GEDCOM length

@Bill Downey

The limitation is 4 times the profiles you have added yourself.
Fair enough, - too many have joined just to download other's work and uploaded it again on other sites.

@ So everytime I accept a smart match I loose access to more profile? In addition some of the family profiles were added by family members in collaboration but I don't get credit? I still can't see the last profiles I added to continue my progress!

The profiles you get in a GEDCOM download are based on distance (based on connection path) from you, not which specific profiles you added. That means that if you are adding or merging profiles that are beyond the distance that is set according to Geni's 4X calculation, those profiles may not show up in the GEDCOM you download. But the GEDCOM should contain four times as many profiles created by somebody else that are closer to you than the ones you added.

I do not agree that this is a good way or a fair way. I do understand a bit what Bjorn wants protected against.

Am wondering -- would this still satisfy Bjorn and others -- if folks could indicate that someone else (not limited to only one person each) could use your "added by" count (without losing it yourself) -- so if for example, a sibling or cousin joins after you have added a thousand profiles, you can let them include / add your count to their count for their download calculation? You might be willing to do this tho prefer not to be creating GEDCOMS at their request which you then e-mail to them (that can be way more time-consuming) - which apparently is assumed you would do now if you want your relative to be able to have that info.

Also - for folks to be happy with the results, also needs a more advanced way to choose which profiles are downloaded.

They keep cutting down and cutting down on how many profiles can be in the GEDCOM - very, very annoying at the least.

Private User -- accepting a smart match (to Myheritage Tree or record) does NOT limit access to profile -- but merging within Geni -- that can. Only one of you will get credit for the addition of that Profile -- so one of you will have your count go down. Another minus!!

An easier solution is to ask your close relative who built the tree and have most added-by profiles to make the GEDCOM export for you,

Confirming Smart Matches to MyHeritage does not ADD anything to your tree or initiate a merge with the MyHeritage profile. These are two separate websites

@Just another losses to a Geni Pro account! What do we get for these changes? There was no need to call in "experts' for records we should have access to

Bjorn - You say "an easier solution" -- sounds like you missed my comment:
"You might be willing to do this tho prefer not to be creating GEDCOMS at their request which you then e-mail to them (that can be way more time-consuming) - which apparently is assumed you would do now if you want your relative to be able to have that info."

-- ["You" here is the "close relative" who did the adding in your statement/suggestion]
--- In other words, I think very definitely NOT the easier solution for many a "close relative" ---- even tho you, Bjorn, may be perfectly willing to do it for your relatives, not everybody wants to be bothered having to make the GEDCOMS for their relatives each time they want a back-up, and for each focal person and type of GEDCOM they want, and then download and forward the GEDCOMS. This is way more work!!

If that ability were programmed in, it would be a way easier solution. So - again -- does it fail to satisfy you (and if so, how/why?), or could you find it acceptable?

Exactly, - as I said: "too many have joined just to download other's work and uploaded it again on other sites."

I don't quite get it: If your relative that built the tree are not willing to make a GEDCOM for you because your contribution to the tree is minimal you want a method to do it behind their back?

Calling it a backup would be true if you only got the profiles you have contributed to.

Anyhow: A complete GEDCOM is useless as a backup anyhow, - take a closer look on what you get before you claim it is.

No -- I am not talking about situations where User A is unwillling to make a GEDCOM for User B because they feel User B's contribution is minimal -- in that case they would NOT say "count my additions toward him as well" I am talking about folks who are unwilling to do and send the GEDCOM -- whether from time constraints, or difficulty with the procedures or etc. - but feel the person/relative SHOULD HAVE access to the GEDCOM.

One of my elderly relatives added profiles for every relative he knew of who was not already attached to him on the Tree - I had added those for our mutual side, but he added many (Family Awards apparently does not list for folks who no longer have active accounts, so not sure how many - he is deceased not) that were not mutual relatives -- he had no trouble adding profiles -- but was the first to tell you he was not computer literate, not computer comfortable -- no way on his own he could have figured out how to (find and) attach the saved GEDCOM to an email to send it to someone. [This I know from having talked him thru uploading a photo -- majorly difficult for him -- especially the finding of the photo while in 'Browse'; after that he would just print them out and mail to me for me to scan and upload - he experienced it as way to difficult to want to try again] You may not be able to visualize folks having a problem with any or all the steps in downloading the GEDCOM, saving it to computer, and then e-mailing it to someone -- but I can assure you from my experience working with folks -- adding profiles on Geni is much easier for some than some or all of those steps. Other folks may simply just not want to put the time in.

Also -- what about the profiles that are, for example, in my Cousin's family but not in mine -- say that were added by someone not in my family group, but in my Cousin's -- am I correct the GEDCOM I make will not contain info on those profiles since I did not have access to them? If correct, then No, I cannot provide him with the GEDCOM of his Family -- and he is SOL because he joined after ....

I understand what you are trying to protect against. I think a different solution is needed.

Do not know what you mean by "A complete GEDCOM is useless as a backup"

I use the GEDCOM as a backup. I have looked at them. They are not ideal, but they are the best I have, and definitely better than nothing.

FYI: I just requested an enhancement to include location coordinates (GPS info) in the GEDCOM export .... http://help.geni.com/entries/45900934-Add-coordinates-to-GEDCOM-export

There are a few minor enhancements to GEDCOM exports just released. I've successfully tried a Forest and a Blood-relatives export; the Ancestors export cause MacFamilyTree (7.1.6) to crash (I'm awaiting diagnosis if it is a GEDCOM structure issue or a MFT issue).