Duplication of profiles [closed]

Question

I came across a couple and maybe a third profile that looks like a duplicate. The problem is that a merge could cause a problem, as connected generations could be tossed into the wrong families. The profiles have not been maintained or researched well. I hesitate to propose changes to the profile managers as I don't see any easy fix here. Maybe a data doctor could check into this? If someone could respond with a private message it would be great.

Comments

I tagged your question, and I included the "arborists" tag, because the Arborists (not Data Doctors) are the WikiTree team that deals with complex merge problems. In any event, if you want help you should identify the profile(s) you want help with.

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You may not have noticed, but that is specifically why I asked for a private message (re-read). I had done this to avoid embarrassing the manager of the profile in question. but that's just me. I wont make that mistake again. By the way don't worry about the profiles, I wont either.

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You didn't mention that this was a sensitive matter requiring confidentiality. We frequently see situations where families are scrambled and duplicate profiles have been created, for diverse reasons. And it is common for members to post here seeking help with the mechanics of resolving the situation. As with your situation, additional research often is needed to get the people sorted out correctly.  That's the kind of situation your question appeared to describe. These are not situations of pointing fingers at another member for having made mistakes; rather, they are a pretty routine part of keeping the tree healthy. If this is the kind of help you need, the Arborists Project is likely to be able to help you.

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I believe Mark's point, in requesting a private message rather than identifying the profiles, was Discussion Rule #2, which says not to criticize individuals in a public message.  Describing the profiles as being not maintained or researched well, and then linking one of them, would have identified the profile manager.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Discussion_Rules

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It is not a secret that there are countless poorly sourced profiles in Wikitree. Many -- probably most -- instances of tangled family trees involve insufficient sourcing.

There are few among us who are not named profile manager on some very poorly sourced profiles. There should be no shame in that, and mention of those profiles as poorly sourced should not be received as personal criticism of the named profile manager. And if we couldn't discuss problem profiles openly, much less progress would be made in resolving our knottier genealogical questions.

If Mark is having difficulty working with another individual, that should be treated as confidential, and he should refer to Help: Problems With Members. However,  because  he asked for a Data Doctor to write to him, I have to assume his issue was with website features or genealogy, not an interpersonal conflict.

Answer 1

What profiles are you concerned about?  If you post the IDs, others can look and review them.