R. Hutchins
Privacy Level: Private with Public Biography (Orange)

R. Hutchins

Honor Code Signatory
Signed 22 Feb 2014 | 4,641 contributions | 177 thank-yous | 603 connections
Born 1950s.
Problems/Questions Profile manager: R. Hutchins private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 22 Feb 2014
This page has been accessed 1,941 times.

As of April, 2015, I have suspended work on WikiTree Profiles. For the foreseeable future, I will be working privately and not on the Web. I have orphaned profiles who are not direct ancestors, completed my pending merges, and winnowed my list of possible ancestor matches to a minimum. I am still monitoring my watchlist and will happily respond to messages or e-mail and will gladly assist in any merges or additional work if requested.

I have no single reason for doing this; several factors are involved.

Quality: Quality is losing out to Quantity. It's fine to say that unsourced profiles are a relic of the old days when GEDCOM's were imported without any controls but look at a few of the newly created profiles on WikiTree's Activity_Feed. Some good work is being done but it's lost beneath a flood of Geni World Families, IGI's, Ancestry Family Trees, Ancestral Files, Pedigree Resource Files, and the old favorite, "First-hand Information". (I am aware that my own profiles often fall short of the ideal but I have made a concerted effort to provide at least one source substantiating each person's existence.)

Security:  I have concerns regarding the vulnerability of information posted on WT. I have encountered more than a few profiles which were defaced in the past. Since it's difficult to maintain & synchronize a public and a private tree, I have opted to keep my records to myself. The recent addition of multiple eyes in the form of Rangers is good. A system to roll back destructive activity is needed and the issue of Orphans needs to be dealt with. Whatever they are called, it is inevitable that many profiles will, by and large, become forgotten and ignored. Many will be "finished" in the sense that no additional information is now, or perhaps ever, going to be available. Real orphans have "Protective Services" provided by the State. WikiTree's orphans are liable to suffer the fate of "Oliver Twist". To belabor the metaphor, a system of orphanages and foster homes is needed; a system to protect the unwanted. At the least there should be an intermediary in the Find>>Orphaned Profiles process so that profiles are not adopted wholesale without at least a cursory approval.

Life is short:  I appreciate WikiTree's underlying message, that we are all one, but I confess that my interest in Genealogy lies mostly in a curiosity about my own ancestors and the lives that they led. I never anticipated spending significant amounts of time merging profiles devoid of data or cleaning up messes of which no one is aware. It's really just a lot of busywork. The social media aspect of WT (Badges, Points, Projects, Categories, etc.) is engaging and possibly useful to some but not to me.

Random Thoughts:  The "one page" = "one person" concept is one of WikiTree's best features. Seeing the information AND the sources in one place is much easier to understand than a myriad of pages and links. Further improvement is possible however.

  • Recent actions reducing the use of mark-up is a welcome step towards unifying the appearance of profiles and increasing the ease of editing and maintaining them. Further steps should be taken to reduce the intermingling of source information (<ref> tags) and body text (perhaps via buttons, in a manner similar to "bold' and "italic"). Well sourced profiles are difficult to read and modify in the "edit" view which discourages adding sources.
  • ID # should be placed adjacent to the Profilee's name. The current location in the upper right corner is hard to see on a screen filled with multiple windows.
  • The left column should be devoted exclusively to Profile info. The right column should be exclusively administrative/maintenance.
  • Members of the Trusted Lists should be added alongside the Profile Managers' on profile pages . The roles and responsibilities of both should be clarified.
  • Provide a means to print Profiles (left column only) in a publication friendly format.



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  • exact birthdate
  • birth location
  • images (3)
  • family tree
  • father's name
  • mother's name
  • siblings' names
  • children's names (1)
  • spouse's name and marriage information
  • autosomal DNA test connections
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Comments: 22

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Richard Wedgwood (1545–1626)

In 2014 you said "Wedgwood-22 and Wedgwood-138 are not ready to be merged ..." because ambiguity re parents.

Well I think the correct father is Wedgwood-17 (b. 1510) rather than Wedgwood-70 (b. 1505) as the former was born and died in Biddulph, same as his son.

Wedgwood-70 seems to be different person from Wedgwood-17, as he has different birth-date and parents. They have the same death-date and wife on WikiTree, but that may be a mistake.

In 2014 Wedgwood-70 got Wedgwood-138 added to him as an offspring, but this may also have been a mistake.

Can I suggest (1) removing Wedgwood-138 from Wedgwood-70, and (2) going ahead with the merge of Wedgwood-22 and Wedgwood-138?

This would help me a lot!

posted by Alan White
I've looked at the Hugh Hutchins book. I've been more focused on the Thomas Hutchins book for right now.
posted by Scott Hutchins
You are definitely correct about Benjamin Franklin Hutchins. :-)
posted by PE Rosner
By the way, I have an heirloom of my Ruth Hutchins- a sampler she made when she was a young girl.
posted by Ellen (Newell) McGrath
Wow, Thank you for adding the Hutchins bio book to my ancestor, Ruth Hutchins! I actually have that book too! LOL. I just joined Wiki, and like it a lot!
posted by Ellen (Newell) McGrath
Thanks for your edits to https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hutchins-2784 This is no kin of mine I am making profiles for everyone buried in Guilford Union for a free-page - If you'd like this profile I'd be glad to transfer.
Hi,

Ruth Hutchins (2476), daughter of Benjamin Hutchins and Ruth Smith, is my 3rd great grandmother. I have not had any luck finding information on her mother, Ruth Smith. Do you have any information on her? Thanks.

posted by Gail (Andrews) Hardy
Thank you for your note on the parentage of Hutchins-2315. I seem to be unable to view the book you mentioned at the url, but when and if I am able to acquire it I will follow the sources to try to connect him further. Thanks again.
posted by John Trotter
Hi Bob Hutchins-1050, Thank you for tne note and questions!

Please send me the profiles URL / web address and complete name of the profile as it is time consuming to try and look up profiles by the ID. For Hutchins-2384 and Hutchins-2386

Thank you, David

posted by David Selman
Hutchins 1050, I have his name as Levins, as shown in census, and mortality records. I do have some military information on a Leavens Hutchins but I do not believe they are the same. As far as John Hutchins I do not know if they are related until I find documentation. My DNA test has not shown any link.

Not to mean or anything,, Please remove yourself as manager on my tree.

posted by Mark Hutchens

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