Birmensdorf images 4-52 are indexed as if witnesses were parents, father not listed.

Carol Hirschi

In the Birmensdorf online images, Film #008014302, images 4 through 52 are all indexed correctly.

The father's name is underlined and the mother is not listed. Every entry ignores the father and puts the witnesses as mother and father. Anyone looking for an ancestor during this time using indexing will not find them. I am worried that many people who do not even exist will have their work done and be sealed to families in which they do not belong.

Susan Ann Mullen

Do you have a shared batch code so we can look at this? The shared batch code can be found at the end of the Project name and is 7 numbers and letters enclosed in brackets.

Carol Hirschi

I have no idea what you are talking about. I did not index these, I was looking up my ancestors and noticed they were all wrong. I assume it is hundreds and hundreds of children who are done wrong. The only thing I can look at is the microfilm image and see that they are wrong.

How would I even find a project name?

I think you have more authority than I do to find things.

Carol Hirschi

Annewandering, I was assuming you had something to do with the indexing. If not, can you help me find the project name and batch number.

Carol

Susan Ann Mullen

The record you are asking about has already been indexed but has been done incorrectly. We have asked that this be moved to the support area most likely to be able to help you.

Julia Szent-Györgyi

@Carol Hirschi, annewandering's comment was based on a misunderstanding: she thought you were talking about a current (ongoing) indexing batch, not an already-published index.

I've seen conflicting information on these forums about the correction of such errors: some insist that they can be corrected, others that they can't. What I can say is that my experience is that they will not be corrected any time soon. All of the pages and pages of godparents-as-parents that I've encountered are still unchanged, years after being reported.

Carol Hirschi

Thank you. That is very sad for all of those children who will not be found.

Julia Szent-Györgyi

Oh, the children can be found -- just not as easily. I've found baptisms that were misindexed on nearly every detail. (One of the most memorable skipped the father, turned the mother into the father, and created a mother out of the father's religion and occupation.)

Carol Hirschi

Yes, but you are researching so you look at the images. So do I. Some people do not like to research, so won't look further after a records search.