Video summary
The video introduces a new feature within the Bee extension for WikiTree known as "WikiData Places," designed to enhance the accuracy of location data across user profiles. When enabled in the settings, this tool automatically adds a WikiData logo button next to key location fields such as birthplace, death place, marriage place, and photograph locations. The primary function of this feature is to assist users in resolving historical ambiguities regarding place names, particularly for regions with complex administrative histories like Germany or places where political boundaries have shifted over time, such as Hawaii or Virginia. By clicking the button, users can instantly access a database that cross-references specific dates with historic locations, ensuring that the correct geographical entity is selected based on when an event occurred.
A critical requirement for this feature to function effectively is that the place names must already exist within the Wikidata database. If a location is not yet present in Wikidata, the tool will not return results, though users can contribute new entries during their research process. The video also highlights the importance of language settings; if the user's interface is set to English but the target region lacks English names in Wikidata, the search may fail or return incorrect data. In such cases, switching the suggestion language to German allows the system to retrieve and display the necessary historical names for German locations, demonstrating how the tool adapts to the linguistic availability of the underlying data.
The demonstration uses Honolulu, Hawaii, as a practical example to show how the feature handles changes in political status over time. When searching for an event in 1837, the system correctly identifies the location as part of the Kingdom of Hawaii. However, when the user advances the date to 1950 or later, the tool suggests options like Honolulu County or the Territory of Hawaii before finally recognizing it as a state within the United States. This capability allows genealogists to select the precise administrative division that existed at the time of an ancestor's life event, significantly improving the precision of family history records without requiring manual historical research for every entry.
Finally, the presenter clarifies the distinction between the standard Bee extension and its "Preview" version, explaining that Preview is a development build intended for testing new features that may still contain bugs. While the WikiData Places feature has been available in the stable version for about a year, users who wish to experiment with cutting-edge tools should opt for Preview, whereas those prioritizing stability should stick with the regular release. The video concludes by confirming that this specific location tool is currently part of the stable Bee extension, offering a reliable way to integrate high-quality historical geography data directly into WikiTree profiles.
Read the full video transcript
[music]
>> B also has a feature called WikiData
places.
Um if you go to the settings again with
the gear symbol
and editing there is WikiData places.
And what it will do
it will add to all the location fields
in WikiTree. So, birthplace, death
place, marriage place, and the location
of the photograph, it will add here a
WikiData logo button.
And
I don't know about
you, but I sometimes really have
problems, especially with German
profiles.
Um when
when is it called how and where did it
belong to because yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Or for the Americans, Hawaii is always a
great example. So, when was it a state
and when not? Or Virginia, West Virginia
renamed.
>> [laughter]
>> Um and what it will do
for example, we just know that the
location is Hinterzarten, constructed
example.
Um
and we know it's in 1837 the person was
born and you click that uh WikiData
button.
And it will go to WikiData
and will look up the historic locations
in combination for the time.
>> Awesome.
>> Oh.
>> [laughter]
>> Yeah. Um small small gotcha at this
point, the locations have to be in
Wikidata already, of course.
Um for my area, those are meanwhile, but
it might also be that you would need to
add it in Wikidata to have it, of
course. So, there might be you come up
with a it will nothing will come out
because simply the data is not in
Wikidata. But, then you can add it. I
mean, when you have to research it
anyway, you can also add it. Um [snorts]
Um maybe
And for this to work in German, you have
to
um put the place name suggestion
language to German.
Um because if you put it to English, it
will use use English names.
And
a lot of them are not filled for So, for
example, you see here Hinterzarten, but
then the next one has no English name.
Um
And then everything is in English, so
just switch it to German, then you have
it in German. But, for example, does
anyone know a place?
>> Um Honolulu, Hawaii.
>> The capital of the capital Okay.
Yeah, Honolulu is also a good
good point.
Let me switch it to English. And we say
1837 in I think you write it completely
different, or?
I
Let's see.
I I There was a a a
a a a load too less too few. Okay. So,
we have Honolulu.
And
then it checks and it says Kingdom of
Hawaii. Um if the place has more
um
if the if there are more places or
generally more Wikidata items with the
same name, you will get here a list um
to select from.
But, yeah, it already picked of Hawaii.
Um when does it get interesting? I think
1950, maybe?
>> No, I think it's further.
>> Um so, it
says you further? Yeah.
>> 1950, yes.
>> No.
>> So, now I say 1950 and it suggests
Honolulu, Honolulu County, Territory of
Hawaii, United States. And you can pick
this one.
>> Yeah, that's That's right, cuz that's
when it became
became a state.
>> have
1970.
And it still says, okay. Um maybe 1940
would be interesting.
I don't know.
>> No, I don't think so, not yet.
>> Um yeah, it's the same. Okay. Yeah, but
you get the idea, I think.
Um
but of course all on the premises that
it has to be in Wiki data.
Um
that has but that the American stuff is
there. For Germany, it's not as
widespread.
Um but the American stuff is there, for
sure. Um and you have a question?
>> Yeah. Well, you were in Wiki
you were in B, but but it also said it
was preview.
Is there a big difference between
preview and regular
B?
>> Um
yes.
Preview has the ultimate But
preview might also be the ultimate
Um sorry for way too explicit for for
Americans. I'm sorry, German direct.
So,
um B preview is um
is a preview version, has the is the
latest and greatest is basically under
development and
might have new interesting features but
might also have new interesting features
with bugs.
Well, so it's under test. So if you are
if you are aware that this might be
buggy but therefore I might also get new
shiny things then you're okay with
preview and if you would like to have
the things a bit more stable then you're
better off with normal B.
>> Right. So So I would just tell asking is
so the Wiki data that you were just
showing it it's in update it's doing it
right now, right? It is it's not in
preview only, it's right now.
>> that has been there for a year already.
All right.
>> Great. That's awesome, Flo. Thank you so
much for taking some time and showing
that to us. Really appreciate it.
>> [music]