Suggestions

No matter how thoroughly a program is tested before going live, it is just not possible to see what bugs and glitches there may be when it actually goes live.

GR didn't just buy a treemaking program and plug it in, they wrote and adapted the program for the purposes of the site, and as I've already said, no matter how many times it is tested in 'test' mode, until it actually goes live, with the millions of trees on here, it's impossible to tell how well it will work.

So as everyone else has said, give them time, it's not an overnight job, it takes time to find the glitches, find the causes of the glitches, re-write the program, test it, send it live again and see if the glitch has been corrected. It may take a few attempts yet. It's not just this site, it's any site that has new programming to be rolled out.

Thank you for that Rollo, would you also like to comment re the PM you sent me, and my response, to which you have not yet replied?

Rollo,

Perhaps with your extensive knowledge of technical matters, you should offer your services to GR, I am sure they would be only to pleased to have you on board :)

Much too technical for me Rollo but at least I haven't had many problems with the new format. :-D



Knowing it was a new format, I took my time looking around and exploring things. I expected there would be some glitches which would be ironed out in time.


Also, I found that I was making some errors of my own so I do wonder how many of the faults people are encountering are 'user error'?



I think some members went into 'panic' mode as soon as they realised things had changed :-S





Rose....a thought came to mind. Have you noticed how many of the complaints have come from members with less than 50 postings? I suppose we could say that this problem has brought more members to the Boards.......lol



Cx :-D

I had noticed Cynthia :-)

It's my supposition that they are perhaps either those who use the site less to chat, seek help or help others and thus spend more time on their tree, or those who are relatively new to using a computer and find coping with the technicalities hard enough without venturing on the boards as well?

For both groups change must be quite annoying and/or intimidating.

I've used a pc for about 6 years and don't think I'm terribly proficient yet, but if I need to know how to do something 'different' I keep bashing away at it until I've either cracked it for myself (or given up, but I don't do that easily lol) .

RamblingRose:

I doubt they could afford Rollo's salary :-D :-D :-D :-D

It would be very interesting to see if Phil responds on this.

I am sure we could all benefit from learning more about Genes strategy for new software and testing. :-P ;-) ;-)

Jeremy

Jeremy, I am afraid the technical stuff goes over my head rather, though I know more than I used to, you can't not with a teenage son :-D

btw I love the bear avatar!

must admit that was way over my head to

Yes, as Rollo says, there is the perfect world but then there is the real one.

At the end of the day it comes down to how much money you want to spend and what the risk of failure is. For example, by way of illustration, the cost of programing, testing and implementation per line of computer code is of the following order:-

£100, 000 - Space Shuttle

£10,000 - Military Jet

£1,000 - Commercial Jet

£100 - Banking Site

£10 - Leisure Site i.e. GR

You get the idea....!

now that i understand ok thanks

We've had this conversation before PP. I know you declutter your threads and show a low number - you are much tidier than me. :-D



However, as I am on here daily, I am quite conversant with the names of the members who regularly post on here and would probably recognise them if they showed they had only posted twice - unless they have changed their board name of course.



Occasionally I have recognised members who have changed their name simply by the style of their responses.



However, I am pretty sure that the members who have been complaining are not regulars on the boards.





Cx

RamblingRose
Glad you like the avatar. I suspect that many people will remember the advertisments for a certain breakfast cereal in the 1960s featuring Jeremy the Bear!! :-D :-D

In terms of the new tree software, then yes, I think that there was a natural shock / horror reaction. Nobody likes change.

I think it was a sensible and brave move to roll back the software to temporarily re-instate the old tree.
It gives us all a breathing space whilst Phil and the Tree Development Team work through the issues highlighted from the considerable feedback that we have given over the last few days.

Most of my feedback has related to bugs but there are a couple of things that I do not like much. They are
One cannot see at a glance whether the matches shown relate to tree or records. You have to click on the entry to get the supplementary menu.
All photographs set as profile are now well hidden in Details, Gallery.

If however, Genes can get a "stable platform" with far fewer bugs than we have experienced that we can truly work with, then I will be happy for the time.being.

I think there are plenty of opportunities for enhancements and improvements later such as:
Picture profile on a name when curser hovered over
Resolution of Intermarriages
Print Options

to name but a few.

I am sure we will all get used to it given time.. :-)

Phil

As you have been able to revert to the 'old' tree for the weekend, why not do what another well-known and well-used site does?

That is..........give us the choice....................to use new or old version.

The new tree may suit some, but equally, many prefer the old one, and not because they are resistant to change, as some may suggest, but simply because the layout and navigation are to their liking

I see that Phil has updated his Post on Announcements as follows:

"UPDATE: Monday 23 Jan 2011 12:30PM UK TIME - We are continuing to work on the tree issues. And hope to respond more fully later this afternoon"

I would not be unhappy if perhaps his team took a day or two longer to sort out all the issues raised ;-) ;-)

you might have got your wish, Jeremy!
:-D :-D

It is hard to know where and when to reply, but is worse still to not reply at all. I have just updated the Announcement regarding tree issues. We're trying our best to keep everyone happy, but move development on. Sometimes things just don't work out.

I am once again genuinely sorry for any grief this has caused, and we will continue to try and fix this as quickly as we can.

Thankyou Phil :-D

Thank you Phil

As the new Tree Software is independant from the main Genes Software. do I take it that as you fix problems, they will be released?

It might be helpful if you could let us know what you belirve to have been fixed so that the members have a chance to test the changes for you ;-) ;-) ;-)

Alternatively, should we just wait to hear from you?

Thanks,

Jeremy

I will try and post updates throughout this week as and when the situation changes to keep you all posted. Sorry, I wish I could be more specific than that.

Thank you, Phil