There is a raging debate on whether private or public trees are better. You would think that it wouldn't matter either way but there are some pretty heated arguments on both sides. I follow James Tanner's, Genealogy's Star and Kerry Scott's Clue Wagon, both of which have touched on the same topic.
Usually I'm a good sport but when those of us with public trees are portrayed as the unwashed masses, I take offense. While I won't respond on other blogs or leave a comment that is less than polite, this is my blog where I get to say what I want.
I have public trees so others who are looking for the same information can find me. That is how we found 7 of my husband's missing siblings. If I had done a private tree, we would not have connected. That's a pretty big deal and a whole story by itself.
I don't say my trees are correct. The Rhea/McCollum is pretty clean but once in a while I am surprised. Not because it's wrong but because new information surfaces that makes me rethink my research. That recently happened on my Yeakley/Jones tree. A book written long ago and used as a source by many has been discredited. I contacted the Historical Society in Cocalico, Pennsylvania who confirmed the sources in the original document were not verified. Back to square one.
So here is my response to those who think I am poluting Ancestry.com and the other programs out there with my public trees. Clarification here: not everyone feels this way and I acknowledge those who don't share for personal reasons.
1. I don't care if you think my tree is incorrect. This is my journey for the truth. If you are looking at my tree and find an error, I am more than willing to correct it if you can provide the source. If you have information but don't want to share it, don't write to me.
2. I share. Letters, pictures, notes and stories are all out there for anyone who wants them. If someone copies them, so much the better.
3. My trees are a work in process. I add a person on Ancestry.com and view all the trees on member connect. I read each one and note the differences. I check for sources. If there are no sources, I might add it anyway. Here is where we differ. My research is public. If I find I'm wrong, my tree changes. I am not ashamed to say I have it wrong and I am really happy when I find I have it right.
I just found a missing great grandfather. Is the info correct? I don't know. More research will need to be done but it's out there on my tree until I decide yes or no. You shouldn't be concerned about how I do my research or what my tree shows. After all, it is my tree, warts and all. When they come up with a program (with public trees) where I can identify information as preliminary and leave it there until it is verified, then I will be quite happy. Right now, it doesn't work that way.
4. Family history is not alway about genealogy. I did my husband's tree before we found his biological parents. I didn't delete his adoptive parents, aunts or uncles. They are his history. I added his biological last name and started research on that side of the family. His tree looks wrong but from his standpoint, it's exactly right.
The debate is stupid. We're after the same thing. I wanted to understand what made my great grandmother tick. While doing the research, I was blessed to find cousins who were looking for the same thing. Together, we reconstructed her life and in doing so, found her soul. Isn't that why we're all working so hard?
Rant over, now back to our regular scheduled program of my fascinating ancestors and family friends.
This is great. I can respect some people's need for privacy (maybe not airing out dirty family laundry or secrets), but you make a compelling case for sharing. Maui Jungalow
ReplyDeleteYou are totally right, everyone should decide if they put their tree as public or not. You have your reasons for doing so and I have mine for not doing.
ReplyDeleteI actually would love to see something like "prelim data" or "not evaluated yet". I guess that would change my perspective on publishing my tree again.
And I don't care if others take my data or not. What I have a problem with is when they take my data, mess it up with others (putting Pictures to wrong people, marrying the wrong Johann with the wrong Dorothea (two very common names on my tree) etc.) and come back to me (without realizing, I was the first source) to claim that MY tree is wrong. Happened more than once, twice and three times. I have a source for every single event on my tree. That's why I set my trees to private. You can see it is there, you even get the hint, but you have to come to me and ask. and only when we sorted out that it is really the same person, I share docs and pictures et al.
Different approach.. same journey ;)
I have yet to have someone tell me my tree is wrong for something I originally added. I think it would make me crazy. I also see where you share people on your blog which I read religiously, not always commenting. And I would also love to have a place to identify "prelim data" as well. I have to keep notes on what is still not verified.
DeleteThank-you Thank-you for this Family Tree Post. I've been on ancestry.com for several years as a Public Family Tree and have been ever so grateful and thankful to those who SHARE. I do my best to research and confirm the data that I put on MY TREE and if it helps others then all the better. I always note if data/information is unconfirmed or hearsay...that way people can take it or leave it. Great post for the Letter F and for those of us who study genealogy and our family history...which by the way, we know is not always portrayed truthfully.
