming from hints. I can see where those are originating from. Other Ancestry trees.
Lots of them are side relatives...like distant cousins. I know what they have and if it's accurate or not that is why I either dismiss , or ignore them.
Anyway I fixed my tree for now and I will not be checking any more hints. I am sure something has happened in dealing with them so best left well alone.
Thanks again ..I will let you all know what the mororrow brings.
:) Essnell.
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In the first post "Do I need one on Ancestry or anywhere else."
No you do not need to make a tree on Ancestry. They like people to do it as it adds to THEIR database.
Only of use to you if you want to show your tree to others. The tree I have on Ancestry and other places is a cut down version just so any DNA matches can see how their family meet up with mine. I have not updated it since I uploaded it several years ago.
My proper tree stays on my home computers, and some cloud storage.
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Essnell,
Hi, good to hear you have things back under control.
As others have said, if it is a private trees, then no one but you should be able to change things.
Ancestry have changed how information is added when you accept something.
They used to add everyone on a census entry to your tree, now they usually give you the option to accept one at a time. But sometimes not, and it just adds the one person you are looking at, which I find very frustrating!
As you say hints now seem to be searching from everywhere, not just primary sources, which can be frustrating.
I would not give up on hints though, as I have said elsewhere, I have found real gems, proving family links all over the world.
Happy Hunting
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Earlier on somebody said something negative about thrulines. I found them usually accurate and often very helpful, totally different to the usual hints which I never even bother looking at any more.
Zaph
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Earlier on somebody said something negative about thrulines. I found them usually accurate and often very helpful, totally different to the usual hints which I never even bother looking at any more.
Zaph
Agreed, usually accurate.
Odd occasion someone has gone down the wrong trail.
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Hi everyone, Me ;D ;D ;D ;D
I just checked and it's back to all the double entries.
I have left it alone for 24 hrs after merging all of those duplicates as to what I accept as to what I want on there.
I am blessed if i know why their system cannot accept this.
could this be the issue.
eg; I have Jane Smith born 1862 dies 1893 place of birth Thomphsons Hill Cornflower.
they have Jane Smith born1862 died 1895 place of birth Jacktown Gladioli.
When I merge such a duplicate one gets asked to select the merging details to keep then click to save.
That worked for say, a few hours. Overnight it's all reversed.
There is no request for proof or for a source document.
However is it because more peopel than me have different details? Many are from the same family and their data seems copied. Am I like a lone wolf crying in the wilderness to no avail??
I am finding this not only bizzare but annoying. And in another light screamingly funny.
Say someone does look up my tree and sees this jumble. What are they going to conclude about me and my research?
Is this AI at it's worst. ??? ;D ;D
Essnell
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Hi again ,
I have checked ancestry support . There is one section where I might be able to turn off tree checker.
I will give that a go and see if anything alters.
Essnell.
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Hi again.
Well, Tree checker turn off is as odd as everything else.
When I checked my Account settings - as the blurb says to do, I discovered that tree checker was already turned off. Everything possible to choose was grey.
But it is still the same when I checked whose on my tree.
On checking I am on the tree and someone else has me as well with different information --- and I am living...at least I hope I am. ;D I shouldn't be visible. That should be private.
Essnell
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Change your login details (password), log out and then log in again.
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Earlier on somebody said something negative about thrulines. I found them usually accurate and often very helpful, totally different to the usual hints which I never even bother looking at any more.
Zaph
Agreed, usually accurate.
Odd occasion someone has gone down the wrong trail.
Several people went down the wrong trail in my case so many mistakes and being copied from other trees without checking ;)
Rosie
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Hi Rosie,
Yes have seen that happen. Lots of copying. i have been researching one person who waas placed on a Cousin's tree, an no one has been able to actually verify this bit of information. fortunately it hasn't migrated with everything else. but all the others have added it.
I turned to Rootschat for help on that and it's still an ongoing search.
That is what is is adding to the issue.
I was just reading anothee post in the Common room about the use of AI in in FH searching. It was quite interesting.
it also makes me more convinced that AI is being used here.
If i could just merge or reject the duplicate and that held it would be acceptable but i am not having any joy in that respect.
Me thinks that Wexflyer's suggestion may be the only option. But would that stop the problem ???
Essnell
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I would do two things.
First, start a completely new tree and use that for your research. It should stay clear of any interference.
Second, keep on investigating why the current tree is getting changed like this. I would want to get to the bottom of it.
