Projects should have more than one Admin

[Mudgeeclarke]

I would like FTDNA to require all Projects to have more than one Admin - preferably three (or more).

The reason for this is that I am finding Projects I wish to join that have a decent number of members (data) and the right names, clades, geographical, or whatever, but the project is effectively 'dead'. That can be because the project Admin has moved on to other interests, or gotten involved in more pressing personal issues, or now raising young children, or partner doesn't approve, or ..., or ..., even to the demise of the Admin (accident, illness, or age).

I don't want to list "my" 'frozen' Projects here, but they are definitely out there including two that specifically are of great interest to me. One Admin did reply to a personal email via FTDNA and he simply said that the project has not been 'tidied' up since mid-2010 due to other pressing matters, but he hoped to get back to it 'later'. Another simply has moved on (and is visible elsewhere) and it is 2 years since any activity. One I could join (automatically, it seems), without approval, although it was effectively a dead end. The other could not approve my joining automatically, so the matches only available in the project remain invisible.

On the other hand, I hasten to add, many (single) Project admins are doing outstanding work from what I can see, and are quick to respond and assist. It would be wrong to paint every Project with the same brush. But the best Projects I have seen have multiple Admins and the projects seem to be really 'buzzing'. And they have built in redundancy, which surely must please all project members, and ultimately improve FTDNA services in the public eye.

With the 'frozen' projects, it may be necessary to set a time limit on Admin inactivity (6 months ??) and then look for a way to transfer the names and data elsewhere. Not sure how that would work, but it would be a shame to lose the work entirely.

My two cents.

[k.o.gran]

Hi Mudgeeclarke,

I understand your frustration, but I think requiring several admins per project is a bit too strict. I would rather see that projects above a specific number of members had 2 admins and even bigger projects should have 3.

I think a better way would be to have some sort of report function that customers could use to report "bad" projects and that FTDNA had a routine to follow in those cases.

-Kai

[Mudgeeclarke]

Hi Mudgeeclarke,

I understand your frustration, but I think requiring several admins per project is a bit too strict. I would rather see that projects above a specific number of members had 2 admins and even bigger projects should have 3.

I think a better way would be to have some sort of report function that customers could use to report "bad" projects and that FTDNA had a routine to follow in those cases.

-Kai

Hello Kai:

Thanks for the note. Your suggestion would work for me, also. I'm too new to all of this DNA Project business to have the solution. ;-) But I hope that someone does see a 'glitch' here in the administration set up.

I just know as a FTDNA customer that the by-product of allowing (perhaps very new) individuals an option to (even unwittingly) check the box which restricts their ID and data to a particular project, when added to 'frozen' Projects as outlined earlier, means that potentially important data is 'locked' up. One of the marketing points by FTDNA is that you can find and interact with FTDNA data (and other 3rd party data.) "It ain't necessarily so.."

It's not so bad, I suppose, if you are chasing a particular Surname, because at least you have a vague idea which projects to join. But when you have an NPE back 3-4 generations (=me) and data is 'locked' in, and worse still perhaps 'frozen', all you can do is randomly try to auto-join projects which may have possible links to your region/census/census street neighbour names. etc etc. Recently I did that and immediately gained a further two exact matches, from the close geographical area on my interest. But that was sheer luck: I played a 'winning hand' by randomly guessing a project, and better yet was able to automatically join it. As soon as I did ... eureka! But we shouldn't have to play a game of chance.

I believe the Project system is still a good one as it is right now. But it could be better with some massaging of the two issues I've raised - a. Admins that have disappeared from view, and b. customers who (perhaps unwittingly) check the box which locks them inside a project, so to speak.

So, off my soapbox now !! I'll leave it to those who know what they are talking about ... LOL.

Colin

It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.
Yogi Berra

[DME]

Inactive projects

I agree that something needs to be done. I joined my surname project which supposedly has 17 members. When I went to the website for the project there are only three sets of test results posted and mine are not among them. I have received no response from the Administrator to my email. I have sent another one today asking whether the project is still active. Hope I get a response!

[Mudgeeclarke]

I agree that something needs to be done. I joined my surname project which supposedly has 17 members. When I went to the website for the project there are only three sets of test results posted and mine are not among them. I have received no response from the Administrator to my email. I have sent another one today asking whether the project is still active. Hope I get a response!

I treid several times at one project and used the contact page to FTDNA thinking that maybe the Admin had closed it down, or was deceased, etc. They gave me a different contact email address, and I did get an answer, basically apologizing for not having the time to attend to the Project for the past year plus. But that was the end of it. Still no action, and it is one that I really would like to search for matches. I just think that requiring a back up plan from the get-go would be desirable. Otherwise, what's the point.

(PS Notwithstanding, there are some excellent one-Admin projects though, from what I see.)

[rivergirl]

I treid several times at one project and used the contact page to FTDNA thinking that maybe the Admin had closed it down, or was deceased, etc. They gave me a different contact email address, and I did get an answer, basically apologizing for not having the time to attend to the Project for the past year plus. But that was the end of it. Still no action, and it is one that I really would like to search for matches. I just think that requiring a back up plan from the get-go would be desirable. Otherwise, what's the point.

(PS Notwithstanding, there are some excellent one-Admin projects though, from what I see.)

Have you suggested to the admin that your willing to take on the role as Co Admin. I guess you are intereted in becoming the Co Admin.

[Mudgeeclarke]

Have you suggested to the admin that your willing to take on the role as Co Admin. I guess you are intereted in becoming the Co Admin.

