RootsChat.Com
Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Antrim => Topic started by: Blackadder on Friday 11 January 08 22:50 GMT (UK)
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Anyone else think the new PRONI website is a horlicks?
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BA,
I've passed by both factories, and sampled their products at home. There is little resemblance ...
The old offering always confused/annoyed me no end.
[Surely (?) its gotta be good to embrace change.
However, I'll reserve full critical judgement till later, after extensive usage trial ...]
Great to see a general Search box at the top of the page, at last.
While there may be a few mildly warm moments to come during the next few months, my feeling is that things will ultimately prove to be really "cool" ...
[Certainly, any organisation that is brave enough to plan to relocate itself to the front quarter of the Titanic must prepared take all that fate might dictate!]
Hopefully, the powers that be have set aside a wee wad from the £30M relocation budget to ...
... complete the rejig of the townland maps;
[How can such a canker have lasted so long?!]
... incorporate the "Women's Studies" index;
[Unique access to many repositories across Ulster.
c.f. www.nationalarchives.ie ]
... reply to some of my three EMails from last October!
In a LEHRER vein ...
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly,
Some of us just gotta love PRONI until the day we die!
Capt. Jock
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Horlicks ??? It's more like Cocoa. Er ... could one of you guys tell me who PRONI consulted on a regular basis over the past twelve months ... were any RootsChatters consulted?
Christopher
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The old offering always confused/annoyed me no end.
[Surely (?) its gotta be good to embrace change.
However, I'll reserve full critical judgement till later, after extensive usage trial ...]
Tend to agree with above. Although not fully roadtested it yet, on initial dipping in of my toe, it does seem better in many aspects (although, as with life, there is always room for improvement).
Site does have a slightly more modern look/feel about it, albeit that would not be difficult given old site, and, in my opinion, could still be much enhanced.
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Have a look at the PRONI WebSites - Link. (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,133364.0.html) I wonder if these PRONI pages have been removed on a permanent or temporary basis.
I did a search for Privately deposited papers (http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/research_and_records_held/records_held_in_proni/privately_deposited_archives.htm) and didn't find much. Under the old system there was online information telling you what papers were available. Well at least if you have problems finding records in PRONI they now have an online page telling you about "Other things to do in the area." That's extremely thoughtful of someone.
It looks as though you now have to save some of the PRONI files to your computer.
Christopher
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Blackadder
More like a herbal tea at the moment...but early days... ;D
[Surely (?) its gotta be good to embrace change.
However, I'll reserve full critical judgement till later, after extensive usage trial ...]
... incorporate the "Women's Studies" index;
[Unique access to many repositories across Ulster.
c.f. www.nationalarchives.ie ]
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly,
Some of us just gotta love PRONI until the day we die!
Capt. Jock
Tend to agree with above. Although not fully roadtested it yet, on initial dipping in of my toe, it does seem better in many aspects (although, as with life, there is always room for improvement).
Privately deposited papers (http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/research_and_records_held/records_held_in_proni/privately_deposited_archives.htm) and didn't find much. Under the old system there was online information telling you what papers were available. Well at least if you have problems finding records in PRONI they now have an online page telling you about "Other things to do in the area." That's extremely thoughtful of someone.
It looks as though you now have to save some of the PRONI files to your computer.
Christopher
I agree with all of the above........I have not fully used the site yet.
But it does have a more modern " touchy feminine feel" about it............but it is early days.
The will index is brilliant
I will always be a PRONI lover,
to the day I die
.........Steve
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The will index is brilliant
;D - Great find, thanks. Found two relating to a couple I strongly believe may have been one of my sets of great great grandparents. If anyone will be in PRONI soon and wouldn't mind looking at the actual Wills for me, please PM me. Thanks, in hope.
Here is a link to the Will Index search page (http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/will_calendars/wills_search.htm).
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Have not been to PRONI website for yunks.
Just found elusive date of death of ancestor in wills -- excellent :D
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I agree with all of the above........I have not fully used the site yet.
But it does have a more modern " touchy feminine feel" about it............but it is early days.
The will index is brilliant
I will always be a PRONI lover,
to the day I die
.........Steve
Hi Steve,
I loved the PRONI lists of townlands but I can only find the Antrim one at the minute.
I've e-mailed PRONI asking if they'd kindly update links to the other counties.
Christopher
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Do you think we could persuade PRONI to put the names on the marked townlands in some of their Parish maps??? I asked them about that years ago and I was told that they were working on it!!!! RosemaryJoan
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Rosemary
I am sure that PRONI ......may know that we are here.......and maybe......in time......will take on board.......suggestions by us.
Do think they are trying to grab the 20th Century....in their new style site...and with time and effort will grow.
