Subject: [PABUTLER-L] Correcting erroneous information in the LDS Ancestral
File
Several people have made comments on various lists regarding
erroneous
information in their
lineage data through the LDS Beta Testsite.
In speaking with the "powers that be" in Salt Lake just now, I was
given instructions on how
corrections are to be done.
1. Currently, it CANNOT be done on the testsite. Once the site is up
and running on a
permanent basis, you would click HELP then FAQ, then FEEDBACK OPTION
which
will give you an e-mail address to write to.
2. The current procedure is as follows:
Write to: ANCESTRAL FILE, Operations Unit, 50 E. N. Temple Street,
Salt Lake City,
Utah, 84150, and write CORRECTIONS in the lower left corner. HOWEVER.
The Operations Unit PREFERS to have all corrections submitted on disk
as paper submissions
require them to enter input by hand which takes a great deal of time
over downloading a disk.
If you are unfamiliar with how to do this, any Family History Center
will show you how to edit
and create your disk for mailing. Be CERTAIN you verify, document and
site your sources
in your corrections as they are intending to include documentation at
some point on their
website. Citing your sources against submissions which have no
documentation gives you a
much better chance to have your data override what they have.
It was explained that they receive millions of names and data every
week. There is no way
they can verify ANY of that information. It is up to the genealogist
(researcher) to be
certain they have substantiated everything they possibly can before
submitting data. Too
many have not done that in the past and are not doing it now. This
has to change if we
want accuracy in these records. The church is only a clearing house
for information: they
have no way of knowing if what you send them is accurate: that's our
job!
They also recommend that one person in a family be designated as the
FAMILY HISTORIAN
so all information must be cleared through that family member who does
the submitting or
returns data for documentation to that family member who sent it.
This is not always easy
as many "distant cousins" unknown to us are also doing submitting from
other places.
Forming a Family Organization really helps cut down on errors adding
living relatives
as you locate them.
Last night, I spent 3 hours scrutinizing data I knew was in the
Ancestral File from previous trips to S.L.
Many others, strangers to me, had also submitted information that was
FAR removed from
what I knew to be accurate. Even some of the information I MYSELF had
submitted had
been entered incorrectly. First, I will attempt to contact the other
submitters to find where
they got their information and work with them to correct that which is
wrong. Secondly, I will make every effort to see that the data is
corrected in the Ancestral File,
a little at a time. Should we leave it as it is, our descendants will
be in total confusion and
not know what to believe.
I would hope the LDS church will tighten their rules of submission and
eventually have a
method of cross-checking data for accuracy. That's asking for the
moon but the day will
come, I'm sure.
For further information or assistance, call the Family History Library
at 1-800-346-6044.
I surely hope this is of some help to those of you who have found such
frustration with
incorrectly submitted data. Good luck in your efforts.......
Joyce