Challenge of the Week: Help clean up problematic dates [closed]

Question

Hi WikiTreers,

Will you join our Data Doctors Challenge for this week?      

Aleš's "WikiTree+" data analysis has uncovered thousands of profiles with dates that need some special attention, e.g. people who lived 115+ years, or had children after they were 100, or got married before they were born, etc. Some of these are obvious typos and easy to fix. Many require research.

Here is the table of profiles with problematic dates.

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 helps us avoid stepping on each others' toes, and it's nice to cheer each other on. 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.

Top 10

• Merryl Hunkin - 514
• Terry McClintock - 462
• Cindy L. Cooper - 278
• Esmé G. van der Westhuizen - 134
• Patricia A. Roche - 122
• N. Gauthier - 76
• K. Anonymous - 52
• Frances Weidman - 51
• Jim J. Angelo Jr - 48
• Stephanie Ward - 47

Comments

Challenge is active

---

https://tinyurl.com/weekchallenge  spreadsheet link 

All updated and ready to go. Below is a link on the G2G post explaining how to do Data Doctor Challenges with screenshots.

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/631771/data-doctor-challenge-guide 

Challenge Tracker

---

I am going into this thinking we have to make sure there are solid sources for the dates, but when I look at a few other corrections, it just looks like people are changing the dates but with no actual source.  I found a couple that I couldnt actually nail down... just an assumption and I passed those up... should I actually change the date though?  Others I added several sources to help that profile grown (seems more fun :) ) .

Anyway let me know

Rob

---

I will always try to find a proper source for the dates, but if not, I'll adjust it enough to make the error not pop up again, and put in a research note that states that I looked on Familysearch or wherever for sources and found none. If there are links to other family memebers, sometimes you can find something in their profiles to help determine more accurate dates.

Answer 1

I'll participate.  I think this will provide some needed motivation in further investigating some dates on profiles I've made.

Comments

This is great.  I've only been tracing for a few months, but I make a point to correct dates where the person married after death, or where people married at 9 or 10, or a child's birthdate is before their parents.

Answer 2

I'm on it.  Easy ones with unusual names

Answer 3

Glad to help

Answer 4

I'll help out as much as I can.  Lots going on this month.

Comments

I will also do all I can. I also have lots going on this month. ;-)

Answer 5

Count me in this week

Answer 6

I'll do some.

Answer 7

No promises on how many I can do since it's swamped at work, but I will do what I can.  

~ St

Answer 8

Maybe just a few...

Answer 9

Will help as much as I can

Answer 10

Oh Wow! Just saw this. Me too!

Answer 11

I’ll give it a go.

Answer 12

I've been meaning to answer - I'm working on Quebec profiles, started with 416 and 405.  Will work through 206,408,404 and 406 if I can get that far.  (Those are the smallest groups, hoping to clear them out)

Answer 13

I'll do some. I'm bored.

Answer 14

Happy to help as much as I can!

Answer 15

Yes, I'm on it. Just need a free day and I will get at least my own list done. Thinking Friday!

Answer 16

Will do as much as I can

Answer 17

I'll edit as much as I can. False dates occur quite frequently on Ancestry.com member trees.

Answer 18

I'll give it a go - as I'm in the UK, I'll concentrate on fixing some UK ones.

Comments

OK....going through these, the problems seem to be a bit more profound than just typos---we have our work cut out trying to fix some of these!

Answer 19

I will give the a go!

Answer 20

I'll tackle this too