Global Search Replace Broken Links

Question

Hi,  

Is it possible to do a search/replace on the link https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/research

and replace it with https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search

which is the intended address.  This will remove many broken links form the site.  All attributes that occur after the ? can be ignored and removed.

Thanks.

Craig Rayner

Comments

You might want to add the data doctors tag to this, that way Ales will see it.

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I also have one of these, in case Ales passes by:

https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Dollfus-69&diff=147835240&oldid=123448996

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Hi Florian,

All Wikidata already have an external Link to use on Wikitree. Have a look at your profile now.

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Was actually talking about the other link that was broken... but thanks anyway

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already done in the original post

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Now you lost me

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Sorry Florian, replied to comments so not appear to link to the appropriate comment, so the comment 'already done on the original post' was for Kathy.

Answer 1

I checked the data and there are 150 links to https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/research

There are another 150 broken links to https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/esearch

But after checking all familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au none of them actually works. All 70722 links end up on the search page. That is similar to link to www.google.com. I will not correct such links, since they don't add any value.

Do they have any way to link to the actual record?

Comments

Unfortunately, NSW BDM only have a search page, and not even an attribute system to link to an individual record, which is why all of my references look like:

* Death Index ([https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/deaths NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages] : accessed 19 Apr 2022), Index entry for RAYNOR WILLIAM J; Parents: HARRY & MARY; District: GRANVILLE; Registration Number: 12145/1935

So that the person looking at the record has the details to search for the record.  Nasty, but as it is.

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 - Craig , all six states are a pain , they want to sell the certificate , , However , Aleš Trtnik might be able to help with one of his fixes , similar to the NAA one =

• National Archives Australia: 6467663, Service Number - WX15356
• { {National_Archives_Australia|copy Item ID # into here } }, Service Number - WX15356  =

 - which takes you directly to the BDM search page - - - ( |copy Item ID # into here }  ) - becomes =  |Birth } or Death } or Marriage} - -

 - For WA , I have my ''own'' template for the 3 divisions , BDM , but they still require a little massaging , after the copy/paste as the format has changed over the years , the major one in 1905/1906 - - - ja

SAust sold theirs to GenealogySA .

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Hi John,

Some states do have a link that identifies a unique record, e.g. Queensland, but most only have a search page.  

I also have my own templates using Google Sheets to generate the completed reference from a template.  You will find most available here.

The Australia Project has some other templates as well. 

Regards,

Craig

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You should ask them to provide links to actual record or at least prefill the search form with the Registration Number.

If they will get a lot of requests for it, they might do it.

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I sent the following to the NSW BDM Feedback address:

 At the moment, as you are no doubt aware, NSW BDM only provides a search web site.  Once you find the appropriate record, the only way to open and confirm that record is via the search page.  It would be nice to see a single result given a unique URL for reference of source on other sites.  e.g. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Reynolds-23717 has 3 such citing records.

This could be done easily with a url which includes event, registration number and year like https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/births/5041/1871 or using an internal unique identifier so the url looks like https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result/46576504.

I believe that such a strategy on your part may even increase sales on your site as people are able to reference the record directly without the need to enter search parameters, should they be searching other sites for their family history.

Hope it works.