Standard Names changed in Germany

Richard Otter

I just saw that the *standard names* for most of the German towns I'm researching have been changed by the the FS places administrators. For example-

Was: Waldzell, Steinfeld, Main-Spessart, Bayern, Deutschland 

Is: Waldzell, Steinfeld, Landkreis Main-Spessart, Bayern, Deutschland 

That's like adding the word "County" to a US place name.

Does anyone know why this was done?

Does any one have a contact in the FS places group that might be able to answer?

I'd like to ask what their goals for the places database are so I can stop chasing my tail trying to keep up.

Richard Otter

Richard Otter

I should add that this change was made only to the German language version of these place names. The English versions are unchanged.

I do data entry in German for people that lived in Germany.

Gordon Collett

I can't answer any of your questions regarding why any changes are being made or who to contact, but I would like to make it clear that you never have to "chase your tail trying to keep up."

There is nothing to keep up with. There is absolutely no requirement to use the standardized version of a place name, only that you link the place name you have correctly entered to an appropriate standardized version so that the program knows what latitude and longitude you are talking about.

If you have entered a place name the way you know it should be done and link it to a standard that either looks identical or looks different but is the right place, there is no need to ever change it again. If FamilySearch does go and tweak the standardized version, it does not change the latitude and longitude of the place and it does not change what you have entered and it does not un-standardize your entry.

Keep in mind that when someone sets the website to a different language than you used to enter a place name, they still see what you entered, but see the standardized version in the language they are using.

(I know a few people that always include the word County when entering place names in Family Tree. They feel it is more accurate and less ambiguous. And it is perfectly fine that they do.)

J Wolfgang R Binte

Hi there ..

over here in europe there are people working for the FamilySearch support in the Frankfurt/Main area.

They are - in german language - crieing for volunteers ..

I´m on of those newly engaged one that wants to learn how to use the tool thats behind the scene if someone suggests a change of place or a new place the hasn´t been entered yet ..

But that´s not my part right now ..

Right now I was looking for written support and just entered that community .. .. and read what Gordon Collett "said" ...

https://www.familysearch.org/de/blog/familienstammbaum-aktualisierung-standardisierte-orte

I only have the german language link for the knowledge article or better a Blog in familysearch .. but - as far as I know - latitude and longitude go with the standard ... so if someone changed the standard the text will stay but the standard may be gone as you will see and can notice with the red exclamation mark in teh upper right corner of the persons profile .. and in other places in the tree ..

I hope I could help ..

J Wolfgang R Binte

https://www.familysearch.org/de/blog/familienstammbaum-aktualisierung-standardisierte-orte

J Wolfgang R Binte

The other question originally entered her by Richard Otter

"Was: Waldzell, Steinfeld, Main-Spessart, Bayern, Deutschland 

Is: Waldzell, Steinfeld, Landkreis Main-Spessart, Bayern, Deutschland "

is something I also noticed ...

And it is true ... "That's like adding the word "County" to a US place name."

Female "Head" of support in the Frankfurt/Main for the german language area here in europe is Patricia Mollemans who may know ..

Cheryl Viering

I find it helpful to add descriptors like "County" to place names. Often several levels of jurisdiction have the same name. That makes it clear which one you are referring to.

"Mobile, Alabama" could refer to the city, or the county. The city should be written as "Mobile, Mobile, Alabama", but people often leave the county out.

"Mobile (city), Mobile (county), Alabama" & "Mobile (city), Alabama" make it clear that you are referring to the city.

J Wolfgang R Binte

J Wolfgang R Binte

.. you probaply mean that people don´t care for the descriptors beyond ...

Richard Otter

This wouldn't be an issue at all, if the FSFT system was working as I expected.

I generally do my best to make the place name I enter to be the same as the standardized place name.

When they match, there is only one place listed and it has the "map pin" icon to the left of it.

When you change the standard, like was done here, none of the place names I entered now match their standardized names, so each enty now show two place names. The one I entered and the "new" standard place name.