Genealogy Chat

Well I've now read the blog properly. Seems very good - some explanations as to why results are different depending on how you search.

No, you are absolutely right Joan, the magazine DID say next month but I had an email telling me about the blog - says the magazine one will be similar.

I had to agree to the emails when I downloaded the guide to writing up your FH and hadn't bothered to unsubscribe.

Must admit though, I haven't yet read the blog but thought it a good idea to post the link. I hardly touch FMP now, and so far only one of the 100 records was any use, even though I had already got the more important (to me) records from TNA .

I thought I read that the user guide was in next months issue?
Must go back & take another look at the magazine again, I missed that page,lol, though to be honest I have lost interest in FMP since they changed it all.

Joan.

Family tree Magazine have put a user guide on their site :
http://family-tree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FT_guide_to_new_findmypast.pdf

As a simple test I have input one of my greatgrandfathers into the Ancestry Advanced Search - first name and surname only, with exact for both.

"All Collections" returned 148,050 records.
"England Collections" returned 55,723
Adding exact birth year +/- 2ys and his County of birth returned 262
And replacing the County with the Town returns just 16

Eileen,

It really does depend on what data you input before you hit the search button. Are you using the Advanced Search tab? If so:-
- are you specifying a date range? eg birth 1875 +/- 2yrs
- are you specifying a particular area or county? eg Kensington or Lancashire
etc,,,,

I can't find anything helpful on ancestry any more. You get a long list of people with the name you are looking for but you can't tell which of them is your relative. Imagine paying to click on each name to see if they are yours, it would cost a fortune. They seem to be just after your money. :-S

Lokked in on FMP earlier today to find that yet again I had to sign in, shouldn't have to do this on every visit especially as I NEVER sign out!

Also discovered that all the old searched records going back to 2010 had re appeared,records that I deleted long ago, I have no need to save them I always print off all the records I want therefore I delete records as I go along.

When I was switched over to the new format ALL the records that I had ever found back to 2010 had returned & just last week I did a MASS deletion as this function had been put back in place,got a shock this morning to find they had all come back again! & once again I had to go through the mass deletion of them.

FMP is a complete mess since the change over, it's appalling.

Joan.

I have lost the will to live through looking for an 1851 census for a certain surname and I have been a member on FMP for at least 12 years.

When my subs run out later this year I won't be renewing like a lot of people I know.

I don't use FMP so cant really comment.

There seems to be an awful lot of complaints and those of you who are unhappy with the new format might be interested in this


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cant-Find-My-Past/1405864143017930

I've just taken part in a survey on FMP. That last question they asked was if I had any ideas for specific improvements I would like to see made to the site. My rather lenghthy list ended with the suggestion that they should all go down the job centre and sign-on ;-) :-D

I only subscribed in February! And am so sorry I did. The search engine finds zero results when I know there is a result to find

I don't like the new Ancestry set up but I am getting a little more used to it.

:-(

Well sorry I renewed last Nov. if it doesn't improve substantially them I won't renew it again .
I use it more for look ups for other people now anyway so it's not worth the hassle

Whilst I don't like the Ancestry upgrade either I will stick with them only

This site is now so awful to use, I have just cancelled my auto renewal after many years.

The census is appalling and I just find the whole site to be not 'user friendly'

Have found the new Ancestry search far more easy to use than I thought so that will be kept.

A sad day.

Just posted this on a similar thread on General Chat:


Seems the FH companies don't want most of us anymore.

www.deseretnews.com/article/865600580/A-glimpse-into-the-thriving-business-of-family-history.html?pg=2

Agree with everything said and I am another one who probably won't renew this year. Really liked the old fmp as still not happy with the new ancestry format but even that is a million times better than fmp's new format.

At least I'll save a bit if money by not renewing and my OH will see a bit more of me as I really can't be bothered spending much time looking for records anymore.
Shame as I really enjoyed this as a hobby.

Liz :-( :-( :-(

I have given up using the site to look at the records for the time being, (not good for the blood pressure ) I live in hope that they will eventually see sense & have a rethink over what they have done!
I am now only going to FMP to see how many more complaints have been added to the feedback forum & also to see if anyone from FMP has reponded to the ever growing list of complaints!

On the News page FMP have today added ......How to Search Findmypast......
a step by step guide how to do searches!
Never needed any instructions on how to use the site before the change over,it was very simple to use!!

Joan.

Received today

922 votes

"Improve census 'household' view "

This has now been planned, and we hope to begin work on the first set of improvements very soon.

the findmypast team support, findmypast

I can't see me renewing in October, it's just such a lengthy process now and although you know the records are there because of previous searches the results are saying 0.
It was so user friendly before.

So pleased I also subscribe to Ancestry aswell, I've found I use that all the time now whereas before FMP was my first port of call.

Chrissie

The old one was much easier to find your relatives, now, you have to look at several of the names like the one you are looking for and then you can't be certain of finding yours.
I have noticed too that there aren't many of 1880 census on because they are free. :-(