Suggestions

I only know that there will have to be considerable improvement on GR during the next 6 months if I am to renew my sub.


I have a small tree on here, which I haven't touched in years.

Most of my time is spent helping other people find their ancestors, or answers.


I currently pay £9.95 per annum for my sub, sometimes reduced to approximately £7.95 when GR gives a 20% loyalty discount.

I do appreciate that this sub was frozen in 2007/8 when ITV bought GR ............. and that an increase is to be expected.

However, a one-time increase of over 150% to £20 is too much ............... just to help others.

Plus the ham-handed way they are implementing this increase ............. some getting it now while others are not. They're picking and choosing who gets to pay £7.96, and who pays the "new" amount.



GR has traded on "member help" for many years ................. at least, they now acknowledge that it is the other members who do this. They did not for a number of years.

I enjoy the chat with friends I've made on here


BUT



is it all worth £20?????

Since FindMyPast and GR are now one why would you want a free tree on each site ?

Makes one wonder if Sylvia's suggestion of eventual amalgamation is likely

SYLVIA in Canada

Building a tree on FMP

In a word: don't bother.

I have had a tree on there since 2008 - it's not worth the effort - they seen to be at a stand still. This note is on the front page:
-----------------------------------
"Welcome to the new Family Tree Explorer from findmypast!
We are excited to have you join us for our beta test. Please email us at [email protected] with your questions, comments and ideas.
Please note that the application is still under active development, so some features may be unavailable, disabled or not give the expected result."
-------------------------------------
The tree is at Beta 3.0
and we all know from Genes experience how long it can take to get things up and running.
I imported a GEDCOM back in 2008, quite small - only 2,000 odd people, but it takes so long to load the tree I have given up.............

PeeEmm :-S

Pasted from FMP
Start building and sharing your family tree for free. Family Trees are a great way to organize and share your discoveries on any computer or tablet. It is simple and easy just follow the step by step on-screen instructions.

Coming soon to the tree:

Import trees from other sites/software
Search other trees
Append records and pictures to the tree
Create multiple trees

So sad to see Genes going the way it is ,I agree they are not doing anything that is suggested by us.

If they are thinking of putting up the price I would think that would be the end of it ....for me anyway.

Sylvia ...I got the deal with FMP US and it tells me every time I go on ..... seeing as you are from OZ it would be best to us the Australian site for FMP ,click on Oz site and I am away , that has all records from all over the world ,I am very pleased with the deal.

All those who just have there tree on here alone may I suggest having a backup ...just in case ;-).

Sue :-(

Simon


I do not know!!!

I have had an ancestry sub since 2004 ................... and would not let that go.

I am thinking about taking up OH's offer of giving me a sub to FMP as a birthday present ................. as a trial year, to see if it provides anything new for me.


There was a very cheap offer last year to join the US FMP, with all sorts of promises of what was available, which I fell for .................... wasted money!


I am not aware that you can build a tree for free on fmp, as you can on here. I'm sure someone will know.


I will be sorry if a) I feel I can no longer continue to subscribe to GR, as will be the case if they increase my Basic sub by around 150%, or b) GR disappears as a result of BS's actions.




sylvia

So Sylvia, Rollo, should we jump ship to FMP at this stage, or hang on in here?

I also have an Ancestry.co.uk subscription and keep a copy of my tree there - but I have always used GR to build and edit my tree as the tree program here used to be soooo simple and easy to use - until they brought in this new thing last summer!

Is the FMP tree better than the Ancestry one for editing? Can one build a tree on FMP without having to take out a 'British Foundation Subscription' for £79.95 per year??

Personally, I'd prefer to stay here and get 'them' to sort out the wretched tree...

Simon

fyi the core code that drives the tree is the same as that used in other B.S. products.

PeeEmm



I personally think that the aim is the complete demoralisation of GR members, so that we leave .....................


BrightSolid's acquisition of the GR family of sites had to be approved by the UK Competitions Board because it put 3 of the 4 major UK genealogy sites under the same roof. It took over a year for the Board to approve the sale .............. and then only if the sites were maintained as separate entities.



If the paying memberships drops, BS can then go back to the Competitions Board, and say that GR is no longer viable as a separate entity, and ask to be given permission to combine GR and FMP into one site




This, I am becoming more and more certain, is, and has always been, the ultimate aim of BS


In other words, do away with the competition to their own site, FMP ....... which of course was 1837 online until it was acquired by them about 5 years ago.




sylvia

Simon and Roy

Thanks for the responses.
I no longer expect Genes to take it's paying members seriously.
I think the Suggestions thread was set-up as a cynical ploy to divert us from what is really going on.
Profit for Brightsolid is - I believe - their only real aim.

PeeEmm
:-|

Hi PeeEmm,
If I send a suggestion I have no problem getting a reply.

I will certainly pass your email onto our development and management teams. They're always keen to hear all feedback, and suggestions, from our members, and will always consider all comments and suggestions they receive.

Unfortunately they can't reply personally to each suggestion forwarded to them, but they do take all comments into account when considering any changes to the website.

Thanks again for your views.


Kind Regards,


Lisa,
Rachael,
Nia,
Ann-Marie,
Alex S
Genes Reunited Support Team

The message is always the same, only the name at the bottom changes.
They have all received the suggestion for mouse-wheel scrolling or scroll bars, & according to the message, passed it on.
Obviously this development & management team needs something to laugh at with all the customers 'silly' suggestions that are 'not going to happen on my watch'

Yes, a page devoted to telling us what suggestions have actually been read in a serious manner, what suggestions they are working on, which suggestions can not be implemented AND WHY would be a welcome addition to the site. . :-D

PeeEmm,

I frequently get responses from 'The Team' similar to yours. What NEVER seems to happen though is that anyone then acts on either the problem or suggestion!

