Bob Spiers
LostCousins Superstar
As anyone who has been following the ‘Ethnicity’ debate in the Forum knows, the discussion led to Public versus Private Ancestry Trees. Some thought it time for a new debate (it has been aired in the Forum before of course) and suggested I should set out my own stall and invite others to comment or set out their own arguments for and against. So, here goes.
I began researching in the late 1990’s saving my data on a delightful FH program called Family Tree Legends (FTL). I used Genes for my research but as the FH bug took hold I looked around and discovered Ancestry, but at the time could ill afford the subscription so concentrated on the ‘freebies’. Eventually I bit the bullet and subscribed. At that time, I never gave any thought to ‘Public’ versus ‘Private’ - it was just an Ancestry Tree which by default was Public.
I began to use Ancestry in earnest (I was too busy working and far enough away in Kent from my Warwickshire ancestry base for ‘hands-on’ parochial research). What I enjoyed most was the ability to explore other Trees (Hints had yet to arrive) and in contacting fellow researchers. In no time at all I had a circle of contacts most of whom shared my own research in one way or another.
Then I came across Trees which were different. They required me to obtain permission to view and remained closed to me unless I did so. Ancestry advised to “ask nicely”, so I sent off ‘pretty pleases’ .. and guess what? Very few replied. Those that did of course joined the “circle” and I was able to pass them on to others with interests closer than my own. I could count on the fingers of one hand those from the Private fraternity, whilst my Public Tree contacts were in the dozens, and my messages backwards and forwards in the hundreds.
Without realising it I had become used to Public Tree ‘laissez- faire’ approach and disliked from the start the ‘ring the bell and take a seat’ regimentation that went hand in hand with contacting someone with a Private Tree. Luckily for me Private Trees -on my research round – were few and far between.
After joining the Forum, I came across the original Public versus Private Tree argument and Peter’s advice -more a three-line-whip - to always keep Ancestry Tree’s private. It had never been a concern for me having had an Ancestry subscription for many years, but here was new advice which (by my own analogy) was … ‘keep your cards to the chest’ and ‘Big brother might be watching’. I gave it much thought but was not convinced, then or since; here are further reasons.
Ancestry excels because of its rasion d’etre (free flowing) approach. Public Trees are open and to a greater extent honest (in so far as the Tree -and therefore its owner - merits that label) but it is not difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff, and the more experienced one gets, the easier it becomes.
One can communicate to tell someone where you think they have gone wrong and I have been both thanked and rebuffed in doing so. In fact, hand on heart, I have received my own ...”I think you have gone wrong” messages and when in agreement, been thankful, and where not have explained why I disagree. This is the Ancestry I know and love (warts and all so to speak).
It would be far less enjoyable if my Tree became private. Leaving aside there are far more Public Tree owners than Private I can certainly attest to the fact that it is the norm to receive a reply from a Public Tree owner -after all they can see your Tree, and you theirs - whilst, sadly, the norm from a Private Tree owner (even though they can view your Tree) is the exact opposite; however ‘pretty please’ the communication.
It is almost as if one is asking those in the ‘Big House’ to answer the door to a neighbour from the nearby council estate. Nowadays, from experienced gained, I seldom bother to make Private Tree contact unless my instinct (with what information is available) tells me it might be ‘pukka’ - but do not hold my breath awaiting a reply. A sad state of affairs and so, so different from Public versus Public contacts.
As for Public versus Private from an Ancestry DNA point of view I think this is, if anything, a 'no brainer' for making ones Tree Public. I can find out what I need to know with a few mouse clicks and if necessary make contact and at least expect a reply as each can check out the other. (I have had one or two no shows, but rare). Whereas communicating with Private Tree owners – like its conventional counterpart – all too often finds no one at home and a complete waste of time.
I think that will do for now even though I have only skimmed the surface, but it makes the case, for having a Public Tree and I leave others to counter or expand on my arguments.
I began researching in the late 1990’s saving my data on a delightful FH program called Family Tree Legends (FTL). I used Genes for my research but as the FH bug took hold I looked around and discovered Ancestry, but at the time could ill afford the subscription so concentrated on the ‘freebies’. Eventually I bit the bullet and subscribed. At that time, I never gave any thought to ‘Public’ versus ‘Private’ - it was just an Ancestry Tree which by default was Public.
I began to use Ancestry in earnest (I was too busy working and far enough away in Kent from my Warwickshire ancestry base for ‘hands-on’ parochial research). What I enjoyed most was the ability to explore other Trees (Hints had yet to arrive) and in contacting fellow researchers. In no time at all I had a circle of contacts most of whom shared my own research in one way or another.
Then I came across Trees which were different. They required me to obtain permission to view and remained closed to me unless I did so. Ancestry advised to “ask nicely”, so I sent off ‘pretty pleases’ .. and guess what? Very few replied. Those that did of course joined the “circle” and I was able to pass them on to others with interests closer than my own. I could count on the fingers of one hand those from the Private fraternity, whilst my Public Tree contacts were in the dozens, and my messages backwards and forwards in the hundreds.
Without realising it I had become used to Public Tree ‘laissez- faire’ approach and disliked from the start the ‘ring the bell and take a seat’ regimentation that went hand in hand with contacting someone with a Private Tree. Luckily for me Private Trees -on my research round – were few and far between.
After joining the Forum, I came across the original Public versus Private Tree argument and Peter’s advice -more a three-line-whip - to always keep Ancestry Tree’s private. It had never been a concern for me having had an Ancestry subscription for many years, but here was new advice which (by my own analogy) was … ‘keep your cards to the chest’ and ‘Big brother might be watching’. I gave it much thought but was not convinced, then or since; here are further reasons.
Ancestry excels because of its rasion d’etre (free flowing) approach. Public Trees are open and to a greater extent honest (in so far as the Tree -and therefore its owner - merits that label) but it is not difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff, and the more experienced one gets, the easier it becomes.
One can communicate to tell someone where you think they have gone wrong and I have been both thanked and rebuffed in doing so. In fact, hand on heart, I have received my own ...”I think you have gone wrong” messages and when in agreement, been thankful, and where not have explained why I disagree. This is the Ancestry I know and love (warts and all so to speak).
It would be far less enjoyable if my Tree became private. Leaving aside there are far more Public Tree owners than Private I can certainly attest to the fact that it is the norm to receive a reply from a Public Tree owner -after all they can see your Tree, and you theirs - whilst, sadly, the norm from a Private Tree owner (even though they can view your Tree) is the exact opposite; however ‘pretty please’ the communication.
It is almost as if one is asking those in the ‘Big House’ to answer the door to a neighbour from the nearby council estate. Nowadays, from experienced gained, I seldom bother to make Private Tree contact unless my instinct (with what information is available) tells me it might be ‘pukka’ - but do not hold my breath awaiting a reply. A sad state of affairs and so, so different from Public versus Public contacts.
As for Public versus Private from an Ancestry DNA point of view I think this is, if anything, a 'no brainer' for making ones Tree Public. I can find out what I need to know with a few mouse clicks and if necessary make contact and at least expect a reply as each can check out the other. (I have had one or two no shows, but rare). Whereas communicating with Private Tree owners – like its conventional counterpart – all too often finds no one at home and a complete waste of time.
I think that will do for now even though I have only skimmed the surface, but it makes the case, for having a Public Tree and I leave others to counter or expand on my arguments.
-pure stowaways!. I just hope they enjoyed their ethnicity results.
