New “Help Getting Started” Feature

  • Posted by
  • March 11, 2009

You may have already noticed that with today’s roll we launched the new “Help Getting Started” boxes that appear throughout the keying and arbitrating steps.  These are designed to help new keyers and arbitrators learn to use the tool more quickly.  

Even though this feature was designed with new contributors in mind, we chose to launch it in such a way that our more seasoned keyers could see it too. This is because each “Help Getting Started” box, includes shortcut tips and some hotkeys you may not be aware of.

To dismiss the boxes, click on the “X” in the upper-right corner and to make them reappear, go to “Help” and click “”Turn on “Help Getting Started” tips”.

I’d love for our more seasoned keyers to give their feedback on these boxes and the tips and instructions that are in them. Would this feature have been helpful when you were just starting?  Are there tips or shortcuts we missed?

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March 11th, 2009
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
Judy Little
Posted on:
March 11, 2009 at 7:45 pm

Even though I am mostly arbitratoring I downloaded a set of the NE Nat’s to key. I think your “Help Getting Started” boxes should help the new keyers. The biggest problem I find though is that they are not reading the field help. Maybe the field helps could have a little more in them.

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Teresa
Posted on:
March 12, 2009 at 9:10 am

How do you get the get that darn button to stay turned off. Everytime I arbitrate a set it turns back on!! I’d like the idea but once you get it I would like to turn it off and stay off until I need it.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Teresa
Posted on:
March 12, 2009 at 9:15 am

Well, I finally got the button to stay turned off after clicking on numerous “x”‘s.

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
Steve
Posted on:
March 12, 2009 at 10:31 am

I agree with Judy, I think a better and field help would yield big results. I have arbitrated over 5000 NE records and I keep seeing the same mistakes over and over.

Try to update the field help as you see the same mistakes being made time after time and add one of your pop-up boxes to let people know that there has been a change in the field help.

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
afechter
Posted on:
March 12, 2009 at 10:44 am

Steve,
Would you mind emailing me with the most common mistakes you are seeing?
Thank you!

Comment Number:
6
Written by:
mphilips
Posted on:
March 12, 2009 at 11:52 am

Thanks for your Feedback. I agree, the field helps are key to accuracy and knowing what to do. We make sure that they are as clear as possible and update them when needed. Hopefully the boxes will help new users notice them and realize their value.

Teresa- I’m sorry you had difficulty with turning the boxes off. It may help to know that you have to turn the box off on each step.

Comment Number:
7
Written by:
Ann
Posted on:
March 12, 2009 at 1:54 pm

URGENT !!!!

The Control-B (Blank Bug) is BACK.

Comment Number:
8
Written by:
Todd
Posted on:
March 12, 2009 at 3:06 pm

I can’t find any X to click on to get rid of the bubble boxes.

Comment Number:
9
Written by:
robjack70
Posted on:
March 12, 2009 at 3:29 pm

I am working on the Sth Cal Nat Indexes and am keying the 70 odd entry pages. I have found that it is better to turn off the highlight as it makes the image jump all over the screen. With it off the image stays where you want it.

Comment Number:
10
Written by:
Margaret Pederson
Posted on:
March 12, 2009 at 9:09 pm

I like to work without the highlight on also but since the change I have to clik it off with each new record. Would like it to stay off unless I want it on.
I still believe a completed sample in the example section would be the most helpful for the new people.

Comment Number:
11
Written by:
Emery
Posted on:
March 13, 2009 at 5:21 am

Steve
It would be helpful if you said what “the same mistakes” you see over and over are.

Comment Number:
12
Written by:
Jennifer
Posted on:
March 13, 2009 at 8:41 am

I too would find it helpful to know what the recurring mistakes are.

Comment Number:
13
Written by:
Gretchen
Posted on:
March 13, 2009 at 9:31 am

I’d like to second the motion to make the highlight stay OFF for the entire image set once I’ve turned it off. It’s a nuisance to have to do it on each image.

Comment Number:
14
Written by:
Georgia
Posted on:
March 13, 2009 at 5:52 pm

I am in agreement with disabling the help boxes. It is really annoying to have to turn them off every time.

Comment Number:
15
Written by:
Jane M
Posted on:
March 14, 2009 at 9:39 am

I’m not terribly impressed with the annoying little boxes, although I’m sure they will be of enormous help to new keyers.
I’d like to second Judy’s comment about making the Field Help boxes more comprehensive, especially for the Andrews Collection with graphic examples to support the text.

Comment Number:
16
Written by:
Laura
Posted on:
March 14, 2009 at 1:39 pm

I have just discovered I have been making a hugh mistake. In the New York naturlizations if there was no address I put the state of the court. I just saw one from Illinois but from a differnet state. What do I do now?

Comment Number:
17
Written by:
Douglas M Shaw
Posted on:
March 14, 2009 at 3:20 pm

I have always found and continue to find the help facility in both Ancestry and WAP the clumsiest behemoth on the planet. Why can’t we at least be able to have a universal key word search throughout the help facility like any normal application? As for the feature that turns off those annoying dialog boxes–they only stay turned off until I turn the page. Count me underwhelmed.

Comment Number:
18
Written by:
Dianne Ward
Posted on:
March 19, 2009 at 12:48 am

The field help updated should show the actual DATE it was posted. There is still conflicting info on the site that is very confusing to new keyers. Seeing that the field help is the newer info will be a great help to all.