Web links between Wikidata and FamilySearch
Hello everybody !
Are you aware that the giant knowledge database Wikidata already has implemented FamilySearch-ID ?
Please visit the database's website of Johann Sebastian Bach for example (see https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1339). You will find the following entry there:
If you click on the web link LK3R-ST4, you will be directed to the appropriate FamilySearch web site https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LK3R-ST4.
That is fine, but unfortunately, this works only well if you have a FamilySearch account and if you have signed on to FamilySearch before.
I would propose to display at least the person's name as well as the birth and death year before you have signed on (maybe even a little bit more information). I think this could animate and convince a lot of altruistic people from the Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia to collaborate with FamilySearch. Furthermore, this would make it much easier to place reference web links from Wikipedia to FamilySearch, since then all users can check and verify these web links immediately and without an account at FamilySearch.
On the other hand I would also recommend to add the unique Wikidata links to the FamilySearch persons (maybe even in the "Search Record" section"). Then interested genealogists can easily research all existing language versions of Wikipedia articles as well as the appropriate images on Wikimedia Commons.
Example Nicolaus Copernicus: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q619
There you can easily find https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Nicolaus_Copernicus
What do you think ?
Best regards from Germany
Markus Bautsch
Comments
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Hm. Wikidata could link to the public Family Tree pages. Those are outside the passwall. See https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/
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I would like a FamilySearch PID to be built into templates on Wikipedia pages about individuals.
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This public search page does not deliver information about existing persons at all, at least in all my trials.
Furthermore, Wikipedians do not only want to search for potential information, but they also want to know that encyclopedic data exists.
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I have implemented a trial with the following template:
{{FamilySearch|id=LK3R-ST4|title=Johann Sebastian Bach}}
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One problem.
Wikipedia mentors/moderators are brutal about sources and accuracy. They will delete the link if it leads to wrong information. I should know because I am contributor there and know the very strict rules.
This is a problem for FamilySearch to resolve with the Tree's sources and accuracy.
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As long as the statements in FamilySearch are prooven by linked documents (often they are even official or legal documents) no Wikipedian should have any problems with these links. However, many of them will be concerned that you need an account for reading or verifying the information...
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you need an account for reading or verifying the information.
An account is not needed if you link to the profile on the public Ancestors servers: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LK3R-ST4
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Ok, thank you, this works fine ! I have already modified the Wikipedia template.
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