Still confused about connecting matches to my tree

Question

Ok, so here is my status:

I completed all matches - accepted/rejected - resulted in about half of my ~3,000 GEDCOM :-)

2. still cleaning up the extraneous data from the original site on sources

3. Cleaned up the Suggestions

4. Read everything I can find on adding matches.

So, here is my question. Most of the information I have seen says go to someone in the GEDCOMpare and Add new people which will attach the matches. I can do that but will that make other managers unhappy that people are being connected to their person? Also, what if  there is no one on the compare to add, How do I get those matches in my tree? (There is no ADD button for matches and yes, I have unchecked the Complete box.)

What do I do next?

Thanks,

Newbie Susan

Answer 1

Susan, first - welcome to WikiTree!

The traditional way of thinking about "my tree" and "your tree" doesn't have any meaning here - there is only one tree and it is ours - yours, mine, and all of humankind's.  The premise is that everyone is related if only we can trace our ancestors back far enough.  You can, of course, talk about "my branch" of "our tree", but keep in mind that it is only the piece that you have entered and that it will connect to other branches and to the rest of the tree at some point.

As to your question about making other managers unhappy if you connect more family members to a profile they manage ... personally, I experience a very big thrill when that happens - it's another connection for me and the opportunity to find more relatives that I don't yet know about.  I believe most members have the same feeling ... of course, I can't speak for all members, but if it makes another manager unhappy that is their problem, not yours.  Managers are not controllers - they are merely caretakers of profiles and the farther back in time, the more members there will be who share an ancestor, so they have equal rights and interests in overseeing their ancestor's profile ... and, as a full fledged member, that now includes you!

Comments

Well thought out and written, Gaile.

Answer 2

Hi Susan,

Kudos to Gaile for a beautiful answer on what WikiTree is. And I totally agree that almost all members welcome any additions to their Profiles., There are always a few curmudgeons who get upset when their Precious profile is touched.   However, most get upset when they feel any data disrupts their Profile as when they feel the data added is possibly incorrect or not properly sourced enough or the format of their Biography has been tainted in their eyes..Usually it is Sources that put off an existing Profile manager.  Or they're just factious.  LOL

So do have any examples of where someone was testy with you when made an addition or change to a Profile so a 3rd party can make an observation?

Look at this as a possible learning experience either for you or the Profile manager or both.  WikiTree and it's many nuances is not the easiest site to navigate when starting out.  I've been here over a year and am still learning something new almost everyday.

Answer 3

The only time a reasonable manager will be annoyed about someone adding a connection is if you're making a connection that research has shown to be incorrect. For example, suppose many unsourced online trees say that Peter Death Bredon Smith's mother was Mary Brassica Jones, but research has shown that this Mary actually married James Throckmorton and that Peter's mother is Mary Bromeliad Collins. If you import your GEDCOM and attach Mary Jones as Peter's mother, then you'll tick off Peter's profile manager.

As long as you have good sources in the biography for the connection you're making, profile managers will be happy to see the addition.

Comments

Yes, the key is good sources. Ancestry trees aren't particularly good but if you have primary sources (birth/marriage/death certificates) and everything matches, connect them. If not, try to improve them. If in doubt, propose adding them in the comments for the profile referring to the profile ID and see what the PM says.