How can I totally delete two profiles that were accidently created when a true one already existed?

+3 votes
159 views
A complete good profile was created by a closer relative that I did not know about.  I accidentally  created two more for the same person.  I need to delete my two or merge all three but not being the creator of the first (good) one, I am unable to do so.  The creator of the first is not active.  Chapin-1413 is good. Chapin-2385 and Chapin-2386 should be deleted.
in WikiTree Help by Jack Allen G2G Rookie (250 points)

3 Answers

+9 votes
 
Best answer

Merge Chapin-2385 into Chapin-1413.  Then,
merge Chapin-2386 into Chapin-1413. Definitely do NOT merge 2385 into 2386, then the result into 1413.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Merging#Merging_multiple_duplicates

Here's the reason why:

First, it's inefficient. Our server has to work harder.

Second, Google won't follow more than three or four redirects in a chain. 

Third, chains of redirects also make it much harder for WikiTree users to understand activity feeds and trace out the history to see which profiles were merged together. 

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Project_Protecting_and_Merging#Background:_The_multiple_redirects_problem

by Ros Haywood G2G Astronaut (2.0m points)
selected by Robin Shaules
If you feel you will not be able to do this because the creator of Chapin-1413 is less active, then propose the merges and wait 30 days for them be approved by default.
+2 votes
Initiate merges. Merge the two you created, and then initiate the resulting ONE profile with the one that already existed

No profiles are deleted.
by Susan Smith G2G6 Pilot (657k points)
no... don't merge the two together... then merge into the other.

instead, merge them both into the one.

(there's a technical reason for doing it that way)

There's the original one, if I understood what he said, and then there's the two he created ... he is PM for the two he created. He can merge those two without difficulty. 

The original profile was created by a relative of his. In this case, he communicates with his relative but he can also initiate a merge  

When he merges the two he had, he'll have one profile and that's the one he uses to initiate a merge with the original one his relative created .... his relative will either agree or not

and if not it will be 30 days before the merge will go forth, because WikiTree does not want duplicate profiles 

I understand what you're saying, and in some sense, it should make no difference... however, read Ros' post... she explains the technical issues in this case better than I can.

Merging states You 'always' merge profiles into the surname with the lowest ID.  If you have 3 profiles, you still merge each profile into the lowest ID.  Do NOT do intermediate merging, even if someone is PM on both. 

If Chapin-2386 was merged into Chapin-2385, then Chapin-2385 merged into Chapin-1413, and then someone does a search for this person. If they select Chapin-2386 from the Search Results page or directly enter that Wikitree ID, the system will try to bring up Chapin-2386, which will then be redirected and bring up Chapin-2385, which will then be redirected to Chapin-1413.  

If you look at the changes log for a 'merged away' profile, the last entry shows a Redirect line to the new profile. 

+3 votes
you "delete" them by merging them into the original one.
by Dennis Wheeler G2G6 Pilot (575k points)

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