How is this user able to add sources to an ID when they are already attached to another?
I thought the "loophole" for doing this had been closed. Or is this action still possible via ones Source Box, or by using the mobile app?
This user has attached this, and (it appears) many other sources like this (identical URLs) to more than one ID:
She is just going mad over the last couple of days in attaching sources to IDs that are totally unconnected to the individual in question, but the ability to add identical sources to multiple IDs in this way is particularly disturbing.
Answers
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If the user has not updated the App and/or has not refreshed the image of the FSFT on the mobile device, I believe the duplicate attachment would still be possible.
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Here's another example. I attached this to the ID in the second screenshot three years ago, but she added it to another ID yesterday:
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Thank you for the prompt response. Yes, I now remember that it was recently advised here that the App had to be updated to prevent this being possible. So what if thousands of users don't update? Does this mean the problem is not going to go away any time soon?
The second issue here is the serious damage she appears to be doing in adding sources (identical or otherwise) to anyone of remotely similar identity - and in some cases not even that! As we have discussed here on many occasions, it appears to be impossible to stop such vandalism - intentional or not.
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Perhaps @Alan E. Brown could shed some light on the updating of the App on an individual's device. I know on some platforms, some apps will nag or even force the user to update. I don't use the FS App enough to know the process.
I just checked the Android version that I have installed on my tablet, and it has updated to 4.6.10
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This duplicate source attachment was done by a user who has a rather old version of the Android Tree app (a version released in February). The Android Tree app does encourage users to update to the latest version. Those encouragements are given one week after release, if the user is still using an older version. So the next encouragement when a user signs into the app after Friday, if they have not yet upgraded to 4.6.10 (that's the version that prevents duplicate attachments). But that "nag" screen is only shown until the user dismisses it, and then it won't be shown again until another new version is released.
Many Android users have auto updates enabled, and so they update pretty quickly after a new version becomes available. But many users choose not to enable auto updates, and there is no way to force anyone to upgrade. In this particular case, the user has most likely ignored 6-7 prompts to upgrade over the last 4-5 months. So I I would sadly not have much hope that this user will upgrade anytime soon.
So to answer @Paul W 's question: "So what if thousands of users don't update? Does this mean the problem is not going to go away any time soon?" Yes, that's correct. The updated version will gradually be installed on more and more devices over time, and all new installs will be the updated version. Within a couple of months, over 90% of the users will be on an updated version. But it won't ever be 100% (not for years, anyway).
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Is it also possible that this user, and others, has a device/OS that cannot be updated and will continue to use this version until it stops working?
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Thank you for responding. This user has been able to add the same sources to multiple profiles and, what with her other incorrect inputs, this whole family branch is now a complete mess. Fortunately, they are not my close relatives, but I pity the person who encounters this work to their ancestors' records. I'm usually quite happy to spend a day or so carrying out the necessary, corrective work, but cannot prioritise this at present.
A great shame this problem was either not picked up earlier, or seemingly, there is no short term solution that will prevent further, reckless work.
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Not really possible for this user. The system requirements for the Tree app have not changed between the version used by this user and the current version. So they could definitely upgrade to the current version.
However, your point is slightly valid for users with even older versions of the app that may have been allowed to run on an older version of Android. In September 2020, the minimum Android version for the app increased from Android 5 to the current Android 7. That change became effective with app version 4.0.0. Theoretically someone with a 3.x version of the app would not be able to upgrade the app if they are running Android 5 or 6. But there is no activity for such old app versions in the last 90 days, so this hypothetical scenario could not happen for any real users.
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