Comments on: Using Ancestry: Exact Searches, by Juliana Smith http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=1798 The Place for Ancestral Connections Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:44:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Charles Berberich http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=1798#comment-210142 Fri, 07 Sep 2007 05:17:26 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=1798#comment-210142 I appreciate your effort to explain the Ancestry programmers' rationales for how the search system is set up. However, I think you may give some users the wrong impression when you imply that exact search can always be deselected for a specific field in advanced search. I often find only the one Exact Search check box in the upper left-hand corner. Many times, I KNOW that a detail is exactly true, yet must accept between 800 and 50000 hits because setting exact search covers ALL the fields. In your explanation, you suggest that if an item in the search definition is not indexed, and search is exact then the answer will be no hit. Isn't this a poor design decision. If a field is not in one of the files searched, or that field isn't indexed, then cast out the field in the search form, not the records from the result. (I hope you find this intelligible, it is hard to use popular terminology and be precise.) We need more complex advanced search forms, with the possibility of making each field exact or not, and the confidence that if a datafile cannot handle the requirements of a field, the search process will ignore the request, not fail to give me records - you could even have the notice on the search result, for example - "This data set does not contain nationality data. If you are searching on nationality, this search result does not take account of your request." Good luck in improving the search system - I love the results so far but I find it awfully frustrating sometimes. I appreciate your effort to explain the Ancestry programmers’ rationales for how the search system is set up. However, I think you may give some users the wrong impression when you imply that exact search can always be deselected for a specific field in advanced search. I often find only the one Exact Search check box in the upper left-hand corner.

Many times, I KNOW that a detail is exactly true, yet must accept between 800 and 50000 hits because setting exact search covers ALL the fields. In your explanation, you suggest that if an item in the search definition is not indexed, and search is exact then the answer will be no hit. Isn’t this a poor design decision. If a field is not in one of the files searched, or that field isn’t indexed, then cast out the field in the search form, not the records from the result. (I hope you find this intelligible, it is hard to use popular terminology and be precise.)

We need more complex advanced search forms, with the possibility of making each field exact or not, and the confidence that if a datafile cannot handle the requirements of a field, the search process will ignore the request, not fail to give me records - you could even have the notice on the search result, for example - “This data set does not contain nationality data. If you are searching on nationality, this search result does not take account of your request.”

Good luck in improving the search system - I love the results so far but I find it awfully frustrating sometimes.

]]> by: Eloise Gipson http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=1798#comment-209276 Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:51:08 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=1798#comment-209276 As I am continuing to learn the "Art of Ancestry Searches" I am also beginning to find out that those old family rumors that have been passed down through the generations have a lot of substance and fact to them. I remember some stories about the 1800's and 1900's that I heard when I was a child - not much on detail, but memorable. For instance - my ancestors on both sides came from Wales - True! We had an Indian Ancestor - almost sure this is true. Some notable figures in public offices from early America were our ancestors - some were coal miners - some were Quakers - some were slave holders - most were not - some freed their slaves long before the Civil War - Some were veterans of Union Army - true - some of Confederate Army - right. In delving through the past I have learned that we had heroes and zeroes - good and bad - what they did - where they lived - where they came from - what they owned! Many sad facts of early deaths - Indian wars and casualties - And how MANY children they had, and how FEW survived to adulthood. All in all, I have a lot already to pass down to my grandchildren and great grandchildren so when they ask me - "Granma, where did I come from?" I can tell them about their heritage and leave the answers to that specific question up to their parents. Many, many thanks! I hope to finish this history, right down to my great-grandchildren, while I can still research and write. As I am continuing to learn the “Art of Ancestry Searches” I am also beginning to find out that those old family rumors that have been passed down through the generations have a lot of substance and fact to them. I remember some stories about the 1800’s and 1900’s that I heard when I was a child - not much on detail, but memorable. For instance - my ancestors on both sides came from Wales - True! We had an Indian Ancestor - almost sure this is true. Some notable figures in public offices from early America were our ancestors - some were coal miners - some were Quakers - some were slave holders - most were not - some freed their slaves long before the Civil War - Some were veterans of Union Army - true - some of Confederate Army - right. In delving through the past I have learned that we had heroes and zeroes - good and bad - what they did - where they lived - where they came from - what they owned! Many sad facts of early deaths - Indian wars and casualties - And how MANY children they had, and how FEW survived to adulthood. All in all, I have a lot already to pass down to my grandchildren and great grandchildren so when they ask me - “Granma, where did I come from?” I can tell them about their heritage and leave the answers to that specific question up to their parents. Many, many thanks! I hope to finish this history, right down to my great-grandchildren, while I can still research and write.

]]> by: Natalie http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=1798#comment-208720 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 19:32:34 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=1798#comment-208720 Good advice except my brick wall is finding the parentage of my Great Grandmother Mary Story born in So Boston in 1823. I even have the street address except that there are over forty hits when I use my "Narrow Streets of Boston" disc. Good advice except my brick wall is finding the parentage of my Great Grandmother Mary Story born in So Boston in 1823. I even have the street address except that there are over forty hits when I use my “Narrow Streets of Boston” disc.

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