Quality of GRO Digital Images

[Jon_ni]

They need to be redone, surely....what's the point, otherwise?

The cheap option is automated with no human touch and most of the time is ok.

Q22. There is information missing from my image. Can I get the information?
"This is a self-service product with no manual intervention. We are unable to manipulate the image you receive as part of this service. Complete this online form, for investigation into potential reimbursement for your digital image. The information can only be obtained by ordering a certificate or PDF as these can be manipulated to include the missing information."

When a misaligned page is reported all 10 entries on it seem to become only available as a pdf so others are not affected. So thats the point of reporting and also so you get a refund.

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/images/CGOVPublicBeta.pdf

[Philezra]

Interesting- I'll keep an eye out.

Thank you for this.

[Zaphod99]

See my recent thread on the same subject. I lost the bottom line, I complained over a week ago, I still haven't heard anything, and I'm wondering whether it's worth buying the next record down. Considering the technology that we have these days this is atrocious service.

Zaph

[Philezra]

That's actually quite good thinking- another £3 but cheaper all the same.

I may consider this, truthfully - thanks for adding this!

[BushInn1746]

They need to be redone, surely....what's the point, otherwise?

The cheap option is automated with no human touch and most of the time is ok.

Q22. There is information missing from my image. Can I get the information?
"This is a self-service product with no manual intervention. We are unable to manipulate the image you receive as part of this service. Complete this online form, for investigation into potential reimbursement for your digital image. The information can only be obtained by ordering a certificate or PDF as these can be manipulated to include the missing information."

When a misaligned page is reported all 10 entries on it seem to become only available as a pdf so others are not affected. So thats the point of reporting and also so you get a refund.

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/images/CGOVPublicBeta.pdf

They didn't offer me a refund   

They told me that if I wanted the missing bottom line across the Certificate, I'd have to buy a pdf or order one through the post.

I do like the speed of getting the information, but sometimes it falls short with bits missing.

 ---------------

So that is why, some entries are no longer instant!

I wonder if we are shooting ourselves in the foot, a bit, by complaining, if withdrawing all the entries of that page is going to be their answer.

Mind you, I suppose if I buy a pint of milk, I expect a pint. Not 7/8 ths of a pint 


Mark

[ReadyDale]

See my recent thread on the same subject. I lost the bottom line, I complained over a week ago, I still haven't heard anything, and I'm wondering whether it's worth buying the next record down. Considering the technology that we have these days this is atrocious service.

Zaph

My understanding is that these "instant" images are left over from a project to fully automate, that got abandoned, and they are just monetising the remnants.
They're not revisiting that by going and getting a new, properly aligned, image, as that is what the pdf service is about

[Nick_Ips]

...
So that is why, some entries are no longer instant!

I wonder if we are shooting ourselves in the foot, a bit, by complaining, if withdrawing all the entries of that page is going to be their answer.

Mind you, I suppose if I buy a pint of milk, I expect a pint. Not 7/8 ths of a pint

I think there is some foot shooting going on... buying the 'other half' of an misaligned image costs £3 and is instant.  Buying a PDF costs £8 and can take a few days.

So buy two 'half' images for £6, or have a refund and wait for the PDF for £8.   I know which I'd do.

There also seems to be the issue that reporting results in the page being taken out of the digital option - which means anyone else looking for an entry on that page will also have to pay at least £8, rather than having the £3/£6 option available to them.

[Nick_Ips]

My understanding is that these "instant" images are left over from a project to fully automate, that got abandoned, and they are just monetising the remnants.
They're not revisiting that by going and getting a new, properly aligned, image, as that is what the pdf service is about

The DOVE/EAGLE project wasn't abandonded as such, just significantly re-scoped.  The search facility on the GRO site was the (massively delayed) product of the digitisation work, and AIUI the PDF production (and some certificates?) are making use of images captured as part of this.

I could be wrong, but I don't think there was originally a plan to release the digitised images at low cost in the form they are now available.  IIRC at the time the project was running the people in charge took the view that the records could (legally) only be issued in certificate form.

[BushInn1746]

See my recent thread on the same subject. I lost the bottom line, I complained over a week ago, I still haven't heard anything, and I'm wondering whether it's worth buying the next record down. Considering the technology that we have these days this is atrocious service.

Zaph

My understanding is that these "instant" images are left over from a project to fully automate, that got abandoned, and they are just monetising the remnants.
They're not revisiting that by going and getting a new, properly aligned, image, as that is what the pdf service is about

I vaguely seem to recall seeing a working party about the tendering for the scanning.

Tax payers' money was spent to do this and for the project to work, even if purchasers got a bit of the adjoining entry top and bottom.

Commercial companies manage to scan images from microfilm.

Therefore, I find any government excuses rather poor!

Mark