Genealogy Information

[doric]

I have recently been contacted re any information I might have on one of my ancestors.  This request has been made on behalf of another person who I am told shares my family line.  I get the gut feeling that this approach has been made by a professional researcher, who will obviously be charging for his services, therefore I am feeling rather reluctant to pass on information that I have worked so hard to obtain.  This attitude is going against my better nature as I always feel I want to help other researchers whenever I can.  How do other Rootschatters feel about this and what would they do?

[julianb]

I'd go back and ask for the request to come from the person who shares the family line, not an intermediary.

Not least you can point to issues around identity theft which make you nervous.

Good luck

JULIAN

[doric]

Thanks for that Julian

  much appreciated


          Doric

[Tephra]

I'm with Julian on this one Doric, it seems strange coming through a third person.  Perhaps you could ask who the information is for and then you could make your mind up which way you want to go.

Barbara

[Nick Carver]

It all depends on how much information YOU think YOU will get out of the transaction. If none, then you would be quite justified in writing back and saying "I am willing to share information with bone fide members of my family, but would need to be 100% certain that the person to whom I am passing information is related to me". If you stand to gain information from the transaction, try to establish exactly what information comes with the action of passing on details from your tree.

I am still a little irked that details of my children appeared on Genes Reunited in the tree of someone I have never heard of. Apparently they copied the tree of one of my 6th cousins verbatim - he at least had the sense not to display the names of the living. So I concur with you taking a cautious approach.

[KathMc]

I agree with all the above. Be cautious. It's one thing to share info with actual family members doing research, but I would be angry to know that I paid someone to do research and all they did was a Google search and an email to someone. Try to get to the relative.

Kath

[wheeldon]

Doric, did they explain why the other person hasn't contacted you directly?  There may be a genuine reason.  For expample, I recently contacted someone on GR, on behalf of a fellow Rcer who hasn't subscribed, although I did explain this and provide the persons E-Mail address.

However, I agree to act with caution but I would investigate a little further. 

You never know it might be genuine and they might have photos of long lost GG Grandad 

[yn9man]

doric -

Caution, caution, caution ...

I would be very wary of a "third party" contact asking for "family" information. I would definitely want to know why the "family member"or "relative" didn't make the original request. At the minimum, I would want to at least correspond (or attempt to correspond) with the "relative" prior to providing information to the third party.

However, the family member or relative may have a legitimate reason for not contacting you directly and should share that information with you.

Gut feelings are usually "right on".   

yn9man

[gah]

   Yes i agree ,
                          Go with your gut feeling alway's trust your instinct's , i have had a recent situation and went again my gut feeling , now i just feel so annoyed with myself i spent year's gathering information and certificate's and was thrilled to be contacted by someone who i could share all the little detail's with or so i though ! i sent everything i had gatherd over the years and even sent photo's copy's of all bmd's i'd obtained only to find this person never said so much as a Thank You and is currently displaying all the info as their own work needless to say i have never heard from this person since .
         The sad fact is there are those of use that enjoy doing our research and are thrilled when we think we have made contact with a reli! and look folward to exchanging what we have discovered only to be taken in , so my thought's are definatly air on the side of caution .


             gah