Martin
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Essnell
I would as Wexflyer has suggested change you password
Delete your tree and start a new one making sure your setting's are ticked private
See how that goes :D
Rosie
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Essnell,
Hi, sounds very strange. Have you got access to any other people’s trees? Is there any chance that you are not editing the tree you think you are?
Happy Hunting
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hi
one by one ....david. i do not have access to anyone else's tree. I do have access as colaborator to my S-I-L. match list.
None of that is affected by what's happening.
Rosie it might just end up being the only solution -- deleting the tree and starting over and changing my password. That would be a pretty big issue. i could probably down load a copy to my computer - to a USB.
Martin , yes it looks lik as above the only sensible way out of this.
thanks all of you it is much appreciated.
One last effort. I missed this yesterday. I ought to check the private tree status as to whether it is searchable or not.
Ancestry has an unsearchable setting.
That might help , but would that stop search stuff from others being suggested? I doubt it would.
Cheers Essnell.
Addit: I just checked. no such option as unsearchable, even though it is mentine in the information on Tree Checker in Pro Tools.
Essnell.
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hi
one by one ....david. i do not have access to anyone else's tree. I do have access as colaborator to my S-I-L. match list.
None of that is affected by what's happening.
Rosie it might just end up being the only solution -- deleting the tree and starting over and changing my password. That would be a pretty big issue. i could probably down load a copy to my computer - to a USB.
Martin , yes it looks lik as above the only sensible way out of this.
thanks all of you it is much appreciated.
One last effort. I missed this yesterday. I ought to check the private tree status as to whether it is searchable or not.
Ancestry has an unsearchable setting.
That might help , but would that stop search stuff from others being suggested? I doubt it would.
Cheers Essnell.
Addit: I just checked. no such option as unsearchable, even though it is mentine in the information on Tree Checker in Pro Tools.
Essnell.
A private tree can be made unsearchable via tree settings (browser),or manage trees in the app. Any Ancestry user can set their own tree privacy to whatever they wish, no subscription or DNA test is required. Tree privacy/management has nothing to do with Pro Tools.
If a tree is changed from searchable to unsearchable it can be a couple of weeks before others stop receiving hints.
Alerts to say a tree has been added to come from trees you have been granted editing rights to.
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I do find some of these messages confusing (maybe its me). At one time Essnell said she only has 6 people in her tree and later seems to say it is a big tree with 20 years of work on it.
Whatever size I think she should download a GEDCOM and load it onto some program on her computer and do some error checking there. I believe some programs like Rootsmagic etc can be synched with trees on Ancestry. That might keep controle of the ancestry tree.
Essnell wrote "On checking I am on the tree and someone else has me as well with different information --- and I am living...at least I hope I am. ;D I shouldn't be visible. That should be private.
Essnell"
"I am on the tree" does that mean her tree?
"someone else has me as well" does this mean someone else has Essnell on their tree on has her on her tree? I guess the former but what did Essnell mean to say?
Assuming that she Essnell means she is appearing on someone else's tree then unless she has been marked as dead or as born more than 100 yers ago then am I right in thinking that no detail should be shown.
These are trees on Ancestry aren't they. Not some tree on Familysearch where anyone can go in and muck about. I know that's an odd question but what is going on with Essnell's tree is hard to explain otherwise unless there is a security breach of her Ancestry account or her computery.
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Hi
Been a few days and nothing is any different. I have not looked at hints etc for over a week.
A bit of explanation.
1. My original tree on Ancestry had only a few people. about 6.
2. I also have had on Genes Reunited from some time in 1990s a tree that I deleted.
3. A similar small tree on My Heritage.
4. My main big tree is only on my computer and that tree is in the specific tree program. It's also got several side trees. Those go nowhere near internet,
Now there is my parents and they are trying to add those people's parents. I do not need this in an online tree.
Besides the fact that it was done only just to have a small tree it should be my choice what goes into it, hints or not.
5 . My original tree never had me on it. Just my gt grandmother and two of her children.
It is mostly like this because of the inability to find documentary evidence of anyone further back. But the incident of using privately forwarded photos etc to one person who then put those up on her tree has changed my thoughts about this. Why not ask first if that would be okay ?
Somehow I have been added to trees belonging to who knows who. and I am still living. I have also been added to my own tree ????? How?
Quote spelk"
Assuming that she Essnell means she is appearing on someone else's tree then unless she has been marked as dead or as born more than 100 yers ago then am I right in thinking that no detail should be shown. "
Well I would have thought so but apparently not......!!??
