What are project stickers good for?

Question

If a profile contains a project box, all members of the project are notified of all changes to the profile.

Does a project sticker have a similar effect, or is it purely decorative?

Comments

Yes Louis your idea is a great one, if the main Project Account would be added as co-manager of the additional (Sub) Project Accounts (to keep the watchlists within limits). And hope I understand it correct, this way they both would share the feeds and notifications they receive eeh? So members would just have to watch one feed and still can join only the main Project Google group (they could join several if they would like to, but it would not be needed to stay updated or to be able to collaborate and watch over them together.) If that's how it would work that sure is fantastic and the best idea ever ! :)

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Exactly. If you have 200 sub projects and I would like to see the feed to all of them I use the Main Project's feed. If I am only interested in ten sub projects, I would have to join the feeds for all ten excliuding the Main.

Edit:Somehow my words are not completed on this keyboard. 

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For the South African Roots Project and The COGH Project this can already be tested and if it is going to work how we expect it's going to work this will be a major improvement and great solution for a lot of Projects I'm sure, so a big thank you Louis ! :)

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Just choose a stamvader
Create a subproject with an appropriate e-mail. add Main project as co-manager/
Choose descendants and add as manager. If most descendants are in CoGH and the Progenitor in Stamvaders, just add CoGH back as Co-manager.
In the Sub project the old project manager can then be removed with the bulk tool.

What does the other people think?

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Can anyone create a subproject? Or only project leaders/coordinators?

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Bea you better run this by Ales. Just a few  day ago there was  a discussion about Sub Projects in the leader group.

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We are still in the process of trying to think of how we can solve this in the best way and only if it's really needed we will start Sub Projects Dirk. But anyone can start a Project, but before you can start a Project you also will need members.

Susan already created a Sub Project for COGH and South African Roots Project already has a few Sub Projects, so for now I think things are fine. We don't want to split up the project into all kinds of unneeded or meaningless sub projects so that's why it's taking time, we want to think it all over and trough and not do something too hasty we perhaps later will regret.

So we will see if perhaps the idea Louis added here (to add the main Project account as co manager to the additional accounts is a solution and something that could work for Projects, perhaps we can also just ask for some additional Project accounts if Projects are growing, if to those the main account would be added we maybe won't even have to start all kinds of Sub Projects and can keep things KISS because Projects can grow but things like templates categories etc all can stay the same...

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I'll check it out Ronel thanks, was too busy with the Clean-a-Thon and things eeh, so didn't have time to check all groups..

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You really need to see things in perspective and plan for the long term.

Things might seem fine but they are not. The profile limit is 5000. The possible profiles for CoGH is about 80 000 with a short term minimum of 45 000 that could be here in less than two years.

How does one Progenitor sub project make this fine?

In the SAR project the 1820 setlars were about 4 000 for the first three months when they came. What about the rest?

Where should all the profiles be added?
15256 profiles on Watchlist CoGH
 

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Don't worry to much Louis, we really don't have to rush and make it all happen in one day, all Projects are still working on getting things organized.

We also are seeing things in perspective and were already trying to think of and work on a long term plan, and your idea is great and might help...but it will take time and can't be done in one day, so yes we are still fine because no rush is needed...

There's a Clean-a-Thon coming up so for now let's just all enjoy getting prepared for the great event and have some fun, working together on things and have fun and get to know each other better is also very important :)

Answer 1

Hi Dirk, 

It actually depends on the sticker if it is just decorative or if it does have a purpose or other function, but Stickers are optional and they are not going to make that changes to a profile are showing up in a Project Feed or Project Google Group. So the stickers don't have the same effect.

For example: 

The Dutch Roots Project has a Dutch Roots Project Box and there also is a Dutch Roots Sticker. Both the Project Box and the Sticker have the same needs system build in and both have the jaar and provincie build in as well.   

All WikiTree members can use the Sticker, so it's not directly Project related and everyone can add it to their own profile, or profiles they manage, just to show they are proud of their Dutch Roots. So the sticker is mostly used for or added to the younger profiles, that don't really need Project management or Project Protection like many of the earlier more widely shared ones (there are no LNAB or other problems like a high risk for duplication, etc).

But ... because the Dutch Roots Stickers do have the same needs option and jaar and provincie option built in, if members would like some help from other members to get them all sourced an improved, they still and just like with the Project box (template) can add the same needs to the Sticker (which will add the profiles to the Project maintenance categories), and this way everyone can in an easy way, get some help to get these profiles sourced and improved. Or if they have sources and are fine, if members fill in the jaar (Birth year) and provincie (Province) parameters, the profiles are added to the proper categories. If nothing is filled in, it only will add the profiles to the categorie Nederlanders. 

We also have a Dutch Roots Challenge Winner Sticker and for our Sub Projects we have the Participant or User stickers (Nederlands Portaal, Portaal World-The Netherlands)  

The first, so the Challenge winner sticker, is only added by the members who won one of our challenges and it just adds the 'trophee' and a line that says ..... won the Dutch Roots March 2018 Challenge. (it doesn't categorize). 

The Sub Project Participant Stickers only will direct members to the Sub Project page, so to the Nederlands Portaal or the Portal World-The Netherlands. 

So there are all kinds of stickers, some are just adding a line, some will categorize, some will add a direct link to a Sub Project and of course they all will add a small image, which is also why some people like the stickers. 

All stickers will tell or show you something about a person, it shows they are a member of a Sub Project, it shows they are using a Portal, or it can show something they did or experienced, like the Veteran Stickers , or the migration stickers, or it only says they were born in a specific Country or place, like for example the South African Roots Sticker to show they are proud of their Roots..

Comments

I don't think I should say anything. Maybe in a couple of months. Lets write it off to some serious misinformation or lack of communication or .....

