From WeRelate
This general list of frequently asked questions and answers applies to general WeRelate issues. You can find feature-specific FAQs on the help pages.
What is WeRelate anyway?
What is WeRelate?
- WeRelate is a free public-service web site developed and sponsored by the Foundation for On-Line Genealogy, Inc., a non-profit (501c3) organization, and operated in partnership with the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library. It is funded by your tax-deductible donations. WeRelate's goal is to be the number one community website for genealogy. WeRelate is already the largest genealogy wiki on the web.
What is a Wiki?
- Wiki is Hawaiian for fast and Native American for community house. As concerning WeRelate, a wiki is a type of web site that helps multiple users share information by allowing them to easily create and edit web pages, without needing advanced computer skills. This makes it possible for you to share your genealogical research, knowledge, and resources with the WeRelate community. With the click of a button, all registered WeRelate users can contribute in any way to any of WeRelate's wiki pages. This way, relatives can collaborate on the same family line, keeping all information in one centralized location.
How do I join WeRelate?
- All you have to do is sign up. It only takes about a minute, and you aren't required to give us any personal information. Plus, it's free! We will never charge you to access the website.
What about spammers and vandals? Won't they wreck WeRelate?
- Not if we work together! If you see some spam or vandalism, please edit the page and remove it. This is your website as much as anyone else's. If it is unusually complicated or extremely widespread, please leave a message for Dallan.
Creating Person and Family wiki pages
How do I upload a GEDCOM?
- If you've done genealogical research online before, you probably have a GEDCOM file recording your past research. Upload your GEDCOM with the Family Tree Explorer. Doing so will automatically create person pages for each name in your GEDCOM.
Can I Update my wiki pages by reloading my GEDCOM?
- No. Whenever you upload a gedcom, the system will automatically create new person and family pages. Re-uploading will create duplicate pages. In the future, WeRelate will have a GEDCOM Update function. Until then, please update your pages manually.
What is the size limit for the uploaded GEDCOM?
- The size limit is 5MB. If your gedcom is larger, you will need to export sections of your family file to gedcom.
How do I create pages without a GEDCOM?
- If you do not have a GEDCOM, you can manually create person and family wiki pages for your ancestors. Check out the Person pages tutorial to see how.
How do I title a person page?
Use only the First given name and the last or surname. Do not include suffixes, prefixes, middle or nick names in the title. There is a place to record these additional names on the person's Person page. Please do not assign a Person index number. The system will assign an index number to differentiate between person with similar names when you save the page. Thus, a page for someone name Dr. Henry Lewis Townsend, IV would simply be entitled Person:Henry Townsend.
Why shouldn't I use middle names, titles, suffixes and prefixes in the title?
- Because of names like de la Vega and Mac Laren the search will treat every word after the first word in the title as the last name. If the page were entitled Person:Henry Lewis Townsend IV it would be indexed under the last name of "Lewis Townsend IV" and not as Townsend. You can see how this would make it more difficult for your cousins to find common ancestor pages.
- The system assigns person and family index numbers when you save to differentiate pages with similar names.
How do I title a family page?
- Use only the first given name of the husband with his last or surname followed by the word "and" then the first or given name of the wife followed by her maiden name. Do not include the person index numbers for either spouse. You can specify the person index number on the family page. The system will assign a when you save. Thus the page for John Alec Stephens Jr. married to Lola Margaret "Maggy" Clouse would simply be entitle Family:John Stephens and Lola Clouse.
Why shouldn't I include person index numbers in the family page title?
- It is likely that you will have a cousin or two working on the same ancestor. This is a wiki site after all. When you discover duplicate pages, you will want to merge the pages and share information. The John Smith and Mary Jones page may later include information from 7 John pages and 12 Mary pages. The index numbers will change as the pages are merged. If the index numbers are included in the titles, they may inaccurately refer to retired merged pages.
What is the index number for?
- Index numbers differentiate between person and family pages where the individuals have the same given and surname. Index numbers are assigned by the system when you save. Please do not assign your own index number. You may over write an existing page. See Family Index number and Person index number.
Can I create pages for living persons?
- No. Posting vital data for living persons is against the law in many countries. Also, posting vital data without someone's permission is not only an invasion of their privacy but exposes them to identity theft. If you wish to use living persons as place holder or as bridges between lines, list them simply as 'Living' with their surname, without any vital information. Their person page will be linked to the relevant ancestor pages creating necessary bridges without publishing sensitive information.
Images
What about copyrights
- There are strict copyright rules that must be followed at WeRelate. Please read Image licensing.
How do I upload an Image?
- Select Add from the menu. Next, click on Image. Your image cannot be uploaded unless it is first made available to your computer. This can be made available via either a file on a CD, a Hard Drive, or a Thumb/Flash Drive. You cannot upload an image without selecting Copyright information. See Image licensing for more detail. Also, detailed uploading instructions, image sizing, and locating instructions are available at Uploading images.
