Using a later GED file to update an earlier version

+5 votes
307 views
Previously I successfully uploaded a GED file, in which only had basic data (e.g. not full dates).

SInce that time I have made many corrections off line, and created a new GED file. As expected when I uploaded it. I got nearly all of the records as matches. You can appreicate that I wanted to deliberately create a duplicate profile for later merging (with myself owning the old and new profiles).

But the rules say that I cannot have more than 10 matches that are not marked as skipped. Which totally defeated my objectives.

Does this mean that I now have to manually make all the edits (and there are hundreds!) on the exiisting profiles?
in WikiTree Tech by David Wilson G2G5 (5.9k points)
edited by David Wilson

3 Answers

+2 votes
Yes. It will probably be easier than the first time you went through them cleaning up your gedcom.
by Anne B G2G Astronaut (1.4m points)
+2 votes
Yes. Have a super day!
by Keith Hathaway G2G6 Pilot (648k points)
+2 votes
It is aginst the honor code to create duplicate profiles just to merge them later.  What you should be doing instead is adding your data to the existing profiles that you already found or created on here.  It would have been much easier to do that than it would have been to create a new GEDCOM file and try to upload it.  When I joined I uploaded a GEDCOM file that was worse than you described, at that time dates were not required, and the resulting cleanup and adding sources made me understand that it is much easier to just do everything manually on here than to mess with GEDCOM's
by Dale Byers G2G Astronaut (1.8m points)

In no way have I deliberately set out to violate the honor code!  Indeed, having re-read the code, I had thought it was in everyone's interest that true and correct data be the end result.

It is not at all clear that skipping matches for deliberate later merging is "against the honor code." Indeed, in the matching process, it is offered as an option!
It is only when I try to upload the approved matches that I get the message that only 10 matches not marked skipped is permissible. I believe that WikiTree should make an exception for profiles that are managed by the same person.

I think the compare and merge process is excellent, where you can select which field overrides the other.  Perfect for my particular situation of "bulk upgrading" my own managed profiles.

To now go through every profile and manually change things and enter the new sources is a big ask. 

My primary database for development and editing is not WikiTree. As an honor code signatory, I do want WikiTree to benefit from my considerable research, but not at the considerable cost of re-entering complex data all over again.

Surely it would be better for WikiTree in its help section about GED files to make some clear statement along the lines that all data should be as complete as possible before a GED file import be considered, as no deliberate merges of later versions are possible.

David I meant no offense with my answer but it is, unfortunately, true that you will have to enter all of the information manually. You can only have 10 duplicate profiles in any GEDCOM file and this was done to minimize the problems with duplicate profiles. Every profile created is assigned a profile number and WikiTree does not reassign numbers after a merge but they result in a redirect. I am not sure about what happens but there is a limit as to how many times a redirect can happen without messing up the system and that is why duplicate profiles are frowned upon. Even if you did merge every profile you would have to go back to every profile merged and select the correct information from the two to select the proper data for the top section and then after the merge is complete you would have to edit the biography section to remove the unwanted information there and add or edit the sources. That is why it is actually less work to just add new profiles manually or edit existing profiles on here. I did not make the rules about GEDCOMS and agree that the help section could be better but we do agree that having we do want the best sourced information about any profile on here. It is not the easiest system and has a long learning curve but WikiTree not the worst or most restrictive of the genealogy sites out there and I hope that you will continue because I do believe that you can and will contribute a lot here.

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