General Chat

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to send us your feedback on the new design. There has been a lots of positive feedback, but we have also identified that lots of members, particularly those who spend a lot of time on the boards, are finding the background a bit too bright.

We are, at this moment in time, reviewing the text colour, size and background. We have listened to your feedback and will be deciding what changes should be made over the next couple of days. Please be patient, all changes, however minor, need thorough implementation and testing.

We will keep you updated with progress and will inform you of changes we are making.

Thanks

The Genes Team

Sorry Genes, but I really do not like this new site. Please could we have the option to use the old tree again

This chat gives us a chance to say what we think about new site - positive or negative. What do you think?

There maybe a few more things to sort out which I understand is ongoing,,,,even qualified techs need sleep and time off,!

The site is looking much better.

Genes have stated ---------The Old Tree Layout Has Gone for Good.

Kay. I have posted 19 posts in my very active 9 years of membership. How on earth do you have time to post 10,000 in less than 7 years?

I appreciate your thoughts about new tree and I wanted to open up the debate beyond the blocking chat with same title that now always appears at the top of the chat topics for some reason. It sounds like you want me and others to be quiet.

Genes will eventually do what their customers want. That is how professional businesses operate. It may not suit me. But it may possibly not suit you.

Maybe were fed up with people moaning :-\

Genes post is a fair enough one, an information post letting us know they are taking on board the issues raised. Its not asking for a response, lord knows there are plenty of negative issues for them to deal with first without inviting more of the same replies.

So its not the fact that Kay or anyone else wants you to keep quiet about your issues, its the fact its getting repetitive & such requests are best directed to feedback rather than on yet another thread inviting more views which have already been done to death
:-)

John, As has been said their are far to many threads on this subject already

feedback is best sent to the team at GR because thats the only way you are guaranteed that they will have read it, members have been sending feedback even before the new site was launched

some 5000 members where given access to the new site whilst it was being beta tested and also had a thread running along side the testing

GR did make some changes whilst testing but needed the whole membership to have input after it was launched resulting in further changes being made

GR also did comment on some threads about the changes but we have to give them time to consider all the feedback they have received and for them to come up with solutions to the feedback they have received, Posting more of the same will do little more then adding to the problems because of duplicating the same positive and negative information leading to information overload

here is a link to just one of many threads started whilst beta testing that continued after the full launch of the new site

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/genealogy_chat/thread/1304182

Roy

John,,,,,,,,and that dont include my posts in 2003 and 2004 and loads that I have deleted overtime,

:-D :-D.

If you look round the boards you will see 101 threads all about the same -------within an hour of the launch there was enough hot air to float a balloon,,,,,,,,,,that apart GR needs your input in their own mail box that way it will be direct an,d your complaint wont get lost on the boards,they will be glad to add yours on the complaints list.

AS you havnt been around then you wont be aware GR announced the old tree has gone for good and Ive informed you just that,,,,,,,,the old family tree chart on here is no longer.

I think we have all used the usual channels and got usual replies. I have written on more than 2 occasions, got usual and expected replies and never got the impression that anyone on earth was interested in my view. I know some like new tree layout, but some don't.

I have no problems with the fact that you like new tree. I hate it. And I have made an effort. And I'm not a Neaderthal and quite like change if is properly canvassed and introduced in correct way.

Perhaps one of you can explain why we cannot have the old tree format for those who prefer it. Call the formats "basic" and "advanced". It seems such a simple solution and means that both sides have won and we can all stay together as one happy family. And GR can prosper. So many of us are presently dissing the company, privately and publicly

I liked the old "new" tree however other members didn't like it and the GR team took this onboard and changed it. So perhaps I should feel I am now missing out because of other members preferences?

Seems to me it is catch 22 for GR!

I remember well when the tree was changed a few years ago...so many members were outraged about that...flocked wallpaper etc....and now that was the best ;-)

Just wondering how "dissing" GR either publically or privately can make GR prosper...I am at a loss?

Linda :-D

I assume the flock wallpaper was to advertise subliminally. Horrible background, and doubt it ever worked. But GR will say it was a brilliant change, no doubt.

What an easy site it was originally. Does all this programming and change make us better genealogists? It appears that several think it does. I don't. The maxim in business is keep close to your customer base (not the vocal few but the silent majority also) and KISS - keep it simple, sailor.

I think many will leave over next few months, and they have mostly been generous and gifted contributors to this site. I have found new info and updated my tree almost daily, but have had to stop since the facility of the old tree has been removed. I have tried to use it, but it is no fun for me anymore.

Perhaps the moaning will settle down quickly like it did after the curry restaurant makeover some years ago. Time will tell. Dissing is a fairly natural and expected reaction, surely. If anyone asks me where they could build their tree, I used to always suggest GR. Now I tell them they tinker with the site and do not canvass opinion first, take little notice of paying customers and cannot seem to get any imposed changes right. :-|

If someone asked me advice for a ‘platform’ site when they first start FH, I’d still recommend GR. The community pages are, in my opinion, second to none. If they haven’t experienced one of the older style tree lay-outs, they won’t have anything to compare it to.

I’d also advise them to maintain a ‘Master’ version of their tree off line, just as any experienced researcher would do, using in the first instance one of the many free downloads. Start as you mean to go on.

Even though there is a possibility that some experienced members will leave if the colour scheme isn’t sorted, others will step up to fill the ‘helpers’ void.

