Suggestions

Sylvia

Only Genes wil know the real statistics - and probably views have changed either was since new layout was launched - particularly since it was impossible to access old tree. Which coincided with the date I started posting my opposition these changes.

It has caused a huge wave of opinion. I have counted about 400 opinions - and less than 20 are firmly in favour. Others are struggling and seeking help.

Your comment about views of your friends is very useful to the debate. But I believe you are clearly implying with your stats that the pro-new tree percentage could be as high as 80%. I would simply suggest that statistical probablility would suggest pro's and anti's who have been silent are in roughly the same proportion as us noisy ones.

I am sure some of us newbies on these threads wish we hadn't contributed. An honest opinion may not be yours, but it is not necessarily wrong. The old tree did not seem to need fixing, and Genes are hardly likely to develop the site and bring in substantial new revenues from a predominantly "grey" and "greying" market if people are trying to turn Auto Renew off on their subs renewal (see most recent threads). And there is a lot of spare cash in the grey and greying market. Genes have an open goal and are about to sky the ball over the bar.

John


Please note that I did not say that 80% of all GR members are satisfied with the tree

I would not do so as I have no idea of a) the number of active GR members, or b) the number of them satisfed or not satisfied.



I did say .....................

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I can say that I have about 20 "close" contacts, ie people I chat to every day, on these boards.

Of those 20 ................


3 or 4 no longer do anything with their tree (plus me)

2 or 3 are unhappy with the new tree

The remaining 13 or 14 are perfectly happy with the tree, and prefer it to the old tree.


Work out the percentages of that little lot!


I make it at least 70-75% satisfaction ..... or even around 85% satisfaction if you discount the ones who no longer use their tree.

--------------


in other words ......... of my close contacts possibly around 80% (average of the numbers I gave) were satisfied.

I made no attempt to extend that to the full membership



I would like you to please correct any and all postings that you have paid with the wrong information attributed to me ...........


......... I know of one other thread that you posted on, but have no intention of searching for everywhere that you have posted erroneously.




sylvia

Catherine, Thanks for the reply, hope everything works for you now

Roy

Thanks for that Roy.

To find someone in my tree (this 'new' one) I had been going through the box in the 'Immediate Family' window [Search Tree]. I entered the name of the person I wanted to find and either a window would appear listing the people found with that name or a message informing me that such a person was not there. Unfortunately when I clicked on the person I was interested in there was a brief and almost silent (!) click and the window disappeared leaving the immediate family screen as was.

I had mailed the Tech team asking about a similar problem I was experiencing when clicking on the purple button to find Tree & Record matches.

Alex replied saying “When you click on your tree matches, they open up on the Genes Reunited webpage and not on the tree page, I have just tested this by logging into your registration, opening your tree and clicking on tree matches and this service is working correctly.
Please make sure you then check the new Genes Reunited webpage and not the page where you see your tree. You must also make sure you are allowing pop ups on your browser otherwise the new page will not be able to open.”

Unfortunately I think that must have been a 1-day wonder as it has never worked for me again!
For the moment I shall stick to your method Roy :-D

Hi

I have been on GRU for about 3 years and found the old tree easy to use but when the new style tree came along, I did get very confused about the 'add' and 'save' buttons and would put the same person on twice. It has taken me some time but I have just about got the hang of it but it is more cumbersome to use.
The search functions are a great improvement when you can get similar spellings bought up instead of having to put all the different permutations in one at a time.

The reduction in numbers could be that with the economic times, this is where they can save money, could be that the initial 'craze' to trace your family has worn off.

It would be interesting to know if Ancestry and the like have lost people, have not seen much advertising (apart from show sponsoring) for any of the sites over the past 6 months

Chrissey

Joan, on search trees you don't have to enter a Birthdate.

and to find a relative in your tree or a tree you have access to

The function is still their,

click on the tree you want to search and then click on list, then at the top of the list on the left of the screen their is "Search relations" function, as you type a name in it brings that name to the top, Then click on the name and then click on what ever view you would like to view that relation eg, Immediate family, Full, Ancestors or Descendants plus if you just want to see the details panel for that person then click on the name in the list, then the details panel icon to view their details

Roy

Sylvia

Genes will have the facts. I came on a couple of weeks ago because I had been a fairly happy bunny for 9 years, was no longer happy and thought it might be my fault.

Clearly, very very many members felt and feel the same way as me and only a very limited few seem to be getting to grips (or even want to get to grips) with this new layout.

It has been widely rejected and condemned. The statistics are not mine, but a couple of others who have bothered to do a count.

This site would no longer attract me to join - even with a free 14 day introductory offer. And I can see little point currently in upgrading as so few of their records seem to be very exciting. Even one unique and very searchable database would bring in lots of subscribers.

