Default notification for edits to mitigate incorrect changes to family line
I understand the benefit of crowdsourcing family history information - my family has been greatly benefitted. However, multiple times now we've revisited a portion of our family line to discover it's been almost entirely erased by other people confusing our family member with someone else and erasing all the work we've done. I don't want to discourage people from doing this work, but we are starting to get quite discouraged ourselves by having all our in-depth research to confidently confirm family lines with primary sources and stories, only to have someone else with a wrong name from a census overwrite all of it.
If we can't have locks that require 1) original creator or 2) FamilySearch expert permission before editing someone else's work, can we at least have a setting that allows us to set the default to notify of changes to our family line? At least SOMETHING that mitigates major changes (merging, deleting, name changes, etc.) that negatively affect progress...
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There is such a setting: "Following" (which used to be "Watch"). It's the star icon to the right of the person's name at the top of the profile's detail page. Turning on this setting puts the profile on your list under Family Tree - Following, and notifies you when anyone besides you makes an edit to the profile.
I'm not sure where or how to set the method of notification. I believe I get an email message to the address on the Account tab of my Settings, but the last time anyone did anything to my watchlist was in February of 2020, so I may not be remembering exactly right.
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Darrel
Welcome to the "Community.FamilySearch" Forum.
I am just another 'lowly' User/Patron ...
Further to the grat advice that 'Julie' has already proffered ...
'Yes', the feature/function/facility of "Watching" (oops, sorry, 'Old School), now "Follow"/"Following" individuals/persons in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch', ALREADY exists.
I am an avid user of the "Follow"/"Following" feature.
There is provision, to "Follow", up to a Maximum, of x4000 individuals/persons in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch', at any given time.
There are two (x2) forms of "Notifications":
- An actual, "Weekly", Notification, of the "Changes", of those individuals/persons, that one "Follows", via/through "Messaging" in 'FamilySearch', from 'FamilySearch'; and/or,
- An ability, to "Check", the 'status' of "Changes", of those individuals/persons, that one "Follows", on a 'Live', on-going, ad-hoc, basis, 'as is', at that time.
I actually use BOTH.
I receive the "Weekly", Notifications.
But ...
That Said ...
I also "Check", the 'status' of ANY "Changes", for those that I "Follow", on a DAILY basis.
[ So, that said, I am already on top of, the "Changes"; BEFORE, I even receive the "Weekly", Notifications. ]
It is brilliant.
You CANNOT "Stop" the "Changes"; but, at least, you can be onto them, almost; as, they happen.
Well, often, soon enough to 'Stay' any real 'Damage'.
Here are some "Knowledge Articles" in 'FamilySearch':
How do I follow or unfollow a person in Family Tree?
https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/can-i-follow-an-individual-in-family-tree
How do I view all the people in Family Tree I am following?
https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-view-all-the-records-i-am-watching
How do I find out who else is following a person in Family Tree?
https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/who-else-is-watching-my-ancestors-record
I hope this might also help somewhat.
Brett
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