Record editing
I love the editing feature that was added a few months ago. It works very well for the most part. However, the editing interface only allows fields to be edited that were entered when the record was first indexed. Occasionally a record will be indexed with only a given name or only a surname, which then means that the editing screen only allows editing for that field. Unfortunately that means that a user can't properly edit the record.
This record is an example of that issue: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD8K-TZY. The person doing the original indexing couldn't read the surname, so only recorded a given name of Nancy. I am able to read the surname for the record. But when I go into edit, I am only allowed to edit the given name field. No surname field is available for editing. I have edited the first name to include the surname, which allows others to see the name. But it will prevent this record from being searched and found by others.
I hope this can be fixed in upcoming refinements of the edit feature.
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A similar circumstance where editing the critical field is not possible: "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8JM-S3S : 27 June 2021), Joseph Lockitt in entry for Joseph Lockitt, 1870. This record contains an error in the original document, showing a male child named Joseph. 1875 NYS, 1880 US & 1892 NYS censuses of this family group show a female child named Josephine. I can edit the name, but not the gender. Because of this, I'm unable to link this record to the female individual.
Edit: found a way to attach to Josephine, but still leaves her listed as male in the record. Maybe that's best for archival accuracy?
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I've tried a few times to access the community Q&A and could not get logged in: apparently that changed, so here is my first question. I think from the above I know that the answer is "You can't", but maybe something changed over the past 14 months. Anyhow, there is a transcription error in https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-Q3PG-BJ7P?cc=4237104&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3A683F-N5ZF, where the transcriber made a bit of a guess as to the farm name (the Birth Place field). I cannot find a way to correct this – is there one?
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@Dave Odden The link provided goes to the digital images. The transcribed record is found by clicking on one of the paper/page icons at the far left in the image index. When you open to the page for the actual record, then you will see buttons for Save/Edit/Share just below the name at the top of the page. Click Edit to make changes to the record.
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Thanks. I ran into another problem though. Apparently when the entry was originally created, there was no enforcement of the requirement for "standardized places", so it gives "Odden Sobverg" which isn't a place at all. The entry in the record is the farm name (Odden Seboødegård) which is in the vicinity of Skrautvål, Nord Aurdal, Norway. I think I could delete the existing Birthplace field, replacing with standard village / county data, then add a comment that restores the crucial farm information (which is much of the game in Norwegian genealogy). Is there any other / better way to modify the data?
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@Dave Odden, I made a complaint about the same basic problem: https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/125577/please-allow-transcription-corrections-in-indexed-placenames#latest
The way the index correction system is currently set up for placenames, you have two choices: leave the placename uncorrected, or lose the farm name from it, because -- unlike the place-standardization function on Family Tree profiles -- you cannot "annotate" the database labels in index corrections. You must choose one of the places that's in the database, period.
One thing you could do is to "correct" the place to whatever higher jurisdiction is in the database, and add the correct farm name in the correction note -- but that will be nearly invisible to those using the index. (You have to know that it's there and specifically go looking for it.)
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