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Total stranger merged my tree, tons of people are now missing

Amanda Grabler (Ackley)

January 30, 2013 04:52

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Hello,

To my excitement, I was able to trace one of my family lines back to the 1300s. I've been slowly but steadily (over weeks and weeks) adding these ancestors to my tree. It took me ages -- I actually had occupations, hair color, and so forth for some -- even way, way back. I had books and tons of websites for my research. Hundreds of hours were spent doing this. I was SO excited. When I got everyone in place, I was going to export it all and see about making a huge poster (even if we had to tape sheets together).

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email that a total stranger had merged some of my older ancestors on my tree. I'd seen newer generation tree merging and nothing bad had happened, so I didn't think anything of it. I got online just long enough to send him an email and ask where he was in the line, but that was it. I finally had time today to get back on the site for more than a minute, and went to show my HUGE family tree to a friend, so she could get an idea of what she could do with that site. Only to discover it wasn't so huge any more. 

I'm missing countless generations. EVERY single person he merged is COMPLETELY gone. The spot I started adding my relatives (much closer in my line than his!), now just say "Add Mother", "Add Father". I'm so frustrated, I don't know whether to scream or cry. Probably both. I really wanted to add the whole line back, but is it even worth it if someone else is going to get to just come along and make off with all my hard work for their tree?

 

The only way I can see them is if I look at my recent activity and see the profiles I've added, but then if I view them, it's their* tree, not mine. However, even though I can view the trees of all my missing relatives and ancestors, they're showing up as non-editable. And they're definitely no longer attached to MY tree. (Edited for clarification: *Their being the ancestor I'm looking at, not the total stranger who usurped my family tree.)

Please tell me there is a way to fix this. This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to finish my tree?

 

Thank you,

Amanda Grabler

 

(PS I don't know if it makes a difference, but just in case: I do not have a paid account and I cannot afford one.)

12 comments

• 0
  
  Bjørn P. Brox January 30, 2013 07:28

  You would have received an email about every profile of yours if someone delete it, with an option to restore it..

• 0
  
  Amanda Grabler (Ackley) January 30, 2013 07:38

  TO: Bjørn P. Brox

   

  The only email I received was a Family Newsletter update from Geni telling me that this person had merged all these profiles (and subsequently that someone else had edited some of them in the same email). Nothing else.

   

  Amanda

• 0
  
  Jeff, Geni Curator January 30, 2013 15:49

  We'll just need to reconnect your tree to those profiles and I'll review the activity of the other user to see what went on there.   Usually when something like this occurs (disconnecting parents), it is because the person believes the relationship to be inaccurate or false.  In some cases we even have to put curator notes saying "so and so are not the parents of xx, their parents are unknown...".   If this is the case, then it will require some discussion.  We can reconnect it and you can discuss why it was disconnected on the profile.  I'll send you a private message on Geni and we can get it restored. 

• 0
  
  Sharyn Shaz Proctor (Duthy) September 13, 2013 09:33

  I have been reduced from 100,000 to 5,000 twice now. I am wondering how this occurs? I am about to ask for a refund, I have been harassed with messages, and had to block someone, and, this occurred when I thought I had been harsh, and unblocked them again. I have screne shots of the activity, and, wonder who monitors the peaceful use and ethics on this site.

• 0
  
  Bjørn P. Brox September 13, 2013 09:42

  The numbers 100,000 and 5,000 are the Pro and Basic user limits, - when you as a Pro only see 5000 it is usually because we have a "counting in progress" - the system first counts to 5000, store the values and the continues for Pro users.

  Check again in a day or two to see of the numbers have changed.

  Just be aware of the fact that when trying to view or search within the lists you or performance reasons only get the first 5000 in the database.

• 0
  
  Sharyn Shaz Proctor (Duthy) September 13, 2013 09:49

  Thank You very much Bjørn P. Brox, I asked others but, you are the first to explain this to me.  I will be less paranoid now ;) Shaz

• 0
  
  Dorothy Jane Smid November 29, 2014 02:38

  It sounds like tree stealing runs a muck on Geni... You people that run this site shouldn't allow others to steal others hard work. I am a prop member and am not happy at all with your software. What am I paying for.... I do all the research and add members and all the details only to find out all my hard work is now go and on someone else's tree!? What give here? How can you  charge people money to become a pro member only to have all the hard work I did building my tree up to the year 975 and let some steal it from me? I WANT MY MONEY BACK.

• 0
  
  Fran Deschamps-LaChanc December 01, 2014 15:37

  You can put your trees on Rootsweb and be in complete control as to whether anyone can touch it.  http://freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/fileman/file_manager.cgi  I do not like a site where I have to pay to put all my work on it and they make the profit.  Also, too many ways for people to add incorrect, inaccurate data as I'm finding in my own lines here. 

• 0
  
  Jeff, Geni Curator December 01, 2014 22:31

  Geni is a collaborative tree where you work toward connecting your tree into the larger world tree, working together on common ancestors and uploading sources.  There is little "my tree" on Geni unless you're working in your private family group, which is a branch of a larger tree.  It's a different model and you should be aware of what it is when you join.  If you want an isolated private tree where no one collaborates, then I suggest MyHeritage - it's a great platform.  If someone is deleting profiles incorrectly, then please report them to the curators.  I'm not sure what Dorothy meant by "stealing", but you're welcome to bring it up to the curators.  http://www.geni.com/discussions/142108

• 0
  
  Rosalind Waite Alley January 18, 2015 17:14

  My tree is only showing the people I have added with no email saying anything. No links to my exstended family, yes it is all right with me that others are working on this as one big project.

  Please reconnect my tree to those profiles…. Somehow! Thx.

• 0
  
  Rosalind Waite Alley January 18, 2015 17:14

  My tree is only showing the people I have added with no email saying anything. No links to my exstended family, yes it is all right with me that others are working on this as one big project.

  Please reconnect my tree to those profiles…. Somehow! Thx.

• 0
  
  Sharyn Shaz Proctor (Duthy) January 18, 2015 21:33

  If a "connection" is thought by all managers to be incorrect, there is usually a discussion on the profile, and most should agree before severing the relationship. If you are a manager, you will be alerted to these discussions and given a chance to "prove" that the relationship is correct. A good example is Ada of  Huntington and that area of the tree, much discussion and intense genealogical research has been done there to correctly represent the lines. It would only take one such proven mistake to sever what is thought to be your ancestors. It has happened to me a few times, I went through the paranoia of thinking I was being punished by other users. Geni users are NOT like that, and most are happy to help and extend anyone's lines.