2020 Connectors Challenge for October

Question

Howdy Connectors! (sorry it's late)

Good news! The Connectors Challenge now begins on the FIRST of the month in line with other challenges at WikiTree! This challenge is open to everyone. Unlike the Connect-a-Thon, only actual connections made are counted, not the number of profiles created to get to a connection.

The Connector’s Challenge Rules:

 1. Pick an existing profile (created before this month’s challenge began) that is not currently connected to the Global Family Tree. (Hint: If you are a member of the Connectors Project, you’ll see a yellow puzzle piece icon next to that person’s name at the top of their profile if they aren’t connected.)

2. Add a profile for any first degree relative for that profile (a parent, spouse, child, or sibling). Continue adding first degree relatives until you run into a profile that is already connected to the Global Family Tree that you can attach to. Remember to use good sources to support the creation and connection of every profile you make! Please be aware that it takes 24 hours for the tree to update and show the connection.

3. ANSWER this post. This lets us know that you’re participating in this month’s challenge. It’s easiest for us to track your trail if you post it here, but you can also use the Challenge Tracker. Just be sure you comment “Connected to Smith-000” when you make the connection to the already existing, already connected profile. Replace Smith-000 with the actual profile ID of the starting profile you were trying to connect.

4. Remember the tally is not of profiles created (like the recently completed Connect-a-Thon) but of actual connections made to the Global Family Tree. You might connect a whole branch of profiles and make 100 new profiles in the process of making a connection, but the connection only counts as 1.

5. If you enjoy challenges, keep in mind that adding good sources to any existing profiles you run into while connecting or fixing errors on those existing profiles might count towards the Sourcerers or Data Doctors Challenges.

6. Coming Soon (we are still working out the kinks) - Let us know if you’d like a Connector’s Badge for participating. That will also make you a part of our project and we’d love to have you! The person who makes the most connections each month will get a Top Connector template for their profile. Stats are kept and updated on the Connectors Challenge page. The link to the tracker will follow.

Comments

Challenge Tracker Link:

https://wikitree.sdms.si/Challenges/connectorschallenge/20201001/User.htm

Answer 1

I would like to join

Answer 2

I made a connection. Is it cheating that a fellow WikiTreer disconnected incorrect parents from my ancestors, I did more research and created profiles, but forgot to connect them until today?

Added daughter Maria Hensler (Hensler-127) to parents, Josephus Hensler (Hensler-137) and Catharina Margarita Bruner (Bruner-919) and 23 related profiles in the branch - CONNECTED 

Answer 3

I will be participating in this month's Connectors Challenge and so wish that the tracker would reflect the TRUE and accurate results.

So, could you please contact the current leader to inform them that CREATING new profiles does NOT count for this challenge. Neither does just adding sources count. ONLY the connection to the one global wikitree counts. Hopefully this will stop them from entering more false connection claims. Thanks

https://wikitree.sdms.si/function/WTTrackerReview/profiles.htm?Challenge=ConnectorsChallenge20201001&WikiTreeID=McCulley-247

Found another who is NOT making connections ...

https://wikitree.sdms.si/function/WTTrackerReview/profiles.htm?Challenge=ConnectorsChallenge20201001&WikiTreeID=Davies-5942

Comments

Hello :)

I'm looking into this currently and I'll follow up with you. My current assumption is that only those who answer this post are considered eligible to win the connection challenge for the month, regardless of who is (correctly or not) clicking the connectors challenge tracker option. More to follow :)

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Yes, I understand that, but still would like to be able to check the tracker a number of times during the month to see what the standings are, WITHOUT having to confirm whether or not they are signed up for for the monthly challenge.

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I've been giving this some thought since it seems that there is not a way to guarantee the tracker is only recording proper connections. I will try to track connections manually for this month, perhaps every 3 or 4 days or so and post it in the first comment box at the top of the page. I was hoping that I could use WikiTree + to track new connections, but I haven't figured that out yet.

I have tried going through each participant's contributions, but I only did it for the entire month, so it was a lot of work! If I do a few days at a time, it could be manageable. I'll gladly give it a shot.

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Tracking all the claims will be too much work! The way the system is set up, we can't stop a few entries getting through, but we should be able to limit the HIGH number of false claims piling up by a few individuals that makes them show up as the challenge leaders.

I think the trick is to monitor the earliest entries at the beginning of each month. And when any member reaches say 5 connection claims, then you look at their individual tracker results to verify that they are making proper global tree connections and not creating new profiles or just adding sources.

A message can then be sent to just those few individuals who are making errors to help them become aware of the Connectors Challenge rules. That will stop them from making any more wrong entries and rising up to show as the challenger leaders.

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In my experience, it takes time to do the research of making connections. For most people it's hard to make over 20 proper connections per month.

USUALLY when members start claiming 20 or more connection claims per month, it is because they are either creating new profiles or just adding sources without really making any new global tree connections.

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Lucy, have you sent a message to the leader yet ????

Because she is STILL adding sources to unconnected profiles and claiming there are a connection ... which is false. I did not check all her history, but the ones I did check were still unconnected even though they were claimed to be connected a number of days ago. It would be nice to at least have an accurate leader ... otherwise what is the purpose of the challenge tracker results ?

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We're working on this currently : )

Answer 4

Will try to get some done this month

1. Stoddard-2269 was connected to Stoddard-2725

Answer 5

I'm in for this month :)

Answer 6

I'm up for the challenge. Count me in.

Answer 7

Please count me in -- I'll try to get some done.

Answer 8

I will give it a shot.

Answer 9

I always look for connections and have found it tricky but I didn't know if I was part of this project I would get help with a yellow puzzle piece . So yes, sign me up thanks.

Answer 10

I'll see what I can do.

Answer 11

I have been trying to connect a notable who I believe is a cousin of my 3rd cousin's mother.

However he was born in India and her family seem to go to Ireland and his to Scotland https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ross-8831

He was involved in the development of the treatment of malaria and won a Nobel prize.

Comments

There's a photograph of a family wedding that he attended.  I need to add her parents to  WikiTree and will share more links.

Answer 12

I’ll participate in this months challenge but question - do I have to comment every time I make a connection?  That’s what the post makes it sound like and where do I comment?  Under my answer?

Answer 13

Jusr wanted to make sure I'm in for the month - didn't see my name.

Comments

Hi Cathleen!

Did you see the message I sent you earlier this month? The post above has a good set of instructions for what should be counted in the connectors challenge. Unlike the connect-a-thon, we are not counting adding new profiles to the tree, but instead we are counting connecting previously existing profiles to the main tree that are not already connected.

There's a link above that explains where to find unconnected profiles, but I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

You do have to sign up here for the challenge for your tracked numbers to count, so that's why you didn't see you name on my list.