What about a "rookie rescue" category on G2G

Question

I see many rookie questions asked again and again. All legit and necessary. Some don't read the help info but isn't that the normal reaction when you start a new project you are unsure of? (Who reads directions?) I think we could be more proactive in helping these individuals and mentoring their insecurities. There might even be a rookie rescue badge and a group to support new members. I know that is initiated by greeters but could that be expanded. We work hours fixing rookie mistakes ...can we be more proactive?

Comments

I remember when I started here a couple of years back. I could have used and abused a section like this. I still have a hard time finding things in the help section.

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There are 28 mentors but what rookie is going to look up mentor in the help section?

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Hello, Brett!

Sounds like a great idea!

My top two rookie tips would be

1. Read the info on your Nav Home Page, in the Help Index, and in the Style Guide as often as possible.

2. Use tags (such as "improvements") when you post great ideas to G2G (hint!).

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Maybe we should have a direct link, prominently displayed and briefly described, to the Mentors page on the Nav Home Page, not just in the drop-down menu.

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Hear, hear!

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I like the way you think, Brett! I'll bring this up with the leader group.

There's also a tag that you may not know of called mentor_tips. See the posts for that here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/tag/mentor_tips

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What about creating a list of questions that rookies often ask? Maybe a rookie FAQ? With a link to that page in the greeter messages or on their Nav Home Page.

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We created a tag called How_to_wikitree specifically to try to help newbies with some very specific items that people stumble over.   I still would like to see if we could automatically add that tag to new people.

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Lindy is right as to the drop down menus.  All this does is cause more irritation with those that are having difficulties in processing the amount of information offered on this site.   A direct link I believe would be helpful for those needing help.  The simpler the better, otherwise we are likely to be left in the lurch with many incomplete profiles.

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Sometimes I just feel .................. hopeless??? as a greeter.

 

Reading things for new members seems/can be so hard if you re not familiar with things.. Easier to ask....... All do over and over........... You all roll!  I don t know how to solve that.

Answer 1

OK, so I was just chatting with Eowyn about this, and we have an idea (that we're not ready to share yet), and we need your help.

Could you all brainstorm some questions and/or topics you'd like to see addressed??

One Note: 

Please try not to comment on other people's suggestions for now. We want this to be a true brainstorming session where you throw out ideas without fear of having them evaluated. 

Comments

Specifically questions/topics that would be good for a Rookie FAQ sort of thing!

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1) Tags are the biggest issue--not understanding what they are for or how to write them

2)  How to edit their own profile

3) How to add to their tree

4) not understanding that each person gets ONE profile and that we must add other people's managed profiles to our tree instead of creating a new one.

5) I like the idea Tony suggested above for beginners.  Allow them a twenty profile limit to start with.  But only for beginners, because for advanced people this would be insulting.  Does Wiki ask what level researcher each new guest is?  If not, this would be a great question to add.  It would be great if greeters/mentors could see this so they know how much help a guest might need.

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The importance of sources. Even beginners need to know that without sources, its hard to find answers to questions about ancestors, and that connections made based on just a name can cause problems later. Also merges, with no sources how does one verify if that is the right profile to merge with another profile that perhaps has a PPP on it or notable etc.

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Trusted list requests -- often get these for my profile from newbies who think this is the way to connect with someone who can help them. Explain why and how to use them.

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The questions I get most often (in no particular order):

1. What is a "source"? Why can't I just put "Ancestry.com"?

2. What is a "tag"?  Why do you guys make it so hard to sign up?

3.  How do I get rid of duplicates that I accidentally created?

4.  How do I connect to an existing profile? Why can't I just create my own profile for my family member?

5. How is it that some other member can edit MY profiles on MY tree?  How can I fix these edits?

6.  Am I allowed to edit anything?  How many edits can I do per profile/per day? (i.e. general fear of making mistakes)

7. I'm here to find out about a distant ancestor. How can I search for this person?

8.  What exactly does a Mentor do? (e.g. can they do my genealogy for me?)

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I think the idea to limit the amount of things New members can do is a good idea.  I know there are people who can pop in here and be experts in a couple sessions but some of ous can't.  I would like to see something like Robin suggested.  I would like to see the profile page explained to people.  I know there is a video out there somewhere but it didn't show for me.

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I find TAGS to be the No1 issue. Another problem is how to complete a Profile when a person uses the 2nd or 3 Forename as their  common name. eg William James Leslie and their common name is JAMES..

When they try to edit their name with radio button for NO MIDDLE NAME . Once they mistakenly hit the radio button they cannot unselect it.

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GEDCOM's

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How to write a biography with inline citations and how and why to add categories to a profile.

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How to edit a wiki -- understanding wiki-markup and html

Understanding templates, categories, and special tags.

Adding/displaying images (both in profiles, and on the G2G forum)

How to ask a question -- with enough context that it can actually be answered.

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In addition to the importance of sources, it would be very good at the end, to link to a list of possible sources, examples of places online:  National Databanks, places like Archives.org, etc.  A true beginner in genealogy has no idea where to start.

