Add "sort by LNAB" as an option for sorting the Watchlist

Question

At the G2G on married women's last names, Laura Bozzay has pointed out a concern that seems to underlie some members' objections to using a married name as Current Last Name. The concern is that it isn't possible to search sort a Watchlist by LNAB.

Sort by LNAB is the default option (or only option) for name sorts pretty much everywhere else at WikiTree, so it seems like it shouldn't be real hard to enable it for the Watchlist, too. Can this be done?

Comments

Thanks Ellen!

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Yes, some of us would like to be able to sort our watchlist by LNAB so we can tell if anyone is missing.

Thanks for suggesting this much-wanted and sorely needed improvement, Ellen!

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I do agree Ellen. That would be a huge help.

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Wow, that's really a big oversight. Thank you for pointing it out, Ellen, and for explaining it in the well-considered way that you always do.

I'll make sure that changing it is on the to-do list. (I'm inclined to think it should be just changed, i.e. change it so that the alphabetical order is by LNAB, not CLN, rather than add an additional sort option.)

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There's been a new request for this capability: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/457246/what-are-the-chances-of-an-lnab-sort-option-on-our-watchlists

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Is this under active consideration as an improvement? (Sorry, but I can't remember the name of the page where Wikitree's to-do list is posted.)

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Trying to bump this, since a related issue arose at https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/582639/how-do-check-to-see-which-profiles-manage-arent-connected-me

What's the chance of getting the option to sort a watchlist by LNAB???

Answer 1

I am sorry to tell you, that that is possible at the moment.

I search for Sarah Rosling, and there on the list is Sarah (Rosling) Welburn.

I search for Sarah Welburn, and there on the list is Sarah (Rosling) Welburn.

LNAB Rosling. Current name Welburn.

Comments

You are describing search results, not the watchlist. As I stated in a comment on that other G2G I cited:

The default sort for the Family List is LNAB. The default sort for categories is the LNAB. Surname genealogy pages are limited to people with the LNAB unless you specifically ask to include Current Last Name. The only last name sort available on Name Search results pages is the LNAB. When I do an alphabetical-by-surname sort on my "Unconnected" list, the search is by LNAB.

So the Watchlist, where Current Last Name is the default sort and LNAB isn't even an option, is the outlier. It ought to be possible to sort the Watchlist by LNAB.

Answer 2

I agree Ellen.  That drives me utterly insane!  When I think of my great grandmother I don't look for her under her married name, I expect to find her under her maiden name of Danielson.  Why would she be only searchable by married name?  This makes no genealogical sense.  

And when I create a to-do list from my watchlist, it gets thrown completely off by the fact that she is not listed with other Danielsons, thus making my list not in correct alphabetical order.  I have to scroll up and down constantly to find people.