Genealogy Chat

I Believe that this box should state do not allow poeple access to my tree and that is should be ticked only if you wish to permit this. It does occur to me also on some threads where people have been upset that people have used information on their tree that this is where the slip up has been, and that they have unwittingly allowed access to their tree by accident, not taking the tick out the box. Regards Sheila

I agree that the choice should not be automatically ticked and/or that the box should be at the top of the page. Since the email alterations I've always suggested to positive contacts that we change to personal contact off the site. Peter in Kent

Hi christine difficult to explain isn't it! lol That's peculiar then cos I was talking to a member last night who had to go through virtually all of her contacts and disallow them. My understanding is that if another member contacts you first and then you reply, then permission to view your tree won't be granted. But if you contact them first that's when the checked box appears. And if you don't uncheck it, that's when you give permission to view your tree. Like to know whether this is anybody elses experience Jeanette x

Yes of course it shouldn't be like this. The best thing surely would be to put a give a full choice. "Do you want this person to be able to view your tree" then 2 boxes - both unticked - and make it compulsory for you to click on one or the other before your message can be sent. Then there can be no confusion. Oh and while we are moaning - why can we STILL after all this time NOT TYPE A WEB ADDRESS on these boards grrrrrrrrr Maz. XX

Hi All, not one usually to complain i have added my complaint to yours by mailing the site......Helen

You are correct Christine, If it says allow then they cant see it and if it sayes remove then they can!!

I totally agree with everything that others have said. I have had loads of requests to view my tree and someone opened there tree to me and there was only him on it!!!! Can I suggest that we all contact GR direct, en masse, so to speak? Perhaps if they get inundated with comments they may listen to their members. Margaret

I emailed GR last week with the same suggestion of having default as not allowing access. As yet I am still awaiting a reply. Karen

I have just sent my e-mail off! I also only found this feature by accident after allowing my tree to be viewed....

Ken Every time they contact me (not often) its to let me know they are glad I am pleased with the changes. On the contrary, before they changed the site I suggested making some things - especially the Genealogy Resources section - clearer and more obvious. What did they do? Make it impossible to find the Genealogy Resources section unless you know where to look to start with! Not my idea of an improvement. They also did not address my concerns about people seeing my tree. It's only recently I've read about the tick box - I can't say I've found mine! It's as elusive as my great-grandfather! nell

HI to all, can someone please confirm that I have read this thread correctly. When I go to my contacts and see allow this means that they CAN'T see my tree and if it says remove that they CAN see my tree. I am completely confused and if this correct very angry with GR as I feel they have a duty to protect our privacy if this is what we want and it would appear from alot of the replies that we all like to be in control of the info we post on this site . I am now taking my tree off this site. Sorry for the rant . Regards to you all, Angie.

"... a couple of days ... " - that is incredible! It was seriously, I think, more like a couple of weeks. Joy

Hi All Completely agree with the Tick Box sugestions. Also feel that Allow & Remove should be made clearer. Mabee a column headed "Allow to view your tree" and then a tick Box! Also have others noticed that when you have emailed someone all the entries in their tree become tagged with "contacted" thus enabling you to, "find" all of their entries. Surely the "contacted" should only be against the person you emailed them about? Richard

I agree strongly - I've just sent this to Support in the hope that they'll get the message eventually: This is just to add my voice to those who say that the default for tree access when making a Names-contact should NOT be that you can accidentally let a complete stranger know lots of detail about your family history. It should be a positive decision, not a passive one - especially given the number of security systems that ask for family names as a password or validating codeword. I look forward to that change being made at the earliest opportunity. Christine

I agree. When I deleted some contacts, I found there were several people on here whose trees I could access, and I doubt they realised it. None have emailed me about a connection. I would like to point out I have never looked at anyone's tree, and if I do I will email you to confirm that you intended to give me permission.

Totally agree with you Jeanette, i was lucky and saw it the first time but i can imagine others didnt as it was half way down the page at least. Claire

I also haven't seen the ticked box and I'm now wondering if my cousin hasn't either. I've just had an e-mail from her saying that our info. has been added to some-one else's tree. Last year, some-one else extracted all the names from my tree (30 years of research) and added them to theirs. I've just written to see if there is some way of stopping this. Let's see what they say. Elaine

Hi everyone I have also contacted GR but recieved no reply. It would appear that I did things the wrong way round. I spotted the uncheck box and unticked it but misunderstood the REMOVE and ALLOW on my contacts page. I then clicked REMOVE against all the names on there and have since been told by Ken that I have actually ALLOWED everyone to see my tree I am totally confused and extremley miffed to say the least. One very unhappy GR member. Regards to you all Angie. PS I hope that now I have put ALLOW next to all the contact names I have withdrawn my tree perhaps some kind person would let me Know. THanxs.

I agree. I only noticed it by accident. Also when you view your contacts I'm never sure whether that symbol on the right should be ticked or unticked.

I totally agree with the tick box being changed to be ticked rather than unticked. Also be careful about what personal info you give away. I've found several people display my tree on their other websites without my permission. Diane NSW Australia