Sourcerers Challenge (August 2021)

+23 votes
6.0k views

Hello, Sourcerers! It is time to start sourcing! Prior month Owl Stickers and Sourcerers Badges will be posted soon.

To participate:

  • Review the Rules
  • If you are new to the Sourcerers' Challenge, click the "Answer this post" button (not the comment link) and tell us you are participating

You only need to answer this month's post if you don't already have the Sourcerers' Badge. You are welcome to add an answer to ask questions or offer encouragement.

If you have a problem with the Tracker let us know by using the comment link to the question that opened this thread. 

USING THE TRACKER

The tracker should only be used when the profile meets the Monthly Challenge definition of Unsourced (see the Rules). Add a comment to the question if you are unsure if something counts as Unsourced. You can use either the Unsourced Profile Category or the DBE Report for Unsourced profiles to find profiles that will definitely qualify. The Orphaned profiles category is another great place to look for unsourced profiles. 

After you save an edit, a green banner appears at the top of the profile edit page with a dark “button” labeled Challenge Tracker is a link to the Tracker page. Click the link and, on the page that comes up, select Sourcerers challenge and click the appropriate hint in the right column (or fill in your own if none of the canned answers fit what you did). Click Add Action and you are finished. The Tracker records the number of profiles to which you have added sources. You can see the results for any monthly challenge using this link. The current month is at the bottom

http://wikitree.sdms.si/Challenges/SourcerersChallenge/default.htm

Remember, your sources need to be as full and specific as possible, so others find them useful. That means, if the source is online, you should link to it. If it is a page from a book, the page number should be included so others can easily see where you found the reference. Some books and magazines have free-space profiles to help with citation formats. Find them in the Source Category. If the book does not have a free-space profile, consider adding the WorldCat permalink to help others find the book.

When you can, it is great to do a bit more while adding sources, like clean up the GEDCOM leftovers or help the formatting from older profiles. Sources are important, but if you cannot find them among all the other stuff, they are not helping as much as they could.

If you attempt to add sources to a profile and cannot find any, please add a note under a == Research Notes == section (click the link for examples and instructions on placement) giving where you tried to find records. Something like "Looked for John in the US Census records for 1900-1940 and could not find him on FamilySearch or Ancestry" would be fine. Or, "Searched google for an obituary and did not find one." That way the next researcher knows where to start. Do not remove the Unsourced Template and do not use the tracker to count in your tally.

The Monthly Challenge runs from the first of the month and ends on the last day of the month, GMT time. 

The Current Challenge Tracker Results Page has up-to-the-minute stats for those of you using the Challenge Tracker.

http://wikitree.sdms.si/Challenges/SourcerersChallenge/20210801/User.htm

Ask any questions here in the thread, otherwise, SOURCE!

in The Tree House by Debi Hoag G2G6 Pilot (395k points)
retagged by Debi Hoag

Aleš, one of the sourcerers reported the following:

The Challenge Tracker is very slow in processing, Actually it just spins and spins (I know that is the incorrect term.) If one stops the page and refreshes it works but then double counts it.

38 Answers

+13 votes
count me in Deb
by Ann-Marie Hamblett G2G6 Pilot (108k points)
Thanks, Ann-Marie. I hope you're having a great Sourcerer month!
267 already
+14 votes
Hello,

I am not sure if I signed up or not, so could you please add me If I am not already on the list.

Thanks

Jeff M
by Jeff Michaelsen G2G6 Mach 2 (28.7k points)

Thanks for joining us, Jeff. The Tracker is working correctly for you. Thanks for adding sources and for removing the Unsourced template from profiles that already have sources. Your Sourcerers Badge will be awarded early in September. 

Please don't use the Tracker when adding sources to newly created profiles. The goal of this challenge is to get sources added to profiles that are already on WikiTree either without sources or with the unneeded template still in place. Let me know if you have any questions.
+14 votes
yes please
by Debbie Ferguson G2G6 Mach 1 (17.3k points)
You are not showing up in the Sourcerers Challenge Tracker yet, Debbie. I see that you have been active on WikiTree. Do you have any questions about how to source or use the Tracker?
I wish it was automatic, i do forget sometimes  because  I get side tracked with something else I saw, and then when I have tried to go back the option is not there anymore.
+14 votes

Happy to participatesmiley. Denise

by Denise Nevils G2G4 (4.9k points)

Thanks, D. I'll check early next week to make sure the Tracker is working correctly for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

You are not showing up in the Sourcerers Challenge Tracker yet, D. I see that you have been active on WikiTree. Do you have any questions about how to use the Tracker?
+14 votes

I'll join if OK, have been doing my first Saturday Sprint today and while it's more a tortoise pace than a sprint I have lots of help from Wikitreer Gillian [[Thomas-7679|Gillian Thomas]], so it would be good to keep going over the next few weeks on this learning curve smiley

by ClaireSuzy C G2G6 Mach 2 (29.1k points)

Thanks, Claire. The Tracker is working correctly for you. Thanks for adding the first source to a qualifying profile. Your Sourcerers Badge will be awarded early in September. And a big thanks to Gillian for helping Claire get started.

Adding links to other profiles in G2G doesn't work as it does in profiles. Here you type the name, then highlight it and click the link in the button bar (to the left of the picture icon). A popup window will open for you to paste the full URL (not just the Wiki ID) to their profile. Click OK after that and you'll have a link.

