How do you communicate to persons to check to see if the people in gedcoms are already in Wikitree.

Question

I am finding at least two duplicate gedcom downloads only a few days apart for individuals who already have a Wikitree profile downloaded several years before with a biography and source/s already added.

Answer 1

I've run across some of those recently too: Gedcom imports that created duplicates of multi-generation families, with names and dates identical to the names and dates on the existing profiles.

We do have to assume good intentions. When I propose merges for those duplicates, my comment often includes an observation that the duplication should have been apparent when the new profile was created. Sometimes that generates a message of explanation and apology from the profile creator, and even if they don't reply that way, I think that it usually helps induce members to be more careful in the future.  You also could send a note to the profile creator asking if they can explain how they happened to create those duplicates, because you want to see if WikiTree should make improvements to prevent those mistakes in the future.

And if the dimensions of the situation exceed what you are willing to try to deal with, see Help:Problems with Members

Comments

Thank you for you input.  The first time around sent a note and cleaned up the profiles.  The second time sent a note and cleaned up again.  This time went to g2g.

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It's time for a MIR.

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What a bunch of data doctor work new members can create when they just choose to go an "easy route" , well easy at first until they figure out how much match and merge work they have just created.  If they plan to follow the honor code, they have not done themselves any justice with a Gedcom "dump" l call it .

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There are instructions on how to and what to that some of the Rangers/Leaders devised which would educate them to procedures.  From now on if I welcome a new wikitreer going to suggest they take a look at it before beginning with profiles.  The most important thing is checking to see if a profile already exists as well.

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Yup! Very important.

Answer 2

I keep an eye out for new members who have connections to surnames on my family tree.  I have sent out a few private messages welcoming them to the group and suggesting that they take a look at profiles before downloading their Gedcom files.

I actually didn't have a Gedcom file when I joined, so I had to enter my family by hand.  I found that I only had to go a few generations before I bumped into ancestors who already had profiles.

I point this out in my messages and try to explain how much time this saves and saves the frustration of having to merge multiple profiles.

Comments

That's a wonderful practice!

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Thank you for that answer.  Sometimes in my family lines I do this also and direct them to profiles.

Sharon