who can start a profile?

Question

Is it true, you can’t just make a profile with a person that is not on YOUR personal family tree?

I'm trying to honor all my old teachers (I’m 77 so most of them are gone & I’d like to share photos.  I’ve put some photos on Facebook & am so surprised about what nice things I’m finding OUT about non related folks.  Well, I’m from a small town so by remembering connections I’m been able to go from Mom’s uncle George married a Schori & by looking over Ancestry trees was able to find what Schori was the great grand father of Mrs. Grove’s mother! (Kuster-283).....
Then I found my basketball coach Fogle-193 & he has no profile manager and seems to have been put in just from his obit.  I have so many questions about profile managers.....so much I don't understand!

Comments

Such a commendable project! Thank you for creating these profiles.

Answer 1

Hi Janet! You can create a profile for an unrelated person. At the top of your screen, on the right, you'll see the Add menu. From there, select the "add new person" option.

Comments

Thank you! That is so very clear.   .... and if I DO that (add a new person not linked to my branch of this big tree... does that automatically make me the project manager?  I don't want to take over or close relatives shouldn't have to ask me to  belong .... but if that's the way it works, is there a way I can STOP being manager when someone else takes over?  It's kind of stange when there are 3 profile managers one is suppose to talk to make a change.

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I did that!  Potratz-62 is a new profile!  But it seems strange to see him in a list with all my relatives!  He's NOT.  Is there a way to NOT have a profile manager?  There seems to be some way with cemetery records....   Should I start a different question for this?

Answer 2

Janet, the answer to the question in your first sentence is a resounding NO.  Any WikiTree member can add a profile for any real person who was born after 0001 AD.  It is preferable, of course, to not make a whole bunch of profiles for currently living people, though.

I think your idea is lovely - what a wonderful thing for you to do.  It's even better that you're working on their ancestors, as well, trying to connect them.

A profile that does not have a manager is what we call and "orphan" and, provided it is not a private profile, any WikiTree member who is interested in it is encouraged to "adopt" it.  You will see a link to do that next to the statement of it's not having a manager.

Comments

Has this orphan business changed in the last few years?  I remember a few years ago when I tried to get a better understanding, people that were just adding unknown people were sort of complaining that they had to be profile managers.  

Maybe I should start a new question here but my reason for asking this....There are 2 lines of Gehrings 1 from Switzerland, 1 from German in my home town. I have access to old county books & records that could aid new people looking for their German line but I would not like to have my SWISS Germanic line mixed up.... but if I can be assured I'm not profile manager .... & that it's an "orphan branch"  .... is that a correct understanding?