Fun with the 1950 Census

 I just finished reviewing and correcting some families on the 1950 Census at FamilySearch.org.  The 1950 Census has been indexed by AI (Artificial Intelligence) in order to give access as quickly as possible to all of us who have been impatiently awaiting its release.  With handwriting varying so much and computers having their limitations, it's necessary for human eyes to review those indices to get the best possible data so people can find whatever they're looking for.

The Census, in New York State, has only had 12% indexed.

There are several different areas of the Census to review and I've done a little of each. I've tried to review names and places that I have some familiarity with.  The latest sections are reviewing family groups on pages of the Census, in the village of Walton to be sure that when you search FamilySearch.org, the family group appears on the page and things are spelled as correctly as possible.

I've already seen family members and people I'm familiar with.  It's been fun seeing the names of classmates.

It's a shame that census takers weren't more careful with their handwriting.  Some are just terrible.  A good example of how so many people fail to understand that everything - EVERYTHING - we do affects others and we should be mindful of that as we go through our lives.

So, whenever you search for ancestors and relatives in the 1950 U.S. Census, know that I'm one of many people who are reviewing the machine created indices to try to produce the best indices possible.

I'm about to embark on yet another WikiTree experience.  It's called the PIP (Profile Improvements Project) Voyage.  

In order for WikiTree to have the best profiles of individuals on their website and their servers, they've developed standards for the information there.  The standards at WikiTree are voluntary and the creation and editing of profiles are collaborative so anybody can add to and correct them.  It means that you can, generally, find that the information about a person and their family, on WikiTree is accurate, especially compared to other online sources.  There are staff and volunteers there who are constantly monitoring what's on the website.  The website programming also includes a number of mechanisms that help to identify potential inaccuracies.  

Yes, genealogists can be obsessive.  Those of you who think that it doesn't matter are wrong.  Inaccuracies have an unpleasant property of compounding until a family tree is suddenly just a mess; like many that are posted on Ancestry.com.  Standards are what bring order to things.

In any case, at WikiTree there's a project called the Profile Improvements Project that has created and monitor standards for creating a profile for a person with the aim of having certain basic accurate elements in profiles: correct spelling of names, correct dates, correct spelling of locations; birth and death of each person and reliable SOURCES for each of those bits of information.  Hearsay, from family members, is NOT a reliable source.

So, in order to become a better member and contributor to my own family tree and to WikiTree, a member can take the PIP Voyage.  The Voyage is a process where a member can select profiles to improve under the watchful review of a PIP project member who will rate and assist with the improvement of those profiles.  That's what I'm about to do.

Regardless of my intent, I am often sloppy with certain things, like forgetting to write down where I found something, with clear and accurate citation of sources, etc.  I also have some gaps in my knowledge of how to find certain pieces of information.  I try to find the birth, marriage and death information of everyone in my family tree and database but sometimes I just can't find a particular piece of information - a brick wall.

I signed up for the PIP Voyage months ago but various things kept me from actually getting started with it.  I'm about ready.  I'll let you know how I do when it's over.