Why lock ALL entries one addes to WikiTree

Question

Posting this question as to WikiTree Policy:

I don't wish to criticize anyone's methods that perhaps I simply don't understand, but I have to wonder why anyone would use WikiTree if they don't want to share any information with the outside world.

There are numerous entries being made by one individual for the surname Lynch that only list the birth decade and the death decade, and are completely locked.  The posting individual indicates his family tree is NOT on line. What would be a possible valid reason for this, as this apparently runs counter to the 'One World Tree' philosophy.

Comments

You are seeing decades on the profiles, but they probably have the exact year and / or date.  The system changes it to decades for profiles that are not open.

If the date is in the timeframe when a profile should be Open, then you can submit an Open Profile Request from the profile.  If it is within the timeframe, there is no requirement to keep it open.  Many people may want to keep their closer relatives locked so others do not update those profiles.

Answer 1

Profiles for living people are always locked and unlisted; profiles for relatively recently deceased people (often the parents or grandparents of those living folks) may also be private.  Only profiles of those who died more than 100 years ago must be open.  I agree that making multiple generations private does seem contrary to the aims of Wikitree, but it is acceptable according to Wikitree policies.

Answer 2

I have often seen questions from members who want to add or have added multiple living family members and have questions about them not being visible.

The usual answer is to look at the WT privacy rules and other governmental regulations about publishing info about living people.

I think that there are and have been many WT members who don't understand the concept of shared ancestors, perhaps some people are looking for a free alternative to other sites and think they have found it on WT.

The open privacy rule is died more than 100 years ago, so born under 150 years ago and died in 1923 or before. People who died in that time frame could possibly have been born in the 1870s and could include generations back to GGP.

There isn't any way to compel people to make profiles of those ancestors public.