Challenge Know How

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Data Doctors, Connectors, Sorcerers

This space includes illustrated step-by-step instructions on participating in challenges. It is designed for the newbie in all of us.

Contents 1 Monthly Challenges 1.1 Connectors Challenge 1.1.1 Using the Challenge Tracker 2 WikiTree Events 2.1 Source-A-Thon 2.1.1 Current Challenge 2.1.2 How to Find Unsourced Profiles 3 Data Doctors Challenge 3.1 Current Challenge

Monthly Challenges

Connectors Challenge

The monthly Connectors Challenge tracks and scores connections made. The points are not given per profile connected, but per branch connected. In other words, if you connect a branch of 100 profiles, it is still only one connection and only one point is awarded. It does not matter how many profiles you needed to create to make a connection. This is important to understand if you plan to use the Challenge Tracker to keep score. It is only fair to use it correctly so that other participants can accurately assess their progress. There are two ways to record your connections. You can keep track in G2G under your post accepting the challenge or you can use the Challenge Tracker.

Using the Challenge Tracker

This is how the Connectors Challenge looks. Click to view larger image.

Remember only click this once per branch connected; not for each profile created.

The Add Action or Save button is highlighted just below the comment.

It is also important to remember that the connection will not be immediately apparent once it is made. WikiTree needs 24 hours to update.

WikiTree Events

Source-A-Thon

This is our fifth annual 72-hour sourcing marathon. The goal of the event is to clear out as many profiles as possible from the Unsourced Profiles category on WikiTree. Although this is a competition, for the most part this team is participating just for the fun of it. Some of us are experienced super-Sorcerers and others have a more thorough approach and also do some clean-up and research. It's all up to you how you prefer to contribute.

There will be live video chats during the event and door prizes! There will also be a challenge tracker if you like to see how you (and the team) are doing.

Current Challenge

Unlike some of the other challenges, this is one where everyone, from all over the world, will be participating simultaneously, Friday morning, October 2, at 8 AM (ET) until Monday, October 5, at 8 AM (ET). (Eastern Daylight Time is GMT-4).

How to Find Unsourced Profiles

I need to get clarification since in the past we have sourced any unsourced profile, not just those from the Unsourced Profile category. For now, I'll show how to just navigate the the Unsourced Profile category to find profiles. Or, if you prefer to watch a video, there is one here:     Source-a-Thon Instruction Video

Select an Open (white) profile from anywhere in the category or one of its subcategories and search for sources to back up the facts of the person's life.

Valid sources include census records, BMD records/index references, military documents, land documents, wills, etc. A source cannot be another user-generated family tree, such as Geni or an Ancestry Member Tree.

If you find a valid source: Edit the profile to add the source, according to our Sources guide.

Remove the Research Note Box tag.

Save the profile and click the Challenge Tracker button. On the Challenge Tracker, select the Source-a-Thon checkbox.

Data Doctors Challenge

Each week the Data Doctors' Project throws down the gauntlet and challenges you to correct a suggestion. It could be to fix reference tags, locations, or clean up files after a merge, as examples.

Current Challenge

Date - 25 May 2020 to 1 Jun 2020

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:DD_Challenge_Reference_Tags_XVI

Scroll down to the Suggestion List and select what you'd like to work on. The first column describes what the suggestion is and how to clear it. There is also a link to a video to explain. The number links in the other columns are where the actual profiles are that need to be worked on, such as the one I circled in red.

Suggestion List

Click on the suggestion you'd like to work on. In this example, we selected Suggestion 862, Inline citation doesn't end with a </ref>. So, you'd click the 171 below the 1700-1799 column (if that's the one you want).

You'll be taken to a chart of all the profiles in this suggestion. Note that some profiles are not open profiles, so you cannot edit them. I put a red "x" through those. You have to select the STATUS button at the end of the row if you are doing this for a challenge and want it to count.

Chart

This will take you to the Suggestion Status page:

Suggestion Status

The second column has the actual link to the profle and the third column tells you what precisely is wrong with the tags (highlighted).

But don't get too happy yet. First you'll want to scroll down and make sure someone else hasn't already made the correction. Those Data Doctors are on the J-O-B! The highlighted Status History lets you know that someone else made a change, when they made it and the comment they left. In this case, the change was made very recently so just close the browser tab and select another. You have to read this because sometimes, for whatever reason, the suggetion was not corrected and you may want to try it.

Status History

Now, pretend this wasn't already fixed and click the link, make your changes, and don't forget to save your work. Now you can just close the profile's tab once you've done your best and are finished editing the profile. You did save your work, right?

Suggestion Status

Select the action you took (hopefully corrected), write a short comment or use those already suggested at the right. Most importantly, UPDATE STATUS.

Status

You'll get a little box like this to indicate your change was counted. Then you can close this tab on the browser and select a new profile. Remember select the STATUS button. Lather, rinse, repeat! Have fun!

Status History

BEST PRACTICE: This is an excellent opportunity to fix all the problems you see with each profile. Some WikiTreers like to just fix the problem and move on to the next one. It is even more helpful to notice other problems and fix those as well. Often you'll find the profile is unsourced. You can try to find at least one source (two is better) real quick or at least put an {{Unsourced|New York}} template on it. Also, cleaning up GedCom junk is fun. Trust me. As an added bonus, the more you do, the more you learn, and the better WikiTree is for everybody.