Comments on: Coming Soon: A new way to connect with others researching your ancestors

By: Marshall Sinback

Marshall Sinback — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:45 +0000

Before we “Member Connect” how about looking at this “Family Connect” issue:

I have a number of my family members who I invited to view my tree and to contribute. I have been getting complaints from some who say that after a while they can no longer log on and are asked to join.

Has anyone else had this problem? I have instructed all my invitees that they do not have to have a paid subscription to view the family tree but I now find that I am having to re-invite them.

This is very disconcerting to me. If there is no way to prevent this then I am going to look for other solutions for family collaborations. Help!

By: rbrewer25

rbrewer25 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:48:55 +0000

I joined Ancestry in 2003 and have adjusted to former changes in the program. This new format is not user friendly. I have spent thirty minutes reading, selecting and adding. It is too busy and one has to continue to seek what one is searching. I am teachable but do not have the time to click, click, click, when the older program was so efficient. Of course, it’s my choice not to use this new format….therefore, I will not be adding to any more family trees. Apparently, the programmers are not genealogists and have all the time in the world to sit and seek. I, for one, do not have this luxury.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:50:03 +0000

I have ordered or gone on line for birth/death certificates. Generally, there are other names with alot of information on them. Isn’t there somewhere this could be posted onto the site? It seems such a waste to not be able to share.

By: Connie

Connie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:01:45 +0000

I will echo the sentiments of many you have heard from so far: please stop changing things and fix what isn’t working correctly. We can already easily connect with researchers who have interests in our tree members. That didn’t need improving. Your “new” tree looks cluttered. Your efforts to streamline its use have failed. You have hidden important info behind tabs. Why create a community tab when we can go to “collaborate” and find member connections there? Leave it there, PLEASE. Fix the broken databases.

By: Faith Morley

Faith Morley — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:02:01 +0000

In regard to your “improvements” to the Ancestry web site, I have to tell you that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It is obvious from the many comments on this site that many people don’t want changes. Please, pay attention to your customers!

By: Sherry

Sherry — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:54:19 +0000

I think it is a great idea but PLEASE make the connections relevent. I have a tree posted on genesreunited and even though my folks are listed as being born in Scotland and the US, I get a bazillion matches for folks born in England.

Not directed at Ancestry but would like you to consider…if I do not have a birth place listed, I can see getting these results but don’t waste my time if a birth place is listed.

I spend much time on genesreunited deleting irrelevant “matches”.

By: Sandi Ziegler

Sandi Ziegler — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:25:59 +0000

I’m looking for anyone that is researching the Patchett family of NY, decendeds of William Patchett and Mary Jackson.

By: Jade

Jade — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:48:41 +0000

This is off-topic but . . .

No one can log in to use databases, trees or message boards due to major system failure.

Maybe an insider could post this info on message boards and in new blog, if this section is working at all?

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:45:31 +0000

Thank you, David. I appreciate the clear & detailed answers and I’m satisfied I’ll be able to live with the changes.

Regarding those message board pop-ups Jade brought up, they also interfere with trying to copy & paste anything from the boards. You get all kinds of extra stuff when you paste that you didn’t want. It really would be better to store our “off” setting for them in our preferences rather than a cookie. I delete cookies at least once a day, as do, I suspect, many experienced users.

By: hedy

hedy — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:28:51 +0000

I hate you new system you have enough. Been researhing now for eight years. Found Ancestry.com very easy to use. Your change is making it very hard to use the census. When I mark exact area other states come up. Then I try not to mark exact and still coming up with to many names. Don’t understand your new system. I I try to do a certain dist in a place like Paterson New Jersey it takes much tooo long. Now the system is not working right please put old system back or give the option to use old system. Not Happy