The staff within PRONI...(probably they have no intake into what is on site)...... their performance is exceptional...and I have been around a few..... in many countries to compare.
So maybe ...the more we use the site...and the more suggestions we find ....the bigger..... and better..... it will grow.
Horlicks .......green tea .........to champagne.
Steve ;D
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PRONI appear to be having problems ... they had a set of street directories online not all that long ago and removed them. I tried to search the Ulster Covenant just now and all I got was this message "SEARCH SERVICE: Due to technical difficulties the Ulster Covenant, Freeholders Records and Wills search are currently unavailable. Normal service will resume as soon as possible."
Christopher
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Not sure what's going on at PRONI at the moment but this notice is also on their home page:
DOCUMENT PRODUCTION: We regret that document production has had to be suspended until further notice owing to a health and safety issue that has arisen. If you are intending to visit PRONI and need access to original documents please check in advance of your visit. The search room and self-service microfilm room will still be open. We apologise for any inconvenience.
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A health and safety issue involved when people want to look at original documents ??? Should we be wearing face masks and hard hats when visiting PRONI ???
Christopher
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Not sure what's going on at PRONI at the moment but this notice is also on their home page:
DOCUMENT PRODUCTION: We regret that document production has had to be suspended until further notice owing to a health and safety issue that has arisen. If you are intending to visit PRONI and need access to original documents please check in advance of your visit. The search room and self-service microfilm room will still be open. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Hi aghadowey,
I can see the item relating to the Covenant on the home page www.proni.gov.uk/index but not the item re the document production.
Christopher
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It's on the page just under Visitor Notices. Correction- it's now gone but was there when I posted this morning.
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I've been trying to figure out how to search on the new PRONI page for about an hour with no luck.
Many links appear to be broken, and some go around in certains. I can't think of a better example of a website created by people who have no idea of how it will be used. (aka "Usability Engineering")
I did eventually find some search links in the site map. Some were broken, though a few seemed to work, but then produced errors.
I loved the old page. Very simple, and easy to understand. Why the change?
nick
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Nevermind, the notice went back up:
Due to technical difficulties the Ulster Covenant, Freeholders Records and Wills search are currently unavailable
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I loved the old page. Very simple, and easy to understand. Why the change?
nick
I agree, Nick, PRONI's site was great but unfortunately progress dictates that when you've something which works perfectly satisfactorily and pleases most people then it's time to make alterations 8)
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It is a disgrace. A great site ruined.
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Hi,
Radio Ulster announced on their ten o'clock News that a hacker crashed a number of Northern Ireland government websites last week. This may explain why the Ulster Covenant search didn't work for the past few days. http://tiny.cc/pj7ki
Christopher
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Hi,
Radio Ulster announced on their ten o'clock News that a hacker crashed a number of Northern Ireland government websites last week. This may explain why the Ulster Covenant search didn't work for the past few days. http://tiny.cc/pj7ki
Christopher
We can rely on you to have your finger on the pulse at all times.
Thx for what you bring to Rootschat.
OTTO
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Hi,
Radio Ulster announced on their ten o'clock News that a hacker crashed a number of Northern Ireland government websites last week. This may explain why the Ulster Covenant search didn't work for the past few days. http://tiny.cc/pj7ki
Christopher
We can rely on you to have your finger on the pulse at all times.
Thx for what you bring to Rootschat.
OTTO
Thanks for your kind comment OTTO.
The Covenant is up and running today.
Christopher
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Nice to see it back. Still not as elegant as the original. However, whine over. Just glad that it is digitised.
Why can't we have the Soldiers' records from the 14-18 war over on our archives? Debate.
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Nice to see it back. Still not as elegant as the original. However, whine over. Just glad that it is digitised.
Why can't we have the Soldiers' records from the 14-18 war over on our archives? Debate.
PRONI should be able to have WWI records ... Ballymena 1914-1918 Carved with Stone www.freewebs.com/snake43 and Friends School History Department are leading the way with their great sites www.friendsschoollisburn.org.uk/ww1/audit.asp
Christopher
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The Wills search seems to be functional again. Though the link is gone.
However, I found a working link on the sitemap.
While I was frustrated before, I am still thankful that proni has provided these free tools.
nick
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Christopher - thanks for kind words.
However, I am receiving increasing queries from people who wish to find out more about WW1 ancestors ... most of the time I can give them a half decent picture of unit, action, experiences ... but it would be so much better if people onthis side of the water could get a 'feel' for themselves.
Hiring a researcher at Kew (which I sometimes have to propose) is often expensive and (as you will all be well aware) not always productive.
Thank goodness for FREE sites like this one where little snippets can roll into good investigations.