And I think it is despicable that Genes have not yet put out an announcement that recognises there is any unrest. Or written to us via email. Or are you right - 80% are happy bunnies and they have no need to do anything.
:-S

I first joined GR in 2004, and I was very happy with the way I could put in a name. I then received a list of my ancestors with that name plus their different birthdates.

Then things changed and I had to enter the name plus the birthdate,which I obviously didn't know, which meant a lot more time wasting going back and forward to my tree.

Now the tree has been changed so much that I can't work it out, so I go back to the old tree.
I am trying to trace decendents of Benjamin Waddington b1849 in Wellingborough,and his wife Annie Wheatley.

John


you really do not know that 97% of the members think the same


GR says it has over 11 million members

I doubt that they are all active ..........

........a more realistic figure is probably 100,000 still active members


HOWEVER .......... 100, 000 members do not post on these Boards

Not even 1,000 members post


Maybe not even 500!


so, whatever the % of those who do post on the Boards who do not like the new tree vs those that do


it most certainly is NOT 90-97% of active members!




and remember ........... you yourself did not appear on the Boards during any previous changes on this site.

It was only because these tree changes upset you that you began posting.


Many people who post on the Boards ARE happy with the new tree ................... and presumably there are also happy members who, like you, are interested only in trees and records ....... and who have not posted.


Statistics can be twisted to mean anything that any one wants them to mean.


Remember back in the 70s when the first statistics were being used to say how bad smoking was?


I knew a statistician who said that he could take the very same numbers that proved how bad cigarettes were ..................... and prove that smoking was very good for you!





so please don't throw around numbers and percentages willy nilly ........... especially ones that are wrong, and are really just guesswork on your part!




............. from my own knowledge, I can say that I have about 20 "close" contacts, ie people I chat to every day, on these boards.

Of those 20 ................


3 or 4 no longer do anything with their tree (plus me)

2 or 3 are unhappy with the new tree

The remaining 13 or 14 are perfectly happy with the tree, and prefer it to the old tree.


Work out the percentages of that little lot!


I make it at least 70-75% satisfaction ..... or even around 85% satisfaction if you discount the ones who no longer use their tree.

It is a proud label, PigletsPal. I am revolting in many areas of life. Good job so many of us are revolting customers. The owners of the pig pen might actually sort this mess out and give us some fresh swill ;-)

John - I object to being called a 'revolting customer' ;-)

Until very recently Gru used to put some stats such as number of records added to trees, number of posts to boards, on the home page. They have now dropped this. It is more than obvious that postings to the boards have fallen right away.

Just may be possible that the members are revolting tonight Carruthers.

rip Korky the Kat, Desperate Dan slain by D C Thompson, owners of Gru & BS

Jax

Lots of voters abstained/could not be bothered to vote in last General Election. Do you think they all would have wanted to vote Liberal Democrat and Mr Clegg would then have been swept into power because he had the most modern layout and was irrelevant and useless to most of the electorate? Evidence is overwhelming on these boards. I make it 93% but someone else has said 90% and one thinks 97%.

And those who like new layout are the same few all the time. I can give you their 12 names if you want. But I cannot remember all the 400+ who are not happy to lose their old tree and the 100+ who are really angry about it.

I agree questions asked or opionions given can be skewed and the sample is still quite small. But why doesn't Genes ask all members in an open way what they like about new tree layout and what they dislike. And which format they would find more useful going forward.

John

You dont know that 97% of members think the same...........a few people replied to your thread a lot of those were new posters to the boards. Strange thing is happy people dont come on here to post for the first time saying how great the tree is....only when they want to complain

The tree is FREE its only the other services you pay for......also free members cannot post on the boards

Don't worry, Lorraine. You are definitely in the mainstream. 97% agree with you. Some are well into this new layout and seem to be enjoying all the "new" features. Vast majority are very disappointed and a huge number are quite angry to have had this foisted on us.

Why they didn't ask the membership before making this change, I have no idea. I have never been asked my opinion in over 9 years of basic membership. But eventually Genes will have to accept that they have a lot of revolting customers - increasing by the day.

Roy, I have just checked that my email address on GR is up to date.

Thank you all for your replies.

regards

lorraine

Lorraine, make sure that your email address on GR is up to date because that's where they should at least acknowledge receipt of your email to them,

also make sure you use the feedback facility in your tree or the contact us found under the help tab at the top of this page to send the feedback or complaint that way you should always get a reply

Posting on the community boards will generaly NOT get any reply from GR

In fact you would be very lucky if they ever saw your thread/complaint at all

Roy

I have contacted genes direct. I have contacted them in the passed about problems and have never had a reply ever. That whats so frustration .

Contact Genes direct you may not get an answer till monday now though

By the way we are not staff members

That's good to know. Some sensible people have missed the Save button, usually because of their browser.