Challenge of the Week: Propose merges for duplicate profiles [closed]

Question

Hi WikiTreers,

Will you join our "Data Doctors" Challenge of the week?

Once again, Aleš has come up with something to help us work together on a category of profiles that need our help. This time it's duplicate profiles.

Duplicates are two or more profiles that represent the same person. Since our mission is to create a single family tree with one profile per person, duplicates work against this aim.

Here is the list of potential duplicate profiles.

Will you join us in reviewing them, and deciding whether they're really duplicates? If they are, propose the merge.

Record a status update every time you do one. This will earn you a point. The member with the most points at 11:59pm EDT on Sunday night will get the Winner badge this week and the bragging rights.

If you're participating, please post here to let us know. It's nice to cheer each other on. Or post 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

• K. Anonymous - 288
• Carolyn S. Martin - 201
• Merryl Hunkin - 185
• Terry McClintock - 85
• Cindy L. Cooper - 84
• Karen R. W - 71
• Graeme R. Olney - 51
• Karen A. Lorenz - 48
• Joe M. Farler - 46
• N. Gauthier - 36

Comments

Challenge is active.

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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

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I am leaving messages on participant's profiles.   People need to read and understand merging guidelines before participating in this kind of challenge.

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I would like to help

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I’d love to help

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I looked at 3 marriage merge from the list that had no indications of anything having been done, and all three already had the merger proposed. Is there a way to easily separate out what had been done and what not, or is it that the people are not all marking completion of merge request and this is what is causing the issue.

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If it was proposed more than a month ago, you can complete the merge. Otherwise set status to hide for a month, when it will be approved for merge.

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Since this is a challenge, how often is the list being regenerated?  Seeing lots already done.

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It isn't. You should first click the status button to see if it was already done this week. You should skip 20+ profiles and start there.

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I'll be helping (Danbrook-3)

Answer 1

I'll join!

Answer 2

One of my favorites.   I'm in as much as I can.

Answer 3

I will help out too.

Answer 4

Additional note: This challenge is a bit over one month from previous one. So all proposed merges are automatically approved and you can complete the merges. Don't forget to clean the Bio after merge, otherwise you will create new 811 suggestion and will have to redo it in next weeks challenge.

Comments

One day, I hope to graduate to Data Doctor. For now, I've got too many other challenges on my plate. Let me get back to you.

And if Ros H happens by... still waiting on a closing date, so I can't handle Orphans until I get that order of business completed. I'm too scattered under the best of circumstances.

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Hi Aleš, 

In early July I proposed a merge for John Preston (Preston-5083) and John Preston (Preston-1656) & they have not yet been approved. I wondered if there was a reason for it. I'm not the PM for either. Thanks for your advice. I wondered if it had something to do with the fact that one is set as Private (Yellow).

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Yes it has. Private profiles can only be merged by the profile managers or the Team members.

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Thanks Aleš, How does a Team member become involved, as the PM's haven't approved the merge.  

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Team members do this as the time allows. It is a lot of Private ones.

If the PM is inactive, you could file UPM request, but that is not the case here. You can ask to be added to the trusted list and then do the merge.

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Thanks, Fair enough. I'll ask to be added to the Trusted List. I appreciate your help. :)

Answer 5

I'll join in and work on all these for Quebec profiles.

Answer 6

I'll switch to merges for this week

Answer 7

I'll do a few :)

Answer 8

I am this week...will work on what I can!

Answer 9

Count me in will do what I can.

Answer 10

I will try to do a few too.

Answer 11

Question:

Will these potential duplicates show up in our Suggestions List if there are potential duplicates of our Profiles?

Comments

Not necessarily Christine. They only show up as a duplicate on the suggestion list if the duplicate triggers certain errors.

Answer 12

I want to help.

Answer 13

I'm in :D.

Answer 14

I'll give it a go!

Answer 15

I will help.  Duplicates bug me..

Answer 16

Was this challenge coordinated in anyway with any projects before being launched? Seems like Arborists at a minimum should have been consulted.

I know I am not alone in having great misgivings about this kind of challenge. Challenges that promote quantity over quality encourage moving fast. Moving fast increases likelihood of errors. Inaccurate merges cannot be easily fixed.  There is no "undo" and fixing them requires significant time and attention. And expertise.

We'd all like to see progress towards the elimination of duplicates.  But a challenge that invites anyone -- experienced or not -- to speed through a duplicates list risks an even greater mess on the other side. It also risks disheartening and losing experienced long term volunteers who have to deal with the aftermath.

Please close this challenge down and let's work together with projects to identify alternative ways to reduce duplicates.

Answer 17

Hate to make an Arborist nervous, but I'm in.  I promise to actually read the profiles.