Geneanet hints in Ancestry actually make me mad because it is usually the information I put in FamilySearch. I immediately reject them just as I do not use someone else's Ancestry Tree as a source. (Unless it is information the Tree owner would know because they knew the people involved.)
I try to look at the Ancestry trees and see if they are a) sourced, which they almost never are, or b) the user is actively researching the same family. If I can find someone with an overlapping interest, I will reach out to see if we can collaborate.
When I get stuck, I look at the trees to see if someone has other sources I haven't found. Or if they have a date or place I can use to search for more information. I've also contacted the owners for permission to use photos and images of documents they have posted. Or to connect me to other living family members. Trees are a good source of sources, but rarely a source themselves.
Geneanet hints in Ancestry actually make me mad because it is usually the information I put in FamilySearch. I immediately reject them just as I do not use someone else's Ancestry Tree as a source. (Unless it is information the Tree owner would know because they knew the people involved.)
I try to look at the Ancestry trees and see if they are a) sourced, which they almost never are, or b) the user is actively researching the same family. If I can find someone with an overlapping interest, I will reach out to see if we can collaborate.
When I get stuck, I look at the trees to see if someone has other sources I haven't found. Or if they have a date or place I can use to search for more information. I've also contacted the owners for permission to use photos and images of documents they have posted. Or to connect me to other living family members. Trees are a good source of sources, but rarely a source themselves.
Sounds like we have the makings of a good post: Making Good Use of Bad Practices.
How to get the most out of the mistakes other people make. :)