Give me access to your tree!!

[1000xlch]

Overall I like GR because when I joined I found 3 relatives in a week!  Not bad for £7.50!  I never give access to my tree without establishing a connection first.  When you contact a hot match rather than replying to one the box is automatically ticked to share your tree so watch out!  Never had a problem in the last 9 years of research!

[patrish]

Thats a good tip, I had not realised that , I myself have never had any problems with Genes. 

[Tuscany]

I had someone write to me, via another method of contact.  They sent me their tree and although there was no common connection they still asked me to send my tree.  I couldn't see what the reason would be for that so didn't send it.

[ambers]

I have a small Tree on GR, in the hope that it will help me breakdown a brickwall.

Although like most, I have had some irritating experiences.... mostly Hot Matches, it's not all bad.

I have made some fantastic, genuine contacts.

Three of them have stayed in touch, and we  up-date each other on finds.
I was able to forward copies of  certificates and a Will to two of them, this has finally proved the connection they needed to come down a generation...after that we are all stuck.

The reply of: Oh WOW.....thank you so much... said it all.
 
The other genuine contact, we have worked together for a year, and have at last found rellie's down to to-day.

So once again it proves that it's down to the sort of people re-searching. If you are a taker of information  you can lose out, I have been lucky and gained more than I have lost on GR.  One person sent me photographs of eight of my rellie's, an Ideal Home Exhibition Booklet with their background and a Will, I in turn, sent the birth and marriage certificates when I managed to buy them six months later.

I did E-mail GR about the box being automatically ticked from Hot Matches.........I am one of the guilty parties for opening my Tree to strangers in my enthusiasm to find rellie's

As for the rude members...not a lot we can do, that's life

Ambers

[Springbok]

Last week I went  back to the tree of a contact, who in Feb.last year sent  me pages of our mutual family. I found that he has entered another 2 branches with over 100 rellies and details of their BMDs/Baptisms and their emigrations to Australia.
On here I have found the Link to Australian Records and now have details of the families arrival and the ships they on which they journeyed
Also a"new" 5x great Grandfather.

Well worth the £7.50. I would never have been able research the families in person

Spring

[Simon G.]

Another this about GR, although they're usually hopeless I thought they said on their site that Hot Matches come every 14-days?  Sorry, but my last lot was on May 15th (I log all research, even when hot matches come in since I check them)...that's more than 14-days.

When they do work, I have had a few good ones from the recently amongst the rubbish...so it does all work out I suppose.  Certainly worth what they charge.

[jeune-romantique]

I was just wondering what you guys would consider the 'rules or 'etiquette' in sharing family trees? I have always believed that you should contact the person and ask if you can use the information in their try, in politeness you should reference this position if you ever publish (privately or publicly) your family history (that includes their research) and offer to share your own information in return (or any other possible favors, such as lookups). Would this be considered a good way of going about this sort of thing?

[Lydart]

Yes, of course thats the polite way to do it.  But a lot of people on here have been contacted through GR hot-matches; offered info, and then found the lot on the GR site without their permission being sought, and no reciprocal help given  ... I'm all for sharing and helping one another ... thats what RootsChat is for ... but unfortunately there are a grabbing minority out there who want everything, dont say 'thanks', and give nothing. 

[jeune-romantique]

Lydart: I thought it would be the right way to go about things, and yes there are people out there who think that because it's over the internet you don't have to be polite...and then there are those who even in real life are the same. I hope I don't experience anyone like this.