You make a reasonable point. However, I am a total novice with DNA matters, and barely understand what is provided in the projects I have joined. I could answer emails, but I'd not be able to provide any cogent responses.

Maybe in a year or so, I'll understand enough to be able to help with a project, or run one. Meanwhile, I'll have to hope this project becomes 'alive' again.

I just don't like to see good information (potentially, at least) 'locked' up in 'frozen' projects.

[similligan]

You're actually at the same level I was when I took on administration of my first project. Granted, it was a Worldfamilies project and I had a lot of support fom the Worldfamilies team.

I would suggest that you try being a coadministrator of one of the projects you are interested in. You will be amazed how much faster you will learn about DNA and I imagine the administrator would appreciate whatever help you can give.

Susan

[Mudgeeclarke]

You're actually at the same level I was when I took on administration of my first project. Granted, it was a Worldfamilies project and I had a lot of support fom the Worldfamilies team.

I would suggest that you try being a coadministrator of one of the projects you are interested in. You will be amazed how much faster you will learn about DNA and I imagine the administrator would appreciate whatever help you can give.

Susan

Which one(s) do you administer now?

[similligan]

My first project was Stroud/Strode. I took that on about three years ago because I was hopelessly brickwalled on that line of my family. I hoped DNA might help. I'm still brickwalled on my line, but it has been interesting and rewarding seeing some of the other lines develop.

Last year the administrator of the Milligan project resigned and I took that on. It was a bigger project and took more work at the beginning than I wanted, but it is settling down some now.

When I took on the Stroud/Strode project, my only experience with DNA had been my father's Y-DNA test with another company. Worldfamilies already had the basic framework for the project and there were a few members. They let me take over the duties at my own pace. It really has been a good experience and as I said earlier, I encourage you to try it.

Susan

[Mudgeeclarke]

... When I took on the Stroud/Strode project, my only experience with DNA had been my father's Y-DNA test with another company. Worldfamilies already had the basic framework for the project and there were a few members. They let me take over the duties at my own pace. It really has been a good experience and as I said earlier, I encourage you to try it.
Susan

Sounds like you were cut out for the role ! I sent you a PM. Colin

[flanged]

I would like FTDNA to require all Projects to have more than one Admin - preferably three (or more).
...
With the 'frozen' projects, it may be necessary to set a time limit on Admin inactivity (6 months ??) and then look for a way to transfer the names and data elsewhere. Not sure how that would work, but it would be a shame to lose the work entirely.
...

Related to this topic above...

Surname Group Administration periodic review.

FTDNA should have a process of periodic review of all Group Administration with regard to https://www.familytreedna.com/docume...es-7-22-08.pdf.
This would be a review of the level of facility provided by the Surname Group's webpage to the Surname Group members.
It seems to me that FTDNA do not already do this.

I understand that Group Adminstrators are voluntary and I am sure they are usually well meaning, helpful, etc. I also understand that FTDNA would like for the members to evolve their own forum for 'finding ancestors'. But I do not think that group members should have to make individual requests to their group admin to see a basic level of facility in the surname group webpage.

My Y-DNA surname group webpage (of about 110 members) consists of just 1 result page occasionally updated, and provides no facilities for communication between surname group members. This has been the case since I joined in 2008.
Yes, I have sent in a request for FTDNA to review this surname group webpage (just recently - no reply yet). IMO, I should not have needed to.

Many thanks go to the FTDNA team for the great improvements seen in the new interface!

[Jim Barrett]

I would like FTDNA to require all Projects to have more than one Admin - preferably three (or more).

My two cents.

Colin,

I understand your frustration but I wonder how you expect FTDNA to enforce such a requirement. Most projects start with only one or two members and grow slowly, some very slowly.

You say you don't have the expertise to be an admin. Well, many project members don't either. As already pointed out it is a learning process. FTDNA does provide a cookie cutter website for ALL projects, but the admin MUST elect to use it. I took over one project where the admin didn't know how to set up this website and had not elected to have the project show up in "Project Lists". Why, because they didn't know how. When I tried to join I couldn't even find it and had to call FTDNA to get added.

One of my projects only has seven members and two of those haven't returned their kits. Where is FTDNA going to get two more admins?

All of my projects use the cookie cutter website. Two of my projects also have websites of my own design and have RootsWeb mailing list. In addition on of them has a Yahoo Group since RootsWeb doesn't allow attachments.

Not all admins are equal, not all projects (even when run by the same admin) are equal. Even if FTDNA provided an admin for ever project they still won't be equal. Look at schools. Not all schools are equal and not all teachers are equal. Some teachers are wonderful, others shouldn't be allowed inside the building. The same applies to project admins.

[thetick]

I agree with Jim. It's a community effort! FTDNA really should not dictate how project admins handle their project. The cookie cutter recommendations are great and easy for most, but should not be dictated as is the number of admins.

There are some very successful community projects if they are managed by motivated, intelligent people. The Linux Operating System is the best example. It actually dominates webservers, research, many IT shops and has even been modified by Google to create Android which many of us use everyday with our cell phones.

[Mudgeeclarke]

... Colin, I understand your frustration but I wonder how you expect FTDNA to enforce such a requirement...

You're right. However, as one must first seek the OK to start a Project, I would think that requiring at least two admins would be a good start. I was frustrated because a fairly large project (in MtDNA) had totally stagnated, and the admin was not answering emails from anyone. As it so happens, another volunteer admin has stepped forward to get the project going again. Well done, that person.

BTW, I started a small Project some time back now - with a second Admin.