Hijacked ancestor records due to bad merging

User15841161652973809659

Hijacked ancestor records due to bad merging

I have a problem with one of my records being 'hijacked' continuously within Family Search. I have created a record for my GGGrandfather more than once but a similarity to another individual with a nearly identical name and wife. Other well intentioned, but unfortunately misguided, users are merging the two individuals incorrectly and since my relative is the lesser known of the two I am in a position where I can't stop it from occurring. Is there a way for the Moderators, or someone with some authority, to step in and either lock, or protect, an individual from future changes? Should I establish a Case?

Dennis J Yancey

unfortunately cases like this - its not just one person messing it up.

if the two records are so similar in Family Tree - - it can be one person after another who keeps corrupting the record.

 

you may be best contact support (feedback option) and explain the scenario that keeps happening - and see if they might "lock the record"

but my guess is - thats a long shot - and chances are they wont. but who knows. (they do have the power - they just dont like to use it for the average record).

 

on another way:

although it doesn't prevent it - if you do a "watch" on the record - you can at least - monitor the record - and see when it gets merged and you should be able to unmerge it.

 

you should also try and place some very visual and noticeable comments in the top bio section as to what is happening and caution people to not merge the record.

 

but I empathize with you - I understand the frustration.

X24 MOM

Have you tried to contact the person who else making the changes?

User15841161652973809659

Thanks for the response.

Yes, I have and the typical answer, if there is one, is "Ooops, sorry" and then a new user does it again.

User15841161652973809659

Thanks for the response, Dennis.

I think I am going to go in this direction with feedback and see what else is available. I have tried to put several notes on the record and I don't think that others are reading them. Seems like many users just want to clean up and simplify, whether right or wrong.

I utilize the 'Watch' function and that is how I notice the issues, so that does help me catch it, but not prevent it.

Just this week someone listed two census records from 1850 for two different locations that were a 4 day walk away from one another. Talk about a second home commute!!

Dennis J Yancey

another thing you should realize is that more and more people are using programs like Roots Magic etc, to "sync" their local file with the online FS - - although the syncing is a record by record process and forces the record by record analaysis - - - none the less it is done in the local application - and thus they may be totally blind to your comments that you have placed in Family Search.

 

 

User15841161652973809659

Yikes! that seems like a software functionality loophole that needs to be re-evaluated.

Thanks for the heads up.

Dennis J Yancey

yeh

it would be nice to put a lock on the record that prevented it from at least being updated via sync - if there had been past problems and force people to use FS to actually see the comments and issues that others had posted to the record.

 

but don't hold your breath for that.