How good Ancestry once was

I've moaned before about this. I luckily completed my family tree searching before Ancestry launched their new format, but I still complained like everybody else trying to save the "Old Search" I kept switching back to the old search until one day it was gone. There is obviously always some new information and I get messages from others as well as hints, but today a woman in the US was asking for information, she'd had hints that brought her to my family tree. It must be six months or more since I spent any time looking at the trees I researched for 10 years, but now all the hours I spent making comments and adding information about individuals and the area they lived in, it's all gone. What was once regarded as an excellent means to search and record as become a comic, and not even a funny one. Once when you clicked on the profile of anyone everything was there in front of you compact, neat, and easy to follow. If you came to Ancestry with the existing format maybe you think it's fine, but I doubt if anyone who used the old site thinks that, or is it just me? Fred

Post reply

3301 views

Hi Fred

Are you saying that the comments/notes have been removed or just that they are no longer where they used to be? If the former they can still be accessed once you have a profile called up by selecting TOOLS/View Comments or View Notes. If the latter I agree with you; it's not as convenient as it once was.

Post reply

3144 views

Thank you Mike I'll check that out, but it backs up what I said doesn't it, don't offer a profile where everything catches your eye, have details hidden like the small print on the back of something you buy. The "Life Story" they kindly offer for you is a joke (I think) so brief, badly written, and events in history which have nothing to do with your family. I started correcting and deleting from some but soon gave up as it would take months, so if the comments I made on the old site are still there somewhere I'll leave it at that.

I was in a moaning mood yesterday. I did save my trees from the old site, I understand change is almost inevitable but it's not always for the better.
cheers Fred

Post reply

3004 views

If its any consolation, I am finding the new fromat on Ancestry difficult too.

Post reply

2946 views

Hi Fred, just to say I totally agree with you re the "new-improved" Ancestry (how many times have we groaned on hearing that phrase ?). I strongly dislike it in so many ways, as I posted on your earlier thread.
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=46537

I think the people in Ivory towers responsible for "modernising" websites and computer operating systems in the last few years feel a need to dumb-down everything to "Janet and John" pre-school level !
Or maybe their expensive design consultants have just run-out of sensible ideas so offer the ridiculous, and as they're "experts" so they must be "right" !
Their modern offerings have lots of nice# bright colours and over-sized text (so requiring me to buy bigger screens to display it all, and new more-powerful computers to be able to load a myriad of videos and photos which I don't want to see (BBC homepage a point in case)), yet ignoring the fact that many users are not kids but intelligent adults and academics who can cope with words and old-fashioned information without the gimmicks.
But hey that's just my view, but being over 50 I don't think that counts anymore !

I just had a quick search to find some recent views of Ancestry, as their own blogs etc seem to have mysteriously stopped being updated. I think the latest post (Gillian, 6 days ago) on this one sums them up for me ie good records IF you can access them.
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.ancestry.co.uk

Sadly it looks like we have to either like it or lump it and leave, but where next ?.
I don't read any of the monthly FH magazines, it would be interesting to know if they've included comment or opinions on the Ancestry saga ?.

Meanwhile, thank heaven for websites such as this FoD one !!

# sorry, new Ancestry's colours are NOT nice at all... what happened to eye-friendly pastel shades ?

Post reply

3008 views

Yes Fred I hate it. Donald

Post reply

2745 views

Going off topic slightly -I have the same problem with Yahoo Messanger -it was simple and easy to use -now often
a waste of my energy-are these companies trying to drive us oldies away ?

Forest of Dean FHT Forum

How good Ancestry once was (General)