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I was unaware of the suggestions list or the importance of using it to clean your sources, and boy did I have a looooooong list to wade through when it was pointed out to me. But. It did help me learn more about the site.

Maybe something like the Orphan Trail I am on in the England Project. Great way to get to know sourcing, bio writing and there is someone to turn to and in my case pester (Sorry Wendy, you are so patient )

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Hi, Kathy & Marion!

This thread was started in 2017, and since then we've implemented a series of tutorials for new members. They can be found here: New Member How-To

And Kathy, there is also a page with information who are brand new to genealogy here: How to Get Started with Genealogy ... that page is linked from our Intro to WikiTree page on the Help menu.

I think those things should cover what you're looking for. 

By the way, it really does take some time to learn how to navigate the site and the help pages. If you can't find something, it's always a good idea to ask here in G2G so that those of us who have been around for a while can help you track it down. Also, the Help Category and Help Index on the Help menu are worth some time. Just browsing around in there can be very educational. :-)

Thanks for bringing this thread back to life! 

Answer 2

Now that I have been here for a couple of years and look back in retrospect. It would have been much easier if the wiki tree system put a 10 to 20 profile limit on me. Flagged anything that created errors and directed Mentors to help and show me how to create and build a proper profile. Also show me how to correctly add citations and other information.

Answer 3

That's a great idea! How many new members know how to use categories? Maybe a link for their profile "click here if you need help" that goes to the mentor page or something obvious and easy?

There weren't even mentors when I started!

Comments

Honestly, I still do not understand categories that much.  Rather, I should say, I do not know how to create new ones, but I can copy the heck outta old ones.  I think a "click here if you need help" link would be superb!  Good one Paula!

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We have a lot of tools available including videos that new members aren't aware of or can't find. Maybe a click here if you need help could even go first to a page with those basic help tools.

Answer 4

Many new members can find themselves in trouble due to they believe anything found on the internet and repeated must be correct.  A profile that only lists ancestry.com, family search, census, cemetery, internet, as a source tells the reader nothing to substantiate a claim. Ask yourself if someone else working relationships will be able to find the source you found with the information you have given.  When a link is provided others can evaluate whether claims are valid or not.  

Just because Aunt Martha said you were related to John Smith because you both have brown hair is not a decent source.  Finding 1,000 public trees listing a relationship does not make it true.  The importance of explaining why you believe something to be true is paramount to collaborating on a worldwide tree.

Comments

"Personal knowledge" looks an awful lot like hooey when the profile is about a person who lived in 1600. Or died in 1550. Not a comment about your note, David Wilson, but rather a kvetch of my own. (Picky, picky librarian, I am.)

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"Pathfinder Page" like the ones handed out a long time ago at libraries.. but the modern "Pathfinder" could easily be electronic.

Answer 5

"(Who reads directions?)"

Well, I do, but I'm weird that way.  :-)

I think the most important message to get across to new members is that WikiTree really IS different from most other genealogy websites.  It's not just a line we use in our standard greetings; we really mean it.  We need to be explicit about what "one tree" and "everyone works on the SAME profiles" means.  Also, that WikiTree is not a plug-and-play kind of site.  You're going to have to spend time with it, learn how it all works, and - yes- that means reading the instructions.  What you get out of it will probably be proportionate to what you put into it.

It would be so helpful if all of this were spelled out in one place, in easy layman's terms, for us to refer to.

And can I just give a big shout-out to all my fellow Mentors and Greeters who work hard behind the scenes to help get new members on their way?  :-) 

Comments

And can I just give a big shout-out to all my fellow Mentors and Greeters who work hard behind the scenes to help get new members on their way?  :-) 

 

Here Here!!!

Answer 6

I think the category area would be great and maybe include pictures and/or videos to help walk through a process. Many times I get "How do I add this correctly" or others that have to deal with merging, etc. Some people do not learn by reading and are visual learners. I think if we adhere to all learning types that we may be more successful in helping.

I know there are a few mentors that are part of the Greeters projects but sometimes we may miss a few because we don't greet them personally, another greeter may have. Maybe the Greeters and Mentors can get together and do some Tail-Tell signs of when someone may need help that are more obvious for new Greeters to catch as well.

Comments

Yes, "the instructions" should definitely include screen shots and videos. I definitely learn better that way, too!

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Some are aural learners.  I didn't watch the videos, but there might also be an audio walking a beginner, newby through the info.

Answer 7

A simplified step by step instructions for joining WikiTree as to entering your name, e mail address, adding tags and tag comments, confirming your e mail address and volunteering etc.

Hi and Welcome to WikiTree, to join follow the steps below.

1. Enter your full name here:

2. Enter your e mail address here:

3. Create your account password here:

4. Add up to 3 Surnames (last name at birth,  example; Smith / Jones / Andrews) Tags here:

You get the idea, Make it as simple as possible for new members to join.

The most frequent questions and problems I get daily are people trying to join but do not read the instructions, or do not understand the instructions. Especially the parts about tags, tag comments, volunteering and confirming their e mail address.

