Suggestions

How do you know the majority of members agree with you?

Looking at the traffic stats very few members use any of the boards anytime let alone "Suggestions". By and large people without a beef neither complain nor say they are happy, life's like that.

Why don't you read posts instead of saying the same thing again and again and again ?

Gru will run perfectly well on old computers - certainly anything made in the past 10 years. The tree itself does not display very well using ie8 but is fine on any of the modern browsers which can be installed on XP for free. All of these will run on an old P4 or old Athlon with 512MB RAM.

BUG: It is true that the current tree makes unrealistic assumptions about available vertical resolution even on new laptops and Gru should sort this out.

However boiled down to essentials you are saying that Gru should devote its resources to supporting an old and obsolete browser ( IE8 ) which even Microsoft doesn't support except for security patches. Similarly XP is only supported for security updates by MS.

It does matter which browser you use. Older browsers have all manner of deficiencies and curious non standard behavior. Supporting them all with all kinds of clever work arounds can be a very big and expensive job. This is not a problem for Amazon, the BBC, eBay et al but can be very daunting for smaller sites. Moreover html5 allows smaller sites to offer modern features without excessive cost. That is why Gru has moved on and why restoring the old tree is not an option.

I suggest that you stop being boring and instead post a suggestion not the same complaint ad nauseum. What you are asking for is not going to happen.

Can you think of any constructive suggestions?

How many people today are running Netscape on Windows95 with a dial up modem? A few geeks who like to play with legacy computers. Times move on, even XP and IE8 are dogs which have had their day.

I am sorry but Genes should look after they paying members base on what ever system they use.

So the old tree worked perfectly well on all computers so should any new one.

And I am sick to death on hereof those with a better computer to me and many others saying we should do this that and other to see all our tree, not use compatible view etc etc to see my complete tree, which I have been able to see perfectly well before.

So it is not uss that have BALLS the site up but the IT bods who work for Genes.

They should listen to us the paying members and say sorry to us for the mess they have made of a perfectly good site it one was.

If they had the guts to do just that they might be able to salvage something, because the marjority of members cannot be wrong can we.

It seems it is only a certain few who are coping with the new tree etc.

Why would it be an improvement to revert back to the old tree ?

Genes are trying to offer a more advanced product - after a few months of hiccups the new site is a real improvement in many ways. I do wish they would offer a choice of color schemes or skins tho. (*)

The web is moving to a new standard, html5 and ongoing development will be based on this so restoring the old tree really is not an option. HTML5 has lots of upside - faster, less dependency on plugins, better security, better features for developers.

Unfortunately smaller sites eg GenesRU simply cannot afford the significant resources to ensure backwards compat. with IE 6,7,8. Gru runs just find with Opera, Firefox 15, Chrome, Safari etc. Installing any of these is free. No compat. mode required either way. If you want to Firefox even has an IE theme so you can have a modern working browser looking like IE on XP ;-)

Even the latest release version of IE, IE9, has poor html5 support, as Microsoft prefer developers to use Silverlight rather than standards.

You can expect more and more sites to adopt html5 as their standard and new Flash development to fall away. Adobe have now positioned Flash solely for streaming video going forward. In any case Gru no longer uses Flash SFAIK.

If you don't like change then you ain't seen nuttin' yet as Microsoft wheels out its latest and greatest (?) OS late October. Get yr copy of Win7 now... Win8 though has some great things going for it (a) very cheap (at least to start with, inc ug from XP ...), does not need mega resources in terms of RAM, support for expensive super graphics cards or even much in the way of a CPU. Yeah it will run on an old P4 with 'orrible Intel built in graphics and 1 GB ram. IE10 though which is *NOT* very much like IE8. Good with Gru :-)

Right now u can download WIn8 from Microsoft and run it for free, no restrictions.

(*) It is pretty easy to set up the look and feel of most sites to yr own preferences using CSS tools. Browser preferences also allow you to establish an overriding color/font scheme for yr browser which will override nearly all sites in just a few clicks.

GenesRU do not want people to post-how-to-do-this so I won't, but most people have a computer literate friend or rellie who would relish an hour or two's tweaking. I must confess that my Gru schema - basically yellow/cyan font on dark gray - is easier on the eye. It is even possible to have a flock wallpaper of choice tho' having looked at the result I decided not.

Perhaps this fiasco has been to increase site traffic and increase hits and advertising revenue.

