PRO USERS PLEASE DO THE MERGE-REQUESTS OF NON PRO USERS !

I will do any good merge request that is sent to me, or I find. What Geni now needs to do is make any profile that is three generations old or older public. It is very frustrating to respond to a requested merge only to find that one profile is private

Fred, as a curator you are privy to much more of what is going on than I am. I will continue (for a while) to work with what I can.

Fred, I think that any user should be able to add as many generations as he/she wants - even to Julius Caesar and beyond :-) It's part of the fun! However, you could restrict the right of free accounts to request merges beyond a certain date - and matches should simply not be flagged. In other words, a free user could have much fun as he/she wants, but to merge with the hard work of others, they need to pay.
Sometimes it's good to reflect on your own personal voyage on Geni. I was Pro from day one. However, I didn't really make any use of it. I was merely interested in my own tree, and the one of my wife. For me, the Homs story ended around 1550 (and that's where it still is). For my wife, I went all the way to Roman emperors, but I didn't use Geni for that. Of course, I then merged her lines with others, but I didn't really need to do that, as I had researched her lines myself.
See what I mean? When you do the efforts yourself, it's nice to have a free tool like Geni. But, you might get enthused by the possibiity to merge and collaborate with others on more complex matters. That's where it's fair to start paying, because your work is affecting the work of others.
So, there could be two definitions of 'collaboration':
- One is paying, and involves merging and loads of other things
- One is free: you can collaborate with family members, and you can all add profiles but simply not merge them (what's the point of merging in intra-family collaboration anyway, because there shouldn't be duplicates if you collaborate well!
Sorry for this lengthy response, but I think we need all thoughts to come up with a good approach. :-)

George I like your suggestions and I agree with you instead of focusing on the negative let us come up with suggestions for possible changes like this for the powers to be of Geni.

Just remember they are viewing all of these discussions..

We all want what is best for Geni..

Fred, I feel that 1850 is far enough back that all profiles should be public. I only say three generations because some people object to specific dates and there are a lot of profiles with no dates at all. If you don't take the extreme examples of 13 year old users, the legal limit in the USA, but use average generation age then three generations should be enough. I would however settle for four generations :-)

OK and what will be the result? The number of duplicate profiles will increase rapidly and PRO users work until they drop confirming the merge requests of non-PRO´s, that non-PRO´s could confirm themselves. Make one world tree for non-PRO´s and make another for PRO´s - the poorer people want to collaborate too. At least...would it be possible that people in family group could merge the profiles with each other? Why was it necessary to block seeing results of "search name"? Why can´t i confirm existing merge requests of my collaborators and family group members. It would be nice that i am able to resolve the existing issues.

@Fred Bergman (dutch curator): I have tried to view the link you provided http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/1stID?to=2ndID but I receive the error message, "you don't have permission to see this". What am I doing wrong? Thanks! Karen

@Fred Bergman (dutch curator): AHHHHHHHH thank you for the explanation. I am very "slow" sometimes! :-)

@george j horns: re: "...you can all add profiles but simply not merge them (what's the point of merging in intra-family collaboration anyway, because there shouldn't be duplicates if you collaborate well! "

To me, this goes to the heart of the issue:

Is Geni.com a:

(1) nice online tool for me to play with my own family history (however I define that).

or

(2) collaborative environment which strives for (but, really, will never reach) connecting all the peoples of the world into one "earth family" tree.

I sense that many have the attitude of view #1, but that Geni.com has the mission / vision of #2.

If you "agree" with #2, then there is no place for private profiles other than the "current generations" (i.e.: protection of children; privacy of living adults).

I *do* agree that the steps they (Geni) are taking seem a bit "draconian" for what has been advertised as a free facility (which encourages viewpoint #1), but I *am* in agreement with what others have posted in that there should be no such things as a "private profile" for more than XX generations back and/or birth/death year. --- Moreover, it ought to be difficult to create a private profile for a non-living person ... difficult in the sense that any immediate matches are brought up for your review, so that it is difficult (or at least irritating) to create a new **private** profile. Public profile? Not a problem, because any Pro/Curator can then merge them.

