>From the replies I've gotten on & off-List, it seems quite a few of us have had similar problems with other researchers! Oh my. I found it very helpful to write out my "points" from both sides. It helped me to put into words why the info does not "fit". I still need to write that email reply, though. :-< As an aside, I found 3 trees on Ancestry with "my" ancestors. One tree has an ancestor born in Indiana just because the city name was the same! He was born in Maryland or PA - not Indiana! Geez! Sigh. Someone asked if an Ancestry Tree was "proof" or a "source". Yes right, it is NOT a primary source. Without documents, it is nothing more than a very low-weight (not even secondary) source like "a family lore passed down". Judy On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 1:38 AM, J.A. Florian <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm turning to the List with a problem I'm not sure how to handle. I'd > appreciate your comments (or even a draft of a letter I could send ;-) > <snipped> >

Judy and others, I just thought I'd throw my two cents in also! I have connected to "distant cousins" via Ancestry and Rootsweb.  I've met so many wonderful "cousins" that way!  But, every so often there's one that totally makes me crazy!!   For example, I had an encounter where a "want to be so-called cousin" had erroneous information posted and I tried to tell her.  She refused to listen to me and wouldn't even answer my emails!  She actually took part of my family's tree (posted by another cousin), changed information on it to suit her needs, and then connected it to her tree.  The problem is the two trees don't even go together -- we're not even related!!!!!!  She's thoroughly convinced that she knows more than me!  I have documentation to support my information and I've offered to share it with her to prove my point.  But, she refuses!    What's sad is that her tree is public on Ancestry.  Others are picking up her information like it's gospel and perpetuating the problem.    Then, I have another "distant cousin" who decided to just make up information in her tree!  I guess she wanted to take the quick and easy route to genealogy!  Unfortunately, her tree is also my family!  It's posted on Rootsweb and it's marked that the owner is private!  Again, it's available for all to copy and perpetuate even more incorrect information!   I used to be so eager when new researchers contacted me!  Not any more.  Now, I'm reserved and skeptical.  I take my research seriously and I'd like to assume everyone else did also, but that's just not the case.      Carole Clarke

I agree with what everyone is saying, however, I try to keep in mind that I cant change the world and I can only be responsable for my own tree. I have debated numerous times whether to remove my tree from public view on ancestry.com. Especially when I see that someone has lifted, in tota,l a research article I have written without crediting me or worse taking credit themselves. Or I find headstone photos I have submitted on Findagrave posted in someones tree on ancestry without credit or permssion. But I have to think back on the people who have helped me throughout the years who I would not have met if their trees were not public and so I keep mine on and bite my tongue. There are bad apples in any endeavor and I dont let them deter me from my goal which is assembling a quality tree with documented sources.  I have myself misallocated family members in the past and have corrected my own tree and assume that there is always a margin of error for any researcher. I experienced the importance of specific and thourough research when I had to assemble documentation to prove a newly admitted patriot for DAR some years back and a lot of trial and error was involved before all the correct documents were assembled. I have one of those trees where I get a lot of request for further info from beginners. If they start in on how they descend from Nial or Cleopatra or an Indian Princess then I usually dont reply! This is a great list with lots of terrific researchers so I encourage everyone to keep on keeping on ! Randi Bowles-Meentzen     --- On Sun, 11/28/10, Carole Clarke <[email protected]> wrote: From: Carole Clarke <[email protected]> Subject: [PAWASHIN] Placing ornaments (ancestors) on the wrong tree?? To: "J.A. Florian" <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected] Date: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 2:57 PM Judy and others, I just thought I'd throw my two cents in also! I have connected to "distant cousins" via Ancestry and Rootsweb.  I've met so many wonderful "cousins" that way!  But, every so often there's one that totally makes me crazy!!   For example, I had an encounter where a "want to be so-called cousin" had erroneous information posted and I tried to tell her.  She refused to listen to me and wouldn't even answer my emails!  She actually took part of my family's tree (posted by another cousin), changed information on it to suit her needs, and then connected it to her tree.  The problem is the two trees don't even go together -- we're not even related!!!!!!  She's thoroughly convinced that she knows more than me!  I have documentation to support my information and I've offered to share it with her to prove my point.  But, she refuses!    What's sad is that her tree is public on Ancestry.  Others are picking up her information like it's gospel and perpetuating the problem.    Then, I have another "distant cousin" who decided to just make up information in her tree!  I guess she wanted to take the quick and easy route to genealogy!  Unfortunately, her tree is also my family!  It's posted on Rootsweb and it's marked that the owner is private!  Again, it's available for all to copy and perpetuate even more incorrect information!   I used to be so eager when new researchers contacted me!  Not any more.  Now, I'm reserved and skeptical.  I take my research seriously and I'd like to assume everyone else did also, but that's just not the case.      Carole Clarke       **** Please visit http://www.chartiers.com/pages-new/pawashin.html for list information, particularly the bottom of the page. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message