I too shared my research that I spent years doing with a distant inlaw - I was visiting my grandmother's elderly first cousin and he asked if I would share my research with his wife's first husband's daughter in law who was also doing research. Well, I was trusting. My work was put online - she had done no research herself - with incorrect changes and no reference to my contribution whatsoever or any references at all to my documented sources. I had mailed it to her and she never responded or thanked me in any way. The first five generations had been pretty well documented for years but I am the one that was able to make the connection between the old and the new. I dug up information from archives I know hasn't seen the light of day for ages. I credited everyone who helped me even though I later checked all sources and found new ones, and every source I found, even when I have dropped the ball with some contacts as I have periods of forced time away from research. I recently found the same ancestor (my ggg grandfather) incorrectly attached to yet someone else's family on Ancestry. They had no spouse or later information, only his siblings and parents and not the four earlier generations. I am chagrined but I am not going to correct this or contact them either. I have no idea where else the various versions are, haven't searched online. I have done further research on this line. As to my putting this line on Ancestry, I don't know yet what I am going to do. I wanted to leave my research to a library or society but had been considering Ancestry for all the reasons everyone states. But if someone else has posted my research and put their name on it is it now theirs? Not sure what to do, but I have lots more work to do so I guess I don't need to decide right now. Kathryne Natale momnat@aol.com -----Original Message----- From: maaisha <maaisha@aol.com> To: eng-black-country <eng-black-country@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sun, Jan 1, 2012 8:53 am Subject: Re: [Black Country] Ancestry tree hijacked . Pat, I'm so sorry to hear this has happened to you. I shared mine once with someone who said it would be kept private at her website with limited access by other surname researchers. I soon found it published, and worse yet, with errors added in and attributed to me. I was offered a chance to correct errors, but decided it was a better commentary on this person's work to leave their errors on their site, hoping honest researchers will notice and see it as a red flag. If a tree on Ancestry is public, the entire tree, or parts of it, can be downloaded to any member's computer, then uploaded to their site. They can also directly import small sections of your tree. If an Ancestry tree is private it cannot be downloaded by others. If someone is researching a person you have in a private tree on Ancestry, they will be given a "hint" that you have a probable match, and contact information. They can then write to you through Ancestry (they are not given your email), and ask if you are willing to share. I must say there is a person who has copied my tree from that original private submission, has been asked to take it down, and refuses to do so, claiming the records are public. I feel that although perhaps there are public records of my grandparents, they do not show the things displayed on the tree, such as names of children, town of birth, siblings, parentage, etc. That came only by stealing from me, and that is what I object to. I've lost all respect for such people, and just feel sad that some are so unscrupulous. I don't understand what their goal is. As to your own putting a tree online, I do like having mine on Ancestry for the reasons you state. My computer has crashed, and I was not at all worried about my tree. I also do the research though the site, so attach it easily, and keep that site as my updated tree. I do periodic downloads just in case (of I don't know what). Just keep your tree private. You have my sympathies, and I hope they agree to remove your information. I do recommend a private tree on Ancestry. To a Happy and Better New Year! Lois in Michigan -----Original Message----- From: Pat Hayward <hayward325@btinternet.com> To: eng-black-country <eng-black-country@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sun, Jan 1, 2012 7:50 am Subject: [Black Country] Ancestry tree hijacked Happy New Year everyone. I am fuming. Some years ago I submitted thirty years research to ‘Ancestry’. I thought that would be a safe place to store it in case my computer crashed at any time. I forgot about it for some years because of ill health and poor eyesight. This Christmas our daughter gave me a book and DVD published by ‘Who Do You Think You Are’. When I used the DVD I found I could have membership of ‘Ancestry’ free for three months. Too good to pass up on. I was recognised and I clicked onto MY family tree only to find that someone had hijacked it. It was no longer my tree. My ancestors were all listed to this other person. My parent’s and sisters names had been deleted and my husband’s name and all his ancestors gone goodness knows where. It took me all afternoon to replace my parents and family and then realised that all Dad’s ancestors had gone too. I have bronchitis at the moment and this has certainly sent my temperature up. What do I do now? Regards Pat. ------------------------------------- The only List that specifically covers the whole of the Black Country. 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