Help:Wiki Roles of Editor and Pagecreator

Do you Have Editing Rights?

To edit the Wiki, you must be assigned the Wiki role of editor and page creator. You need only request this once. Once you are an editor and page creator, you will remain so as long as you follow Wiki Guidelines and Policies. To determine if you currently have editing rights, go to the User List and type in your FamilySearch account username. Your user name should appear at the top of the list and show the Wiki roles assigned to you.

Example:

• Johnpetersmith275 (talk|contribs) (editor, pagecreator) (Created on 4 June 2016 at 7:02)

For the example above, this user has editing rights because it states their role as “editor, pagecreator.”

Please note: You need only request editing rights once as they do not change over time.

Request to Edit the Wiki

If you are not currently an editor on the Wiki (see above), you must request to edit the Wiki. To do so, please fill out this form. You should receive an email within 2 business days regarding your editing status in the English Wiki.

Before editing, all Wiki editors should review the FamilySearch Research Wiki Purpose, Policies, and Procedures Wiki page to learn about contributor's responsibilities and the FamilySearch Terms of use.

How to Edit the Wiki

If you have the editor and pagecreator Wiki roles you can edit the Wiki by signing into FamilySearch; then, clicking on either the Edit tab or Edit source tab. Please visit the Wiki article, Editing the Wiki for instructions on how to edit the Wiki.

The Need to Request Editing Rights

When the FamilySearch Research Wiki began in 2008, anyone with a FamilySearch login could edit and make changes to the Wiki. Because of spamming issues in 2016, FamilySearch Management decided to change editing priviledges to known legitimate users with interests in the further development of the Research Wiki. Thus, in June 2016, new roles were created to the Wiki called, “editor” and “page creator.” Unfortunately, because spammers had numerous Familysearch accounts, there was no way to differentiate a legitimate editor from a spammer until an edit was made. Therefore, it required that everyone who wished to edit the Wiki (including longtime Wiki editors) to make an official request. This was a one-time experience as Wiki roles are not changed over time.

"But I Need Research Help!"

The very purpose of the Research Wiki is to help people locate their ancestors. The Research Wiki contains:

1. Instructions on how to do research
2. Links to online indexes and digital images
3. If the records are not online, how to find them in a genealogical repository

Some instructions on how to search the Wiki to see how it can help you do your genealogy research can be found on the Wiki article, Browsing the Wiki.

To ask a specific question about an ancestor, we suggest you visit our Research Groups either on FamilySearch Community or FamilySearch Facebook groups. Choose the correct regional research group from this Wiki page, FamilySearch Genealogy Research Groups. In these FamilySearch groups, you can ask questions for research advice or help in your locating your ancestors.

"How do I fix a problem in Family Tree?"

If you find something incorrect on Family Tree, you can edit the information yourself after logging into the FamilySearch website. If it is not possible for you to fix the problem, you must send Feedback to FamilySearch by clicking on the link, "Feedback" at the bottom of the page. Choose "Problem" and describe your Family Tree issue. Once you click on "Send," an email will be sent to you with your case number. FamilySearch will contact you with any questions and let you know when the problem has been solved.

Notifications from the Wiki

Please note that when you are granted editing rights, you will receive email notifications from the FamilySearch Research Wiki concerning watched pages, messages left on your user talk page, and when your Wiki role changes. Use the instructions found on the Notifications Wiki page to change your notification preferences.