Template FindAGrave Changes

Question

After approving new External links templates, we have to correct existing templates to conform to accepted rules. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Link_Templates

First one is FindAGrave. Here is updated help for the template https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Links_to_FindAGrave

Long story short:

There is only one parameter (Memorial number) in the template. There is optional sameas=yes or sameas=no parameter, that does the same as before.

That makes the only accepted usage look like this

{{FindAGrave|1234}}
{{FindAGrave|1234|sameas=yes}}
{{FindAGrave|1234|sameas=no}}

WikiTree-X was corrected to be in line with new rules.

Existing template usages of parameter 2 and 3 will be corrected by EditBOT in the following weeks. You can see how they will be corrected here http://www.softdata.si/wt/EditBot/ChangeLog%20FindAGrave%20to%20External%20Link%2020180214%20170603.htm

Template is still working with old parameters, but not for long. Just until EditBOT is done.

Comments

Thanks very much for this Aleš! Mags

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Too bad. I was just getting used to the way it was set up.

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Awesome, I didn't know there were such things as link templates!

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Wikitree-x citation seems to be down.

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sorry .. just needed to close and restart my CHROME broswer

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Actually it is still intermittent. 

Calling up the find a grave record 

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10310793/charity-humphrys

Then running update for McDaniel-241, 

Does not produce the template link. 

 

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It gives me this comment. You have to manually delete the old one.

* Charity McDaniel Humphrys (1794-1877) on {{FindAGrave|10310793}} Retrieved 14 February 2018.

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Yes I do not understand what is going on. I added some of the grandchildren fronfind a grave and it wasn’t working either. Maybe it is my computer. I’ll wait and see if anyone else reports a problem

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so does this mean ~~~~ no longer works? or is just no longer allowed?

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I'm know I'm being dense here, but I'm not sure what, exactly, is generating all the "571 FindAGrave - Link without Grave ID" suggestions on my profiles. Here's an example of one of the many flagged as incorrect (is it the "sameas=no" parameter?):

* U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current, database online. Record of burial site [death 10 November 1902] for Isaac Williams in the Schulenburg City Cemetery, Fayette County, Texas. {{FindAGrave|93324198|sameas=no}} See also the Fayette County TXGenWeb Project, [http://www.fayettecountyhistory.org/schulenburg_city_cemetery.htm Schulenburg City Cemetery].

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Edison:

You are using parameter sameas incorrectly. The first one I checked is https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Williams-51575 and it links to his memorial, so you should use sameas=yes or completely skip sameas parameter.

sameas should be used in case the link points to a relative's memorial. and even then it is not necessary. It is necessary to use it only if you get other suggestions due to match to incorrect memorial.

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Steven:

 ~~~~ is wiki thing. it can always be used anywhere on any page and will be changed to user/date signiture.

it is described here https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Signatures

But it is no longer used within the template. you can use it outside

{{FindAGrave|1234}} retrieved ~~~~

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Yes, Thank you!

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outside yes, inside no. Important info. ;)

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Many thanks, Aleš. I thought that might be the case. I'd in fact edited a half-dozen or so profiles to remove the parameter before second-guessing myself and posting here. The explanation of 571, "Link without Grave ID," threw me off. Those profiles were modified with the FAG template shortly after it was first published (last September?) and I mistakenly understood at the time that "sameas=no" would prevent error-generation from exact name spelling or other detail-level matching against the FAG record. This note may help others who are seeing the 571 suggestions and not understanding why. Off to modify some more profiles....

Answer 1

The problem I have had with FindAGrave is that the wonderful people who take photos of grave markers  then add information they can find to the memorial.  Often, I have found that info to be wrong on the memorials of my relatives,  and based on my first-hand knowledge and family records and documents, I then have to contact that person and ask them to change and add information to the memorial.  Family members should be able to provide an accurate memorial to their loved ones, but I'm not sure how this problem can be solved.  I am so grateful to those who photographed the tombstones of my family in places that I would never have able to go.  Perhaps those  who post photos of the grave markers could be limited to including only the information they obtain from the tombstone and not "guessing" at other info.  What's the answer?

Comments

I prefer to consider the information on the stones correct until proven otherwise.

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This is a long discussion on the subject you bring up...

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/382339/find-a-grave-always-correct?show=382339#q382339

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I think it's useful that people can add information, but you do have to treat it with care, just like an unsourced profile, and verify it for yourself.  I still think it's preferable to having to start finding all the information from scratch myself.  I've often submitted additional information for people in my family tree, and I've never had a memorial manager ask for my sources - which they might not always be able to check anyhow.  

If you really want to control the information on a memorial, you'd need to become the memorial manager.  It is possible to ask for the memorial to be transferred to your care; I haven't tried doing that, so I can't say how open people are to it in practice.

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Martha, I think the answer is your last sentence: "Perhaps those who post photos of the grave markers (on FAG) could be limited to including only the information they obtain from the tombstone and not "guessing" at other info."

Middle names, middle initials and maiden names are often added by the original creator and later by other people trying to belpful. These added bits can lead another researcher astray.  A solution is to ask the manager to remove them from the main entry so that it reflects exactly what is on the stone (and no more), Then add a Notes section to the memorial for those "helps". Sources can be added in notes as well.

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Don't like it all. I like being able to see in the source the cemetery location without have to click out of the page, never mind,

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You should make full citation with transcribed whatever you want including cemetery name. Template is used only instead of the hyperlink to the memorial.

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"I prefer to consider the information on the stones correct until proven otherwise."

I agree with you. I have viewed hundreds of grave markers displayed on my profiles and only two of them had incorrect dates on the stones.

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@Corinne The odd few times I have asked a memorial has been transferred straight away and sometimes without even asking, just mentioning that I am a relative.

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@Marg. It is not possible for people to add things trying to be helpful. All edits are suggested edit and have to be approved by the memorial manager. If incorrect information is getting through it is the fault of the memorial manager.

The memorial should ONLY reflect what is on the headstone. Links to other family members can be parents or children of and that is done solely through memorial numbers. What is more the quidelines of FindAGrave say that only the parts of the inscription should be added, excluding the names.

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Thanks David, good to know - I haven't really felt the need to manage any of the ones I've found that are related to me yet, but the day may come.

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Thanks David, Upon reflection you are right about how changes are made.

I am absolutely in agreement with you that "The memorial should reflect ONLY what is on the headstone."

Could you point me to the FAG quidelines that state this?

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Would like to see that guidance about "The memorial should reflect ONLY what is on the headstone."  as I have entered numerous memorials with no headstones based on the records of the sextons of cemeteries.

 

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Adding information on memorials based on cemetery records / burial records sounds perfectly reasonable.Other sources mentioning funeral arrangements should be OK as well (death cards, obituaries...).

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@Robin. We may be singing from a different hymn book. I was thinking about the inscription part of the memorial since most, no all, of the memorials I am creating/updating are from photographs I have taken and the inscription field only contains the "In loving memory" part and not the name. My apologies for causing confusion. It was a narrow view of the possibilities.

The bio on the memorial can contain any information just as it would on WikiTree.

Anyway, just for the sake of responding correctly, the FAQs can be found here: https://www.findagrave.com/list-faqs

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FindAGrave is a rabbit hole. I can't tell you how many times I went to add just one simple link, only to end up spending HOURS correcting or linking FAG entries, just because I can't stand not having my ancestors' virtual photos of their graves not be linked together correctly. Why poor so-and-so is off over their by themselves and people NEED TO KNOW! It's maddening.

I have also made some interesting discoveries just following links in FAG. Branches splitting and rejoining, etc. Marrying cousins. Lots of infant deaths.