Genes Reunited has given lots of tree permissions

[Brummygirl]

If you have your tree on GenesReunited, i have just found they have given lots of peeps access to my tree where i had not given permission, and it has happened to lots of other members.

Brummygirl

[Thudnut]

Genes Reunited has (in my opinion) gone right off the boil, so I have deleted my tree.  They had included details of living people even though I had hidden them, and given people access to my tree without my consent.

I understand that quite a few people are leaving the site at the moment.

Thudders   

[Tati]

Surely this is a daft question: How can you tell who has access to your tree? Can you check a list somewhere other than in 'your contacts'?   

[Brummygirl]

Tati,

If you go into your contacts, there is at the side of each persons name a x or tick, it says there if they have permission to see your tree or not. if you don not want them to have permission you click on the cross

[Tati]

Thanks Brummygirl 

I can see only people I'm in contact with and who I gave access to my tree.

I believe I misunderstood your post - I thought you were implying that people you aren't in contact with had access to your tree 

[Stovepipe]

How can you tell who has access to your tree? Can you check a list somewhere other than in 'your contacts'?   

Click on "Shared trees" at the left of the homepage under the heading "Family tree".  I've just done so and found a number of people with access to my tree to whom I never gave access.  All of them, I think, had contacted me at some time - but I never did any more than reply saying we're not related.

I've now deleted my tree.

Unless things improve, I won't be using Genes Reunited again.

Stovepipe

[Tati]

GR isn't a tool I've used much but indeed I remember that each time someone contacts you and you reply, there's a box ticked saying you allow access to your tree. You need to untick it if you don't wish to share... Could this be the explanation? 

[meles]

I'm glad you pointed that out. I have checked, and suddenly there are half a dozen people who have access to my tree to whom I have not given access. I have removed them.

I will keep an eye on this and may quit GR if it continues.

meles

[jillruss]

I've been caught out a couple of times when sending a message to someone - there is automatically a tick in the box 'allow this member access to my tree' and you actually have to delete the tick if you don't want the person to see your tree.

This is probably what has happened.

I think it would be much more honest of them to reverse the process so that you tick the box if you want that person to see your tree - but then, it's within their interests for as many people as possible to have access to as many trees as possible.

I still get a few decent contacts from this site per year so think it's probably still worth the hassle. However, I'm really getting fed up with the number of people who either just don't bother to answer messages (why bother to put their tree on in the first place?) or simply send a 'give me access to your tree' message without any 'foreplay' (sorry, it's the best analogy I could come up with!  )

I can see why people are leaving the site in droves.

Jill