Madness Monday - WikiTree Source-a-Thon

This past weekend, I participated in my first WikiTree Source-a-Thon, and it was an absolute blast! I had a great time learning, connecting, and contributing. Now that it’s over, though, I could really use a break—I'm sure many of my fellow participants feel the same way, especially those who spent even more time on it than I did! Some I suspect didn't sleep much!

In addition to working on WikiTree, I kept busy with some home projects, like adding more soil to my raised garden bed, clearing out the greenhouse to set up more raised beds, helping my husband with a bathroom repair, and building an indoor dog house in the closet to reclaim my laundry room from the dogs! But in between all of that, I was focused on adding sources to unsourced WikiTree profiles—those created but missing key references.

The goal of the Source-a-Thon is simple yet crucial: to help those who have uploaded large GEDCOM files but haven't had the time to attach proper sources to all of their ancestors and relatives. While they do a fantastic job connecting entire families to WikiTree’s giant collaborative tree, their work needs to be backed up by solid sources. 

Now, let’s talk about some of the challenges that come with this:

1. Unverified Connections: I get it—you sometimes suspect a family link but can’t quite prove it. Instead of just making the connection and hoping someone else will find the proof, it’s so important to document how you reached that conclusion. I came across many profiles where I couldn’t find any records. If you don’t have sources, at least leave a research log so others know what led you to your assumption. Oh and trust me, I'm looking in the mirror and pointing at myself when I say that too.

2. Misplaced Family Members: Occasionally, I found children connected to the wrong parents or siblings. This is why sourcing is critical! Even if you're using DNA to make connections where paper trails don't exist, you need to clearly document your process so others can follow your reasoning.

3. Lack of Information: It’s tough to help when there isn’t enough information to work with. Common names without dates, locations, or parent details make it nearly impossible to verify whether a source matches the person in question.

But it wasn’t all hard work—there were plenty of fun moments too:

1. Prizes: Every four hours, we had a virtual meeting where door prizes were up for grabs. I didn’t win anything, but the anticipation and excitement were infectious!

2. Learning: Every event teaches me something new about WikiTree. There are so many cool tools for genealogy research, but one of my favorites is the WikiTree Sourcerer. It’s amazing and makes adding sources so much easier.

3. The People: The best part of these events is always the people. Whether they're enthusiastic hobbyists or seasoned professional genealogists, everyone is there to help and share their knowledge. It’s such a welcoming and supportive community.

I’m already looking forward to more WikiTree events—especially as winter rolls in and I’m cozied up inside on snowy days!