Duplicate not being picked up in search

Question

I seem to have found a search glitch ...

The profile I linked here has an exact duplicate at: http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-338491

However, if I use Search for Matches from the profile menu for either of the profiles, the match isn't found.

Comments

I think it is most likely because the last name at birth is Unknown. The search engine on WikiTree does not really work well with Unknown.

---

It's worse than that. Wikitree's search engine explicitly and intentionally excludes Unknown profiles from its results. Drives many of us nuts.

Answer 1

The search protocol ignores profiles that have an LNAB of Unknown. If a person has an LNAB of Unknown, you will not find that person if you search on their Current Last Name or Other Last Names. (This has nothing to do with how long ago the profile was created.)

I see this a serious shortcoming. Some past G2Gs about this:

• http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/289279/the-top-two-items-on-my-wishlist-for-improving-searches
• http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/278778/search-function-doesnt-return-matches-current-when-unknown
• http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/191368/anyone-else-unable-get-your-profiles-when-the-lnab-is-unknown
• http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/189095/people-with-lnab-of-unknown-arent-appearing-search-results

Comments

Thank you, Ellen! I should have done some investigating before I post this, but I'm glad you collected all those links for those of us following this issue.

---

I'm more than happy to post those, Julie. As you can see, this is a pet peeve of mine.

Answer 2

I have found this issues also....it only seems to happen on profiles that were created within the last week, meaning if the profile is over a "week old", then search seems to work correctly.   IF the profile was created less than a week ago....it does not.seem to find duplicates.   I know that if I create a profile today, and create it again in an hour...the system does not find the duplicate.

Comments

Well, if there is only an hour between you creating the second profile - could it be because it hasn't uploaded overnight? Just a thought.  It's the same with 'connecting to the big ole tree'.  It won't even begin to happen until the new profile has been uploaded by WT systems.

---

Here is the update on the issue I was talking about...appears to be solved.  http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/289537/how-long-before-a-new-profile-shows-up-in-search