Genealogy Chat

Hi Peter, That's sorted it. Thank you so much:)) Just out of curiosity, checked the laptop settings. This is set even higher - 1280x800,(default setting) so I guess that explains why I don't have the problem there? Thanks again Debs

If you find that the tree display is the wrong size it is likely to be due to your browser and display settings settings. Check your screen display size, it should be 1024 x 768 pixels for the tree to display correctly.Also if you maximize the window you should not have to scroll left and right as it should all fit on the screen. This just leaves you with the entry box which will probably diplay two thirds so will have to scroll slight to see the other part of it..

Hi Jim, Sorry, been off doing a look up for someone. That really is great about your grandma - now you've got a whole new family, too, to investigate. How exciting! I have the view button on this screen, and selecting 'Full' works on this screen, but when in the Family Tree screen I have no tool buttons anywhere?? Right clicking on the page doesn't give me the option to go 'Full' either. Never mind, I'll have to stick with the letter box, while I'm on here. Interestingly, I don't have the 'letter box' problem on my lap-top, but that is a widescreen screen, and things often look very different on there. But I tried F11 on there anyway, and that works ok??! Debs

Debs I have been at a complete standstill with my grandmother for 3 years she was not registered and all i had for hundreds of hours was 1901 Annie Chambers abt 1879 Woolston, Hampshire, England Servant St Mary Extra Hampshire I put up a guessed tree for her and the hotmatch member's snippet came up with 1891 Annie O'Connor Frank,Dorothy abt 1879 Woolstone, Hampshire, England Daughter Holy Trinity Yorkshire PS On my screen, at top 'view' /full screen

Hi Jim, I'm really pleased for you - you must be thrilled! This is why I persevere with 'Not Matches.' Just every now and then a really good match does come up. PS - I knew it - now I'm home, and tried F11 on this keyboard. Doesn't work:((( Now why do you suppose that is?? Would it be something to do with the 'F' keys, also being 'assigned' keys? Debs

I agree with everything said but something happened this week which has stopped me in my tracks. I received a message from another member. 'My Dorothy may have been born in the north east.She married a Frank O'connor' Dorothy 1857 Sunderland Dorothy 1857 HULL Humberside England <<<<<<<<< So even though I had a hot match and they appear in name search how was I to know she had guessed,wrongly,the place of birth. Dorothy was my greatgrandmother,last seen in 1881 and my 'only child' grandmother had four half siblings.

Debs I put that complaint on before about my screen.Asked if anyone elses was like that.Its all of an inch at the bottom of the page so I see my info a line at a time when I try to add.Got fed up and decided as I cant access it then I wont be using it.So I am basically only on GR because of the message boards which I love.. Wanda.x

Hi George, No, but Jim does! :)) (know what he's talking about.) Go on - try it F11- you know you want to! Debs

Hi Jim, Just tried that - works lovely here (at work). Thank you!! Will try home pc when I get there - presume that will work the same way. Debs ( who only knows what F5 is for)

Added by Deborah Scott 625305 on 18/05/2007 13:19:33 Whilst on the subject of 'the tree',, when editting one's own tree, am I the only poor s*d who only see's their own info through a letter-box-type window??! I have never seen anyone else moan about this. I can see everyone else's info ok, but on my own it's the weeniest little bit of the screen! I've tried all different ways to make it bigger, but haven't managed it yet. It is slightly easier if you go to 'full screen'. Press F11 on your keyboard.

Hi Maureen, The actual drop down box, is 'off screen' to me as well, but you should be able to scroll the page across, with the blue bar at the bottom of the page, so you can access it. Debs

Hi Pam, The problem is, is there is no middle ground, is there? All or nothing. I have often thought of cancelling my 'Not Matches', as I am fed up of getting 8 pages of totally unrelated Mary Smith/Jones'. BUT just every now and then, a good match comes up, so I persevere. I know it's been said, dozens of times before, but they really need to be able to match the places of birth, for this to work well. Elizabeth - I'm getting these census messages too. Got really excited, when I got the first one. Thought they were going to let me in on some big 'find' to do with a rellie. How disappointed was I?? Debs

What I think would be good is if they just did a version of Hot Matches for your direct ancestors. Half the time, I'll find, say, great-great uncle John, and get really excited, only to find out that the tree owner is only distantly related to him by marriage and isn't concentrating on that surname at all. If they just did your direct ancestors maybe that would be a more effective way of finding people. After all, we have a facility to search for additional branches and twigs ourselves.

If you don't want to receive any 'Hot Matches' go to MY ACCOUNT DETAILS (top left) and under e-mail preferences it says 'Do you want to be notified by hot match or new name e-mail.....' just untick the box. I would rather search for my own contacts.

Hi I am quite new to this, and building my tree, has a lot of dead ends, but keep on geting 'HOT MATCHES' and emails is this your family, if it was my tree would be so big I would need a chain saw to take some of the branches off. The census thing that keeps on come up is unreal my mother died but according to them she is living in the USA. how good is that. Phyllis.

I got an e-mail this morning from Genes asking 'Is this your relative in the 1901 census'. It was some obscure chap from my husband's side of the family (I had already found it), but no-one of importance. I have had one of these before. How do they pick them?? I have a large tree, so they could pick hundreds of them. Why him? As everyone says, a useless gimmick. A lot of us have already trawled the censuses for relatives, and just one of hundreds isn't a big deal!

MGHS Don't worry - the gap you left (finally!) in my contacts is being filled by other 'boomerangers' lol. OC

Hi - sorry, had to pop out :(( MGH S, now I understand what happened in 1881 (see above) lol Whilst on the subject of 'the tree',, when editting one's own tree, am I the only poor s*d who only see's their own info through a letter-box-type window??! I have never seen anyone else moan about this. I can see everyone else's info ok, but on my own it's the weeniest little bit of the screen! I've tried all different ways to make it bigger, but haven't managed it yet. OC - yes! Wouldn't it. They've introduced a star rating for contacts, why not a check box if you do/don't want the name included in the search for Not Matches!! I only keep the absolute direct lines on here (c350 entries) but I still get 8 pages a fortnight, mostly for Mary Smith, living anywhere in the world bn 1812! Debs

What would be REALLY useful - but beyond their competence I fear - would be the ability to grade our own hot matches. For example - I have three Mary Bells in my tree. I have no interest in them whatsoever - they are second wives of married-ins and have no relationship to me. But they are in my tree as a sort of full stop, if that makes sense, to stop me wasting any more time on them. I would like to turn all my Mary Bells OFF as potential hot matches. I would also like to be able to limit Thomas Greens to those born 1831/2, anywhere in Cheshire - not interested in the millions of thomas Greens born all over the world,- who have a father called John. But I welcome any Joseph Holden born 1855, anywhere in the world, who has a mother called Ellen! If we could set parameters for our hot matches it would be wonderful. And if only 'Do not show me this match again' really meant that! Constant reloading of GEDCOM files means I get the same (useless) not matches over and over again, presented as new matches. OC

Hi, I totally agree. They could also try to match people to the same place they were born. I find I have hot matches and census matches in places that my ancestors clearly never lived, e.g USA. Also why do GR keep telling me about their updated versions? It is really annoying when the window keeps popping up! Cheers, Carolyn.