Genealogy Chat

Can I suggest that all members email GR and protest about your tree being automatically shown to everyone you email through the site unless you uncheck the box. I don't know about you lot but I don't want all and sundry viewing my tree just because I wasn't concentrating. Surely it should be the other way round so that you check the box if you DO want poeple to see your tree. Jeanette x

I agree - and what makes it even worse is that you have to scroll down to see the tick box. How many people scroll all the way down? I only noticed it by accident one day. Mandy :)

I e-mailed GR about this several weeks ago and they replied saying they didn't think it was a problem, or words to that effect. I replied saying I thought it was. No answer! nell

No change there then Nell! Jeanette x

Jeanette Same as Marnie. What tick box. I thought they could only see your tree with your permission. Ann From Nr Manchester

I have to agree with all of you ladies... it is really annoying! I dont like opening up my tree to just anyone... I have actually had people poach my info and stick it on their own tree even though there is no connection to their family. Shaz

When you email another member through the site for the first time, just below the box you are typing in there is a little box that is permanently ticked by default. This automatically allows whoever you are contacting to see your tree. You have to physically go and click on the box to uncheck it so they don't see your tree. What we are saying is that it should be the other way round. Think about it. Did you know it was there? How many poeple have you contacted without unchecking the box? They can now view your tree whether you wanted them to or not. There has been another thread on tonight which tells you how to remove all these. I'll go and find it for you. Be prepared to be totally baffled though! lol Jeanette x

I agree it's too east to make a mistake. Also in tree permissions it's unclear to start with if you're granting permission or denying it! Jacquie

There you go. Viewing Trees is the thread

I noticed the other day that I have about 4 peoples names listed under 'view other trees' when I view my tree. I don't know these people and had no idea why I would want to look at their tree or why they were there. Now it has all become clear, they have all contacted me for one reason or another and must have missed unticking the box! Sam

I e-mailed GC about this soon after I joined. Like others I hadn't noticed the tick box until I had posted several contacts. Now I think some of the older members who perhaps don't use the boards often haven't realised the change. I joined just as the changes were made I think. My first contact who I discvered shares some of my tree has assured me he has ALLOWED me to see his tree, but I cant see a thing!!!!! I do think the wording is all wrong. Rant over!!!!

Jean, He probably feels that he has allowed you because the stupid system is such that: if you can see the word allow in your contact box it means that you have removed the contact and if you see remove it means you have allowed them to see it. This is so daft that I cant believe it. So this chap will see allow and think you are seeing it when you cant. See other thread.

Yes, I only noticed this recently after adding about 20 people to my - allow to see tree list!!! I shall definitely protest.

Another thing which has changed but not for the better is the emails. Now everyone is under contact@genesreunited rather than with an identifiable name so that I can store them in some sort of order. I know that I can lookup on the My Contacts list, but I would really like to bunch emails to and from the same person together in my own email system.

When my subscription ran out earlier this year I did not renew straight away. However when I eventually did renew all my original contacts were still there and ALL had permission to view my tree - but I did not realise this until just recently. Also I did not see the ticked box until I read a message on here so everyone I have contacted since has also been allowed to see it. There are only one or two people to whom I have willingly given permission to view so I am really annoyed about this. Part of the reason I didn't renew immediately was because I was not happy with some of the changes, but this was one I didn't know about until recently and one I am definitely not happy with. Kathleen

Jeanette, I agree with you it should be the other way round, I have emailed loads of times to ask them to change, I have not had a reply back................Sue

What also makes me cross about this is that we have to seek the permission of any living person before we add them to the site, and rightly so. I've done that and I've assured all the living members in my family that their info remains private unless I think there's a very good chance that we share a family connection with someone. Surely then GC also has a responsibility to them, to make their info as secure as possible. Can't see that's happening here, not if 'allowing' contacts to see my tree is the the default option. Cazza

As a researcher who often helps people out on these boards I often get asked to open my tree to those I contact. I NEVER have anyone in my tree that will assist searchers in their quest so I believe that the tick box should automatically be 'don't allow access to my tree'.

Is it possible to block details of your living rellies when you allow others to view your tree, without having to take them off completely??

Hello everyone, I think I need help understanding this one! When I send a message to someone through the site I had honestly never noticed the tick/untick box, so I've checked and it is set with a tick. Now that should mean therefore that everyone that I have mailed through the site then can view my tree, as I have NEVER unticked it? Howcome then when I go to my home page and click on "update tree permissions" it shows me everyone who I have contacted, (with the tick in place remember)but NOT that they can view my tree? The only ones who can are those that I have personally given permission to. All the rest still have ALLOW beside their name. Although the wording is confusing it is my understanding that I have to then click on ALLOW to let them view tree. The ones with REMOVE beside their name are the ones I have already allowed and if I want to now stop them seeing it I would click on the REMOVE and it would then change back to ALLOW and they could no longer view it? I'm sorry to be so long-winded about this, but why doesn't it show there that they have permission if that's what they get when you mail them with the tick in place? Hopefully someone will decipher what I've been babbling on about and put me straight! confused Christine