Challenge of the week: Help us clean up names

Question

Hi WikiTreers,

Will you join our Data Doctors Challenge this week?  

Aleš's "WikiTree+" data analysis has uncovered thousands of profiles with special characters or words in name fields that probably don't belong there. There are parentheses that need to be removed, suffixes that need to be moved to the Suffix field, and much more.

Here is the table of likely problems and issues.

Although the changes might be simple and fast, a thoughtful genealogist like you needs to investigate and make the decision.

After you investigate something, set the status [more info]. That will earn you a point. The member with the most points at 11:59pm EDT on Sunday night will get the badge and the bragging rights. But we'll all benefit from a neater, cleaner shared tree.  

If you're participating, please post here to let us know. It's nice to cheer each other on, and it will help us avoid stepping on each others' toes. Also post here if you have any questions about how to participate.  

Thanks for helping!

 

Real-time tracking results:  
See your stats  alongside other participants here.

UPDATE:

Top 10

• Dana J. Johnson - 847
• Vic Watt - 491
• Steven A. Nimocks - 467
• A. W. Gürth - 341
• Emma MacBeath (McBeth) - 295
• Joyce Rivette (Bjorkgren) - 253
• NJ J. Penny - 250
• Susan M. McNamee - 244
• Pat R. Credit - 214
• Elizabeth B. Coltrane - 206

For more details see:

• * By Participant
• By Error Type
• By Participant and Error Type
• By Error Type and Day
• By Participant and Day
• By Hour

Comments

Event has started.

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Come join us on the doctor sheet and pop open chat and say hi. Chat is upper right to the left of comments.

I see you come, I watch you go. Take a moment to say hello!!!

http://tinyurl.com/Doctorsheet

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Me too!

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I'm in!

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First time, but I'll try. Maybe Mississippi?

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Taking a look to see if I can help with a few.

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I can't find 'chat'

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Count me in....watch me go!

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I will give this a go, but this is the first time I have joined one of these, so bear with me while I work it out!

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This is how you find chat on the sheet.

http://prntscr.com/h5j8vs

The more who join, the better the chatting.

this is the sheet. http://tinyurl.com/Doctorsheet

Answer 1

My very favorite!  

I am working on 721s. 1800-1899.  I am determined to wipe these out!

Comments

Of course, a Rose by any other name... :-)

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Exactement :-)

Answer 2

I'm in :)

I'm working on 713's

Answer 3

I will try 771 Separators in Last Name at Birth for orphaned profiles.

Comments

That sounds fun and very rewarding!  Go Roses :-)

Answer 4

I'm in again. All Wisconsin folks, as usual.

Answer 5

I'm in!   Working on some now.

Answer 6

I'll look at the Scottish ones again.

Answer 7

Lovely topic :)
Glad to help!

I'll focus on anything Dutch

Comments

Got through all Dutch 711 to 785 last night.
Will move on to 791 today :)

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Nice work Sanne :-)

Answer 8

I'll do what I can!

Answer 9

I'll do a few.

Anywherers

 Orphans for 723 Prefix in First Name

Not even half through my list and I take time to research/write a biography from an obit. This type of profile is why I chose orphans and not to be racing towards the top.

Answer 10

I will work on Virginia starting in the 1800's

Answer 11

I'm in.  Working on New York Names.

Comments

I feel like I haven't seen you in a while.  Woo hoo! Go Susan :-)

Answer 12

Come join us on the doctor sheet and pop open chat and say hi. Chat is upper right to the left of comments.

I see you come, I watch you go. Take a moment to say hello!!!

http://tinyurl.com/Doctorsheet

Answer 13

I'm in. There is nothing I hate more than mis-spelled names. I get so many versions of my own used it drives me batty!

Comments

I bet your last name gets spelled a million and one different ways just like my last name.  Trying to spell it on the phone with all the vowels.  Ugh!! :-)

Answer 14

I am in again. For Team Tennessee

Answer 15

I will try to jump in and work on some of the ones in Ohio.

Comments

Hello NJ!  I haven't seen you in a while either. Welcome back :-) Go Roses!

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Hey there! Yeah, it's been a super busy month, so haven't been on as much as usual. When I have been on I've mostly been focusing on transferring over a specific branch from my Ancestry tree and making sure all my research is correct as I build the profiles. Go Roses!! ;)

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Sounds like you have been working on good stuff :-)

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Yes, the fun stuff ;) well my idea of fun! ;)

Answer 16

I'll try 733 - Prefix in preferred name. Just what I feel like today!

Comments

After doing a few of the 733 errors, I am wondering if sometimes people actually intend that the prefix is in the preferred name, eg the person is called Rev John. I might move to something a little less contentious. Error 724 - Wrong word in first name. My apologies to anyone who didn't want the prefix taken out of the preferred name on a profile I amended.

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Gosh... 724s are just as contentious. Not sure that I want to suggest that 'Baby Smith' is not the correct name to another profile manager, and that it needs to be changed to 'Unknown Smith'! Am I being too precious?

I'll move to 751, separators in nicknames. From first glance, that should be a good one.

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Hi Gillian.  Don't feel bad.  If they have a prefix or suffix in the first name, this is always moved.  If they went by the nickname of Reverend for instance, this can always be added to the nickname if the PM wants to.  For names such as Baby Smith, this should either be Unknown or Unnamed Infant every time.  I know it is hard, but we have to remove or revise the names from the first name field since this is not the correct place for nicknames.

751 sounds like a less emotional suggestion. Thanks for your hard work :-)

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Hi Emma, thanks for that. That makes me feel much more comfortable. I was worried about getting an angry spray from someone. Is there a policy link for that? BTW I’ve been enjoying doing the 751s. There have been quite a lot with that gedcom upload glitch. It’s good to know how to fix that up.

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LOL. Angry Spray.  I like that phrase!  I have definitely been the victim of angry spray on many occasions. It comes with the job :-)

As far as the policy for 733s and 724s I am sorry to say, I am currently rewriting all of the policy pages and I haven't gotten to these yet so they are of little help to you.  But as the Data Doctor Project Coordinator and someone who works with the EuroAristo Project (who has stringently addressed how to use these naming fields), I can confidently tell you the information I gave you is correct.  I'm slacking on my job.  Need to get these help pages written.....

Glad you are enjoying the 751s.  I love the 721s which is similar.  I have wiped out 3 time period columns worth since February and have two more to go!

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Your advice about the policy is more than good enough. Thanks for letting me know!

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I once received a venomous deluge from a person because marriage location was "not actually married" and I left a message suggesting a change. BBBBBbbbrrrrrrrrrr.

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It's that constant balance between being respectful and sensitive, while being clear about the policies and standards. I think I am slowly getting the feel for how to manage the whole thing without getting traumatised. More recently, the huge number of positives far outweigh the very occasional negatives. So all good!! But its a bit of a trial by fire.

Answer 17

I'm working through Florida. There were only a few 713s, one of which I can't figure out. Starting on the 721s.

Comments

Plenty plenty of 721s to go around.  Thank you :-)

Answer 18

I'll have another go at it......

Answer 19

About time  I help again

Count me in :-D

Comments

Did a bunch of messages instead :-)

Sorry "them" profiles are either locked or the managers are still active. So fixed nothing at all :-(

Answer 20

I'm in too