PIP Voyagers Improved Profiles 2024

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Contents 1 2024 Graduates

Profile Improvements Project (PIP) Voyage 2024 Graduates

& Their Improved Profiles

Voyage graduates, their profiles, and feedback for the first four years can be found at PIP Voyagers Improved Profiles 2020-2023

These profiles are on the Voyagers' watchlist and are usually profiles for their own family. Each member has used the Voyage to show their skills in:

• following the community's style guidelines
• using the Wiki markup language
• ensuring adequate sources for the information included in the biographies

The goal is constant improvement, not perfection, and each profile reflects the Voyagers' own personal preferences on profiles for which they are the only manager. Voyagers understand that:

• improvements may be made by other members
• they will need to work together with other interested family members on stylistic decisions

2024 Graduates

• Alice (Williams) O'Dea
  • Charlotte Elizabeth Wolfrom
  • Thomas Henry
    • It has been quite a pleasurable journey for me -- I've learned so much more than I expected at the outset. My time as a voyager has been great. The experience did get a little uneven over the holidays, which was not a surprise (or anyone's fault), and it only made it a little extra challenging for me to remember where I left off after each disruption. I'm not sure what could be done about it beyond timing the journey to avoid that end-of-year chaos, but it wasn't a biggie. The best part was working through the process of crafting a profile multiple times, giving me a better sense of not only what to do, but also when to know when I'm done (for now). The guided journey was so much richer than it would have been if I were working alone. Also, I'm glad we kept the Voyage all in one email thread, since I'll now have a great reference to check later if/when questions come up.
• Joy Brady
  • Thomas Ryan
  • Lydia Cushing
    • I'm super excited about having actually completed the PIP journey and very appreciative of your patience. I was so intimidated and worried that my stuff would be awful, but in fact I have learned a great deal just by reading and moving through the PIP standards and getting your feedback. I am fairly certain that I would not have ventured into categorization, stickers, and other flourishes if I had not HAD to attempt these via this Voyage. I feel really confident to do right by the profiles I touch now.
• Feargal Hennigan
  • Mary Anne Norton
  • Margaret Balfe
• K R McDougle
  • Hinrich J. Viebrock
  • Odessa E (McDougle) Vreeland
    • My Voyage had a little bit of a rocky start but in the end I really appreciated how my guide worked with my learning style to keep the Voyage moving forward. Before taking the PIP Voyage I was completely lost on how to properly cite my sources, what sources were reliable and available to all, and how to write and format a proper biography. I felt like one needed to be a computer programmer to figure this all out! I am so glad I participated in the PIP Voyage and I believe all serious WikiTreers should definitely do the same. I now feel confident with the new skills I've learned. Also, there are some really cool tools I've been introduced to that will make using WikiTree so much easier.
• Vicki Heneker
  • Sarah Jarvis
  • Harry William Hornblow
    • I have learnt so many more tips to help me with creating or working on already created profiles. There were quite a few tips and tricks in formatting I didn't know about. Denise was so helpful in explaining and giving advice and helpful tips, she was also very patient. Some were things I hadn't known about. I have found I now look to add more information where possible, as well as using images more in profiles to help enhance the profile and add some history, plus adding information. When I go back into my own older family profiles I become very aware of where I can improve the profile or correct things, especially in regard to citations. I would encourage anyone to do the PIP course, even if you are working only on your own family profiles. It adds so much to a profile, and gives a sense of satisfaction as well. I also work on the England Project and feel I can add more information and history to the profile of people who maybe unknown to their descendants.
• Rhonda Wiblemo
  • Almon Bisby Sage
  • Myrl William Smith
    • It’s been a month since I completed the PIP course, and I have to say it’s been the most valuable course I’ve taken in my 3 years on WikiTree. Regardless of whether I am Connect-a-Thonning, Sourcering, Data Doctoring, or just adding extended family to my tree, I use the lessons I learned in the PIP journey. It has provided me with a framework for thinking about my profiles, and has definitely made me a better Wiki-Treer.
• Kimberly Latta
  • David Manly Price
  • Mary E. (Price) Allen
    • This was a wonderful journey! I learned a lot about how to utilise the remarkable resources that Wikitree offers genealogists. It was also very nice to be working with another human being, who offered useful feedback. I recommend that every person, no matter how seasoned a genealogist, take this tour. I'm extremely grateful to my guide and to the other helpful people at Wikitree. I am also a little sad that the journey has ended!
