Question

Why does WikiTree need detailed profiles of us? I'm only willing to give information on deceased family members.

Comments

I don't think it does. I put my name and that's about it.

Answer 1

There really isn't anything to stop you from creating an anonymous placeholder profile for living individuals who connect you to your ancestors, i.e. parents and grandparents. In fact, WikiTree clearly permits and guides users in the process of Anonymization of profiles of living nuclear relatives and the very recently deceased. 

You can read the details here: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Anonymization

How to Anonymize

1. Click the Edit tab on the profile.

2. Change first and middle name fields to an initial or Anonymous.

Leave both last name fields intact.

3. Clear out all date and location fields.

4. Clear out all sensitive information from the biography. Replace it with a message like "Family members: This person's information has been intentionally removed for privacy. Do not add any information to this profile."

Leave the family relationships intact.

You must leave the last name fields and family relationships intact. Doing otherwise would defeat the purpose of creating an anonymous placeholder.

Having these placeholders enable you to utilize some of the both fun and useful features of WikiTree's database, including the Relationship Finder and the Connection Finder, both of which show how you are connected (however distantly!) to other users.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Special:Connection

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Special:Relationship

Answer 2

You can select the privacy level you want to set on your profile. Here is a link to the help page explaining the privacy options.

Comments

Sorry, but I don't trust the privacy settings. I feel it's an invasion of my family member's privacy for me to add any details of those living. Can I just ignore that part?

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Living people would be unlisted unless they decide to become a member. If you living family members are not interested in Wikitree then you can just leave them out.

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Maggie, Thanks for the best answer star.

Answer 3

The only living people necessary are the ones needed to connect you to the tree (ie parents, grandparents). Otherwise most of the functions don’t particularly work well. In fact I only added my (living) sibling because he got mad that I added my (deceased) sibling and not him! Lol. Seriously though. Only add who you’re comfortable with, but if you want full functionality, connect yourself into the global tree. You can have placeholder profiles even (IE “anonymous insertLNABhere”) so like Anonymous Smith or Living Jones. However, the only thing the profile will say until they die (and you update us) is that they’re a living person with the surname Jones or Smith or whatever. You can also include a birth year or leave it blank for privacy. It’ll all be unlisted anyway.

ETA: For example, here’s the profile for Queen Elizabeth. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Windsor-1