Unlinked, unsourced, orphan profiles - can we make them go away?

Question

Is there an official process for dealing with the many thousands of Unlinked, Unsourced, orphaned profiles that arrived in early gedcom dumps?

Managing to identify who some are, and at least add source(s) and note who parents are, in hopes of eventually connecting them to the big tree, but many I just close and pass over because:

1.  Not a single source or google hit for anyone by that name.

2.  Name is unique enough to find sources, that are no doubt for this profile, but the person was born in mid to late 1900’s and find no source for their death, so likely still living.

3.  There are dozens of people by that name and no way of knowing which one this profile was intended to be.

4. The profile is for an “Unknown “ first name and a fairly common  last name – could be anyone.

Have no idea what to do with the #1’s and #2’s, but would it be appropriate to merge away the #’3’s and #4’s with anyone else by that last name, that is connected to the big tree?

Comments

don't forget to check the change history... sometimes you can get a clue as to who the profile was intended to represent from the history (if there is any)

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Nothing on change history for these. They have only a name and arrived in massive gedcom dumps back in 2010 and 2011.

Answer 1

I think these are the 901 or 902 suggestion/ error codes. One of my favorites to work when I have time.  Haven't had much of that lately.  I love finding sources for these.  And building out families for them. And if I can't I merge them away or place the recycled unknown category on them.

Comments

Permission to merge them or put in Recycled Unknowns would be wonderful. You've not had any objections to doing that?  

As I go through the list, If I can't add clues, to help their families find them, would like to get rid of them, rather than closing the profile and have it linger on WikiTree unconnected list, for eternity.   

I've been finding them via the Unconnected profiles list - didn't know about 901 & 902. Will check it out, thanks.

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Patricia, 902, I think, are orphaned so there is no one to object.

Answer 2

I would say there are only two words to answer for all 4...

"Dig more"

No source means no support for the information about a profile. What is the value of a profile then ?... not much.

If we want to have a significant tree, we need to support the information we create.... so lets dig more !

I don't think we will empty the unsourced or unconnected one day as members create them or add them thru gedcoms. But we can attempt to have the least of them.