Why Is Isaac Geer on the Suggestions List?

Question

Isaac Geer, Geer-232, is showing on the Suggestions list with error 571, FindAGrave link without grave ID.  I have included a reference to a FindAGrave memorial for a daughter and included sameas=no in the template, which I thought was the correct way to reference a memorial for a child or wife, not the profiled person.   Why is this showing as an error? 

The reference to FindAGrave is as follows:

Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 19 June 2018), memorial page for Sarah Geer Brewster (1756–25 Aug 1841), {{FindAGrave|16444358|sameas=no}}, citing Galway Village Cemetery, Galway, Saratoga County, New York, USA Maintained by Thomas Dunne (contributor 46784633). 

Answer 1

Hi Vic:

May I take this opportunity to complain about another faux error on the Suggestions List regarding Findagrave. And I say the following as a Findagrave contributor of many years.

WIKITree dings me when profile death dates don't match the deaths recorded on headstones - when I have used FAG profiles in a source list.

We all know that death records and headstones are not always accurate. They are only as good as the grandchild or daughter-in-law trying to recollect dates/ages she/he heard moons ago. But they have value for many reasons beyond the death date and should be included in a Source List. For instance, a death record can provide the names of parents, and place of birth (which need to be verified). Findagrave gives us the name of a cemetery, which may provide links to other family gravestones.

So please, WIKITree, stop telling me the death dates are different. I know. I am not going to change the profiles because I have already made a determination as to which death date I believe is the accurate one.

Thanks for letting me add this note.

Regards,

Ann

Answer 2

Original question. Look at that reference closely. Do you notice a section that is green? If you don't have a sameas=yes somewhere then it looks at each instance. So it sees https://www.findagrave.com and errors because it isn't immediately followed by a memorial number. Then it sees your template, notices the "no" and ignores only that one reference. Remove that web-link and the error vanishes. If you have any instance of sameas=yes it promptly ignores all other references by default.

Now Ann, in most instances and I'm sure you would agree different dates are probably a typing error. If it is NOT a typing error, you can set the status as "False suggest (Hide Forever)" and poof, it is gone. That is to cover instances where the date on the stone is wrong. It happens. But you can't possibly expect a bot to know that unless you specifically tell it that is the case.

Comments

So any time a member carefully copies the findagrave citation and includes a properly formatted FAG URL with sameas=no, they are inviting error 571.  Boo!!

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<waving banner>

Remove FAG from db_errors!

</waving>

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This cite is exactly as it comes from FAG, with the addition of the template.  Perhaps the db-error check should be fixing so it doesn't flag these if there is a proper template.

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That was understood Vic. I was merely explaining to you WHY the error occurred. Unfortunately, many people just put www.findagrave.com as a source with no other info. This is what it is designed to catch. The best situation is to find the correct one, put it, and have the template "Yes" instead of "No". Then it disregards all other references to findagrave at that point.

The problem is, the more you tinker with it to eliminate false errors, the more likely real errors will be missed.

Answer 3

I encourage you not to waste your time worrying about FAG db_errors. If you spend any time on them at all, mark them as false errors and move on.

Comments

I would only suggest marking them false errors if they really ARE false errors. Don't mark them such just to get rid of them.