Shaking Those Little Leafs What I've Learned Using Ancestry's Family Trees
I recently decided to have my DNA tested at Ancestry. Since you really can’t get anything worthwhile out of it without being able to compare family trees with your match, I decided to go ahead build a tree at Ancestry.
While testing my DNA was the main driver, I was also hoping to get help finding records for some of those ancestors that I haven’t done much research on. By the time you get more than a couple of generations back, there are so many ancestors to research, it’s hard to keep up. A little assistance would be appreciated.
And for some ancestors, this is what has happened. Ancestry’s shaking leafs have shown me records that I don’t have. And helped me learn more about them. For the most part, however, it’s shown me records that I already have or would have easily located by doing a basic search for that ancestor.
It’s also mostly showing me records after I’ve entered information about my ancestor. Dates, places, relatives. The point when you really need help, however, is when you really don’t know that stuff.
For instance, I’ve seen no hints for baptismal records appear for an ancestor until after I’ve entered the parents names. When you don’t know the parents’ names, that’s when you need the most help, right? So, the shaky leaves are good at finding records mostly for what I already know? Where’s the help in that?
The second thing I’ve learned is that it is so easy to be overwhelmed by hints. Some are good matches, but a lot aren’t. German clues are kinda useless when I only have the US plan. And do I really need to go through the ten copies of the same gravestone image that other people have attached to this ancestor? Especially, if the image was originally from this site! (Yeah, that’s happened.)
Perhaps I’d be more enamored with the shaking leafs if I were just beginning. If I were just starting my tree with only knowledge of my parents and grandparents, I think it would be much more useful. Recent census records alone would help to identify prior generations. But my holes are in the early 1800s and 1700s. Records for those periods are 1) less likely to be online and 2) harder to find due to spelling inconsistencies for almost any given surname.
Maybe I should’ve known better. I’ve been at this long enough to know it’s not as easy as the Ancestry commercials make it look.
Wish list
If I could create a wishlist for Ancestry’s hints, I’d really like the ability to specify the types of hints I’d like to see. I can limit my search to only historical records. Why can’t I set preferences for my tree to do the same with hints? After all, it’s performing the same function and I can already filter the hints after the fact. Why can’t I do it before the search is performed?
It would also be kinda cool to be able to limit the hints to family lines, only direct ancestors, etc. I understand the value of researching collateral lines; I do it all the time myself. But do I really want to see hints for my first cousin 4x removed’s husband’s parents? When what I really want to know is who are the parents of my 4x great grandfather? Not so much.
Cite This Page:
Kris Hocker, "Shaking Those Little Leafs What I've Learned Using Ancestry's Family Trees," A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy, the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 27 Nov 2016 (https://www.krishocker.com/shaking-those-little-leafs/ : accessed 19 Apr 2024).
Content copyright © 2016 Kris Hocker. Please do not copy without prior permission, attribution, and link back to this page.
2 Replies to “Shaking Those Little Leafs What I've Learned Using Ancestry's Family Trees”
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Yes, Kris, I use Ancestry and look for new hints. But as you said there are many that you already have and probably in your place of residence, you might have access to records that other’s do not living in more rural area’s in other parts of the US. Or even in other countries. But I will tell you this, as far as the DNA, I have found only one connection that gave me any hope. Then it turned out to be this fella was just trying to build his tree with people that really aren’t related.
Yes, the leaves are a bit overwhelming sometimes and I totally agree on the multiple records that people, like Find A Grave photos, put on there thinking they are sharing. But when people place records and photos on their tree they will be picked by Ancestry and shared many times. Years ago I put, without knowing I would regret it, photos of my Grandmother’s family, the Spencer, Sides and Six photos plus a few of the Hocker line. Then there was nothing to indicate who originally posted the information and photos. A woman copied all of them and now, not even a direct relation, gets full credit. It’s not that I am concerned about who gets credit but somehow it seems unfair to my Grandmother’s ancestors. Most of the time I keep my tree private, if people see something they might be able to use on a hint then I send an invite. However, right now the tree is once again public because you cannot get DNA hints with a private tree.
Therefore, I have learned that there is always something that is going to cause someone, myself included, frustrated with the program. We still, sadly, do not live in a perfect world. I truly appreciate you picking at the bones of the Hocker and related lines, between your research and those pain in the backside little leaves, keep me going. 😉
Thank you,
A far distant cousin,
I think you have great pionts. This is why I no longer have Ancestry. Com. After a while I found I had more problems than I wanted. Plus I took a DNA test with them and it was basically useless. They also told me that it was mine and can access it when ever I wanted, even if I don’t have ancestry anymore. But that’s not true. Although there are times I wish I could use ancestry. It’s not worth it for the money after you have your a lot of your family info. Plus you have to be really careful who post things about your family. You might think it’s your ancestor but then find out that you got side tracted because someone has put wrong info on your family. Over all, unless your just starting out. I feel Ancestry is way over priced and way too many problems for what you get for your money.