Why did I get a red title instead of my image?
- Image titles are case-sensitive. You must enter the exact title of your image including the .jpg, .JPG, etc.
How do I title an image?
- You may use any title you like. Please use a unique descriptive title. The title needs to include a dot jpeg or other image designation. However, keep in mind that if you choose a common title like Grandpa.jpeg. The next person who to use the same title will over write your image. Next time you are at grandpa's page, you may be looking at a stranger from a different era. :)
What kind of images can I upload?
- Just about anything that relates to your genealogical research. We recommend that documentation is scanned and uploaded whenever possible in accordance with copyright rules. It is so much easier to collaborate when your cousins have assess to your documentation. That said, Images are patrolled, offensive material will be deleted. Offenders may be disciplined.
What is an annotated image?
- It is very simple to create "hotspots" of information on your uploaded images. Information pops up when the cursor is dragged across the hopspot. You can include the names and vital information for individuals in a group shot or point out details on a document. Check out the Images tutorial and image annotation instructions in the help pages.
How do I annotate an image?
From the image page, select edit. Next, select add note. You will then see a white box; this is your hot spot. This box can be resized and moved with your mouse. Size the box to cover a person's face, body, or some other item in the image that you wish to annotate. It is very helpful to annotate relevant parts in census records or other documents. After you have positioned the hot spot, enter your annotation in the note box, then click ok and save the page. For more information, see image annotation instructions in the help pages.
Can I attach an image to several pages?
Yes. Your image will be automatically added to any person or family page title that you enter in the person or family page fields below the image on the image page.
Search
Under Construction.
Collaboration
How do I share my pages or tree with family members?
There are two easy ways to direct others to your pages.
- If you only wish to share a few pages, copy the urls unto an email. Your cousins can click through to the desired page(s).
- If you'd like to share an entire tree, click on MyRelate in the blue menu bar and select Trees. You will see a chart of your trees with some options. Choose email and enter the desired email address. Your cousin will be able to open your tree. All of the linked pages will be available. Once your cousin registers, she can help add information to your pages.
Can different users work on the same tree?
- Yes. The first user should email the tree to the second. The second user would then need to save the tree under his login. Then you will both have the same tree saved under your separate logins. An infinite number of users can assess this same tree in this fashion.
How do I know when new information has been added to a page?
- You will get an email from WeRelate every time someone edits a page you are watching. Click on the link in the email to view the diff screen and see exactly what what added or deleted.
What is a watchlist?
- You may watch as many pages as you like. You will get and email everytime a page on your watchlist is changed. You put pages on your watchlist by clicking on the watch in the second menu bar in the top right corner of the screen.
If anyone can edit a page, how do I protect my information?
- Even though anyone can edit your person pages, all past versions of the page are permanently archived, meaning that you can easily revert back to the original version. Also, you can create any number of user pages that are visible to the entire WeRelate community, but are password-protected.
What happens when users keep overwriting each other's work?
- Please play nice:)
- Things posted on the Internet are meant to be shared. Pages posted on a wiki site are intended to be collaborative, a joint effort written by the community. We are always checking the recent edits. If we find a feud going on, we will lock the page to let you both cool off, and send you the following suggestions.
- You can create a second article with a slightly different title and keep your information separate.
- You can put your information on a user page where no one else can edit it.
- You can insert a few sentences explaining the disagreement, and agree to disagree.
- As of date, overwriting each other's work has not been an issue.
Can I keep others from altering MY pages?
- Yes. If you want to share but don't want others to collaborate, please post your family information on a user page. In the near future you will be able to post this material in our digital library (view only). You can create User pages from your dashboard. Click on My Relate and select Dashboard. Then, select Add user page from the last box on your dashboard.
Can I keep others from deleting pages I'm interested in?
- Yes. No one else can delete the page if you have edited it or are watching it. If a page has more than one contributor, it can only be deleted by an admin after it has been placed in Category:Speedy Delete.
Match and merge
How can I merge duplicate pages?
In the future, WeRelate will search out duplicate pages and help you merge them. For the present, if you happen across a duplicate page (such as a common ancestor page created by a different user) and you want to merge them immediately, copy and paste all alternate information onto the most complete page. Please be respectful of your cousin's work and copy all alternate information to the surviving page. It's easy to agree that we have a common ancestor and disagree on a few points on the same page. Next, redirect the duplicate page to the surviving page by typing #redirect[[title of surviving page]] on the first line in the text box of the duplicate page.
Types of Wiki pages
What is a Namespace
- A namespace signifies the type of page it is, like a category. It is the word before the colon in the title of each page. Thus, person pages are in the Person namespace, such as Person:Ella Grey (1).
What is an Article?
