WikiTree

WikiTree is a free, shared social networking genealogy website that allows users individually to research and contribute to their own personal family trees, while building and collaborating on a singular worldwide family tree within the same system. The site was created in 2008 by Chris Whitten, developer of the WikiAnswers website, and is owned and hosted by Interesting.com, Inc.^[2] The site uses a “wiki”-based markup language that offers both beginning and advanced users the ability to create and edit personal profiles, categories and “free space” pages to document their family’s history. As of March 2, 2015, the WikiTree website has over 252,000 registered members and maintains over 9.3 million ancestral profiles.^[3]

Mission

The stated mission of WikiTree is “to grow a single worldwide family tree that will make genealogy free and accessible for everyone.”^[4] The website operates with minimal expenses and covers those costs with modest advertising displayed on public pages of the site.^[2] Members who are logged in do not see the advertising. Accessibility is ensured by allowing members to contribute basic facts, personally-generated content and non-copyrighted information without limitations.

Honor Code

Users requesting membership in the WikiTree community are asked to commit to a nine-point Honor Code^[5] that encourages collaboration, accuracy, and the use of sources and citations. Courtesy in dealing with other members, consideration of copyrights, and respect for the privacy of others are also among the hallmarks of the Honor Code.

User privacy

WikiTree seeks to balance their users’ desire to protect their online privacy, and that of their more recent ancestors and descendants, with the ability to publicly share and collaborate on information related to their more distant forebearers. Each profile is managed by one or more profile managers, and other members who may be related or willing to share information about that person can be added to the profile's "Trusted List".^[6] Members of a profile's Trusted List have full access to view and edit details on the page, regardless of the privacy level, and all changes are tracked for future reference. WikiTree maintains seven different profile privacy levels.

Features

The distinguishing feature of this site is its emphasis on building a shared worldwide tree. Members do not maintain individual family trees, but instead contribute to a single collaborative tree. The goal is that every person, whether living or dead, will have one profile. When duplicate profiles are discovered, they are merged and the information is consolidated, often connecting different family branches in the process.^[7]

The site maintains a page of “frequently asked questions” (FAQs) and a “genealogist to genealogist” (G2G) forum that allows users to get answers and help with both genealogical and technical questions. Points and badges are awarded to members who answer questions and contribute information to the site. Additionally, the site is managed by a team of experienced volunteer leaders and mentors that serve the community in a variety of capacities, the most important being to help users gain proficiency in using the system.^[8]

Projects

Leaders also manage numerous projects within the site that further organize researchers by specific interests. Among the most popular current projects are the 1776, Acadians, Australian Convicts and First Settlers, European Aristocrats, Puritan Great Migration, Scottish Clans, U.S. Civil War, and U.S. Presidents projects. Many of the projects maintain social communities on Google+ to keep members informed of current happenings and topics for discussion.

Two new projects that are gaining in popularity on the site are the Global Cemeteries Project and the Global Family Reunion (GFR) Project, a tie-in to a worldwide family genealogy event by the same name that is being planned by best-selling author A.J. Jacobs.^[9] The GFR is scheduled to be held in New York City on June 6, 2015. The site also maintains a blog that includes two other popular features: the “Profile of the Week” and the “Photo of the Week”. Active members are asked to view and vote on the best submissions for each category.

GEDCOM Uploads and Matching

Users can upload their computer-generated "GEDCOM" files with digital genealogical data gathered from personal research and recollections, as well as from other non-copyrighted sources available elsewhere on the internet. Once a user's GEDCOM file is uploaded, WikiTree’s "GEDMatch"^[10] tool compares data contained in the file and identifies matches with existing profiles, allowing the user to quickly find details about their ancestors that have already been entered by others, and eliminating the creation of duplicated profiles.

DNA Testing and Confirmation

WikiTree recently announced the implementation of their DNA Ancestor Confirmation Aid (ACA),^[11] a tool that allows members to upload the results of their Y-chromosome (Y-DNA) and mitochondrial (mtDNA) tests for purposes of scientifically confirming paternal (male) and maternal (female) relationships within their family tree. The ACA is designed to:

• confirm or reject paternal and maternal relationships over the past five generations (when DNA test results are available for other family members);
• list relevant DNA tests that would aid in the confirmation of such relationships for family members who have not been tested;
• show which such relationships have already been confirmed (via comments provided by other tested relatives);
• identify which relatives should take certain tests in order to confirm or reject such relationships; and,
• aid in finding relevant resources and other helpful information.

Additional features and details relating to the site's DNA tools are discussed on the International Society of Genetic Genealogy's (ISOGG's) WikiTree wiki page.^[12]

References

External links

• Official website