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OneGreatFamily
Update - July 22,
2004 |
Last
Week at OneGreatFamily . . .
Site
Activity Summary
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68,327 new individual merges!
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25,745 new individual hints!
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23,991 new family merges!
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6,956 new family hints!
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73 average individual merges per group
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23 average individual hints per group
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21 average family merges per group
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3 average family hints per group
If you didn't receive a
GenMail telling you about new merges in your family tree, your tree
wasn't affected by this activity. You may want to add new
individuals or information to your family tree to improve the
likelihood of matches and merges taking place.
Having
Success?
OneGreatFamily
wants to hear from you. Please send us your success stories and your
recommendations for new features.
Submit your story
Send us your wish
list
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New
at OneGreatFamily: A Change in Group Management and Logging
in |
Learn
how to join, create, or invite others to your
group
OneGreatFamily
has just made it easier to get started! You no longer need to create
a group before using the Genealogy Browser. Additionally, if you are
a member of only one group, you can now launch the Genealogy Browser
without selecting your group.
Even though you can now launch
the Genealogy Browser without going through the process of creating
a group, you can still invite others to view OneGreatFamily from
your perspective. Every user of OneGreatFamily needs to be part of
at least one group to be able to organize and control the data they
input and manipulate. The process of creating a group is now done
for you automatically, so you can invite others to view and work on
your family tree at any time.
Your user account is unique to
you, identifies you and allows you to login to OneGreatFamily.
However, when viewing and editing data, you may want to share your
view of the data with multiple people, such as family members or
potential relatives (possibly to verify relationships). You may also
want to allow them to make changes and updates to that data.
Inviting others to the same group allows multiple users to see
OneGreatFamily from the same perspective and work with the same view
of data. The changes that group members make become instantly
visible to all of the other members of the
group.
OneGreatFamily still gives you the option to join
another group, invite people to your group, or create a new group;
however, we have made groups less prominent to reduce confusion and
improve your experience with OneGreatFamily.
How do I invite others to see my family
tree?
To invite others to your group, you must first
login to OneGreatFamily. Once logged in, you will be taken to the
Group Chooser screen. At the bottom you'll find a link to "Invite
Others." This link will take you to the Invite Others - Group page.
Once on the Invite Others - Group page, you will select the group to
which you'd like to invite others. Make sure your name and email are
correct, and then enter the names and emails of those you'd like to
invite to join your group. We already have a pre-made invitation you
can use, or you can personalize it. Remember that in order for
someone to join your group they must also be a member of
OneGreatFamily. If they are not a member, they can signup from the
OneGreatFamily home page.
How do you join a group?
In
order to join a group, you must first receive an invitation from
someone belonging to the group. The invitation will include the
group name and password. Once you have the group name and password,
login to OneGreatFamily. From the Group Chooser page, simply click
on the "Join Group" link under the Manage Groups menu. You can then
type in the group name and password that were included in your
invitation. Then click the "next" button to join the
group.
If you join or are a member of multiple groups, you
will be given the opportunity to launch the Genealogy Browser as a
member of any of the groups you have joined each time you log
in.
If you are the administrator of a group, you may change
the password and/or remove members from the group. If you are not
the administrator, you may only remove yourself from the
group.
How do you create a
group?
If you ever have a need to create a new group,
that can still be done; however, creating a new group is only
helpful if you have more than one version of your family tree that
have not merged. Managing multiple groups containing the same
individuals is not recommended. From the Group Chooser page, Simply
click on the link to "Join Group" under the Manage Groups menu. You
can then type in the name and password for the new group you wish to
create and click the "next" button. You will then be prompted to
confirm that you wish to create a new group by entering your
password again. Try to provide a meaningful name for any new group
you create, so others will know what the group is about when they
receive an invitation to view your family tree.
You no longer
need to physically create a group to use OneGreatFamily! Login and
launch the genealogy browser today to see the progress made on your
family tree!
 Visit our Frequently Asked
Questions for more information on
groups
Go to our home page
to start searching for your ancestors
Subscribe to
OneGreatFamily to gain unlimited access to this
remarkable service |
|
Q&A:
Avoiding Genealogy Fraud |
How
can I identify and avoid fraud while doing genealogy
online?
You
should be aware of at least three forms of fraud while you research
your family tree online. This article will help you avoid falling
prey to phony websites, malicious scams, and fraudulent genealogical
information.
Phony
Websites
Greed has motivated some people to
"capitalize" on the desire of genealogists who possess the drive and
passion to find their ancestors. Just last year genealogy and
technology expert Dick Eastman helped expose Elias Abodeely of
Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, as one such scam
artist. Through a number of "genealogy websites," most notably
GenSeekers, Abodeely allegedly bilked genealogists by getting them
to subscribe to a site that simply linked to other websites. Read Eastman's Online
Genealogy Newsletter to learn more about this
case of fraud.
