Communication before editing: When should you contact the Profile Manager?

+36 votes
673 views

WikiTreers,

This question is often debated and it's never easy to answer:

Should you contact the Profile Manager before editing a profile they manage, or just go ahead and make the change?

Here's a draft of a new page with recommendations:

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Communication_Before_Editing

What do you think?

Chris

in Policy and Style by Chris Whitten G2G Astronaut (1.5m points)
edited by Mags Gaulden
Chris, the info on the page looks good and seems logical. It also mirrors my thought process as I try to contact someone who is active and discuss any changes or additions before acting to get a feel for what they may, or may not, have discovered.
Nicely done. I like it. Great work you two.

The only item I see that might be worth expanding on (possibly not on this page but linked from it) is when you say "In your comment on the change..."

My observation is that many people overlook the "explain your changes" box on the edit tab, and on a very cursory look through the help files I do not see it mentioned anywhere (although I may well have overlooked it) - I think it would be beneficial to bring (more?) attention to that box so that people do not confuse it with profile comments on the profile view tabs.

That looks great to me -- only possible suggestion is replace "the source" with "your source" (in the "Your confidence level" section)

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Schmeeckle-1
What Rob Ton said; I'd like to see us emphasize use of the "reason for editing" box far more than we do.
I agree too ... any way to make an entry into the 'reason' box a requirement?  Not that some folks wouldn't just put in a space anyway, but it may prompt some better input.
I agree on the re-emphasis on the use of the reason box.   That is where I normally put information on what I changed, so that people don't have to hunt for what was changed in the changes tab.
I also echo the need to put more emphasis on the "reason for editing", maybe a link that says "Why should I explain my changes?" that opens up all the courtesy stuff. :)
Great. I've made Communication Before Editing "official" by adding it to the Styles and Standards category.
 
I added links from it to a new page: Change Explanations. There's not much there right now. Any suggestions for additions?
 
Someday soon we should start a discussion on whether the Change Explanation should be mandatory, or perhaps mandatory if the bio/sources/text/narrative was touched.

Now that the basics are settled, here's a new G2G question for a "harder case": Should you ask before making improvements to the writing style on an Open profile?

 

1 Answer

+12 votes
 
Best answer
Chris and Dennis, this ia great guideline for communicating and collaborating here on WikiTree.  It is well written and concise and will certainly help to keep conflicts to a minimum.

Thanks very much!

Mags
by Mags Gaulden G2G6 Pilot (638k points)
selected by Maggie N.

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