What is FamilySearch's Edit and Collaboration Honor Code/Code of Conduct?
Does FamilySearch have a detailed Edit and Collaboration Honor Code/Code of Conduct? Something on par (probably more detailed) with WikiTree's honor code for FamilySearch? https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Special:Honor_Code.
I went in detail through the FS terms and stuff linked here gives high levels of a lot of things, but it isn't very specific. https://www.familysearch.org/legal/terms. It is good doctrine, but I doubt many people read it.
I also went through the community standards, without avail to the specifics I want. https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/community-code-of-conduct
I am hoping for authoritative answers to the following questions on FamilySearch (although there are lots of unofficial things written about some of these things such as is written up here: https://www.thefhguide.com/blog/watching-waiting-and-editing-the-family-search-family-tree/).
Here are some primary questions I'm trying to answer with this:
1. Are there more strict guidelines to how people should make changes/additions to the tree besides that they should try to make accurate additions? E.g., when should they be wary about making changes, like merges, source detachments, etc.?
2. Are there any more resources on how FS expects the discussion feature (or collaboration section) to be used, with examples? And how "reason this is correct" explanations might utilize or relate to these?
3. Is there information about when/how users should use or would want to direct messaging via FS? Are there any documented unofficial or official things people should do with this? (e.g. they should respond, etc.)
4. Is there information about when/how users would want to contact FS support and/or the FS community? Like when certain problems occur?
5. When/how should users escalate inter-user conflict problems when other lines of communication fail? (e.g. when should they contact support in certain cases, go to the community, etc.)
Answers
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There are a number of Help Articles published by FamilySearch that give guidance on some of the issues you raised, you can read them here: https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/landing/
In general, FamilySearch takes a more "hands off" approach than WikiTree.
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Squarerootofpi I'm not sure I understand why you are concerned about the things listed in your primary questions. #1, for example. When should I go ahead and do a merge or detach sources, and when should I hesitate? I think to try and come up with a rule on that is hopeless. Personally, I never detach sources. I simply add a comment as to why I believe it is an inappropriate source and leave it at that. If the source has an associated "fact" in the details area, I will add a comment there too. "This man could not have had a Civil War pension as he died in 1858. The pension is likely his son's. " Something like that. I rarely merge because I am rarely convinced the two people are really the same. But quite a few people merge because they are familiar with how FamilySearch deliberately creates duplicate people when projects such as 1910 Census attempts to attach 100% of people to records, and creates many dups in the process.
I could go ahead and give you responses to your questions #2-#5, but I'm not sure what the point is. People work in FamilySearch according to their comfort level with the tools, their own personal guidelines and time constraints.
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