Poll: improving genealogietools.nl

Question

The formatter tool for WieWasWie records has been used by 5-15 people per day in the last few weeks. I would like to thank everyone for using it, testing it, and giving me feedback. The aim of the formatter tool is to make it easier (and faster) to create full source citations for records found on WieWasWie, including all required data and a link back to the archives that hold the records.

I have been playing with the options that WikiTree+ and the API currently offer for combining data. I have also been creating profiles myself using the tool, and I got some new ideas on improving the ease of creating biographies. But those are just my ideas. So, as long as I can spend time on programming genealogietools.nl, I would like to spend my time on improvements and additions that will be used by more genealogists than just me.

Hence the question here:

Which described feature below in the answers is the next thing you would like to be added to genealogietools.nl?

Please vote on the one answer that suits your wish most, or add a new answer with another feature. If you want to explain your choice, add a comment to the answer. Please do not post comments with new suggestions, start a new answer instead. That will make it much easier for me to track the requests.

Please also note that genealogietools.nl is a private project and I can not make promises on which feature will be implemented and which one will be available first. I will do my best to keep you al updated on progress.

Comments

Michel,

My first remark is thank you for creating this. And although I've some minor text adjustments that I would like to suggest, I'm already also a 'heavy' user .

My second question is if a solution like this is also possible for the Open-Arch website?

In addition to my remark on the word 'Permalink', is it possible to change the sentence 'had x children' in 'had (at least) x children'? Because that is mostly the case.

Answer 1

Show standard sentences when I add a document. I can then copy-paste those sentences in the biography.

Examples:

1. Jan was born in 1856. He is the son of Johannes and Marietje.
2. Johannes married 22 year old Marietje at the age of 25.
3. Jan died at the age of 66.

Answer 2

Add link to the document on OpenArch.

The source citation now gives a link back to wiewaswie and the archive. Please add the link to the document on OpenArch, if possible.

Example: (with wrong data!)

<ref name="BSHu89736">Burgerlijke Stand Huwelijk 1854, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland. Akte Reg.9 fol. 90 (1854-08-09), Noord-Hollands Archief accessed via [https://www.wiewaswie.nl/detail/35489736 WieWasWie Permalink], [https://www.openarch.nl/saa:98533442-4b86-56a3-e053-b784100ade19 OpenArch permalink]</ref>

Comments

Michel,

Ismit possible to change the word 'Permalink' in which source it is? Like Birth, Marriage, Deeds, Death, Census etc?

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I usually have the citation ordered chronologically, and I like to highlight the event type, so I add (right after the ">") strings like  '''Birth''' -  , or '''Huwelijk''' - , etc. See https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Van_Rens-3

Also considering adding the event year, so '''Birth yyyy''' -

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I agree with Margreet en Jan. The word "Permalink" doesn't add anything for me. But the addition of "birth/marriage/ death" and the year says a lot more. I haven't  used your app till now because it didn't mention it.

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This has been implemented at version 2021.3.4

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Michel,

Maybe I'm wrong, but it still mentiones permalink and not marriage, birth or death?

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@Margreet. Yes, and that will not change soon. Take a marriage record. That can be used as a source for multiple events:

* Marriage of bride
* Marriage of groom
* Names of parents
* Birth date (estimate)
* Birth location
* Profession

Of course most of the times it is used for the marriage itself, but that is not the only intended use. So it should be an inline reference to each fact/event it is linked to.

So personally I do not like the addition of a word that restricts its use, as it opens up the use in the listing of sources, not as an inline source (which is the way it should be used as we teach students)

So the comments have changed the proposed option, (add permalink to OpenArch), which I have taken as support for the first option here (standard sentences) or a fully new request: support the use as it has grown here on WikiTree. The latter is much harder to program, so you all need to be patient

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Hi Michael,

I understand your explanation about the fact that the source can be used as a source for multiple facts and events. So I will keep changing the word permalink myself.

But what is the meaning of referring the wiewaswie records to the Openarch record? Aren't they just 2 sources to the same record or does it have a different purpose?

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Of course most of the times it is used for the marriage itself, but that is not the only intended use. So it should be an inline reference to each fact/event it is linked to.

