We received an email with the following caution, "Please be careful of Match Merging names [in PAF or PAF Insight and in combining names in FamilySearch family tree]. It can be a good tool or a very dangerous one. I have at least 10 John Jones in my file. Some families have 2 or 3 sons with the same name (John Jones) but they are different sons; the first two died as infants." She went on to say that someone she knew "match merged names without checking to see if they were the same person or if they had different parents, different birth dates, different death dates or different spouses." This action incorrectly combined over 2000 names. The email ended with this reminder, "There are millions of Mary Smiths - James Jeffery’s - Thomas Williams and Robert Roberts but they are different people… It takes very careful comparing." (Emphasis added)
I concur. Marilyn isn’t alone in her concerns over merging and combining records. Whether you are merging names in your own file or combining names in FamilySearch family tree for all the world to see, proceed with caution. I offer the following advice:
- NEVER, EVER combine records without THOROUGHLY comparing ALL the data to insure they are actually the same person.
- No matter how good your intentions, if you are unfamiliar with the family line, leave it alone and let someone who has done the research do the combining.
- If you feel rushed, STOP - that’s when mistakes are made.
- Remember:
DISCRETION is the better part of valor. - It is better to be SAFE than SORRY.
- When in doubt – DON’T.
- Error on the side of CAUTION. It is better to wait than to proceed when you are unsure. You can always study the family information and come back at another time to combine the records with greater accuracy and confidence.
- If you find that you or someone else made a mistake while combining names, you can use the Separate feature of FamilyInsight to easily correct the problem. I will write about that feature next month.
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