Ancestry Profile Link Proposal

8/3/2019 Ancestry Profile Link Proposal

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ancestry-profile-link-proposal 1/19

Ancestry Family Trees SourceProposal to update system



Problems with current syste

• Original profile may have been in error.

• No automatic system to show if your source profile has beeupdated.

• If connected, Member Connect a user may possibly notice tBut nothing is done to repair a now invalid reference.

• Even with Member Connect, user must have options to shochanges turned on or view the copied profile.



Problems with current syste

• If original profile is updated, the additional sourced profiles originally copied data invalidating the source.

• Users do not have to remove the invalid source link causingand depreciating the value of the source type.

• Tree sources tree, which sources another tree, which sourctree, ad infinitum. Some source groups contain infinite loops referring to one another.



A New Profile Linking Syste

• First profile linked becomes the original source.

• Additional links to the original profile and profiles already linto the original source. The system overrides users choice of

• Changes the the original profile proliferate to linked profiles

• Changes to linked profiles, remove the original profile as a s

• Optionally proliferate linked profiles with related sources fo



A New Profile Linking Syste

• Users can roll back automatic changes from linked sources. Tremoves the profile link and the event become unsourced. Uadd their own sources if they wish.

• Possibly create a page like the new Hints page to manage lin

profiles, remove links, replace sources, change links, etc.

• Source count on linked profiles during a Tree Search does nlinked sources. If a profile only includes a linked source, the appear as unsourced or possibly say “0 Source, 2 Links.”



New Method Proposal



User Decides to Link Profiles



Drop down box forces primary link for a given they’re all different, they’re probably not all rig

they’re all the same, it shouldn’t matter which is



Notice appears confirming link and if profile linchanged (e.g. if user linked to a tree with an ex

link for that event–forces link to original pro



New Source Type. Event links open to original



Profile may also inherit related event sources froriginal profile (optional).



If original profile is changed, the user(s) linked will change automatically.



Notices will also appear on the linked profile wability to roll back changes. Rolling back changes

link the profiles removing the Ancestry Tree



Updating Old System Challen

• Too Difficult or Incompatible.

• What to do about profile links to multiple profiles (which system allows).

• User reaction to changes.

• Unforeseen difficulties rolling out changes.



Updating Old System Solutio

• Impossible to update old system to new format?

• Remove old system entirely? Remove linked profile sourceexisting trees.

• Leave old system? Demote old sources in search results tofor relevant timeline events.

• Choose to decline new system proposal and try to find a solution.



Other System Problems

• There will still be fragmented groups of linked profiles and oprofiles. This is not a “one community tree” solution. It simpreduce the number of errors on linked profiles and providepoint of correction.

• Changing to an automatically updating system could be difficusers to accept unless it is well understood that changes canreverted and how the new system works.



Why Automatic Changes?

• A linked profile is not an original source. The member usingmember’s profile information already demonstrates they beoriginal profile is valid enough to display on their tree. Why update be considered less valid?

• Members may not visit often or have abandoned their tree.

• Most users will not make changes on their own even if notifichange. Especially if the profile is of a person of distant relatthere for context.



Benefits to New System• No longer combine Ancestry Family Trees sources to multip

even if original trees have conflicting data. One tree-link perOne shared data set (while linked).

• Original profile owner has the ability to fix event if found toincorrect by self or even user comments (linked users will oone member to communicate with to correct the error.

• May help prevent future bad data from proliferating uncontrthe point where fixing it seems out of reach.

• Abandoned trees or infrequent users with linked profiles w

corrected. The community will get good data sooner.



New System Will Not Fix.

• Will not correct the existence bad sources, but will allow a point of correction.

• Bad sources will exist even without the new system, so tnumber of new bad sources should not increase. But the

cumulative repair of bad source should improve dramatic

• Will not improve sources on un-linked trees. Ancestry Memwho do not link will remain autonomous, as they are now.

Ancestry Profile Link Proposal

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