Thanks Debi, yeah I couldn't figure out the linking but have just practiced on you for next time..

I can see the tracker too, I've read the rules but can you confirm (or deny wink) what happens as you're going through connected profiles of unsourced ones, as you do with all this linking business.. and you start adding related sources to them, mainly gedcom imports so far, that don't actually have the unsourced tag .. but they actually don't have any sources, I've still been registering them on the tracker 

I'm not fussed about the count tbh as I like to just "humanize" these profiles especially as there is usually a comment requesting (and so shows in the sources) someone to do so .. just wondering is all x

Yep, sourcing those connected profiles and using the tracker on them is fine as long as there ise not already a source. Some GEDCOM imports have things like "1900 Census" or "England Baptisms." We don't track those as the "source" is there, even if it is really ugly and mainly useless.
+14 votes
Although I’m new to wikitree I’d like to volunteer for this challenge.
by Darlene Serrick G2G6 (8.6k points)

Thanks, Darlene. I'll check early next week to make sure the Tracker is working correctly for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

I appreciate you following up with me, Thank you.  The process will be slow for me until I get comfortable; is there a tutorial to guide me?  Thanks again,
Hi Darlene

Take a look at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Sources

Also check the rules in the challenge post above

Happy sourcing

Janet

Janet's given some good advice, Darlene. If you like YouTube videos, Mags Gaulden created one on using the RootsSearch tool and Julie Ricketts create one on the same tool plus using the Tracker. Julie's will start at the Tracker portion but the whole thing is worth watching. Just make sure, when using the Tracker, that you choose the Sourcerers Challenge.

Thank you

Thanks, Darlene. The Tracker is working correctly for you. Thanks for adding the first sources to qualifying profiles. Your Sourcerers Badge will be awarded early in September. 

Thank you for letting me know the Tracker is working,  Darlene
+11 votes
Please count me in for August. Thank you.
by Robin Shaules G2G Astronaut (1.5m points)
Will do, Robin. Thanks!
+14 votes
count me in for this month
by Arthur Samel G2G6 Mach 1 (10.7k points)
Thanks, Arthur. Have fun!
+13 votes
Signing up for the month of August 2021. Thanks!
by Sandra Davidson G2G6 Pilot (189k points)
Thanks, Sandra. Have fun!
+13 votes
Hi Debi, please sign me up for August 2021. Thanks!
by Carol Baldwin G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
All signed up, Carol. Thanks and have fun!
+12 votes
I like to participate this month. Please sign me up
by Niek Boevé G2G6 Pilot (189k points)
Great to have you with us again, Niek. Have fun!
+13 votes
Will give it a go
by Jesse Beamon G2G6 Mach 4 (42.1k points)
Thanks, Jesse. Have fun!
+12 votes
Sign me up Debi
by Janet Wild G2G6 Pilot (331k points)
Got you signed up, Janet. Good luck and have fun!
+13 votes
Can I please be added in again thank you?
by Dianne Fullerton G2G6 Mach 1 (12.4k points)
We would love to have yuo again, Dianne. Have fun & Good luck!
Thank you so much for including me again.
+10 votes
I'll join the challenge this month.
by Star Kline G2G6 Pilot (720k points)
Thanks, Star. Have fun!
+12 votes
I would like to participate in the Sourcerers Challenge for August.  Is it too late to join?
by Sara Palmeter G2G6 Mach 2 (21.3k points)
Never too late to join, Sara. I'll check early next week to make sure the Tracker is working correctly for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The Tracker is working correctly for you, Sara. Thanks for adding the first sources to qualifying profiles. Your Sourcerers Badge will be awarded early in September. 

+12 votes
Count me in as well Deb.
by Elaine Mattsen G2G6 Mach 5 (57.2k points)
Will do, Elaine. Have fun!
Sourcing flat out at the moment in Gloucestershire and had some doozy profiles - one with an incorrect wife. Don't want too many more Ba profiles like that one.  (Not swearing they're the dreaded profiles for me)
+11 votes

I will try out being a Sourcerer this month.

by Vik-Thor Rose G2G6 Mach 3 (34.3k points)
Good for you - good luck and enjoy
Welcome, Vik-Thor. I'll check early next week to make sure the Tracker is working correctly for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The Tracker is working correctly for you, Vik-Thor. Thanks for adding the first sources to qualifying profiles. Your Sourcerers Badge will be awarded early in September. 

+11 votes
I should be able to work in a few this month!
by Mel Bishop G2G6 Mach 7 (70.8k points)
Thanks, Mel, have fun!
+11 votes

This morning has been fun, not much sources added (Yet!!) however I clicked on an unsourced profile from my area of interest, with a name I didn't recognise.. and from there went with the flow 

I spent quite a few hours rebuilding the family on familysearch, to try to ascertain the sources (someone had decided to detach all children, but not their sources ) and my OCD intervened

after I had rebuilt the family and found a Census, and then an MI, connection between 2 brothers that was otherwise lost .. I thought to check my own family file for the name (Littlejohn) and guess what!!!

yep a distant relation previously unconnectable because of the split up of the records and sources

I'm not sure how to post pics but I had  3 Littlejohns in my original Gedcom (though I didn't recognise the name at the time) and all 3 are now connected just by following an unsourced profile link heart

by ClaireSuzy C G2G6 Mach 2 (29.1k points)
That's great, Claire. Sorry about the late reply on your note about how to post pictures. If someone else hasn't already helped, let me know.

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