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
Really? It's not all completely true? Good point and one that those of us who do public trees have discovered, me, the hard way.
DeleteGood rant. Obvioulsy I don't know the whole debate, but on the surface, I think - why wouldn't public trees benefit all who are searching as long as, like you say, you're willing to correct when necessary. I agree, too, that your own personal trees shouldn't be solely about biologics - especially in these days of sperm banks and Moms who birth other women's babies! But even historically families came in all makes and models, and what makes a family tree is about more than sperm and eggs.
ReplyDeleteThe debate centers around those who think that we nilly-willy copy bad information to our public trees and continue the mis-information. Both sides have valid points but as I said, I will admit to being a bad sport.
DeleteFollowing by email doesn't work for me (an unresolved problem with WordPress) and I don't use your other follow options, but I've put your web address manually into my WordPress "follows" - they sometimes work with BlogSpot addresses and sometimes not, but at least now I can click on your address and find you! The WP/BlogSpot incompatiblilities are frustrating because so many talented bloggers on both sites.
ReplyDeleteAnyway - have you met Gail Parks - she is a warm, engaging blogger who is also posting about her family genealogy research. (Her F today is excellent.) I think you two would enjoy each other. I will give her your contact info, and here is where you can reach her. Her Blog name is Making Life an Art and the blog address is http://seezooeyrun.wordpress.com Let me know if that link doesn't work.
I just discovered her posts and you're right, they are excellent. I also enjoy your blog as well.
DeleteLOVED this post. I know virtually nothing about my mom's extended family, even though the novel I'm currently writing was inspired by my maternal grandmother's arrival in the U.S. at 18. You've inspired me to start a new Genealogy page on my blog. Maybe I'll be able to connect with some long-lost family members, too! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI found so much information about my family through an online contact. Glad you're putting your information out there for others to see.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is good, Ann! Family never fits into a neat little box, and there's always new information to change things up. The story has to unfold, and what better place to let it than on your family history blog. You work so hard on your research. I'm glad you're enjoying the journey and discovering so much. I'm really glad you found a way to connect with your great grandma. Your work is so inspiring and I enjoy reading it every time I visit!
ReplyDeleteMJ, A to Z Challenge Co-Host
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I had my tree as private for a while but since I was delighted to share information, I couldn't eventually the point and have changed it to public. I have turned off hints to other member family trees, so the only ancestry.com hints I see are for records. I never copy from other trees but I do use the member connect to look at other trees and see what they have done and what sources they have. I like it if they have sources but I realise they may have their sources off-line. My tree like yours is a work in progress, I am pleased if people tell me of mistakes or to add information or just connect.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Anne (fellow AtoZ blogger)
http://ayfamilyhistory.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/f-is-for-fromelles.html
Ann,
ReplyDeleteGreat Rant !! Just love the conversation.
I have had my tree private. Mostly because it's a "work in progress" like yours. My tree is pretty well documented, but the formatting of the Source material isn't the way is SHOULD. Most of my data has citations on them.
But, I ran into a connection to a new "cousin" who had a Public Tree. I have know this cousin for some time, met her in person a couple of times, but on our connection, she had no Documentation.
I heard this person give a talk, several presentations in an all day conference, and she made a comment that has really made me change my mind about Private or Public. She said that she put her tree "out there" to have others help her with her research.
So, what I am doing now, cleaning up my tree, specifically in my Citations, then putting Comments on the Profiles in her tree with information that I have in my tree.
Bottom line here, we are now Collaborating on our common ancestors. I will and have given her links to my source information that she can do what she wishes. I have used the FACTs that she has in her tree and added them to my tree WITH the appropriate citation as to where I got my information from.
Through this collaboration, this past summer, she and I went to the burial ground where our common ancestors were buried, not at the same time, (too bad), but why not help our cousins do research.
Tree's are a way to get that to happen. Pubic or Private, it can work in a positive manner.
Thanks for the blog post.
Russ
Russ, I went out to your Goggle page and will be going back to read some of the posts you have. I realize that I may not be doing the citations correctly and hope to learn from you. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteI don't understand why someone should care whether another person chooses to make her tree public or private. It's that person's decision, not anyone else's. But, then, I suppose, it gets complicated when some family members would rather not have the tree be public or not willing to make corrections because they don't want to believe them, even with references.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blog this morning. By the way, someone left you a tip about how you can easily change your bicycle into a stationary one with a bike trainer stand.
