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Ancestry member trees provide a valuable platform to share genealogical data. However, not everything in an online tree is accurate, and you shouldn’t accept information without validation. What do you do when individuals post inaccurate information in online trees?
Double-Check the Accuracy - Before Adding It to Your Ancestry Family Tree
You will soon find that people have connected themselves to Thor and Priam of Troy on Ancestry and other websites.
Did you catch that?
FICTIONAL CHARACTERS!
If egregious errors can appear, you can bet more minor errors lurk on member trees. I’ve found my own errors. Folks have questioned some of my theories until they share new information with me. Every experienced genealogist has made mistakes. You might have one or two.
In the video, I share an example that keeps popping up on my line for the potential father of Charles Gordon, who was born in Pennsylvania and died in Ohio.
So, always double-check information before you add anything new to your family tree.
Check Your Research. You Could Be Wrong.
Every genealogist makes mistakes. These include transcription errors and deliberate falsification. Some researchers draw conclusions based on the best available information at the time.
Before your blood pressure rises when you encounter “junk,” be sure you know your facts and have based your conclusions on a reasonably exhaustive search of quality records.
Is it possible to fix the family trees of others on Ancestry?
The problem with users who have their trees on Ancestry and other platforms is each person has ‘THEIR TREE.’
Few individuals like to admit they made a mistake. Many insist they are right and everyone else is wrong. They don’t want your input. They can do whatever they want.
However, some folks, like myself, will happily reevaluate my research when someone shares quality information. Hopefully, you’ll encounter someone open to working together. They may have new information for you to consider. Perhaps you’ll have further details for them. In either case, hopefully, you’ll resolve your conflict and adjust your trees.
Which will you encounter? You’ll never know unless you contact them.
Listen to my thoughts about junk in Ancestry Family Trees.
Steps to Attempting to Correct Bad Information on Ancestry
Reach Out - Reach out to any person with an error in their tree. Share your reasons for their inaccuracy and request their feedback.
Write Up - If you encounter a stubborn individual, let them be (while gritting your teeth). In the meantime, be proactive and write up what you believe to be accurate. Reference your source material and refute the inaccurate information.
Share - Create a document, such as a PDF, and attach it to your Ancestry.com profile in the Media Gallery. Don’t just stop there. Create additional content away from the Ancestry platform, such as a blog, a genealogy society newsletter, or a published family history. Push for more accurate information throughout the likely spaces researchers will encounter. Make sure your research is available.
Be Patient or Move On - Sadly, Ancestry.com member trees are hard to correct if someone is inflexible. You have to ignore folks who stubbornly believe they descend from Thor and Odin, or in my case, think a man was born in Pennsylvania to individuals from North Carolina who don’t appear to have ever left that state.
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Be Prepared for Compounded Errors Due to AncestryDNA ThruLines
Ancestry.com has rolled out ThruLines, which draws suggested relationships from public and private searchable trees for better or worse. Your red flag radar may likely scream, “Wait! This will only compound the errors caused by inaccurate trees!”
The ThruLines may help Ancestry users find new paths to previously unknown genetic cousins. Conversely, ThruLines may escalate the problem of inaccurate facts on member trees. It’s too soon to tell.
Therefore, be cautious about the ThruLines. You might have to ignore the suggestions.
Those are my tips, but I want to hear from you. What do you do?
