Why Is The Mexico Project Changing the Language to One the Author Can't Read Without Asking???

Question

I have been working on WikiTree for eons.

But of late, the Mexico Project has taken to appropriating my in-laws' branches of my family tree and eradicating the English language and changing it to Spanish at will without so much as a "may I" or a warning.   You would think they could put a Spanish translation below my hard-earned work if they were concerned about someone not being able to understand my efforts to communicate. Any advice on what to do?

Liz Carson Rosas

Comments

Profiles can be managed by a project if they are controversial or duplicated, fit into the project, and for people born more than 200 years ago or notable. Contact with profile managers is recommended if they are to be removed. For Mexico, see this link.

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But a project should not be replacing text with another language; *adding* yes, replacing, no.

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Liz, you might want to edit your post and add the tag "Mexico".

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Mistakes happen and are correctable. The only thing wrong with people is we are not pefect.

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As Warren said, the goal of the project is for everyone to work in the language they're comfortable in, but the ideal is to create bilingual profiles: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Mexico

If someone is deleting your English text and either not replacing it or replacing it only with a Spanish translation (especially if they're saying it's a Mexico project thing) you can contact Mindy Silva.

Ideally, the format would be Spanish on top, horizontal line, English below.

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Thank you, Brad.  I will contact Mindy.  

I generally never come on the boards, and helping others with research  I just stick to building profiles and don't know my way around all this other stuff.  But this angered me so much and just boiled up until I had to figure out how to find a way to get on the board and address it...  Thank you for your help.  

Liz

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Yup, it can be upsetting to see your work overwritten and made worse. It's a tough thing with a collaborative tree, that things like this happen. Usually, luckily, people mean well, and they'll improve when we explain what the guidelines are.

We're always trying to make profiles better, more accurate, and easier for everyone to read. You did the right thing reaching out! We've got mentors and leaders here to solve these kinds of problems.

Answer 1

That's weird, the project page states, "4. Create a bilingual profile so that it can be read in Spanish and English."

Comments

That's exactly right.

The project pages were updated pretty recently, though. Maybe someone didn't get the memo. Or the discord. Or the Google Group email. Or the G2G.

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Oh, this guy should know better.

Answer 2

My apologies if it is me Liz.  Didn't receive a message so that I could address with you if it should be me.  I am guessing it is me as I have been adding lots of info to many profiles.  I live in a mountainous rural area with the slowest internet on the planet which drops me regularly and I also have to move very quickly to avoid the flashing save draft, disability issue, which has been addressed to the appropriate contact persons at wikitree but nothing done to date.  If you go to changes you will see what you had written and could add. As I recall only minor changes were made and mostly other additions were added in Spanish.  But since I have added so many profiles this month I can't be sure.  Please accept my apologies and could we please discuss by message so that I know where this happened, if it was me.  Thank you!  My elec keeps going out and not sure this is posting. Tried several times!   I have elec back but can't get this to post. Will send you a message.

Comments

I've been following up on this, out of the forum Lee. I promise you, you're totally fine! No worries. It's about someone else entirely.

Don't be afraid to make edits, and add sources, and improve profiles (always respecting others' work, which you do.)

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Hi Lee,

First off, thank you so much for contributing to these profiles! You are doing great adding information, and that is not the issue here so no worries (hugs). The profiles in question had the biographies deleted completely, which I'm sure was not intentional, but is really not okay. Never hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions!