Is this a good GEDCOM strategy?

Question

I inherited my father's Family Tree Maker tree with 2030 entries that goes back to 1100AD. Unfortunately due to multiple version updates I can't work with the file in FTM so I had the MacKiev company convert it to GEDCOM for me and I now have a GEDCompare report with 1244 suggested matches and 108 entries prior to 1700.

This data was my father's lifes work - he travelled all over Australia and the UK visiting cemeteries and churches and finding primary sources of data. I would really like to share it with the WT community.

On initial review of suggested matches, I already came across some matches that have been authored by people I know to be related to my tree but have passed away and/or don't respond to PM's to collaborate on merging. What should be my strategy here if some data conflicts?

Also, I am planning/working through 100% of suggestions first so the Action Buttons will appear in my table and I can more easily work through it and add the data, then earn my Pre-1500 badge, and then add the early entries back to 1100.

Does this all sound like a good approach?

It occurred to me, a great tool for collaboration would be if I could shared my GEDCompare Report and invite collaborators to review and comment on my merge/edit suggestions, rather than working solo in isolation. Does such a WT tool already exist?

Comments

If a profile for someone is already on Wikitree and not locked you can skip merging it,  and just edit it.  I would be doing that, but I am not sure how the gedcom thing works really since I am a "one at a time using the WBE tools and sourcerer etc from my other trees" person.

Happy to help out if you want volunteers and find there's a way...  Sue

Answer 1

The match and merge can be complex. The required action likely will come down to what needs to be added or changed. If it is a minor update with supporting sources, then it likely ok to make the changes. If it is much more, maybe add the information under Research Notes and send a message to the manager. Keep a list of these and come back after you have finished to assess them further. Hoping some have been fixed. If there is no manager, then make the changes if your confidence level is high.

I suspect you will find some profiles are in conflict with your information and you will want to do more research.

Comments

Thank you. What is the correct protocol for when i find an existing entry to merge/update but the manager is dead and their email address has been orphaned? How does WT cleanup and deprecate managers / authors who are no longer active?

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Hopefully, you have not found too many deceased WikiTreers, but you could write to Info@wikitree.com to report your findings.

Help:Death of a Member (wikitree.com)

Answer 2

I would suggest breaking your gedcom into more smaller sections, large gedcoms are hard to work with and get all suggestions ticked off.

 Rootsmagic has a free version that ought to do this, there are other programs.

Answer 3

I personally think the gedcompare route is way too hard.  I prefer to add a profile at a time.   My databases is rather large and I may never finish.  I do find many individuals in my gedcom already have profiles, less work for me.

Each to their own way of doing things.

I often wonder if there could be a semi secure site on Wikitree that gedcoms left to us by previous researchers could be stored and worked on by the WikiTree Community.