• Riël Smit (Fast Track)
  • Frans Johannis de Vos
• Stuart Goodall
  • Hamilton Hunter Peaston
  • Peter Anderson
• Linda Richardson
  • Joshua Spencer
  • William Burn
    • I loved that my Guide was so responsive and I didn’t wait around for replies. I felt that I really made good progress with the profiles and can’t believe how much you can do with a profile. I learnt so much that was helpful, my favourite being Sourcer. This has made it so much quicker and easier to pull references together. I added so many profiles and thought I’d made some of them look good before joining the Voyage. Now after completion, I have a lot of work to do, in making those profiles really look good. I don’t have any suggestions on ways to improve the Voyage as it seems to me you personalise the Voyage for each person taking the journey. You can’t improve on personalisation.
• Nancy (Cox) Wilson
  • George Munson Tipton
  • William Gordon Conner
• Lynne Straw
  • Jemima (Straw) Carter
  • Nancy Gosnell Hanna
    • My time on the voyage was amazing. My Guide took the time to give detailed instructions and was always available if I had any questions. She was very knowledgeable about the program. If I had a problem with an issue, she would explain it from another perspective including using her parents' profiles as visual aids. She did not know that I was anxiously awaiting to receive her emails and learn something new. It was a great learning experience. The things that I have learned on the voyage are so helpful in doing family research, i.e. creating references, biographies, subheadings, stickers, photos, categorizations, etc. I have so many tools now to use when going forward. As far as any improvements - - there is nothing to improve on perfection. I want to thank the entire team of Profile_Improvement for making this program enjoyable and fun.
• Leigh Chester-Master
  • Leslie James Boldery
  • Emma Jane Macarthur
    • Wow! I've really enjoyed doing this PIP Voyage, and I have to say that the attention to detail, easy explanations and helpful hints and tips, along with a guide with a pleasant and friendly disposition have made my trip an exciting learning curve! Quick responses were appreciated very much. My only complaint is that it was over far too soon. I was going to pick a Scottish profile for my next selection! I have kept a list of the helpful hints and tips for my further profile useage as I bring all my profiles up to speed - which could take years! As suggested, I have also added the Announcements and Profile Improvements tags as suggested. As I am already on Discord, I checked out the Profile Improvement channel too.
• Emily (Boy) Holmberg
  • Ella Frances Robinson
  • Annie M Boy
• André Laubscher
  • Magdalena Elisabeth Johanna De Villiers
  • Rynier Andries Stephanus Jacobus Basson
• Gael Tomlinson
  • Ella Elizabeth Gregory
  • José Abraham de Jesús Salcido
• Michael Howe
  • William Boote
  • Hannah Cotton
• Marian Brown
  • Christina Mary McGregor
  • Janet Michael
• Pamela Mason
  • Perry Davis Mason (1859-1944)
  • Eliza Ann (Blair) Goldizen (abt.1826-1905)
    • I learned so much on the Voyage (even more than I was expecting to)! I really appreciate your careful analysis and your many suggestions for improvements. I'm very satisfied with the results and feel that my profiles improved as we went along. I'm very grateful to have had this opportunity to be guided through the profile creation and improvement process. WikiTree is a wonderful, collaborative environment, and I'm so pleased to have found a place to share my research with other people who love family history.
• Vance Johnson
  • George Milton Green
  • Cynthia Ann Wolfe
    • I appreciate your time and help on this Voyage. This process has provided me with invaluable help and knowledge to improve my profiles and those of others on WikiTree. The tools that were given me and the knowledge to use them as well as showing me where to get help were incredible. I wish I could have done this earlier (even though I know it would have been no use to me early on).
• Robb Reed
  • William C Allen
  • Hildred Carrier
    • I learned a lot, and I appreciate the responsiveness to my questions and the guidance provided. I also really appreciated how connected my guide made me feel with what I was doing and being open to sharing their own voyage and family history with me. It made me feel connected with the program much more than just simply a to-do list that I needed to check off in order to complete the voyage. Looking forward to enhancing many more profiles!
• Brady Shea
  • Judith Wroe (Briggs) Hagar
  • Joseph John Utley
• Marcie Ruiz
  • Hester A. (Coyle) Smelcer
  • Jose Mariano Mestas
• Caitlin Martin
  • Myrtle Dale (Atkinson) Firestone
  • Mildred Orena (Allman) Egner
    • I'm so glad I decided to do the PIP Voyage! I learned a lot of ways to use WikiTree in two-ish months that I would have never found on my own. I really appreciated having someone to think about ways to make interesting and informative profiles and ways to include visuals and images when I don't have any of the featured subjects in my own collection. I'm excited to be part of the overall project, as I know I'll continue to grow my ability to make meaningful contributions by working with others involved.