Could a pro-user or curator please look at these merges:

http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000001213352369?to=6000000012...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000009014897075?to=6000000012...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000009003091553?to=6600000001...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000012839450512?to=6000000011...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/4923636120350137978?to=6000000002...

As I can't seem to add any more information onto the trees that adjoin my own I've been doing some house-keeping, tedious stuff.

Caroline - #1, 2, 4 & 5 are done. #3 will not display.

Thanks Private User
Does this work: http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000009003091553?to=6000000012...

More merges:

http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000005437450647?to=6000000012...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000012839124153?to=6000000002...

Thanks

My last merge requests for the night:
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000001213426904?to=6600000001...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000012893249273?to=6000000001...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000001213440300?to=6000000006...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000006231668658?to=6000000013...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000001213538087?to=6000000012...

Thanks

... looks like those are all done, @Caroline Timoney!

More requests:
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000001213440300?to=6000000012...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000008517393949?to=5397930039...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000008517832860?to=5397930145...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000011298349864?to=6000000013...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000004836906839?to=6000000013...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000004836939019?to=6000000013...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000004836898961?
to=6000000013103166684

Thanks

Well....are we going to make merge requests in public discussions? Btw... the number of my tree matches is going up pretty fast. Should i ask here someone to look at them?

Caroline, I,ve done the first two.

The third is an MP. I don't merge Master Profiles without consulting the CURATOR first, and I suggest you do the same.

The rest of the crop were not up to scratch. Lacking dates and no common person in the merge requests. Sorry, no can do.

Karl

Thanks Fred Bergman and Karl Halvor Wollan
Jaak Tulp - these were all merge requests that have been waiting for approval for several months. As I can't make any other additions to the tree I've been sorting out the waiting merges so that I can download an accurate gedcom to eventually leave geni.

Newer merge requests:
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000003097995924?to=6000000012...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000012765795831?to=6000000009...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/5215672218580025584?to=6000000003...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000012766347317?to=6000000009...

#4 on this list appears to be the same person - brothers, with same name, same wife, same death but different birth....?

As I can no longer stack merge requests I'm posting them in this discussion. If that is not what this discussion is about - please send me to the thread where I can post them as my hands are tied.

Thanks

@Caroline. I think you can download the gedcom as is and then upload it somewhere else and continue sorting out there...or not? But of course it´s everyone´s own decision. I have some requests waiting from august last year. I hope very much that i still can continue using Geni and these idiotic rules will be gone soon, otherwise i will upload my gedcom elsewhere and the profiles with my management will be part of dead tree.

Private User
I report this Curator for this reason
Fred Bergman (dutch curator) Transparent
8/13/2011 at 7:52 AM
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Private User
Fred Bergman (dutch curator) Transparent
8/13/2011 at 7:52 AM
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Lord save us from these curators please

Fred, I can't seem to view the list of conflicting data - and when i click on the issue sign (!) on the tree I'm not able to assign parents even if I am a manager of that profile...

Thanks Fred. Found it.

Could someone please look at these merges:
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000001018800247?to=6000000009...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000009857312860?to=6000000004...
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000002115993911?to=6000000009...

The Scottish early royal family and related families need some work - is there a particular curator who is involved in this area? There are a lot of duplicates, inaccurate information and some noticeable gaps in information where there should be connections.

Thanks

NB! Both in this merge tool pair shall be Public!
If one is private then PRO/Curator can't merge them until his/her manager is in PRO's / Curator's Family Group.

Private User
IF YOU SEE THAT YOU CONTROL misbehave the back room

@Fred Bergman: I would be more than happy to help out with merges. Tell me what I need to do: I have over 500 collaborators, and only 30 requested merges, so I have plenty of time to help out. Just give me some directions, please :-)
Barbara Shepard

Caroline Frances Timoney, I what scottish area(s) is there work needed? I can take a look.

Could someone please assist with the following merge:
http://www.geni.com/merge/compare/6000000002175496542?from_flash=1&...

Also, apparently Unknown Profile needs his last name changed to Hull and merged with Rev. Joseph Hull

If someone could do the merges around this couple, would surely appreciate it!

Thanks!