Incidentally, I use the Notes box to put all my 'sources' - that way the record and the reference (often web page addresses) are kept together. I can't actually see the Source field as having any use whatsoever; if you have multiple sources how do you link what information to which source?

Roy,

You rightly pointed out that this is supposedly a forum for Suggestions. Have you ever seen any kind of indication on this forum that it is even read by staff from GR - let alone the (often but not always) positive suggestions of Members are acted upon? I haven't - apart from 5 posts from Estelle.

Since this Forum was started on 24 August 2012 the only feedback we have seen from GR was on these dates:

11/9
24/9
5/10
24/12
2/1

That's 5 posts in response to now 15 'pages' of suggestions! What we need to see is a post across all the boards to tell us just what the plan is that GR have now developed (?) to address all the various issues and suggestions. That might give confidence to members who are currently indicating that they will not be renewing their subscriptions...

I sent a long message to Phil Moir before Christmas with a whole load of what I thought were positive suggestions for improving the current tree. I haven't even had an acknowledgement!

Simon

As a matter of interest - sometimes you do get a reply from 'the team'.....

Regards PeeEmm
-----------------------------
Peter said:

The "source" box on the family tree 'pop-out' panel is too small.
Even when abbreviated it is not possible to add all the details with some entries. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can this be made a sensible size??????? Peter

This was the reply:

Dear Peter,

Thank you for taking the time to write to us regarding the sixe of the source box.

I will certainly pass your email onto our development and management teams. They're always keen to hear all feedback, and suggestions, from our members, and will always consider all comments and suggestions they receive.

Unfortunately they can't reply personally to each suggestion forwarded to them, but they do take all comments into account when considering any changes to the website.

Thanks again for your views.


Kind Regards,


Lisa
Genes Reunited Support Team

KenSE

Very sound advise indeed.

When I 'bumped' into this 'old' tree is was the tree that existed about a year ago - side panel - and dark green background.
It was called the 'new tree' then (a year ago) but has since been considerably revised.
Back then you may recall we had access to both 'old' and 'new' trees while the teething troubles were being sorted - a very frustrating time was that..........

PeeEmm ;-)

I am sure that the software for the old tree is still around but the probable problem is that it may no longer be compatible with the current data base as new items have been added.

That may give the impression that it is still working but certain fields may get corrupted if you use the wrong tree, especially if you add data via the old tree.

I don't know if that is true but having worked on software systems over the last fifty years, I wouldn't recommend using an old program on a new database without checking first.

Roy

I'm not sure if they are telling you the whole truth (but Genes are like that!)
The 'old tree' with the darker green background and the side panel that sweeps over the whole screen, is still there.........
How do I know? well yesterday by mistake I tried to open my tree from the IE browser, normally I use Google Chrome because I was advised by GR.
On this occasion I was in the IE browser and used an 'old' GR bookmark that I don't normally use.....
I don't fully understand the technicality of the browser or how what is typed in or linked to there - but it gave me the impression that the Database is still there for the 'old' tree. The interesting thing is that THE TREE I LOOKED AT WAS BANG UP TO DATE, I know that to be true as the number of people in my tree had been increased earlier in the day when I added new names to a branch to my ever increasing extended tree...........................................

PeeEmm :-S

Hello Vida,
So you have noticed that so many are suggesting going back to the old tree, that is interesting. I wonder why GR hasn't woken up to this too.
In the tree view there is a little icon for feedback. I didn't ask they go back to the old tree full stop. I suggested they bring back the old tree until such time as they had got a new tree that actually worked to the satisfaction of the members.
I told them I had no objection to beta-testing a new tree if asked, but I do object to being forced to beta test an ill concieved abortion like they have forced on us all.
Their answer was that the old tree has gone & they can't bring it back..
So we are between the devil and the deep blue sea. They can not make this new tree work properly (that has become very apparent) & they freely admit they can not bring back the old tree.
A very sad state of affairs indeed.

Roy

I wish to go back to old tree and so many others do so why don't you just do it. No one is happy. :-( :-P :-( :-0 :-\

Just found the answer to why nothing is being done for mouse-wheel scrolling, or any other suggestions we make.

Click on 'Community' then 'Suggestions' and at the top of the page it says
"This board is for you to add your suggestions for changes you would like to see made to Genes Reunited. We will be unable to respond to each post individually, but we will be checking the suggestions regularly and taking your suggestions on board."
What it does not go on to say is "..... and sailing out to the deepest part of the ocean and throwing the lot overboard" :-D

Thank you PeeEmm & KenSE,
Now I see how you do it, and that works to a point.
Having added an event or story or photo to my Great something, I then have to back-track to say my father, to his brother's wife and then repeat the process to get to her mothers great something. Then back-track again to my father & mother to go back on her side. It is a lot of time consuming work that full tree & mouse-wheel scrolling would solve.
My dad was one of six, my mother one of 4. Paternally my grandfather was one of nine & my grandmother one of thirteen (no TV's back then), so trying to trace all those back through both male & female sides & adding to them is a lot of clicking.
But yes, now I know to work on the immediate family view if I have just one ancestor to edit, or a few in direct line, it will work.
But I still want mouse-wheel scrolling ability, or some expert on GR (if such exist) to tell me why it can't be done, or even that it can be done but they do not want to please the customers :-P so there.

Roy