Does it make sense to delete acknowledgements when applying the unsourced profile category ?

Question

I was surprised to see today that the category tag 'unsourced profile' was applied and the run-on narrative from 3 prior versions was removed in full. I thought at least the acknowledgements section should survive.

I think the list of acknowledgements helps a researcher to understand how long the profile has been in the collection and how many different members have connected to it. Also, I think the list of acknowledgements helps members to appreciate how their input on profiles interacts with so many others.

I think it takes an advanced wiki-tree member to click through the dozens of links on the changes tab to get the perspective of the many inputs that target a profile.

Answer 1

I agree. I think of each profile as a repository of information for that individual and I try not to delete any important or helpful information.

I really don't understand the Unsourced Profile notation.  Many times the source is there, it is just in a different arrangement, i.e. "FindAGrave 123456". 

Why mark a profile as Unsourced?  Why not find sources for the profile and add them yourself?  I have been trying to Source the Unsourced Smiths.  Putting another one on the list doesn't help anyone, and, without the intent, it can be a little insulting to the profile creator and PM.  Please just try to add some sources rather than slapping an Unsourced note on the profile and leaving it for someone else to handle.

It isn't hard to find sources usually.  Just search https://familysearch.org/search/, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gs&, and maybe https://www.wikipedia.org/ or https://www.google.com/.  

Comments

Finding correct, original sources can be nearly impossible (I've got a bunch if you want a challenge).  And having someone else do it also defeats part of what sources are for, that is explaining how the researcher linked the facts together in the first place.  Anyway, an unsourced template is useful for later finding profiles that need work (doesn't always mean leaving it for someone else).  As long as it's allowed, might as well use it wherever needed (they can easily change display of a template).

Answer 2

I'm all in favor of deleting automatically generated acknowledgments. They rarely, if ever, meet the current criteria for an acknowledgement under wikitree policy. http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Acknowledgements The Changes page is available with 1 click, provides a much more detailed history of the profile than automatically generated acknowledgements, and is the intended source for information about routine contributions to a profile.