Beware of websites that charge fees to access
links or pieces of information that are freely available elsewhere
on the Internet. These sites often make people pay twice to access
the record they are looking for. A fooled consumer may pay the
fraudulent website and then pay separate subscription fees to the
legitimate websites that provide the real value.
The best
way to avoid such frauds is to make sure you know what you are
paying for and can try the website before you are billed for the
service. Another way to protect yourself is to ask fellow
researchers if they have used the site and what their experience has
been. You may also want to look for a means of contacting the site's
owner or administrator. Fraudulent websites seldom provide any means
of contact.
The rise of fraudulent websites is one reason
OneGreatFamily allows new guests to take advantage of a 7-day free
trial. Registered guests who have taken time to become familiar with
OneGreatFamily understand what they are paying for when they decide
to subscribe to the service.
Malicious Scams
While
phony websites are one form of genealogy scam, some scams are even
more malicious. Ebay and other online services have recently warned
customers against submitting personal information, such as account
logins, billing information, and social security numbers, though
email forms. Some crooks can get people to provide all the
information they need for financial gain through an official-looking
email message.
Always make sure you are on a company's
official website before making a transaction or providing login
information. Never provide information, such as billing information
or a social security number, without a clear understanding of why
the information is required and how the information will be used.
Also, take the time to read and understand the terms and conditions
of any offer you receive.
Other malicious scams are designed
to get access to your bank account. The perpetrator of such a scam
will often say they have money they want to deposit into your
account. The reason for the deposit may be an inheritance check or a
transfer from a foreign account where the person claims to be in
distress or a "political prisoner." They will ask for your bank
account information to make their deposits; however, instead of
depositing funds, they empty the account.
Fraudulent Genealogy
Information
The first two forms of fraud are
malicious and motivated by greed. The perpetuation of fraudulent
genealogy information, on the other hand, is typically more benign.
The root of this fraud, however, typically stems from the same
greed.
Much of the false genealogical information that has
been published is also the result of greed. Several incidents of
this sort of fraud have been documented as being done by hired
researchers who wanted to embellish the research they were
providing. Other false information has been perpetuated by
researchers who have tried to "prove" relationships with little
supporting evidence. In many cases, when a well-meaning researcher
is given a choice between two possible alternatives, the more
convenient or glamorous alternative is chosen without first looking
for more evidence.
Several of these genealogies were
"created" by Gustave Anjou, who repeatedly ensured his
clients had genealogies that included several high-profile
ancestors.
Unfortunately, much of this "research" has found
its way into the databases of sincere researchers who were happy to
quickly claim these high-profile (albeit false) ancestors as their
own.
This information has also made its way online. In most
cases, this information has been shared and promulgated unknowingly.
The only way to identify and correct the result of this fraud is by
carefully examining and documenting each piece of
evidence.
Even in cases where sources are given, you may need
to consult with the original source to verify that information is
correct.
OneGreatFamily can help. OneGreatFamily lets you see
alternatives for information in your family tree and collaborate
with people who can help identify false information that may have
crept into your tree. You can also share your discoveries and
documentation with others to correct false information they may have
unwittingly accepted from another source.
Subscribe to
OneGreatFamily, a trusted genealogy service
Visit OneGreatFamily
and verify information in your family tree
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Success
at OneGreatFamily |
|
The
following story shows how OneGreatFamily can provide new clues and
possible ancestors for subscribers:
"I
submitted my family tree nearly three years ago to OneGreatFamily. I
had about 1,300 in my file at that point. I just logged into
OneGreatFamily last week and saw that I now have 41,350 in my family
tree. My family tree now has 224 generations, and I have received
several collaboration requests from cousins.
I have learned
how to see my entire family tree at once by changing my user
preferences. Although it takes some time to pull up the entire
family tree, it sure is fun to see everything as one big family
tree. I haven't had much time to verify everything in
OneGreatFamily, but I'm grateful for the overwhelming amount of
information. Even if I'm only able to verify 10% of the information,
you have saved me hundreds of hours of
research.
OneGreatFamily has also helped me identify how I am
related to several famous individuals. I don't think I would have
been able to track these relationships if OneGreatFamily hadn't
helped tie all of this information together.
I was so excited
to see OneGreatFamily work that I've shared my experience with
several people who are sure to become members as well."
Submit your success
story
Visit OneGreatFamily
and expand your family tree today!
Subscribe to
OneGreatFamily to have a success story of your
own |
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One
Great Genealogy Site Award |
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Get
FREE Time on
OneGreatFamily.com |
Want
some FREE time?
Current
subscribers can earn additional free time by referring others to
OneGreatFamily.com. OneGreatFamily needs your help in growing the
largest single family tree in the world. You can get free
subscription time on OneGreatFamily by referring others to this
unique service. When anyone you refer to OneGreatFamily subscribes
to our service and enters your username, you get an additional free
month.
Learn more about this FREE
opportunity
Refer a new
subscriber to OneGreatFamily
today. |
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