Source documentation
When adding information from a family record of a genealogy, please upload a scan or picture so we can have a record of the source.
Standardization
Names
Pages will be named according to the standard spellings of names as defined by the community. Please see Given Names and Family Names. This is necessary so we can define individuals uniquely so that, for example, we have only one Eve or one Hawwa instead of an Eve and a Hawwa; one Muhammad instead of a Muhammad, a Mohammed, a Mohammad, a Mohamet, a Mahmoud, and so on. This is necessary so we can collate and co-relate contributions and build as unified a database as possible.
Templates/Models
There are evolving "templates" (sometimes meaning models to copy, not the technical MediaWiki meaning) for entries on people, places, events, surnames, and so on.
They are optional. Any other format may be used for an individual's page. But linking of families and identification of matching individuals will be easiest with names in a single format. And standardised headings for parents, siblings, and children may help in the process of evolving software that allows semi-automatic display of family trees; we can already do it as well as Wikipedia does.
Language and text
This database defers and follows the Wikipedia in most matters; however, slight differences exist:
- Titles (as on this page) may be in "title case" with significant words capitalised, instead of the Wikia and Wikipedia's policy of only the first letter of the first line (except for proper nouns) being capitalized. For material copied from Wikipedia or likely to be linked from it, much work (eg changing links and setting up redirects) will be avoided if the capitalization is left unchanged in sentence case.
- Spellings and usage are usually as in American English, but other usages (British, South Asian, etc.) are to be accepted without reserve, particularly where appropriate to the country under discussion. Please aim for consistency within a single page and match the styles to the subject location if possible. See "Spelling and grammar" on Central Wikia.
"Contradictory" content
The policies in naming above are in no way intended to discourage or banish parallel chains of descent or other links. In fact, one of the purposes of this database is to collect them all in one place and see if the editors can sort them out—or provide enough information for the reader to get a complete picture about competing claims. Each item of information should mention, as far as possible and especially in the cases where we have conflicting infomation, the sources/documents/authority on which the information is based.
Privacy issues
Use caution when adding information about people still living: Unless explicit permission is given, do not publicize full names and birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, or other information which can possibly (however unlikely) be exploited by criminals for impersonating, robbing, or harassing these persons.
Not Wikipedia, nor a replacement
This database is seen as being a supplement to Wikipedia and in no way a competitor. It is meant to cover a lot of the content not normally deemed to be of "encyclopedic interest". Contributors are highly encouraged to defer to Wikipedia where content is already in that database, and to consider contributing to that database material that is of "encyclopedic interest".
Both databases are covered by the same licensing policy, so copying and moving content between the two is not a problem, subject to proper acknowledgment.
The same applies to Wikimedia Commons. It has a small Genealogy category, which may be worth keeping an eye on (and probably should contain more of what is already on Commons). Other categories contain relevant material too. Try a search.
Uploading
We are developing ways to upload data efficently. Please help if you think other improvements are possible. Float an idea at Forum:Watercooler, maybe.
Current ideas include: