This comes from my previous question "Whitaker: The many profiles of Mark". It is important not to duplicate this part of the family because the time in history is confusing enough already, some people are loose with their associations, and names are handed through generations. Funny, I said that like any time in the Whitaker family wasn't the same. (IWJ - inside Whitaker joke)
I think it will be clearer to post this question out of the last:
I would not attempt a merge on Wiki, at this point. I don't know the Wiki software well enough, but would suggest additional sources, missing people, or matches. Unless adopting abandoned profiles,which I would be happy to do with guidance. I have only been on Wiki a couple of months but, genealogy, of the Whitaker variety, has been familiar to me since the 70's. Don't ask which century. :)
But I can't read Gedcom files that have been sitting for 8 to 13 years and compare. I can see enough on some to know adding another profile would be duplication. I don't have ancestry and some are all in ancestry links.
A couple of hours ago I found that someone went into a profile from the 1500's, (not here) thinking it didn't match their information, and overwrote with a Gedcom from 1996. I have contacted the person but they effectively wiped out 20 years of research without contacting anyone. Fortunately the damage can be repaired (I hope). But it's not the first time. I have to watch all profiles while trying to work on other things too.
If Wiki allows Gedcom download, maybe I can get good software, figure out a way to download from the other site (which is looking bleak now or I would have already), back-up that software and use Wiki as a community sharing resource. That would keep my files protected.
Will that work? At this rate, I'm adding a profile a day, sometimes 2 to 4 but each one has to have sources checked even though I created the person and sourced it to begin with. Profiles and sources get changed when I'm not looking.
With extended family I am beginning to wonder if I'm capable of adding all the profiles required if I don't find matches for popular names. Everyone wants to claim royalty, famous, infamous, pioneer explorers, heroes, and patriots even if they steal someone else's heritage.
When links are broken and profiles changed, brothers, sisters, cousins, step-families, grandparents with different names are left behind detached from any memory. I don't think most people are that egotistical. They simply want to know where they came from. Did their family work hard? Can they be proud of who they are? Or did they come by their temper honestly and can be proud of their efforts to control it?
I'm finding it discouraging to have a few coveted family names. I could use some help. Or could someone toss over a rope? Life jacket? Swim Coach? Dolphin?
