Hello.
Hello. I have been having trouble entering places into family search in New Zealand. When I started I was told by names processing that we needed to put the town or city, the provence (as the boundaries don't change) and then New Zealand. Now I am being told that I have put it in incorrectly. For example; Palmerston North, Palmerston North is in the Wellington Provence so it should read Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand. But what I get is Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand. Wanganui is in fact a City and is actually spelt Whanganui and Manawatu is a region. There are some towns and cities that are even worse. I am tired of this inconsistancy and wish there was a way to put it in correctly without being told it is wrong.
I hope that you can help sort this problem out. Thank You. Angela Silcock
Answers
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G'Day, Angela
Welcome to the "Community.FamilySearch" Forum.
I am just another 'lowly' User/Patron ...
Just quickly in passing ...
For starters ...
Please be aware, that "Place Names" Database in 'FamilySearch' is BOTH,
(1) a NEVER-ENDING 'Work in Progress', in CONTINUAL process; and,
(2) NEEDS a LOT of WORK.
Just my thoughts.
Brett
( from "Downunder" ... Australia )
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Angela
Now ...
[ Here is a copy, of a 'Comment', that I made recently, in another post, about "Place Names" in New Zealand ]
Please be advised that the 'Place Names' for BOTH, Australia; and, New Zealand, in 'FamilySearch' NEEDS a lot or work.
The 'Place Names', for both, Australia; and, New Zealand, in 'FamilySearch', originally seem to have been put together by those not from "Downunder'; hence, they need a lot of work.
At present, all we can do, is work with what we have.
Unless ...
IF, you have the 'Time' (and, a good knowledge of "Downunder"); THEN, there is always the opportunity to offer your services, to the "Authorities Team", of the "Standards Team", in 'FamilySearch', to HELP address/fix (ie. work on) the 'Place Names' for (here), "Downunder" (Australia; and, New Zealand), in the "Research/Places" Database in 'FamilySearch'.
Furthermore ...
As an aside ...
For future reference ...
Even if you are unable to help/assist at that level, there are some other options that are are available to help/assist the "Place Names" in 'FamilySearch':
[ 1 ]
Submit "Requests" for both,
(1) the Addition of, NEW "Place Names"; and/or,
(2) Amendment of/Correct to, EXISTING.
'Places', in the "Place Names" Database, in 'FamilySearch', though the
"Place Names" Database, in 'FamilySearch':
https://www.familysearch.org/research/places
(1) NEW
By selecting: SUGGEST A NEW PLACE
https://www.familysearch.org/research/places/?pagenum=1&pagesize=20
(2) EXISTING
When you have a "Place" ...
By selecting: Improve This Place
OR ...
[ 2 ]
There is a specific 'Group', in the "Groups" Section of this Forum; where, "Requests" for both, (1) the addition of, NEW "Place Names"; and/or, (2) the amendment of/correct to, EXISTING "Place Names". in the "Place Names" Database in 'FamilySearch', can be submitted.
That 'Group' is monitored by the "Authorities Team", of the "Standards Team", of "Research Places", of the "Place Names" Database, in 'FamilySearch".
Please be aware that you will need to "Join" a 'Group', to post in a 'Group'.
That specific 'Group' being:
"Groups" Section
Home > Groups > FamilySearch Places
FamilySearch Places
Description:
Help us improve our database of places. Unable to find a place in the Family Tree? Find a place that is misspelled or has other data errors? Come here to share those issues so they can be fixed.
https://community.familysearch.org/en/group/68-familysearch-places
.
The choice is yours.
Good Luck.
Just my thoughts.
Brett
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Manawatu-Wanganui is the official name of the region that Palmerston North lies in. The current regions of New Zealand have existed since 1989. The "correct" way to standardize place names is to use the boundaries that existed at the time. So provinces should be used only for the roughly 25 years that they existed. The boundaries of New Zealand districts, regions and provinces have changed so frequently, making place name standardization difficult. In my opinion it is not worth the hassle, since so few records were kept at the local level. Using provinces seems to me to be a good, if perhaps quaint and old-fashioned, way to keep things simple.
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