I really do not know or understand and i have almost given up trying to understand.
Essnell.
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I am not really shore what you are asking but I’ll give it a shot.
Ancestry trees can be in many forms:-
Fully searchable and visible but with anyone still flagged as living shown as “Private”.
Fully searchable but the whole tree is shown as “Private” in anyones search results.
Unsearchable, that is the tree will not be seen in any search results.
Also nite that it has to be a deliberate act to change the flag from the default “Living” to deceased.
Take my tree, it is set as “Private but searchable” so that only people who I give permission to can view it, also note that by default if granted access they cannot see living persons, I have to check the “see living persons” box prior to sending them the invitation to view.
If I add a long deceased person into any of my “visible trees” they will still show as “Private” even if they were born 300 years ago, the “Deceased” checkbox has to be marked to change their status to “visible”. If on another family tree where you now reside they have to have checked the “Deceased” box for you to be visible to anyone viewing said tree.
A word of explanation, I do not use floating trees so if I want to research say a DNA match I use them as the Home person and build a “fully visible” tree around them and link in other DNA matches who are shared between us. If I find how the “Home” person and I are linked I use software to combine their tree with my own tree and upload my amended tree back into Ancestry.
I have had many images “borrowed” without being asked if it is OK prior and it used to annoy me, especially when the image would show up a couple of years later assigned to a completely different person in the hint. Hence why my tree is now private but given the lack of response to messages it is not surprising that images and data is “borrowed” from tree to tree.
I do not rely on Documents as sole proof, all persons born within the last 250 years have to have had their inclusion in my family tree validated but DNA linking each person to DNA Matches “Cousins”. My own Birth Certificate is a work of fiction so most definitely, no, one cannot rely on documentation as accurate. If a person is not “Validated by DNA” their header image is a “?” In my family tree.
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I think there is a way to inadvertently lable a person as dead.
If you know a person was alive in say 2002 because they are on an electoral toll or for some other reason you might say that they were alive then so they must have died after that date.
However computers are stupid and this is then taken to mean that the person has died and are deceased. So avoid the “died after” status.
Ancestry is in breach of the data protection laws by showing trees with your details on against your wishes. Whether you can get them to take those trees down I do not know.
Chances are just one person has put you on their tress and somehow marked you as dead and the rest are just copies
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Something very strange going on here ???
I'm assuming you haven't deleted your tree ?
Rosie
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Hi everyone, thankyou all for your valuable insights.
Biggles, first there is all the duplicates to deal with and even that does not achieve anything positive or something approaching permanent.
Then this issue of living persons. I will reread this all again later.
Spelk If I was labelled private that would be correct but that is not the case. I have no idea what Ancestry knows about me being living or not. It's a secondary issue but important.
Rosie , No I haven't taken it down...yet. I will try taking some screen shots for everyone and myself. Might down load it to a USB as well. Then start again.
I am sure it's got to do with hints and other persons trees.
One thought, would telling them (Ancestry). That I already know the information be construed as saying yes. In this case I expected those to not keep reappearing but they do.
Ignoring them also does no good.
Hopefully if I start a new tree this will all go away.
Essnell.
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There is the Duplicates tool in Ancestry.
That said I suggest buying Roots Magic 11 and start a new project there and import your whole tree into the software.
The original tree stays on Ancestry, you would then have an exact copy of the whole Ancestry tree including media, facts, images etc.
There is a whole mass of Tools available that can be used to determine errors.
Once the error checking is complete the Tree is then Shared back to Ancestry or a new Ancestry Tree started and the Roots Magic tree is exported into the blank Ancestry Tree.
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Essnell,
I can see no reason why you have a tree on Ancestry. It is causing you concerns and seems to have no benefit to you. So just delete it. End of problem.
You say that you have given photos to some woman and she, without asking you, has added the photos to her tree from which anyone can copy them and do whatever they want with them.
A relative once asked me if would like a certain image on the proviso that I did not publish it or pass it on. I declined that offer telling her that though I could promise now that I would keep the image private in a few years I might have forgotten the promise or I could die and my stuff could get passed on to some relative and who knows what then.
Ask the woman to remove it from her tree and if she refuses then you might consider legal action but probably best to write her off as a "not nice person to know" and cease all contact with her.
Where total strangers have got photos which originated from you - well happens to us all. That's a problem with putting anything online and not a lot we can do about it once it has got onto the Internet where there are almost no rules or rights to privacy or copyright. So accept some things have gone and you can never get them back.