The new Findmypast (Part 1)

[Robert Fletcher]

I have been spending some time testing out the new FindmyPast because with any changes it does take a little while to get used to. For example when FamilySearch upgraded their search engine from the old IGI and other supplementary search engines I personally found that be a great move but there was a lot of people that did struggle with it.

The sort of searching I have done to test the new FindmyPast has been to search for records that I already know exist and to see what it will come out with and also if there's any additional records that I may have missed.

What I am finding is that I am not getting records out that came out of the old FindmyPast. Like Ancestry it will not narrowed down. I tried to do a search on records from Scamblesby, Lincolnshire it did not find the records in Scamblesby but went on looking all over England from Lancashire to Devon. One of the strengths that the old FindmyPast had over Ancestry was to be very easily narrow all widen the search as much as you like. Where I've had a very unusual and rare name I have on a number of occasions just put the name into the search engine. Also with a common name such as my own name "Fletcher" I have easily been able to narrow it down to a village and if that name does not appear in that village within ± 2 years the results would have come back zero but not any more.

I think what they've tried to do is to create a search engine which is user-friendly particularly to new users that will bring up as many records as possible that can be used but the result of this is to fall into no man's land.

I actually subscribe to both Ancestry & FindmyPast where the latter expires on the 31st of this month. Unless there is some miracle that I have not yet discovered I will not be renewing my letter subscription. There's not much point as I shall stick with Ancestry. Until my subscription expires I will be trying to use FindmyPast as much as possible to see if there something I missed.

Robert…

[dizzybella]

Printing of Transcript pages, is a waste of time, and paper, if you have a family. it print to 2 pages... fit to print on 1 pages, and the text is so small you can not read, the info on the document .. I,m am having to find my census, then pass info on to my friend, for her to print of for me on her Ancestry..aaarrrr

[dawnsh]

If you're having problems with FindMyPast, contact them to let them know. The more people that do that, will highlight the issues to them.

If they get overwhelmed by emails, they may take notice and do something about it.

Or they may already have a solution or 'work around' to your problems.

[dawnsh]

I've just been reading the comments posted on Facebook and they are aware of some issues.

They are also aware of some bugs that need fixing.

They have posted this in response to 1 comment

We have listened to all the feedback we have received and are now using it to put together comprehensive user guides as well as a series of blogs on the new search and how to get the best results from it.

[locksmith]

We have listened to all the feedback we have received and are now using it to put together comprehensive user guides as well as a series of blogs on the new search and how to get the best results from it.

It is all very well producing a comprehensive user guide, this can help those who haven't been able to find the records that are there but the way to find them has changed.

It does not, though, distract from the fact that they have produced a cumbersome user interface which in many cases does not home into the narrow search criteria that were previously possible. When applying some filters, new windows open, which then may required sideways scrolling (mouse clicking or touch screen scrolling) for what could be several more 'pages'. Select them, select apply and eventually get back to the main page and go through this again for another filter. Other filters which appear as popup boxes which show about 10 selections and again you have to select 'more' to get the next 10 and so on. Whatever happened to the instant selection of the dropdown box? Not tablet friendly and not so easy to maintain I assume.

This has certainly reduced the ease of use, especially for the seasoned researcher who knows what they want to get to but now have to jump through hoops to get there. I don't like it for this  reason. The vast majority of less serious users probably are not bothered which is why it will not change and statistics will probably show (comparitively) a small number of complaints.

At the end of the day, it is the records that they make available that is important although ease of accessing them has become an irritating issue.

Simon

[LizzieW]

Quote from: mosiefish on Yesterday at 14:43

    Quote from: Gadget on Yesterday at 14:37

        I keep clicking onto the site with fear and trepidation but I still have the old site up.


    So do I 

    Mo

Me too.

[rayard]

Perhaps the "improvements" will mean that I don't get thrown out every Sunday afternoon when they are "busy right now..come back later!!".  I'm not getting the service I expect, I asked for a refund and was told that as I had used the site I was not entitled to any portion of my subscription back.

As for Ancestry, for me it's hopeless, I can't find records I know I've had before, and I was using them to practise with. So much more typing for my arthritic fingers, and then the search told me the district was not recognised.
rayard.

[NooshieW]

Yes , I have arthritic problems too and don't want to spend any more time than needs be trawling through things to find the data I know used to be there almost instantly.
And as for a 'comprehensive user guide' that , by admission, is saying the new site is hard to access, even for seasoned users. I, for one, do not want to read through a 'comprehensive user guide', life is too short for that!

[O1dgobbo]

Hi
The findmypast e-mail announcing the new system included the following:

"findmypast is now simpler to use with more helpful features so that you can explore your family's story more easily than ever before."

This is just completely untrue.

Gobbo