For new as well as older members of WikiTree the most common problems are understanding and the importance of entering sources / citations and checking for duplicate profiles before creating new profiles.

Answer 8

I know a number of people have mentioned sources in this discussion already, but I thought I would add my voice to that call.

The need to add sources, is one of the things that sets Wikitree aside from many other online genealogy sites, but even though it is part of the Honor Code, there are still many new (and a few experienced) members who don't add sources.

Could we have a simple fill-in the blanks template, that pops up as soon as they add something to a profile, that will create at least a basic citation?  

Or a simpler explanation of sources?  Something is definitely needed for new people.

Limiting the number of profiles a new person can add  and then having someone quickly reviewing those has cropped up in other similar discussions. 

Answer 9

I suggested a few weeks ago that it would be a good idea to have a link prominently displayed that new members could click on to see a properly completed VOLUNTEER sheet showing about 3 or more TAGS/ Comments which should help them.

There could also be a link to a youtube video showing the most important items in the HELP section

Answer 10

I've seen a new one lately -- newbies who replace the string "Unsourced" in the template with a source...

Comments

What's a template?

:)

Answer 11

Now that I've been here a week, I have to say there is too much info and no easy way to access it.

1. Categories:  Why use them? (I can think how they might be helpful, but have not had opportunity to use them).  Can we assign new ones (e.g., cemeteries not in the system)? How can we easily look up categories (how deep does the category go without looking through 8 pages of near gibberish)?

2. Citations:  I still can't get a repeated citation to work <ref name="name">.  I've tried at least 12 different ways, including the directions, as get errors.

3. Footnotes: What about footnotes?  There are many times I would prefer to have a specific footnote on interpretation of the raw data to a resarch note with no clear connection.  I've seen nothing on footnotes.

So far, I am enjoying the free-form nature that allows analysis of the data from sources, i.e., the ability to make data meaningful.  I also like the people I've encountered.  Thank you all for creating a safe place to explore our individual and common history.

Comments

Kathy

When you repeat the inline reference you just need to add / before >. Errors can be due to a missing or extra space. Check the preview and adjust.

==Research Notes== can be used for discussion to clarify uncertainty putting them at the end of the profile.

Hilary

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Kathy, have a look at the Holocaust Profile Template.  I think it will make using ref tags very clear.  If you want a full explanation of the "why" in addition to the "how" then see the Footnoted Source Citations 101 I wrote a few years ago.

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Apparently you're a fast learner, Kathy. Your questions are at the WikiTree 201 level -- not the usual first-week questions.

If you can't find answers elsewhere, ssk one question at a time in the Wikitree Help category, and expect helpful answers.

Answer 12

Something I didn't learn for 3 years, silly me. If you can't find something on the tree then Google it. Made life so much easier.

Answer 13

I have only been hanging around here about a year so I can recall clearly the confusion of trying to start out - getting back to where you were before was the first thing I noticed was hard

finding the help page that addressed the issue I was having at the time

quality of sources - where the good info is - basically who to trust on this seemed like insider knowledge that I did not have and did not think I would get BUT everyone is so helpful (thank goodness) so I did get it in some of my areas of concentration

took far too long to learn how to go to a particular profile without a link

still have trouble finding some help pages for what I am having trouble with

how to give enough information in a G2G question to get help without followup questions from those trying to help

Answer 14

Learn and Earn. Somewhere along the way, one is going to have to limit access to anyone with less than a year involvement in WikiTree. What comes to mind, recently some profiles have had some serious damage done to them by 3 individuals (newbies, less than 6 months involvement), each individual had racked up close to 10,000 contribution points in less than 6 months. This is not possible unless one does not research their sources (which was the case in several profiles I ran across) Each of these newbies were incredibly rude, "their information was above reproach, how dare anyone challenge their work, this is their ancestor and therefore they were the manager" WOW, these three did not want to accept any help, I finally had to get a leader involved. I repaired the profiles I came across but think of the damage just 3 individuals could do in 6 months with almost 30,000 contributions! Maybe we should think about putting some kind of limit on what newbies can do without someone checking up on their practices. Just food for thought.  :)

Comments

There is a difference between new to genealogy or historical research and new to this particular coding.  

The first is very dangerous.  They don't know how to begin evaluating a source.  When I work on Family Search and encounter the source as "GEDCOM" or MyHeritage or such I add an elipse and note that this is unverified and requires further research.

To prevent this first newbie from doing a lot of damage, perhaps they should be required / allowed to do one profile besides their own, which is checked by a mentor, before being allowed to touch any other.  I'm sure there is a coding method to grant privileges to do one only.

Answer 15

It might be helpful if the help section was actually better designed.  The whole purpose of G2G is an open forfum. Not everyone has to answer questions if is an inconvenience for them.  If someone needs to ask a question I say ask. It seems there is alweady a solution to how to answer newbies questions.  G2G.  Why is there always auch a puch with wikitree-ers to complicate things.