How to keep people from changing changing data.

+8 votes
357 views
I just met a relative of mine from one of my lines. As we were talking I found out one person was wrong on my tree. It wasn't a bad mix up but I needed to make a change. I thanked him for the information and I started making the small changes when I discovered that someone had changed some of the information around. I have a grandfather now listed as married to his mother-in-law, a grandmother and granddaughter have their information interchanged, etc. Don't get me wrong, I can use all of the information and help I can get, but isn't there a way to stop these changed before they get too hard to correct?!
in Policy and Style by Marilyn Albert G2G4 (4.3k points)

4 Answers

+11 votes
You really cannot stop people from contributing.  And, as you said about yourself, people do make mistakes.

You may want to find out how the mistakes were made.  Is it someone with the same information you had?  Was it someone who started adding sources and wound up adding families?

You can go to the profile and click on the changes.  Go to any change.  There will be a notice that says if serious mistakes were made, you can revert the information to what it was previous to the change.

This works for everything except merges.
by Maureen Rosenfeld G2G6 Pilot (196k points)
+8 votes
Some of those changes sound like things that should have been discussed with you first.  You might try contacting the perpetrator and letting him/her know that you would like to be consulted, and point to this guideline:

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Communication_Before_Editing

If there are multiple offenders you might have to do it multiple times.
by Dennis Barton G2G6 Pilot (546k points)
+4 votes
This is a perfect example for why sources should be required for every change. At least with a source you can make a case for why your information is the better choice. Mistakes can and will still happen, but with a source you have a better chance of getting it right.
by Dale Byers G2G Astronaut (1.7m points)
There is no logic at all to allowing data to be added without a source but then demand it from anyone who points out errors.  WikiTree should do an about face and favor the people who fix things over the people who post unsourced, error riddled profiles.

Mikey, I will not add a profile without at least a LNAB and at least one source. That being said if you make a change without a source for your information how can you prove that your information is correct? The answer is you can not, but when you provide a source for your change you stand a chance of proving your change is correct. I have no control over what others do or did, but only with sources can I say anything is accurate.

+5 votes
I totally agree with Dennis and Dale. And Maureen. I would try communication before you change anything back , or you might end up having it changed right back again.
by Anonymous Roach G2G6 Pilot (196k points)

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