Yes, inline reference, but defined only once, second and subsequent references with the <ref name=x/> construct. No reason to duplicate citations only for the reason of attaching to different events.

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@ Margreet. The idea I have is that people like to see the source document on different websites. Some prefer wiewaswie, others OpenArch (see one of my first posts where some claimed one was better than the other). For me, both are just repositories and the archive link is the one that should be mentioned at least as that is the real location for the document.

@Jan, for sure. You will still need to manually adjust the named citation to include the /. We are moving this topic a bit off topic, but providing more preformatted texts is on the list, including a version with just the named reference.

Answer 3

Show the WikiTree profiles where a record is used (reverse search).

Create a page where I can enter a WieWasWie URL and then show the profile on WikiTree where this record is present in the Biography.

Comments

I'm not sure, but isn't this also possible using Wikitree+?

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Yes it is. That would actually be the way I would implement it, as it is not possible to search for data inside the biography via the API of WikiTree. WikiTree+ does offer the search for strings inside the Biography.

So that made me wonder: would you rather go to WikiTree and search there, or see it on another website that is focussed on Dutch links/sources?

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If it is possible to connect to all Dutch resources that would be great (however I guess that's Utopia)

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I doubt one can search any string in bio with WikiTree+. AKAIK only specific string types like category names, template invocations, GEDCOM filenames are searched for.

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This function is now present in the format tool. A match is shown when found. Currently a snapshot of the data end of November 2020 is used, in future the data should be updated weekly.

Answer 4

Create a data suggestions page, where data from WikiTree profiles is compared to the data in WieWasWie documents.

This would show a page with suggestions, similar to the DataDoctors page on WikiTree+, with data suggestions/errors.

Example: A WieWasWie marriage document URL is used on a biography and parents are not present yet on the profile. Suggestion would then be: add X as father with this name/dob/place.

Example: A WieWasWie marriage document URL is used on a biography of a profile that has a birthdate but incomplete location. The suggestion would be to add the placename.

Comments

I like this one as a way to check on profiles I created, and see where the "holes" are, and where more work is needed. I don't always remember to add the "needs=Profiles Created" sticker.  Being able to sort or filter that list by PM would be nice.

BTW, thanks for creating this tool, I've been using it a lot, and it's turned me from a mostly OpenArchives user to a mostly WieWasWie user!

Answer 5

Stop with this project and move your code to WikiTree+ or the apps page here on WikiTree.

Please explain why with a comment.

Answer 6

Hi Michel, first of all: Thank YOU!

I'm using this formatter almost daily and it worked a charm during the Source-a-thon. Good to ready there are more users and there are no conflicts/strange results.

Comments

Thanks, glad you are liking and using it

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Idee? Kan je een scherm maken met drie velden, waarin de bronnen kunnen worden geplakt voor geboorte, huwelijk en dood? Er is dan al veel klaar te zetten voor eenvoudige overname in een nieuw WT profiel, en misschien kan dat zelfs automagisch? Een startpunt kan dan zijn de biografie iets meer voor te koken: X (degene die op alle drie de bronnen voorkomt) was zoon/dochter van XP en XM (ouders komen vaak ook op de drie bronnen voor)

Hij/zij trouwde Y zoveel jaar oud

Hij/zij overleed op leeftijd ..

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Goed idee. En eigenlijk is dit op de achtergrond al een beetje (!) werkzaam. Ik wilde het hier nog niet als idee posten, omdat het nog een beetje vroeg is.

Als je in bent voor echt testen (dus inclusief feedback geven, tegen irritante zaken aanlopen en geduldig zijn) dan ben je van harte welkom om te komen testen. PM met meer info is onderweg.

Answer 7

One possible enhancement would be to provide the option to format it for a bulleted list. When adding a source to a profile someone else is managing, if they use a list of sources rather than inline, I add the source in the same style.

Answer 8

This is a phenomenal tool!

I am using it on my computer as I unfortunately can't copy the wiewaswie link on my iPhone and I use my iPhone much more than my Mac.

But hey! Well done for this wonderful tool.