The View from the Top of the Ladder
Thanks for letting me know. I know all about the stand but completely forgot they were out there. Will be checking them out.
DeleteI think you're being unfair on yourself Ann. The posts I'm aware of -- including my own -- criticised certain type of tree where there was no "research" that befits the name, i.e. "name gathering" as I saw someone describe it. The picture you paint about the fruits of your research never being 100% complete, and reserving the right to "change tack" later, is fundamental to genealogy. Unfortunately, the online software doesn't accommodate it -- at least I've never seen an option to mark something as 'tentative' -- and so the name-gatherers do pollute online trees in a way. You're obviously someone who does real research, but if you change your mind on some data (which we've all done somewhere) then anyone that has copied your original will still be showing it.
ReplyDeleteTony, thanks for the comment. Most of us in the unwashed masses start with "name gathering". Ancestry and family search make name gathering exciting. Most of us learn somewhere along the line that there has to be more and we go back and start over, looking for sources to backup our information. If someone copied my tree long ago, there were lots of errors. I can't make them fix it, I can only hope they figure out we need more than just names. I haven't been able to verify our Mayflower connection. There are some people in the middle who refuse to show up in birth and death records. Other's have made the connection without sources but I am at the point where I can't just blindly call the connection correct. We are all learning as we go. Fortunately, there are those, like you, who provide help so we are not blindly trying to find our way.
DeleteI'm not into ancestry reserach, although I have cousins who are and I take an interest in what they find. But as far as research is concerned, I've done quite a lot of that, and your points are perfectly valid in other contexts. Personally I think it's a waste when research into the same topic is not shared - although it can be easy to accept the 'easy' answer if everyone supports it, and hard to swim against the tide when you think, hang on.. but "that" doesn't fit.
ReplyDeleteBut then scientific research is often competitive, which to my mind is out of date - but maybe closed mindsets are returning.
Great post!
Jemima
#TeamDamyanti
Blogging from Alpha to Zulu in April
One of the best feeling is the connection with family. We may not know them but the connection reminds us we belong to something bigger. Hope you do setup a page.
ReplyDeleteI do think public trees get a bad wrap. My public tree is based on what I think based on the sources attached to trees. I look at other people's trees for information and sources, but honest, I rarely confirm the ancestry hints for family trees.
ReplyDeleteI think the option of being able to mark something as preliminary or unverified would be awesome!
I've connected with a few cousins via Ancestry and thought it absolutely wonderful!
Ann, I particularly agree with your point 3. My online tree, www.geniaus,net, is a work in progress as are the assertions I make in my database software. If I waited to 'prove' every fact beyond doubt it would be a very empty tree.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main reasons I put my info out on the web is to connect with cousins and share what I have found. As a result of these connections and the additional info they hve shared my tree has become so much stronger.
Ann, I love this post. I am on the public tree side of the debate for the reasons you state. I respect those who keep their trees private, as others have pointed out, there are a number of reasons for doing this, but for me the public tree is all about connecting with others and so far it has been a great help. As with any resource, public trees are only a starting point, implementing good genealogical practice is up to me.
ReplyDeleteVery clear. Love it and agree 100%.
ReplyDeleteWe all get wiser as we get more experienced in our genealogy researching, e.g., I have a few public trees I put up on various sites some years ago, which have errors galore I now know. But as I'm no longer a member I can't remove the tree(s). Oh well. C'est la vie! We're all doing the best we can, in the moment. Cheers on a great rant (gee - no swearing, even - I'm impressed!). :)
I love this! I agree entirely! In fact, I did my own rant on it some weeks back, lol (http://jahcmft.blogspot.com/2014/02/public-tree-or-private-tree-i-choose.html). I did my rant shortly after being contacted by someone through Ancestry.com who told me I shouldn't have my tree public since my information contradicted hers -- but wouldn't tell me how so I could doublecheck it. Aggravating. Admittedly it's a point the branch includes connections that seem to be indicated but I'm not entirely sure of yet. But my tree's name is in part, "a work in progress" and I have a certain picture I use on people whose information is sort of preliminary. I don't know what else I can do to warn folks to doublecheck my stuff against their own research, but I'm not taking it private. I've gotten some wonderful help (and pictures!) from newly discovered "cousins" both through the Ancestry tree and through my blog - but more through the Ancestry tree. If I took it private I think I'd be cutting off those chances to meet new relatives and get help. Anyway, I just wanted to say that your post is very well written & I love it!
ReplyDelete