Project Overview

There is an option in viewing preferences to "turn off display name."

Fully covered in https://www.geni.com/projects/User-Tutorial-Basic-Techniques-1-View...

What you suggest makes sense to me Leanne..

We need to await Private User input.

For MOST profiles, the Display Name should *not* be used so that the user name preferences can "be effective". Display Name should only be used in a few instances:

-- living/modern era "famous" people who where known by a different name; often actor/actress 'stage names'. e.g. Madonna, Elvis, ....

-- medieval & earlier era, particularly in Europe, where there was often only one name used and it is necessary to "disambiguate" names.

-- Royalty and Titles of any era.

Sure, those cases cover a lot of "well-known" and "oft-visited" and "commonly shared ancestors", but when compared to the 100+ million profiles ... it is still the recommendation that Display Name NOT be used for most profiles.

For 'immediate family', some people like to use nicknames, but the AKA field is usually a better place for that, unless the person used that a 'nickname' as their signature most of the time.

Far too many profiles have the Display Name set to be exactly what one of their account "name display preferences" would be -- thus forcing their personal choice on all other viewers.

e.g. <first> <middle> <birth-surname> <married-surname> is put in the display name field ... but that is one of the personal account preference choices.

The 'Basics', I think, should be to discourage the use of Display Name, not to encourage it.

Maybe there needs to be a reference to the section which describes the Display Name 'formatting options' ... *that* is what most do not seem to be aware of.

Huh ... I haven't found reference to those preferences explicitly yet ...
It's not even mentioned here: https://www.geni.com/projects/User-Tutorial-Basic-Techniques-1-View...

(As one might guess, this is a 'hot-button' topic for me <grin>)

... I just added a bit of text and a link to where one actually changes their accounts "name display" preferences into that "Basic - Techniques 1 - Viewing ..." project.

... and updated the 'n.b.' in this project. Does that make more sense?

I am happy to re name/re purpose this project to be in line with Private User series.

Photos can be used where more appropriate.

It served its purpose "back in the day" but we are now getting our help together, so, anything fine by me.

Shaz

I have had no internet for the last 24 hours, satelite service where I am, so sorry for delay in replying.

It is a pity that you can't ignore display names for Master Profiles - A lot have "Sir" etc at the beginning of the display name and it therefore does not sort correctly.

Oh dear, I do that "Sir", "Dr" in display names, think that is what I was taught, didn't think that effected things.

There is nowhere else to add a prefix - using the display name is the right thing to do - Leanne submit a request at http://help.geni.com/requests/new

re: Sorting order

Be aware that Geni intentionally sorts MP profiles before other profiles (in most cases) ... so it may not be about the "Sir, Dr" in the Display Name ... it might be just that it is MP.

Now I'll have to pay closer attention to sorting & Display Name vs. MP vs. 'name parts' <smile>.