Should we get rid of the Ancestry DNA Circle categories now that Ancestry has discontinued their DNA Circles?

Question

There are 399 such categories on WikiTree.  See:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:AncestryDNA_Circles

Update:  I appreciate everyone's input.  What I am hoping for is an opinion from the DNA project, as was recommended by Natalie Trott in this thread:

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/961606/did-you-know-that-categories-should-have-content

If the project says they should be eliminated, Aleš has said he can do it all at once.

Comments

I never realized this category existed. Is there a category for the Ancestry ThruLines??

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Good question.  I don't think so.  They're not really the same thing.  The DNA Circles connected people to ancestors that they seemed to be related to.  The ThruLines often connect people to invented or fictitious ancestors in a way the circles did not.  

Maybe others will have a different opinion.  I hope other people will comment.

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I think the Ancestry ThruLines are brilliant. You still have to do your due diligence to make sure that the tree that they are guessing is connected to you has a proper paper trail. I have broken through several brick walls using ThruLines. And have the research to back up the findings. Yes. There is still a lot of bad information because of inaccuracies in other people’s trees. I don’t think that I have ever been associated with a fictitious person via ThruLines. I have also been able to manipulate ThruLines to confirm relationships via cousins, aunts and uncles. Very helpful.

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The ThruLines can be helpful.  But as you say you need to do due diligence, and some contain bad information, so I would not like to see them made into WikiTree categories.

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Totally agree. Too much misinformation on Ancestry trees. Nancy

Answer 1

Absolutely 100% yes. Which reminds me to delete mine. They are completely obsolete so some how we should make sure everyone deletes theirs as it leads to no where!

Thanks for bringing this up Julie!

Edit: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:AncestryDNA_Circles

That would end this entire project, how do we post and ask them.Maybe another tag or two??

Comments

Thanks, Louann.  I can remove the profiles I manage from the categories, but I'm wondering if the entire group of categories should be completely eliminated.

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That's what I was thinking who takes care of that project? I'd hate to go delete things but find they use it for something else. I think I saw something in one of the threads about using it for something with FamilySearch but I can't find that thread.

Answer 2

Yes!  Empty the category by going through the members of the category and deleting the category statement then, when the list is empty, edit the category and replace the contents with:

{{Delete Category}}

Obsolete  ~~~~

Then save.  

Comments

Aleš! I am waiting until the 11th to give folks on the project time to respond.  If there is no objection by then, we can proceed.

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Aleš!

No objections from the DNA Project so consider that a definitive green light.

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I did have a second look at the categories. This are all subcategories of the top one.

https://wikitree.sdms.si/function/WTCatNavigate/Category.htm?Category=AncestryDNA%20Circles&Levels=3

They go into multiple levels, Some are not named exactly like others and maybe some of them shouldn't be deleted. 

There is also quite some content on some of them and they are not only on profiles. They are also on Space pages. There are also inbound links from profiles and pages, that have to be removed manually.

So it is not something I could do fromm behind the scenes. It should be done in a standard way, categories are deleted. Probably some space pages will have to be deleted along the way. 

So this should be done manually by adding {{Delete Category}} to each one and checking back later if any removal needs to be done manually.

If you select a person, that will do it for all 400 categories, contact category leaders to be authorized to delete them without confirmation.

Aleš

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When I edit the category, should I delete everything in the box and replace it with 

{{Delete Category}}

Obsolete  ~~~~

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Doesn't really matter. It will be deleted. You can just add it.

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OK, thanks!  I've done my first one, and after I saved the change, the screen said:

Warning: This is category will be Deleted and should not be used.

This Category is waiting on BOT to delete it.

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And now it is in queue for editbot. You can see it here.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Waiting_on_BOT

Steven Whitelisted you so there will be less manual work. 

EditBOT just finished its run and I will run it later again, when you add more categories.

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Sorry, I don't know what it means to be Whitelisted.

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That means, that your deletions don't need to be reviewed by categorisation project.

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Thank you.  I didn't know they did!  Now all I have to do is find those DNA Circle categories I created.  I hadn't kept a list.

Answer 3

Yes, I agree that AncestryDNA Circle categories should be deleted.  I believe it would be confusing to keep them.

Answer 4

Yes! Those categories didn’t mean much in the first place. Now they are pointless.