Should inviting someone automatically add them to your trusted list?

Question

I have been researching my sister by adoption's family and as a result have invited the three prime members to become WikiTree members so they can see their family trees. One has responded so far.

By inviting them they are automatically added to my trusted list, despite that fact that they are not actually connected to me at all, and when doing the bulk trusted list add on invitation it is not possible to un-tick your own entry.

Now in this instance I don't have a major problem with them being able to see my profile in full but if, for example as has happened many time as I help people, it was someone completely unconnected I probably would not want to open up my profile to them.

What is the reasoning behind NOT allowing one to un-tick one's own profile?

Comments

I've added only a few people to my trusted list, but I noticed that they had access to my private information when one of them started calling me by my real name.  So I won't make that mistake again.

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I believe one of the real problems with this is that in a long list of names you do not notice your own is ticked and greyed out. This is why i find I have many people on my trusted list who perhaps should not be on it.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that [loud voice] THIS SHOULD BE AN OPTION [/loud voice] and not automatic.

In my opinion the should be addressed asap and changed to an opt in rather than an inability to opt out.

Answer 1

I don't believe adding someone should automatically put them on your trusted list. It should be opt-in, not opt-out, for security reasons.

Comments

100% agree with you on that

Answer 2

Hi David,

There is a post in that regard:

"The logic is that if you have someone's private information and are creating a profile for them, and you are on their Trusted List, the inverse should be acceptable (and if it's not you can remove them). Why is it a serious privacy issue?"

Chris

Here is the link:

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/395413/check-your-trusted-list-invited-people-wikitree-they-trusted

I hope you find it helpful.

Comments

Thanks Rubén, but I really do NOT agree with Chris's logic there. It may not be a 'serious' privacy issue but if you are doing helping someone out you may not necessarily want them on your TL. Yes you can remove them but why does it have to be a 2 step operation - add automatically without any choice in the matter and then remove.

Basically I consider that bad form and bad programming.

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Just as the human appendix is a vestigial feature of the human body left over from evolutionary history, the "Trusted List" has vestigial aspects left over from the early evolutionary history of WikiTree.

I gather that the initial idea was that members would be collaborating with people we know, such as siblings, parents, and close cousins, and those folks would be who we would be inviting to WikiTree and who we would be sharing with as members of the same "trusted lists." That seems like a quaint idea now that WikiTree has grown. And it is absurd that when I invite someone to join WikiTree because they expressed interest in a profile I created for their relative (who happens to be the third cousin of a notable I researched), that person I invited is automatically added to the Trusted List of my profile.

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Haha, that's my post you have referred to Rubén :-)  Thanks, because I was going to say I brought this up before and I still have a serious problem with it.  It should be optional not automatic.  

Just because I create a profile for a person and invite them does not mean I have ALL of their private information.  You only need a name and one estimated date to create a profile.  Therefore, they should not have access to all of my information.

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Emma, When you posted it I reviewed my profile's TL "just in case". Thanks to your advise I found out that a new member was added.

Some time ago that new member asked for some help in editing their profile, so I sent a TL request, the request was accepted, I made the editions and removed myself from that TL. I think that at the same time I was added to their profile's TL, the new member was added to my profile's TL. That seem to be equitable or acceptable, but not desirable in that case.

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Ellen, your comment really makes a lot of sense.

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I'm planning a post regarding this matter.

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I love that explanation, Ellen! Brilliant. Yes, I'd say that hits the nail on the head.

I'll make sure changing this is on the to-do list. I still don't see it as urgent, though, and am inclined to leave it until we are working in this area for another reason.

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Thanks, Chris!

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@Chris. Glad to hear it is on the to do list. As you say not urgent perhaps but good to get it sorted.

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Chris, that's music for my ears.

I was planning to post about removing this line:

"They will automatically be added to your profile's Trusted List. You can remove them if you don't know them personally."

From this page:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Invitations#Inviting_Fellow_Genealogists

Thank you for considering this change !