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Started by Private User on Sunday, October 30, 2022
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Please be aware that this symbol is not visible on all devices.

Is there a list somewhere of devices that it does not show up on? I do PC and Mac, but haven't noticed a difference. Do you recommend we stop using it? Please advise and maybe we need to change the language about putting a symbol on the project "about" section.

Let's hope that if someone uses the Multiples signs has included the person/s in the project.

How do you even make that symbol to begin with?? Where does it come from?

I have no idea which devices don’t show symbols - It could be the device or the software versions they are running on the device.

My personal recommendation would be to not use symbols particularly in name fields.

As an aside most people would not recognise the symbol as meaning twin (I know I certainly didn’t) - and the same symbol on triplets quads or quintuplets makes no sense at all.

Private, I have always just copied (control or command/C) off of the project info and placed it in the suffix field.

Private User, it is the astrological/astronomical symbol of Gemini (the twins) in the stars.

Why not just use the actual word in the appropriate language?

Private User, maybe the people who started the project can answer that. Seems like several are curators. Tagging Kris Hewitt 🧬, Erica Howton., Kevin Lawrence Hanit

At one time Gemini was a recognized sign for twin. I am good either way. But sometimes it is nice to remember symbols. Would you use the word "twin/triplet/ or whatever" in the same field? Will it hold more than a couple of marks?

Private User, I love this discussion. It is why I am on Geni. :-)

Re “Will it hold more than a couple of marks?”
Do you mean how much can you enter into the suffix field?
It holds 64 characters and displays 22 characters on the screen
Private

Re Would you use the word "twin/triplet/ or whatever" in the same field?
I personally use Twin or Triplet or Quadruplet or Quintuplet in the suffix field rather than astrological symbol for twins. I am fine if others use something different on profiles they manage (or their family) but recently someone has been editing profiles I manage or curate and changing it to a symbol I did not recognise and on at least one of my devices cannot actually see. To me this is actually removing useful information rather than enhancing it.

Symbols only work if they are
1. Able to be seen by all devices
2. Have a universal meaning across all languages and cultures
3. Are known by all using the system

I have considered using a symbol for “no issue” but have not because whilst understood by professional genealogists it would not be known to most Geni users.

I have a Aussie flag at the end of my name (visible to some but not a problem if it was not visible as I also included the word in my display name) - when I first added it I received quite a lot of criticism from other curators for it.

Another issue with using a symbol is that you can’t search on it.

I don't use symbols at all Personally, I'd prefer the "twin" etc in the suffix field over a symbol.

Suffix now returns an inconsistency so I only use it for post nomínalas and ordinals which are name parts. And twin - and it’s symbols - are not name parts,

I’m not quite sure why being in the project and listed in the about sufficient, but if there’s a quick identification needed, then display name or better yet, the label “add a field” (that’s what I use).

That said, I don’t object, it’s cute. But I wouldn’t use it. But then again - I’m not a twin.

Twin in the suffix field does not cause an inconsistency.

I only used it because the project about suggested that it be used. I think this is a good discussion. I know that I have seen the word "Twin" after the names of some and that works for me. Yes, Private User, you answered my questions perfectly!

See related discussion here: https://www.geni.com/discussions/271549?msg=1661264

Use of an added "label" field nicely shows on Profile View, but not in lists nor Tree View.

I put in the Suffix box who they were twins with, like Twin of Mary, and Mary gets Twin of Caleb. Because if they are twins, you typically know who. Also, I find that naming the person helps when people are using different birth dates. This happens a lot with people born around 1800 to 1860 because people tend to back date from Census, and they are different decade to decade. Also, it helps when there were other siblings who died young.

People will probably always remove the symbol if they can't see it, because it reads as a glitch if your settings are set to recognize it.

Sorry, Mary gets Twin of Caleb and Caleb gets Twin of Mary. Also it reads well that way when looking at the horizontal tree view. That particularly helps when the sibling order doesn't match birth order because some might be locked or you can't edit placement unless a manager, etc.

I need to pay more attention. The symbol reads like a glitch (just some lines like [] or something if you aren't set to see the symbol. I see that sometimes when I use my other laptop. But then on the other I see the purple symbol.

Maybe it is better to put in the About Comments. Like Dan said, the added fields only show if you are on the main profile page, and I notice sometimes they are over at the right and you miss them. Others end up at the top. Using the Suffix solves all those problems. And it works for triplets.

I feel the marking of twin etc does add value to the tree. Personally I prefer it in the name so that it shows in tree view and ancestor / descendant reports.

I use twin, triplet etc in the suffix (the word not the symbol)
I don’t tend to write twin of xxx but that’s possibly because I use timeline view most of the time and it is obvious from the dates. I think I have added twin of xxx once or twice when they had multiple sets of twins or when they also had other children in the same year (ie single birth in January followed by twin birth in December)

I find the symbol confusing so don’t use it and a I remove it from profiles I manage

  • I don’t follow astrology so someone had to tell me it was the symbol for Gemini which is twins
  • it is also used on Geni for triplets, quadruplets - which makes no sense if it is the astrological symbol for twins rather than multiple births
  • it doesn’t display on all my devices
  • it isn’t uniformly accepted as meaning twin / triplet / quadruplet etc
  • it’s not a symbol usually used in genealogy

Rhett: just use the word 'twin' in the suffix field (... in the person's "native" language, as appropriate).

Possible added benefit: one could search for "twin" within your Family Group if curious ...

I use a curator's note on each profile, like: Twin of brother, John.

I could be wrong, but in another discussion the conclusion was. No use the symbol because the Geni software can not handle it.

And again we come to the same conclusion. Are we redoing the same discussion over and over again?

In my eyes is making every twin proile a MP a lot of work for the Curators.

But is true that profiles of twins give a lot of error and warning messages.

Geni software can handle symbols.

The issue is
1. depending on what device and what operating system people use the symbols may not display or may display differently
2. the symbol may not be universally recognised to have the same meaning across all countries and all languages
3. Translations does not work on symbols

Using an astrological symbol for Gemini is not universally recognised as being the same as a child born in a multiple birth scenario.

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