Should I tell other genealogists when they have made a mistake?

[clairec666]

If you jump in and tell someone they're wrong, they'll probably take no notice of you. I would send them a polite email suggesting they may have made a mistake, and listing your evidence. Any sensible researcher would take a second glance at their work and take your information into account. If they don't, they're not worthy of your help.

Don't get bogged down by pointing out everyone's mistakes, it'll take you forever! But a polite suggestion here and there could be immensely helpful to someone.

[Josephine]

When perusing trees on Ancestry, I have noticed that sometimes I can figure out which tree is the "root tree" or the tree from which all the other trees have been copied; for example, it will often have a lot more data and records have been attached, or the other trees will have that tree listed as their source, etc.

If it is fairly easy for you to figure out which one might be the "root tree" for the ones you are mentioning, perhaps you could message that one person and see what happens, if you are so inclined.

Best regards,
Josephine

[jackella]

If the information you have just found can be found by others if pointed in the right direction, I would probably send a brief message along the lines of:-  have just found .................... think it might be of interest to you.  It would be up to the other person to follow the direction if they wanted to.

[Roobarb]

I can't recall ever having done this but I think I would inform people if the occasion arose. Putting myself at the other side of this, I'd be very pleased if someone pointed out something that would send me in the right direction instead of adding loads of supposed ancestors to my tree who were actually not related. If you have the paper trail that proves it then even more reason to say something.

I'm sure you'd approach it very nicely, I think on an occasion like this it helps to be a bit effusive - things on the lines of "hope you don't mid me pointing this out", "have come across this", "have reason to believe....." all soften the blow of finding out that your extensive research is wrong!

[sunflower]

Yes I always tell someone if I think they have made a mistake as I would like someone to tell me.

A few years ago I made contracted with a chap who was doing the same line as me, but had different information.  We spent weeks swapping information and after sending for a burial certificate realized the person he thought was his ancestor had died in infancy.  He was very upset for a start as he had spent years researching this family, but after a while he saw the positive side and said it was a new tree to climb.  We are still in contact and swap new information.

Carol

[pharmaT]

If they contacted me I would give them the information and let them know they had made a mistake but I don't think I'd spend time going through trees on ancestry and contacting them.

I had a really bad experience after I contacted someone who had my dad as still alive and remarried.  He became quite offensive and even when I pointed out that I was there when he died, had the original death cert(because I was there), the funeral order of service (again because I was there) he claimed I was delusional and accused me of being on drugs.  Luckily my Dad's death was 17 years ago (15 at the time) or it could have been a lot more upsetting.

[StevieSteve]

Assuming you've got your own Ancestry tree, I'd put the info (with source info added especially if not available online)  on your tree and let anyone interested come to you.

[Cell]

Hi,
I'm assuming your tree is on ancestry (?) If  your tree is public ,I wouldn't do anything about it, they can find the info on your tree.

If your tree is on Private settings and you don't want to make your tree public , you could make another tree with the info you want to put "out there"  on Public settings


"On the other hand they are family tree enthusiasts who have cared enough to do the research and load up their tree, so wouldn' they care enough to want it to be a true reflection of their roots?"  Quote from your post 
If only! lol
Kind Regards

[lydiaann]

If I know for sure that someone has made a mistake, then I will let them know.  I have experience of having made one mistake and then followed a line that had nothing to do with me and someone else helped me out on that one; it did mean cutting out 3 generations of one family but I have been grateful ever since.  As has been stated, the wise thing to do is to set out your reasons for correcting them - citing official sources where possible or (as happened when I helped someone out) quoting from actual surviving personal written documentation in the form of a letter sent between siblings - and always, always apologize at the end!  After all, it is galling to spend hours researching something that bears no actual relation to your tree.  I will probably give them a hint as to what line they should be following, perhaps with "Joseph's father was actually Abraham, b. 1814 in Oldham", which should give them a start.  More often than not, this approach brings forth reciprocal information that I may not have.