When someone asks to be added to a Trusted List, what information should they provide?

Question

I tried to find an answer to this without success.

I don't see anywhere advice to people who want to request access to the Trusted List.

I just received a message from someone wanting to be added to a particular Trusted list. But that's all the message said. There was no explanation.  Seems like the request form should have a field for reason or explanation.

I believe that when I've requested to be added to the Trusted List, I typically add a comment such as "I'm descended from this person through their son John and have a lot of research to contribute; please add me to the Trusted List."

If a "reason" field were included that would encourage people to say more about why they want to be added.

Or perhaps there is such a field, and this person just skipped it.

In any case, I'm hesitant to grant a request without some explanation.

What do others do?

Thanks.

Comments

I went looking for an answer to this question today, because I got a suspicious-looking request: a guest user with a name I do not recognize, requesting to be put on the Trusted List for two people famous enough to have Wikipedia profiles.

I've honored requests, and made them, and in both cases, the requests don't come out of the blue: we've encountered one another on Wikitree before. The profile manager can see how the requesting user and the profile subject are related. We've both worked on other profiles around the one in question.

An appropriate request will give enough information for you to know why this user is making this request, and will come from someone with a demonstrated interest that clearly includes this profile.

Giving the requester the benefit of the doubt, I asked him how we are related. (I will ask him in follow up, how he's related to the profile subjects, since they and I are not kin.) When I'm satisfied that he is who he says he is, and has the ability to meaningfully contribute to the profiles he's asked for access to, I will put him on the Trusted List. Putting up his own family tree would be a start.

Answer 1

Hi Jillaine,

There is a comment form and a line that says: "You may wish to include personal comments in this textbox to help identify yourself and your interest in X."

We could word that more strongly.

I think the need for an explanation depends heavily on the privacy level. An Open profile of a deep ancestor shouldn't be tightly controlled. A Private profile of a living person needs to be carefully managed.

Chris

Comments

This is good guidance. Thanks. And actually, it raises a related question that I should have added. Deep ancestor profiles (200+ years old) are already open. So why would one need to request to be on the Trusted List on an open profile?

Example: Burley-190

---

Any Wiki Genealogist (signer of the Honor Code) can edit an Open Profile, but you do need to be on the Trusted List to merge. And only the Profile Manager can change the Privacy Level.

---

Got it! Thanks!

I've just approved my first request! ;-)

Answer 2

I've never thought of this. I never provide an explanation when I'm sending a request, and I just automatically grant requests I receive. Maybe I'm in the minority on that, though? I figure I can always remove someone later if they're vandalising or something.

Comments

I agree with Lianne's position on this, after all, this is a Wiki.

---

Had one person send me such a request to be on my trusted list, we share one remote ancestor that I could tell, no other connection.  I ignored it, it's not like I do a lot of work with the person who asked.