Please cut out the gimmicks!
There have been a number of complaints about the notifications provided by FamilySearch, examples relating to "notable events" and surname meanings.
With regard to the former, FamilySearch is taking the risk of being accused of involvement in politics by highlighting events such as Donald Trump's inauguration. On the latter, they are using a publication on American surnames that carries very little credence.
FamilySearch is best steering clear of providing these details - which I believe it have been added from outside sources in good faith, but without properly evaluating the material for its likelihood to cause upset or offence.
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Do you know you can turn off such notifications in your profile settings? That is why I don't get such notices like that.
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@W D Samuelsen contact me please
Yes, I don't get these notifications either, and I know Historic Events can be hidden within the Timeline. Nevertheless, many of these items are either grossly inaccurate / misleading or have nothing whatsoever to do with our family history. I don't think FamilySearch should be getting involved with this type of material, regardless that we don't have to read it. Inexperienced users don't know how to switch thing off and have been upset by some of the information FamilySearch is serving them with. (Whether about matters diverse as the origins of their surname, or political events they do not wish to be reminded of.)
Specifically, I wish FamilySearch would quit using the Dictionary of American Surnames and whatever source that produces items such as: "1876 - Russian forces conquered the khanate of Kokand and incorporated Kyrgyzstan into the Russian empire." (Found just now when I turned on Historic Events in the timeline of a relative.) These items can be totally irrelevant to ones ancestor's life or - in many cases - overtly political in nature, hence their inclusion being rather controversial.
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Speaking of that - PlaceStandard changed all that is German, "German Empire as place name for all years before 1871- practically way before 1600 and after 1918 just last week. I already reported this. No response.
I had to correct every place in FamilySearch as the result. It's worse in Edit section (to edit errors in source hints, where the term is mandatory, any other names even "Germany" or "Deutschland" are not allowed.)
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