How to add profiles to watchlist

Question

I'm guessing that currently, the only way to add a person to one's watchlist, is by asking to be added to their Trusted List.

But it would be really great if we could just click "favorite" icon to add them without having to be a manager or on the trusted List.

edit: found similar question from a year ago
http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/153864/instead-of-trusted-list-request

Comments

I have seen my watchlist been growing lately and some people just add me to the watchlist when they create a profile....

With the new Database Error report Watchlist functions I feel I care more about who is on my watchlist

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I find it tedious to have to write sweet messages to profile managers to convince them that it would be OK to give me trusted list access to the Open profile of an ancestor who died in 1712, just so I can watchlist the profile. Particularly so when their only edit to the profile was uploading a gedcom in 2011, and I've added sources and made other substantial changes. And even more so when I end up having to follow up with private messages and profile notes and finally an Unresponsive Profile Manager request.

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I do agree, Ellen and Dennis. I'm not sure why we never made that change on Open profiles, i.e. allow you to just add yourself to the Trusted List. I know it was considered. I can think of two reasons to keep the request system in place as-is: 1.) simplicity, and 2.) to encourage collaboration.

On #2, even though it's a hassle for Ellen, for example, replacing that Unresponsive Profile Manager would be a good thing for WikiTree. If that person isn't collaborative they're poisoning the system.

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@Ellen, I totally agree.

@Chris, So, you want us to have to go through the hassle, for the sole purpose of weeding out the poison? I tend to avoid making requests now, simply because of the non-responses. And the most difficult ones to deal with are the ones who are semi-responsive -- they'll respond as along as it gets them what they want, but no further.

As I responded to Robin's answer, I merely want to be aware of other people's edits to selected profiles, without having to watch entire surname tags. Most edits, I don't need to be on the Manager or Trusted list to perform. This is being collaborative.

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Hi Dennis,

You're talking about separating Trusted Lists and watching. That would be a very significant change.

I know it can be a hassle to contact a Profile Manager. But it may make sense for us to focus on making it less of a hassle, instead of removing the requirement to contact them. Although communication can be difficult, it's the foundation of collaboration.

Chris

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On the surface, I thought it seemed such a simple suggestion, but not having seen the architecture of your code, I can only imagine the difficulties in adding such a feature.

I didn't think I was talking about separating Trusted Lists from watching. I'm not necessarily asking for a way to add one's self to the Trusted Lists (though that might be nice too). Nor was I looking to remove the requirement to contact managers in order to be added to the Trusted Lists (that can stay intact). I actually thought it could merely be an extension of the existing surname tagging -- a way to tag (watch) individual profiles. Maybe "watch" is the wrong term. Maybe "follow" would better describe what I'm asking.

Well, I'm at least glad to hear that you're at least aware of the problem and have considered the options.

Thanks for listening.

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As the Database error project has make as understand more about Wikitree and the type of error we have maybe we should get some information like

1. How fast a pm answer
2. How many outstanding merge requests they have
3. In total how many requests has been created per week and how many has been rejected /merged per week.... 

As said if the communication doesn't work then WikiTree doesn't work.. 

Answer 1

I am going to come at this from a different direction....why do you want all of these profiles on your watchlist?   I have really try to limit my watchlist to my blood relatives and even then, when I know a project is watching over the profile, I sometimes take myself off the profile....I trust the project to be doing the right thing.    I know we have had this discussion before...but, take a look at http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/210251/does-everyone-know-the-purpose-of-a-profile-manager?show=210251#q210251

Comments

That's a great post.

There are a few types of edits that only a Manager or Trusted list member can make. That's one reason to actually be on those lists.

But my question is really about "watching." I want to be aware when other people are making edits. I could add the surname tag, but that's too many. I just want to watch those which are my blood relatives (which is still a lot, but not nearly as many as a whole surname group).

So my real question is about limiting my watching, but to be able to do so without the hassle of sending a lot of requests (which don't get answered).

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Dennis,   I am sooooo aware of what you are trying to do.   I have tried puting personal notes in requests, even figuring out the relationship with the other person, but, I get a lot of "nobody home"    So,  if you are in this for the long haul, I would learn to use the Unresponsive manager process.

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"why do you want all of these profiles on your watchlist?"

Umm...genealogy.  

We all have a lot of direct ancestors.  Those of us trying to break through a brick wall have even more profiles to keep track of, profiles that are often changing.  Dennis Wheeler's original post, asking why there isn't some simple way to favorite a profile -- like users can on other genealogy sites, such as FamilySearch -- obviously makes perfect sense. And from the comments, there are a lot of people who could really use such a feature.