WT to FS connecting

Question

Hey hey,

Just curious if there is more information about the connection feature between WT IDs and those of FST?

I think I read a while ago that in the future this connecting will be useful... but for what? What are the plans or wishes for the future of this.

https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:EditFamilySearch

Comments

This is what it says on the page you linked "Use the FamilySearch Match App to search for matches and make connections for profiles on your Watchlist. To view or edit existing connections or add new connections manually, use the forms below. See FamilySearch Connections for more information."

It is useful to quickly find profiles on Family Search that match profiles on your Watchlist.  Often I find sources that I have not located previously. The sources can be transferred to WikiTree with a click. As is always the case, the user should verify that the connection and sources are reliable.

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Yes so far I am with you, but I was more curious about this from the help pages:

Why Create Connections?

Making these connections can help you and others now, and has significant potential benefits for the future.

Just curious what these benefits might be. 

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Should be obvious: The identifier for a FS profile on a WT profile would allow a FS API (or WT 'app') to send FS profile data back to WT (to be entered or checked).

Auto-add sources, verify WT dates against FS dates quickly (and more). I doubt FS would ever allow data to flow from WT to FS, though. (The other direction.)

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But is the FamilySearch identifier (if present) which is stored with a WikiTree profile actually available through a WikiTree API call? If not, then WikiTree apps cannot see it.

Answer 1

I cannot speak for others, but I find that the benefit for me is free source images. For example, I do a lot of sourcing from unindexed Prussian records. I attach those to a FamilySearch profile and/or a WikiTree profile. A lot of recreational genealogists do not have the time or inclination to go through the gazillions of unindexed image collections available through FamilySearch. So when I find and connect those sources people find them who otherwise wouldn't. I think that's an excellent benefit.

Answer 2

Wiki text can be a little confusing to read sometimes. I blame the lack of indenting under headers, but maybe that is just me. Anyways...

On Help:FamilySearch_Connections it states that:

Making these connections can help you and others now, and has significant potential benefits for the future.

So for the question: Why Create Connections? (what are the potential benefits?) The answer is actually in the following subsections. The question is a level 2 heading, and the answers are level 3 headings:

1. Find information and cousins
2. The interconnected single family tree of the future

Comments

Thanks, yeah I’ve always struggled with WT help pages. My next question is why is it good that Google will know that profiles on each website is the same will they list them together on top of a search result or so?

Too bad an app like say Wikitree X doesn’t also automatically add a link to Wikitree on the FS profile that would have been nice.

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I too struggle a LOT with WT help pages, thought it was just me!

Coincidently, I was looking at this page yesterday,

"FamilySearch Connections":

https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:EditFamilySearch&action=viewUser&user_name=