• Nettie Mae (Clayton) Lucas
  • Sarah Jane (Robinson) Hoadley
  • William Patterson
    • Thank you so very much for all your help and insight. I really did learn a lot and I will definitely be redoing quite a few profiles. In my opinion, the PIP Voyage really helped me realize the power of WikiTree and how everything fits together. I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about using WikiTree as their go-to genealogy platform.
• Neil Stewart
  • Margaret Pollok (McFarlane) Stewart
  • Margaret (Sterling) Gullan
• Kathy Melloy
  • Dorothea (Lee-Bryce) de Vis
  • Mary Ann (Clarkson) Cattell
• Jenn (Wycoff) H
  • Orlo Potter McQueen
  • John Wesley Feagan
    • I found the PIP Voyage enjoyable and absolutely worth doing. I realize now that I should have taken the PIP Voyage first before doing/joining other projects. I took another trail before embarking on the PIP Voyage and learned a lot but it's slightly different from what I learned on the PIP Voyage. I thought I learned everything there is to know on the trail, but I was wrong - I learned a lot of other things while on the PIP Voyage and now crying at profiles that I did when I first started. The trail that I took is also absolutely worth doing. My biggest weakness is biography narratives - I am absolutely terrible at it. I noticed I have slowly improved with the narrative writing - it is not something you master overnight. I learned how to use the Sourcer more...previously I only used it to find sources. I have attempted using the full benefit of the Sourcer in the past- it came out as unintelligible garbage in the biographies, which discouraged me from messing with the Sourcer or learning how to tweak the settings. With time, practice and the tools I've learned on the PIP Voyage I know I will improve. Thank you so much. Now... with everything that I have learned - I must go back and practice improving on my early profiles. For those who are pondering on taking the PIP Voyage - do it! You will definitely learn a lot! You're constantly learning and improving... that will never stop. I'm glad I took the PIP Voyage and you will also.
• Charlene Rayburn
  • James Henry Austin
  • Ada Elizabeth (Austin) Smith
    • The Voyage. What a quality experience. I was new to WikiTree, having had created only a minimal number of profiles, and had learned just the very basics. I requested to join the Voyage so I could make my ancestors’ profiles more attractive as I continued to “climb the tree.” Now, having just graduated, I could not have been more impressed and pleased. I learned so much, not only about building profiles, but about WikiTree in general. I had no idea what was on offer. My comfort and confidence levels have increased exponentially, which just makes it more fun, while still ensuring the profile details are factually supported and verifiable. My Voyage guide was extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and encouraging. She provided assistance and support with the overall Voyage Project (which is absolutely amazing), and with the fine details that truly helped me understand. She was unwaveringly pleasant and patient. And believe me, I asked a lot of questions. Then, she shared that there are ongoing supportive forums. How wonderful that we’re never left to figure things out on our own. I sincerely look forward to applying what I’ve learned with the hope of discovering, and showing honor and appreciation to, those who have come before me. I full-heartedly recommend the Voyage for those who are new to WikiTree, as well as those who have been involved for years. It far exceeded my expectations. There are seriously talented and dedicated volunteers at WikiTree--my Guide is one of them--and I look forward to meeting many others.
• Jo-Anne Riolfo
  • Eliza Lawler
  • Richard Ashburner
    • This journey has taken me from just doing the basic birth, death, marriage information to wanting to give their life meaning, where possible. I feel more of a connection to the profile because of this journey and what I have learnt from it.
• Alex Fransen
  • Sara Cornelia Patist
  • Hendrikus Johannes Fransen
    • The Profile Improvement Voyage has been an enlightening journey that has significantly enhanced my skills in contributing to WikiTree. I've gained valuable insights and reinforced previous skills, and it has been one of the best things I have done. Shout out to my Guide for guiding me - she has been such a legend.
• L. Davignon
  • Jean Baptiste Davignon
  • Anita Juliette (Davignon) Hamel
    • I sincerely appreciate all the help you've given me, and the patience you've had with my learning process. I've learned so much about WikiTree tips and tricks that are worth their weight in gold. I feel like I have a solid skillset now for making profiles that are not only interesting to read, but also which give a richly-sourced basis for other people to conduct their own research.
• Marcia (Coffman) Hicks
  • Walter Alexander Junken
  • George Henry Richardson
    • I found this program extremely helpful. Anyone who wants to really know the ins and outs of WikiTree should go on this Voyage. My guide was amazing! She was extremely organized, patient and knowledgeable, plus we learned that we are 8th cousins 1st removed!! I would highly recommend the PIP Voyage to anyone wanting to really dig into WikiTree!