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Hi Louis,

Most Projects still are in the Process of trying to organize and implement things to try and make sure the Projects are all organized and according the new Project guidelines, some Project Boxes were changed from Project boxes into Project Stickers if the Profiles didn't really meet the criteria for Project management.

Maybe I'm wrong but I guess this is about the South African Roots Sticker ? This one looks like pretty much only a decorative one now, this Sticker was created very early in the process of the changes we had to implement, at that time it wasn't so clear what a Sticker could look like or do and when we all, just like many members now still seem to be, where under the impression stickers couldn't have the needs options added etc. and were only 'decorative' and to highlight something about a person.

I just noticed the South African Roots Sticker doesn't have the needs options included the Project box has, and I'm not sure, but I assume maybe this is why you say this ?

We also are still in the process of getting things organized and it's a lot of work to get it all done so it will take some time and patience from all of us, but if this is the problem, don't worry we can of course still change this and include the needs options to the South African Roots Sticker to make sure it works just like the Dutch Roots Sticker if that's what you would like more?

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I'll try to be civil about it. It took us a year to add the profiles to categories to 14000 profiles. The bot took them out of the project categories and added the one single sticker (without a category) to all the profiles. and here I must stop...

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Thank you for  trying to be civil Louis and don't get me wrong I totally understand the feeling, it wasn't an easy process and not all changes were easy ones, but because our Projects (Cape of Good Hope, Dutch Roots and the New Netherland Settlers), were the first Projects who tested and worked with the Project Accounts and the needs templates etc. we all were a bit like pioneers.

The risk of testing or being a pioneer is that a testing period is at some point going to end and then things are going to be reviewed and things are fine tuned or changed, the fine tuning or changes sometimes will or can be frustrating or disappointing. But on the other hand, a positive thing of being a pioneer is that we already have a lot of the work done and a lot of this already was organized.

Just imagine how it must be for Projects that received the news that from now all Projects will have to work more or less the same and like we did already for quite some time, Project Template + Project Account (+ sometimes PPP) go together.

For the younger profiles we can work with the Stickers, it was a pity we didn't know the Stickers would not have to always be just decorative but could also have the needs built in when the change was implemented, but we can still correct this and we can ask Ales for a list of them that when we changed it are without needs and add them again if needed.

Hope it helps a bit ..

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This is the WikiTree Help page for Stickers

Purpose

The purpose of a Profile Sticker is to highlight an important fact about a person or honor an important achievement.

Profile Stickers support and decorate the biography. They are not intended to serve a unique functional purpose.

Categorization

Profile Stickers can do categorization, so that any profile with the sticker will be placed in a certain category or categories, but this is not necessary.

My Question,

When were maintenance categories approved for use on stickers? Clearly they are not approved by the above wording.

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Hi Louis, 

Profile Stickers can do categorization, so that any profile with the sticker will be placed in a certain category or categories, but this is not necessary.

The needs or for example the jaar and provincie parameters if added to a template or Sticker, are just an easy way for members to categorize profiles, so they are just placing profiles in a certain category or categories...so if you and other members would prefer to have the needs option or a category added to the South African Roots Sticker so the profiles all are added to a category or categories, instead of just being decorative, that would be possible..

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Please Bea, You cannot just quote the Categorization paragraph and use it as your motivation. What about the purpose?

A maintenance category does not highlight an important fact about a person or honor an achievement. It serves a specific unique functional purpose for us and does not support nor just decorate a profile.

If you are saying that through your interpretation permission has been granted then WikiTree won't have a problem in changing the wording on the page to properly clarify the matter.

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Sorry Louis a bit late, but quite busy here with preparing for the Spring Clean-a-Thon and a Challenge.:) 

I think maybe someone should adjust things a bit at the help page again if it isn't clear now, because there are a lot of Stickers that are categorizing and do have a purpose other then being just decorative. 

There also are a whole lot of Stickers that (only) are highlighting where a person or his or her ancestors were born, it's important for I think the majority of our members and they all are proud of their Heritage, so this for them is important enough to add a Sticker or Project box.

Most members had the Dutch Roots Template added to their profiles for that reason and because it would add (categorize) their profile and the profiles of their Ancestors to the jaar and provincie categories and we also had a lot of members that added one or more needs because they were having a hard time to find sources and this, just like adding the Unsourced template, was just a way they could get some help. 

So when because of all the Project changes, project boxes had to be changed into Stickers for the younger profiles, to prevent all work of these members and all categories that were added with the Project box were lost, we asked if it was ok to have them work the same as the Project box so with all the categorization options and permission was granted.

So I'll ask if maybe the wording at the help page can be changed so it is more clear. ;)

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Please do, Thank you Bea. I apologize for being so persistent but in the past we were led astray and unknowingly did stuff one way just to find out later that it was all wasted time.

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My pleasure Louis and no problem really I do understand, we had a lot of changes last year and all teams were getting a bit tired from all the work that came along with the changes and having to implement them.

It's a bit like adding sources with links to records and after a few years of adding thousands of links discovering all links  all of a sudden 'dropped dead' because the archives decided out of the blue and without warning to modernize things which caused all links after and due to the modernizing, no longer worked.

We had that happen quite a lot now with the Dutch archives..so frustrating. But after the first shock we all would pick up the pieces and move on again, and slowly but surely would renew all the links... :)

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Just a reminder that this sticker and category question has not yet been resolved.

Answer 2

It's decorative.

Answer 3

Just pretty pictures that are supposed to highlight something in the bio.

Answer 4

Both Project Boxes and Stickers basically do the same thing. They both display an image and some formatted text, can add categories, and can be used in things like the error reports.

Policy-wise, project boxes are required on profiles that are being managed by a project account. The project account is what enables project members to get notifications.

Stickers are entirely optional.