I know I've said this before, so don't jump on me!! I'm not the only one who repeats things.

I don't really care WHAT the site looks like, as long as it works and I can see it.

I can't see it very well.

It's not working very well either (for me) ~ I can't search for names on my own tree.

I've toned down the brightness and am looking at 125%.

Yes, I HAVE emailed GR..... I first sent a contact message, got the usual useless generic response....... then emailed again.

Glad you mentioned (for me) Scozz :-D

It is strange that the tree functions works for some, (me + those who like it) but not others. It must be something to do with the operating systems viz coding that different people use.

Its not at all strange that the vast majority of posts are negative. Members who like it or who are having no problems aren't bothering to post. The silent majority??

One good thing that has come about, is the number of established members who have apparently posted for the first time :-D

I can't understand why we can't have both trees going at the same time for those who want the new and those who want the old tree.

Ancestry has two search sites I like the old search because I am used to it and that I think is the problem .

People of my age not brought up with computers and only learnt in later life find change hard to handle and seeing as it is our age group that is into Genealogy we should be thought of more when designing these new sites.

I have sent my email of dislike of the site to Genes and first thing tomorrow I will be getting an outside tree to use,and swapping what I have on my Genes tree to my Ancestry tree.... at least I can look at that tree without hurting my eyes.

susan :-|

I am fed up with people moaning about moaners. We moaners (whether we like the new tree but are frustrated with all the development errors or whether we just dislike the tree per se) are extremely upset and I am one of the established members who has posted for the first time over this new tree imposition.

I have happily built my tree to over 23,000 over 9 years. Was not happy with green flock wallpaper, had a moan and got over it. But this is something entirely different. I think the silent majority are fairly unsophisticated in use of computers, and appreciated the simplicity of this site. It was great fun to build your tree and get help and help others. The fun for me has come to a dead stop. Will we stop moaning? Will this blow over like the ethnic restaurant new look? I somehow think it won't.

John, GR are damned if they do and damned if they don't,

Members have been asking for change for some time,

They have been making suggestions on the suggestions board and by using the facility provided under the contact us and on other boards

members have asked for the old tree to have added function in the past and various other changes to the site,

This site was built on it's members specifically the community and the help given on the community boards

You have said ( I have written on more than 2 occasions, got usual and expected replies ) you appear to have not been involved within the community boards so you have hardly had any input at all in your 9 plus years

Their are still errors with the site but if members don't get involved and send feedback these errors will never get sorted

I as have other members lost count of the amount of input given to GR through the suggestions board and via the contact us and feedback facility

And as for Moaning

My point; People moan all the time about the government of the day but the ones who tend to moan the most probably never voted

Roy

Interesting points, Porkie.

Yes, I have been relativley happy for 9 years and it has never crossed my mind to ask for any "improvement" to the site. It was a shame when brothers married sisters and I had to refer them to another part of my tree. I enjoyed a moan (don't we all?) but it was very minor irritations.

I have had a quick look at some of the requests to improve the site and it confirms what I thought - six very active people who really understand computer programming and can communicate with the techies at GR. They have got their way (or may get their way if the new tree ever works properly) because of - yes, probably - the apathy of very many others like myself.

Politics is a good analogy. How many students were unhappy with £9k a year student fees yet did nothing about it till it was almost a fait accompli. Perhaps the silly sausages wanted to study and not be bothered by the wonderful progessive development of student fees. Stupid them? Stupid us?

John, I have to admit that I am a member who is getting tired of all the negative comments, many of which are coming from people who hardly use the Community boards. I am not including the problems with those who suffer from eyesight disabilities - that's a different matter. In the past, I too, have had differences of opinion with GR, but I didn't keep harping on about them.


Some of the problems I have seen since the recent site changes are due to either a person's lack of computer skills - which is understandable or, due to the fact that the complainer has just not spent enough time on their tree to see what each facility does.


Those of us who have quite a large number of posts by our names are those who spend much of our time helping others on this site. We are not here to build bigger and better trees but simply to help. My own tree is a measly 1,300 but I'm quite happy with that.


There are some excellent volunteer member researchers on these boards and a lot of us are here day in and day out - often due to personal circumstances. Those who do look ups for other members are using their own subscriptions to various sites - some global and some local. We look through the boards daily to see if there is a genealogical problem we can help with and then may spend time socialising.


Many people, who are unused to the boards, think we are paid GR employees and that we are in touch with The Team constantly. Not so. Some of us have grown used to those who work for GR appearing now and again but that's all.


I hope you understand that , when those of us who say we like the new layout and the new tree system, it may be due to our long term experience on here.


Cx.

Cynthia

I fully understand you spend a lot of time helping people. I could not see that all your notes were pro-GR and anti-GR customers. This is what this site is all about - surely. I am very good at genealogy - and very modest. There are literally hundreds on GR that have found a breakthrough thanks to something new I have seen. I have an ability to really think laterally and over the years I have unblocked loads of dead ends. It gives me great pleasure and a sense of achievement.

No, I have never been in the chat rooms in 9 years til a fortnight ago - but so what.

I really don't want patronising (matronising?) lectures about how much better you are in both genealogy and computer skills. Although I would happily take you on if you challenged my knowledge of either.

And, yes, I am a bit fed up with you moaning about my moaning. Get over it. Look at all the positive critcism to make this site more customer responsive and keep some of those who are decamping in the GR fold.

I quite like your comments in favour of this new abomination, and I respect your (clearly minority) view.