Help, I’m not a genealogist and I shouldn’t have signed to that level.

+13 votes
393 views
I’m new here and definitely should have remained in the family research category, not the genealogist category.  How do I correct that?

Thanks, Rebecca
in WikiTree Help by Rebecca Berg G2G Crew (550 points)

6 Answers

+17 votes
 
Best answer
Rebecca, you did the right thing by signing the Honor Code. That does not mean you are a "professional" genealogist but is necessary to have full privileges on WikiTree. You can now add unlimited ancestors and family to your branch of the tree.

Welcome to WT and I hope you enjoy your journey here. Like Kristina said, take your time and watch the videos and/or read the provided material and when in doubt, ask. We are all here to help!
by Virginia Fields G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
selected by Patricia Roche
Thanks so much for the answer star, Patricia! I appreciate it and I hope it helps Rebecca as I love helping new members.
+14 votes
Rebecca, you are welcome here at whatever level you consider yourself. You can work at your own pace, no matter the level.

So, Welcome to WikiTree.

Use the links sent to you on your profile page. Use the ʻHelpʻ menu above to discover things.

Be sure to come back here to G2G with any questions you have. There is always someone to help you,
by Kristina Adams G2G6 Pilot (437k points)
+11 votes
Relax, the most you can do is make a correctable mistake and learn. You don't need to Wiki any certain way. Follow the guidelines (Honor Code) and avoid preventable mistakes. Remember: A stopped clock is right twice a day! I almost forgot--Enjoy
by K Smith G2G6 Pilot (455k points)
+8 votes
As K Smith said, "Relax, the most you can do is make a correctable mistake and learn."  Let me add -- we've ALL done that, no matter how much previous experience we had!  So relax, go at your own pace, have fun, and ask questions whenever you need to.
by Nan Starjak G2G6 Pilot (428k points)
+10 votes
Oh, Rebecca, I beg to differ with you.  You ARE TOO a genealogist - namely, a person with an interest in genealogy.  If you did not have any interest in genealogy, you would not have joined WikiTree.  Obviously, there are different levels of genealogists, ranging from just starting to pursue their own family history to professionals who charge for applying their considerable expertise to research problems that other genealogists found unsolvable.

WikiTree names its membership levels as guest, family member, and Wiki genealogist.  These, too, have nothing to do with the level of expertise of the members, but only with their interest in using the WikiTree website.  WikiTree welcomes everyone, but because we have one single tree here for everyone to share, it is necessary to protect the data from inaccurate or undocumented changes made by people who either don't understand what we're all about or don't know enough about what they're doing or - it pains me to say - the rare case of someone who wants to deliberately vandalize the data that is here.

When someone signs up to join, they are designated a guest member.  This level has pretty strict limits on what they can see and do on WikiTree.  It doesn't matter how much they do or don't know about genealogy - the only thing that matters is how well they understand what WikiTree is about.  A guest member is free to upgrade to a family member at will, but they will have been presented with enough information about WikiTree to be trusted to work on their own family.  When a family member signs the Honor Code, they are officially designated a wiki genealogist and are then able to edit all profiles that have open privacy, in order to contribute to our tree of over two million profiles.

By asking this question, you have clearly demonstrated your understanding of the responsibilities of full members - those designated "wiki genealogists".  Now, go forth and increase your experience ... whenever you have a question, feel free to ask here.  With many thousands of members all over the world who have widely varying areas of expertise, someone is sure to be able to provide the answer and, when that happens, your experience will have just had an increment.  Before you know it, you'll see questions that you can answer.  You are now part of (what I have found to be) an incredible community of knowledgeable and caring people - I'm thrilled to welcome you here!
by Gaile Connolly G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
+5 votes
The simple answer is the best way to correct the situation is to upskill, a lot of Wikitree involves learning by doing.

That's where I started seven years ago ( and 3 days into year eight), Wikitree is complex and takes a fair bit of learning but has lots of features not available on the paid sites. (and I'm still learning, and fixing mistakes I made years ago).

 Help can be confusing at times, but G2G is a good place to ask for help or guidance and there are a lot of people willing to provide advice.

 I'm still learning, and asking for help when I need it.
by Gary Burgess G2G6 Pilot (155k points)

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