- Article are blank free form wiki pages that you can use to write about anything genealogical that is not a person, place, source or family. Articles do not have namespaces.
What are Place pages?
- WeRelate has the largest documented inhabited current and historical place index available. Place pages contain geographical and historical information about particular places. You may find research tips, timelines, charts outlining when records were kept, maps and geo-coordinates.
How to title a place page?
- Place pages are titled with the smallest jurisdiction first, followed by containing jurisdictions, separated by commas. Whatever follows the last comma is the country name. Thus, a place named New York, New York would be indexed in the country of "New York" and not in the United States. Each country has a different name hierarchy. The United States is Town, County, United States.
Do you enter a cemetery as a place?
- Yes, if the cemetery is located within the town limits enter Cemetery, Town, Township, County, Country or Cemetery, Town, County, Country. If the town is not known or if the cemetery is located in a rural area enter Cemetery, Township, County, Country or Cemetery, County, Country.
Why are some of the place names blue and others red?
- Blue links link to existing pages. Click on a red link to create a pages for this title. Please search for you place name before creating a new page.
Is there a short cut for entering place names?
- Yes, if you enter the name of the town or county followed by a comma and wait 2 seconds, you will see a list of all the places in the world with that name. Click an the appropriate one.
What are Source and MySource pages?
- Source pages are for sources of general interest, such as Oregon death records. You will find access and reference information along with some research tips and evaluations. MySource pages are for personally significant sources such as a family bible or a death certificate.
What are talk pages?
- Every content page has a talk page. This a place for you to discuss the material of the content page. Whenever the watchlisted talk or content page is edited, you will get an email.
What are User pages?
- Your user page is place to tell the community about yourself and your research. You can create them from your dashboard.
What is a category?
- A category is a user-created list of pages of interest. It is also a way of cross-referencing pages that are not obviously connected. For instance, Category:Drayton Family Slave Genealogy is a list of slave records for unrelated individual slaves from a particular plantation.
Pedimaps: Why aren't all the vital dates on the map?
- Before a birth, death, or marriage date can appear on the pedimap, the place must have latitude and longitude. First make sure all your relevant places are blue links and not red. If all your places are blue, then excluded places lack coordinates. You will need to look these up and edit the relevant place pages if you want them to show up on your map.
Miscellaneous
Can I copyright the information that I contribute to WeRelate?
- Yes. You retain the copyright to whatever you contribute to WeRelate. You may still put it in a book and sell it; it is yours. However, anything posted on WeRelate is subject to the GNU-FDL. This means other people can freely copy it and use it as long as they give you credit. If you don't want your pages subject to the GNU-FDL, please host it elsewhere and add your website to the source directory, by creating a source page for it. This way, WeRelate will search it and you can retain all copyrights.
Can I copy information I find on WeRelate and paste it elsewhere?
- Yes. Anything displayed on a WeRelate page is covered by the GNU-FDL. Essentially, the copyright remains with the author, but you may copy and use it as long as you give appropriate credit to the author. Also, any creation which incorporates some part of a GNU-FDL document becomes a GNU-FDL document as well. What this means is that if someone copies your work which is posted on WeRelate, they must give you credit. You should insert a link to the previous draft of the material and a statement similar to the following:
- This page uses content from [http://www.werelate.org ]. The original content was at (link to the webpage). The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate the content of (the name of the new article) is available under the [http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html GNU Free Documentation License].
- Please note, links to information off site may be subject to other copyright restrictions.
Can I link to WorldConnect, GenCircles or similar sites on my WeRelate pages?
- Absolutely. You can link off site by typing [http://www.NameOfTheSite name]. An example: [http://wikipedia.org Wikipedia] would appear on the page as Wikipedia. Be sure to leave a space between the the url and the name you want to appear in blue in the text. You could also create a WeRelate source page for the webpage or website. This would enhance the search function for others.
- WeRelate has no way to index WorldConnect. However, once you link to a particular database, we can index that database. The search function is enhanced when you add links to databases and/or sources to our source directory.
Who is behind WeRelate?
- Our Advisory Board is composed of
- Josh Coates from Berkeley Data Systems,
- Eric Denna, who is an expert in large IT systems,
- Dick Eastman from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter,
- Jake Gehring from the Church and Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
- Steve Morris, who is a consultant on fundraising
- Brad Patrick, ex-Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation,
- Ronald Seamons, who is a consultant on fund-raising and organization.
- Curt Witcher from the Allen County Public Library,
- Our Executive Board is composed of
What is a Permanent Link?
- When you select more > permanent link on the menu you set a permanent link to the specific version of the page you are viewing: a link that will always take you to this version, regardless of whether the page has been edited in the future.
Are there interwiki links in place to Wikipedia?
- Yes, type wikipedia: for the namespace; e.g., wikipedia:Main page.
