Can you PLEASE require EVIDENCE for marking someone from LIVING to DECEASED

Kentucky1792

You all do a great job. I am not a member of the Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints, but I tremendously value ALL of the work being done to host, manage, and provide FamilySearch as a free resource. I can't imagine what all is involved or how many people get up everyday and come to work to make this beautiful platform available. So please take this feedback in the spirit it is provided, which is constructive feedback, as opposed to a rant. I am a genealogical researcher and use FamilySearch to both document and contribute information.

Repeatedly over the course of the past year I have seen a **significant** uptick in users marking living people as DECEASED who are in fact, LIVING.

It is way too easy to mark someone deceased and I am genuinely concerned, particularly given the high rate of fraud, predatory behavior of folks who are trying to get information and take advantage of senior citizens who may have dementia, etc., that additional safeguards need to be added to FamilySearch.

My suggestion is to mark someone from living deceased, particularly if they are under a certain age (your team can figure this out), that the user MUST supply and here is the keyword: **EVIDENCE**. Not a user supplied reason statement, but **EVIDENCE**, in terms of a record this could be an obituary, Find-A-Grave record, etc. But something real. Not the "I know they are dead." user added statement or a recent statement I've seen is -- and I'm not kidding about this one a "." period in the reason statement field.

I think about all the safeguards and standards that FamilySearch uses to manage memories and this is a good thing for lots of reason. For example, I posted a photograph a while back of my mother sitting in a chair in an art museum. It got denied. I contacted FamilySearch and was told the photograph was denied because the reviewer that it was taken in a Temple. My mother is a devout Roman Catholic and hasn't ever stepped foot in a Temple, but the reason I share this example is that is a standard in place for a Memory. Standards are a good thing and I'm glad FamilySearch values them and has high standards in place. Otherwise, I wouldn't likely use the platform. I have high standards too. What I am suggesting is there needs to be an equally high standard in place for marking someone from living to deceased -- particularly if they are under a certain age.

Your team does a great job with standards on Memories. Can the same standards be applied to marking someone from living to deceased.

Thank you and please keep up the good work.

Kind regards,

Christopher Padgett, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Dennis J Yancey

if only FS had the massive volunteer force needed for this and so many similar items of a similar nature to some how vet everyones claims by reviewing the evidence . . . They have the hardest time just keeping up with the items that do now require human intervention.

Kentucky1792

I'm absolutely not asking for volunteers to review the evidence, I'm asking for a record (some kind of record -- an obituary, a funeral home program, a church service program, a prayer card, a Find-A-Grave record, a death record, etc) to have to be attached to change someone from living to deceased.

If for no other reason, I would think this would open FamilySearch up for potential litigation if someone living feels their privacy is being violated on the FamilySearch platform.

If someone living gets flagged as deceased, when they are in fact, living, as I understand it, all the memories and records attached to that person then become visible to the public. I would think that would open FamilySearch up to a potential claim if someone should pursue it and the law would allow it in the jurisdiction where they live.

So, if you don't think this is a good idea from a standards point of view, then consider the potential legal claim that could arise given how easy it is to mark someone deceased, who is in fact, very living.

Dennis J Yancey

and what prevents people from uploading garbage - for the proof of death . ..

to do any good it needs to be reviewed by a person to ensure people are not "spoofing" the system. . .

or we really aren't accomplishing much

build a better mouse trap and smarter mice appear . . .

a person determined to enter a living person as deceased - will find a way . . .

BUT from my experience - such people are pretty darn rare.

Dennis J Yancey

and as far as privacy and legal - you can already very much find - info on living persons that is found on the SEARCH RECORDS section - - - virtually all of it coming from totally legal public sources.

but yes - entering someone as deceased when the person knows the person is living - and repeatedly doing so - would be considered abuse and action could be taken against the user.

Dennis J Yancey

and for the record - - family search memories that are marked as public - are viewable and findable to other people - whether they are linked to living people or not.

Items that are marked as private are NOT viewable by others - whether or not they are linked to living people or not.

Dennis J Yancey

here is an article I wrote on the subject:

http://yanceyfamilygenealogy.org/internet_safety.htm