How do I create a category - instructions don't work right!

Question

I looked up how to create a new categroy, then tried to create a category named "Holocaust".  The page appears, with the person whose profile I created the category from listed, but there is a statement: 

You've followed a link to a page or category that doesn't exist yet.  To start it, enter something in the text box below.

There is no text box!  I clicked the edit button and got a nastygram telling me that only leaders could edit this page.

I have since added more profiles to this category, which shows as a red link on their pages, but does go to the new "Holocaust" page and all the profiles I added are listed there.

Why do the instructions about how to start a new category not say that only leaders can do it if that is the case?

Also, why has the page actually been created and it seems to work fine, despite claiming that it does not exist?

 

Comments

There will be no "text box" created with a category. When you create a category it is done in this way: [[Category:Holocaust]] and when you save and view the profile you will see Categories: Holocaust.

If you click on Holocaust it will bring you to another page that lists all the profiles with that category. That page can be edited to add text and pictures, etc.

If yoyu want a "text box" to be created that is something different. Here is a quick one to identify someone as a Holocaust Victim. Just copy and paste above the Biography in a profile.

<span style="float:left;color:#FF0000;font-size:28px;line-height:26px;padding-top:3px; padding-Right:3px;font-family: Times, serif, Georgia, ;">''Holocaust Victim'' <br />

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Eugene,

I appreciate your desire to help, but please re-read my question. I don't want to create a text box and if I did want to, I know how to do that.  The page has a statement that instructs me to enter something in a text box that is on the page, but it is not there.

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OK - I've been to a category page and the "text box is there. It is right below the names of the 20 profiles you added the category to? Don't hit "edit" Instead go directly to the box and start typing. Then preview and when you are happy "save" After you save the first time you will have to go into edit mode to make future changes.

Answer 1

Your links are red as your category page isn't linked to anything.  You need to type in the name of the category in the hierarchy you want it to be under.  Eugene is right, the box is actually the page where you type.  Make sure you scroll down and hit save,.

Comments

Thank you Veronica!  That is EXACTLY what I needed to know.  I just did it and everything's cool now.

It never occurred to me that I needed to scroll down to see a text box. As much of the page that appeared on my screen really looked complete.

Answer 2

With regard to any Holocaust but it seems to me that you would need to create a hierarchy of categories that will fall in under the larger title "Holocaust".

First of all I looked at Wikipedia as they categorize in a manor similar to the way WikiTree does it. I would first do it by county or race for instance you have the Albanian Holocaust and the Jewish Holocaust. You might want to have seperate categories for  Victoms and survivors,  Rescuers, Prison camps, etc. This is a big undertaking and you should work with some leaders to set up the appropriate structure if one doesn't already exist - I haven't looked to see. 

 

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Comments

No, no category exists yet.  I realize that more structure may be needed, but I need to create a space to serve as an index for all the profiles I'm working on who died in the Holocaust.  I had looked at the entire help section on categories and figured that this would at least be a start, with structure/organization able to be added later.

I have asked and am hoping that WikiTree will create a project for the Holocaust, but in the meantime, I need to be able to organize my work.

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Gaile, I'm thrilled you're taking this on AND I want to echo Eugene's guidance. When I started the PGM project, I started using a Category in a similar way you are. But I wasn't as familiar as others with how to structure categories.  After getting advice from others, I had to go back and change all the categories I'd started. We're trying to limit that for you. A Holocaust project may not exist yet, but a Categories project does. And you should seek their advice before categorizing any more profiles.

AND the category help page should include this advice if it doesn't  

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some thinking out loud towards such a project: ( but again, discuss with Categorization project)

1. Holocaust as overall category. As Eugene points out, we really shouldn't use this JUST for the Jewish Holocaust because there have been more than one holocausts in world history.

2. Holocaust Victim (not sure of second word) for someone murdered during the Holocaust.

3. Holocaust Survivor for someone who was sent to the camps but survived.

But replace "Holocaust" in each of 2 and 3 with the specific Holocaust under consideration.

thanks again for working on this Gaile.

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I am trying very hard to assimilate all the wonderful advice here - that's why I asked and included the categorization tag on this question.  As usual, I find Jillaine's the most helpful - When Eugene said the same things, they did not impact me the same way - maybe it's just that kind of personal "style" of communciation that gets through my thick head better than another - anyhow, THANK YOU EUGENE, for the sound advice, even though my original response to you did not indicate that clearly enough.

Jillaine - If the help page does include that advice, it went right over my head.  I went back and re-read it now.  After what you said, I can see it in that context, but it is just not strongly (maybe clearly) enough worded to make that point.  Here is the way 2 starting points are worded:

How to add a profile to a category

To categorize a profile, simply click to the profile's edit page and enter something like this in the bio/text section:

[[Category:Chicago, Illinois]]

How to create a new category

To create a new category, add the category tag to a profile as you would normally.

When you view the newly-categorized profile, the category link will be red instead of green.  When you click on the link, it will take you to an edit page for the category where you can add a description of the category, if appropriate.

After reading all about how to organize categories, I decided I'm not up to that, so I just took advantage of the warm and open invitation (above) to create one that serves my needs for now and can later be changed or expanded in whatever way is decided by people who know about this stuff.

Maybe WikiTree's philosophy of bending over backwards to be welcoming, sweet, and nice to everyone, and advising them to ":be bold" and unafraid to make mistakes is going overboard.  I now feel that I had no business mucking around creating a category.  Maybe that capability needs to be limited to those who know what they're doing and a need such as mine might be met by having 2 kinds of categories - the WikiTree categories, administered by genealogy gurus, and a second unoffical type that anyone could create to serve their own needs - these could be private or public, as selected by the creator, but they would NOT be part of the official category structure.

.

 

 

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Gaile, yep we all learn in different ways.  

I, too, shied away from categorization and even today limit my use of it.

But you will definitely want to work with the categorization project to figure it out as you and others will benefit from using a holocaust category set for these profiles.

And yep the Category help pages need improving. I hope the categorization project will take that on, too. (I'm afraid to go near it.)

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P.s. If I were you, Gaile, I would start a new g2g post specifically asking about how best to set up a series of profiles related to the Jewish Holocaust. Tag categorization and Jewish to get attention of people working in both areas. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. I don't do Holocaust research myself, but some of my best friends...  

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That smiley was supposed to come at the end of my post not the beginning.