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Please Remove the Data Problem of Having Male and Female be Required

Jordi Kloosterboer
Jordi Kloosterboer ✭✭
March 8, 2021 edited October 20, 2021 in Suggest an Idea

Male or Female is not required; the Unknown sex can be used. This data problem should be changed to be a research suggestion, instead, saying something about the sex being unknown. Some records do not indicate a gender for a child so you cannot know the gender.

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New · Last Updated March 8, 2021

Comments

  • Dennis J Yancey
    Dennis J Yancey ✭✭✭✭✭
    March 15, 2021

    Yes - you are right - as far as input - the GENDER can be acceptably bemarked as UNKNOWN - and as you allude to many records dont explicitly have gender - thus the need for it.

    BUT I still feel that the lack of a GENDER should rise to the level of an error and not just some research interest. (the error should not imply that it can not be stored as such - it can indeed be stoed without gender)

    In way too many cases a GENDER has been left unknown - for which there was no reason it should have been left as unknown - as the gender WAS indeed known to the user - but just inadvertantly set as UNKNOWN. also note the way the system accepts GENDER has changes over time.

    The sooner one can catch a Unassigned GENDER - one can avodi various negative dwondstream impacts. I for one appreciate the fact that an unknown gender is "IN YOUR FACE" - so it gets corrected.

    1
  • Jordi Kloosterboer
    Jordi Kloosterboer ✭✭
    March 16, 2021
    https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/230540#Comment_230540

    Well I agree about it being in your face, but errors are actually meant to say that it should not be stored like that. You are talking about warnings, which research suggestions should cover.

    1
  • Sheryl Neal Slaughter
    Sheryl Neal Slaughter ✭✭✭
    April 15, 2021

    I have a few children in my linked tree where the gender truly is unknown. Sometimes it is just initials on a gravestone, or a family bible record that shows a child born and died same day without a name.

    There are instances where the gender is going to remain unknown.

    I really don't want inexperienced researchers to assign a gender just to get the error message to go away. I believe it should be a research suggestion, not a warning. The current warning is going to drive errors.

    Thanks for listening!

    Sheryl

    3
  • dontiknowyou
    dontiknowyou ✭✭✭✭✭
    June 11, 2021 edited June 11, 2021

    I agree that it should be a research suggestion, not an error. I would like to be able to dismiss the notification, just as other notifications can be dismissed. That would be an easy fix.

    I find far more persons mis-gendered than not gendered.

    0
  • LMillerd
    LMillerd ✭
    March 16 edited March 16

    It could be added like you can add a stillborn event - gender not known, and only allowed for cases of death at a young age , days old.

    0
  • Brett .
    Brett . ✭✭✭✭✭
    March 16

    @LMillerd

    FYI

    I am just another 'lowly' User/Patron ...

    [ And, I happen to be a Member of the Church ... ]

    Just in passing ...

    Like MANY here, I agree, that the "Gender", of "Unknown", should NOT, be a "Data Problem" (ie. ERROR) ...

    And, that the "Gender", of "Unknown", SHOULD be, a "Research Suggestion", that CAN be "Dismissed" ...

    The circumstance/situation; where, the the "Gender", of "Unknown"; BECOMES, a Problem/Issue, is ONLY for Users/Patrons, who are Members of the Church, with regard to "Temple" Work.

    The latter, COULD very EASILY, be handled, with the RELEVANT 'Message', on the "Ordinances" 'Tab', of the "Deceased" individual/person concerned - which, ONLY appears and is accessible, to Users/Patrons, who are Members of the Church, rather than currently; as, a "Data Problem", under "Research Help", on the "Person/Details" page/screen, of the "Deceased" individual/person concerned.

    Such would be a "Very" SIMPLE fix.

    We can but live in hope.

    Just my thoughts.

    Brett

    0
  • genthusiast
    genthusiast ✭✭✭✭
    March 16 edited March 16

    Opinion: I view it as largely a symatical argument for which there needs be no change. The data problem notice does no harm - it just indicates sex has not been selected yet ...

    Nowadays I find:

    https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-record-gender-or-sex-changes-in-family-tree?articleVariant=public
    https://gedcom.io/specifications/FamilySearchGEDCOMv7.html#enum-SEX

    I can certainly leave the sex unknown and the notice is just a reminder that I haven't entered that yet (and yes it is important that it be researched as best as one can and then mark it - but until I find a source I personally don't know that sex). Maybe I'll go focus on that name again for research ... see if anything pops up. Once I select Male or Female that notice goes away.

    1
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