Help:Wiki Roles of Editor and Pagecreator

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, the Wiki Governance Council decided to lock down editing only to known legitimate users with interests in furthering the 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 giving their username and stating which Wiki page they wished to edit to solve our spamming issue. This is a one-time experience as once the Wiki roles are not changed over time.

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 list 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. You can "dismiss" the editing message listed at the top of the page once you are signed into the Wiki and by clicking the "Dismiss" link under the Search Box. If the message happens to reappear again, you still have editing rights.

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.

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.

"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 you may 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.