New Edit Interface - Adding a New Name To Not-Indexed Records

marcoreid1

Tonight I turned on the new interface for viewing and editing names on record images. One feature of this appears to be the ability to add a name to a page where no indexed data exists. This is wonderful and I've been hopeful for this ability for a long time, as it allows me to add people who have otherwise been skipped in indexing where no other indexed individuals already exist on that image.

But it made me think… now that I can do it… should I do it? Specifically in cases of a batch that is not yet indexed. For example, I have linked an indexed record of a death record to their FS person, but their birth record is in an non-indexed available image in a separate batch. If I go add the person's name and data to that image, will future indexing of that batch result in a duplicate record? Would my data (and the link to the FS person) be deleted by the indexing operation instead? Would this added name data that I'm creating be searchable when people use the records search?

These are questions that I can't find any answers to, as I can't find any documentation for this new feature. I love this new feature, but would like to understand the downstream ramifications of using it before deciding if, when, and how to add new names on non-indexed pages. Has anyone seen documentation for this new feature? Or is anyone in a position to ask those who may know (project managers, engineers, etc.) these questions?

Alan E. Brown

@marcoreid1 I don't know the answers to all your questions, but I'll share what I know and my best guesses for the others.

First of all, I would certainly recommend that you use the ability to add indexed data for your family members when they are mentioned in unindexed images. Here are some reasons:

• The resulting source attachments are much more specific than simply linking an unindexed image to a person.
• You can build family relationships in the indexed data you supply, which helps others to see that multiple family members are mentioned in a record. These relationships are shown in the source linker as other users use the Review Attachments feature.
• Just as with standard indexed records, the family relationships connected to the record can lead other users from one person profile to another making family connections, and sometimes adding new person profiles to Family Tree. The example I link to below includes data for a sister who is not currently in Family Tree; perhaps it will help other researchers to eventually add her profile.
• The index data you supply does not seem to be searchable using the regular Records Search. But if other users do Full-Text Search and happen to find this record, the Names feature will show all the details you have provided, including links to person profiles (when you have attached them). Such users will be very grateful for your contribution. Here's an example of a record I worked through this process on for Costanso Salvatico.

As with many new features, documentation is still being developed, but when you go to the Full-Text Search feature, that page includes an overview of the feature, a helpful video, and a FAQ section which includes links to relevant RootsTech presentations. However, as near as I can tell, this documentation doesn't answer your specific questions about providing index information. I would encourage you to use the Feedback link (found on the left side of that page) to suggest that these topics be covered in documentation updates.

Regarding your other questions, I don't have answers at this point, but I'll see what I can find out. But here are some thoughts:

• It will take many years for all the currently unindexed images to be indexed by FamilySearch. So I wouldn't let any concerns about what will happen when a record is finally indexed stop me from contributing this indexed data that is helpful to me now as it produces significantly better sources for me and other researchers.
• When the record is finally indexed, I don't know what will happen. You ask some good questions. But I can't imagine that FamilySearch is asking us to supply this index information only to completely discard it when the record is indexed. The link to the person in Family Tree will definitely not be deleted.

marcoreid1

@Alan E. Brown Thank you very much for your detailed and insightful thoughts. I appreciate your help.

marcoreid1

One added piece of information for those who add information manually to previously-unindexed records and then attach those to persons. When you look at these attachments in the sources tab, they may show up very differently than attached indexed records. The ones I have done so far have no year, and for a title have a generic very broad place and what appears to be a huge date range. So you may want to go in for each person you attached that record to and edit the source to have a correct year and more useful title, to make it easier for yourself and others to differentiate between multiples done this way and know which data is presented.

Here's a screen shot of one that I've done, with the top entry being from a normal indexed death record, and the second being from the birth record I found which was not indexed but in which I added the person's information.