Is there a protocol for granting trusted list status when there are multiple managers and current trusted collaborators?

+10 votes
268 views

Should request for trusted list status be submitted via private message to one individual, or submitted via a comment on a relevant profile? Is the decision to grant trusted list status a collaborative decision?

Both of the above questions have implications I've not seen addressed.

The profile in question is Project Protected.

And yes, I have seen the recent G2G discussion that seems to imply trusted list status is an implied right. However, the instructions on the privacy tab of profiles clearly state the privilege ought not be freely given, and actually cautions against doing so.


10/02/15 Postscript:

I conclude I have the responsibility as one of the profile managers of Mathurine Godé's profile to approve Claude Lambert's request to be added to the trust list. Further, I have elevated his status to profile manage.

WikiTree profile: Mathurine Godé
in Policy and Style by George Blanchard G2G6 Mach 9 (95.6k points)
reopened by George Blanchard

George, you wrote: "the instructions on the privacy tab of profiles clearly state the privilege ought not be freely given, and actually cautions against doing so." Where are you seeing this? I'm looking at the Privacy page of Mathurine Gaudet and I see no place where that is written or implied. 

Jillaine, very soon after posting my inquiry I wanted to document precisely that point, only to discover whatever page I had minutes before read was evidently not the privacy tab of a profile. An attempt to relocate the correct page resulted in finding page http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/List_additions, part of which I added to this discussion. I'll continue my endeavor to find the precise page I misidentified as a profile edit page.

Thank you for calling me out on my error.

Oh I believe you saw it somewhere; I want to know where it is, because wikitree help text should be consistent. And if it's not, we need to bring it to the attention of the help page people.

If, as stated at http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Trusted_List_FAQ “Trusted Lists work somewhat like 'friends lists' on social networking sites such as Facebook.”, then one could reasonably assume we can choose whom to trust on the WikiTree.

Personally, I see consistency in what appears on WikiTree guidance pages regarding trust list status. It is on G2G where I see the contrary statements.

Has anyone reported otherwise?

 

(Yes! I'm still looking for “that” page)

Additional personal observations and opinions:

The page http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unresponsive_Profile_Managers contains this: “What if you don't get any response to your Trusted List requests or Private Messages”?

Nothing on the Unresponsive Profile Managers advisory page indicates the required response must be in the affirmative, only that a response is required. If the Unresponsive Profile Managers advisory page stated the response must be granted, then it would be contradicting the trust list advisory page it appends to itself by referring readers to for further guidance. From my perspective, the structure of the advice is thus: 1/ You are an unresponsive profile manager if you do not reply, and 2/ if the communication regards trust list status, the manager has these options available for a response.

I have not found any reference whatsoever on the thus far discovered trust list advisory pages that mention unresponsive profile managers. Therefore people that reply with any option made available on those trust list advisory pages ought not be deemed an unresponsive profile manager, because they have fully complied with the entire directive they are asked to follow in responding. From my perspective, the structure of the advice is: you can answer a request for trusted list status yes or no and you have fully complied with this directive.

I cannot make my inquiry any simpler:

Yes or no? Are policy and practice regarding trust list status in agreement?

Practice is in agreement with policy only to the extent that:

  • The policy is clearly stated and explained
  • People know what the policy is
  • People follow the policy
  • The powers that be enforce the policy
I'm not sure the Trusted List policy and practice meets all those criteria. 
Jillaine, thank you for your participation.

I'm closing the topic and yielding to the liberal practice of approving trust list request for open profiles.

Eureka! I've found the WikiTree cautionary directive I mistakenly said could be found by opening the privacy tab of a profile page. Well! Actually, the directive found me.

I received a trust list request this morning. The message contains the aforementioned cautionary statement. It reads: “If you do not know and trust” (this named individual) “simply ignore this request or...”.


10/04/15 additional observations:

Concerning trust list request, on each members' Invitations and Request page we read:

“See Unresponsive Profile Managers if your attempts at contact are ignored” and “We do not have a system for rejecting others' requests. You may want to contact the member to explain why you haven't approved them. See Approving Requests for valid and invalid reasons.”

The Approving Requests page is actually an “Early draft”, last worked on 25 November 2014 that as of this moment has been referenced 718 times, presumably for guidance.

2 Answers

+4 votes
There is a trusted list request on the Privacy tab on each profile. Sending a request via this means automatically goes to all the profile managers for the profile.
by S Willson G2G6 Pilot (218k points)
Informative observation. Thanks! You have indeed answered the title of my posting.

The additional questions within the body of the communication await answers, as they are the questions that precipitated my inquiry.
I just use that means to request to be added to the TL. Usually at least one person will approve my request. If I "knew" one of the profile managers personally, though, I would just send that person a request.
+4 votes

Some answers from the page http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/List_additions:

"Other WikiTree members may request to be added to a Trusted List by clicking the link on a profile page."

"If you're a Profile Manager you'll receive an e-mail with the request, which you can ignore or approve."

WikiTree's answers, not mine.

by George Blanchard G2G6 Mach 9 (95.6k points)

Those instructions are premised on the assumption that the Trusted List request is for a profile that is private (or at least not "Open"). If I got a Trusted List request for my grandmother's profile from someone I've never heard of, I would ask the person who they are and why they are interested. Unless they turn out to be a hitherto-unknown cousin, I probably would ignore it, because I don't want them messing with my grandmother's bio or because I might not trust them to see personal details that possibly could be used in an identity theft for one of my close relatives.

Those same trust considerations should not apply if someone wants to be on the Trusted List for the Open profile of my 4G grandmother. The recent discussion has focused on Trusted Lists for Open profiles. I've submitted a lot of TL requests for Open profiles of my ancestors because I want to watchlist those profiles, and I find it frustrating when those requests are ignored.

Ellen, we are in agreement that the above mentioned G2G inquiry concerned an open profile. However, it is not at all stated on the WikiTree's guidance page at http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/List_additions  that “These instructions are premised on the assumption that the Trusted List request is for a profile that is private (or at least not "Open")”, as you state in your opening sentence. Maybe it should. But it does not. The implication being the guidance regards profiles in general.

My inquiry was posted because I continually see exceedingly liberal views expressed about trust list approval, despite the fact WikiTree states managers have the option of disapproving and even removing the status.

If trusted list request are liberally approved by a co-manager I share a profile with, then what recourse would I have if I had withheld approve because the request was from a vindictive former spouse, there has been a protection from abuse order issued, the requester has been harassing me via email, or I'm being cyber-stalked on the WikiTree. In such circumstances, I would remove the individual from the trusted list, and feel no obligation to offer anyone an explanation more detailed than: I cannot trust that person.

Can bullies, vandals and cyber-stalkers join WikiTree? Of course they can, and do. Just 2 day ago a G2G poster detailed psychological abuse by another member. Another took down some permitted profile content due to verbal abuse (from a non-member). Where are the victims sympathizers?

Gee, so much controversy about this trusted list stuff that I feel that a new opportunity exists within the law profession to create a field of attorneys that specialize in WikiTree trusted list procedural law.
Simply put, are the guidance pages:

1/ in agreement

2/ meeting their intended purpose

3/ understood correctly.

Personally, I don't know. Twenty-four hours ago I assumed all three points were.

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