A lot of the traffic has been complaints and/or bewilderment from customers not happy to use this exciting new tree.

Anyway, team are looking at our suggestions this week and we will learn some of the truth soon hopefully.

Most of us have been very committed to Genes for many years and want the company to develop and prosper. What similar product is available? Nothing really that meets the needs of both chatters and tree huggers.

Rollo, you say "Site traffic statistics (Alexa) do not support the contention that everybody has gone away following the makeover, rather the opposite."

That may well be true - but I've spent more time here on the Boards than ever before and less time on my tree than ever during the previous 7 years.

I don't want to be here on the Boards - I just want to have a nice, simple to use, good looking, functional tree to sit down with and add to every evening...

Thanks for your email

I'm sorry you're having problems viewing the whole of your dashboard

If you can only see some of the names on your shared tree list/dashboard it's likely you've got your compatibility view switched on on your browser.

If you go to 'tools' and then please ensure that compatibility view and compatibility view settings are both unticked, you should then be able to search your tree again. For Internet Explorer 8 when you open your internet browser on an internet page you will see at the top of the page, File, Edit, View, Favourites and Tools - please click on 'Tools' and you will then see compatibility view.

If you turn this compatibility view off you'll find that you can view the whole of your dashboard.

The old tree has been removed from the site now so it's not possible to access this any more.

A few weeks ago we removed the old tree from the site as we felt the new tree was ready to completely replace the old tree. It was always the teams' intention to retire the old tree eventually and after a long period of ironing out a few glitches, Genes decided to remove the old tree permanently.

If there are any aspects of using the new tree you'd like any help with, or any problems you've spotted, please do let us know and we'll try and get the issues resolved for you.

For any queries you might have regarding how to operate the new tree, we've answered some FAQ's which you can find here.

So Genes were niot interested about our feed back they were going to do what they wanted to do reguardless.

And to tell me to switch of Compatible view, I never have it a=switched on so this is not the problem, it is Genes as the old site which they have switched off worked perfactly well, so what have they altered and made the site worse for the marjority of us.

So as soon as my subs is due it will be goodbye genes.

So many have agreed with you Roger over last few weeks. The only exciting way forward for Genes in my view is to immediately revert to old tree. The retrograde and negative way forward is to continue to try to make a silk purse out of a sow's crackling.

And, no. We don't want to be told to adjust this and that and buy this or that. And we don't want to be told it is impossible to revert to old tree, because that is wrong. The old tree was fit for purpose, some say it wasn't. But it was!!!

Keep going Roger. Nil carborundum.

Well in my opinion it was NOT an inadequate tree it was must better to use than what we have been given now.

And yes I might have started this thread but it is on the suggestion thread which I thought it what my question and answers are all about.

Genes in my opinion need to buck up they ideas ..

No Roger, it was you who started this thread. The threads genes put on are for suggestions to improve the new look not to revert back to an inadequate tree.

Y^es all are complaining about the green wallpaper but Genes could have got rid of it easy and put a white background, but the only thing I am really complaining about is the new tree and the way I can see the list of contacts I have.

I could use the old tree simply and look at other peoples trees the same.

So please stop trying to tell me what to do to see and use the new tree and remember the old set up was not broken, but just needed updating by colour of background etc.

And it was Genes who put this thread on as a suggesting thread so they themselves should look at it with out e-mails telling them what we want.

As they are getting the feed back by this thread.

And reading the suggesting threads people over and above want the old tree back,.

Sorry but this is true.

Oh, nostalgia for green wallpaper. I hated it, now I miss it terribly.

Decorators are coming next week to paper the living room in - yes, you've guessed it :-D :-D

All welcome to come to my house for a nostalgic evening and a glass of Pis y Deryn (or is it Can y Deryn?)

Have just read through all the threads on here - are you all talking a foreign language :-S

Wish I knew even a quarter of what you all seem to understand

I have no problems with the site - tree on Ancestry (hehe) ;-)

Site traffic statistics (Alexa) do not support the contention that everybody has gone away following the makeover, rather the opposite.

IE9 is just another dogs breakfast but a slightly smaller dog than before ...

try here:

http://html5test.com/

The web works with standards. How did your browser do?

Microsoft have an abysmal history of not working with industry standards.

Right from the get go they decided that folders would separated with the backlash \main\folder1\folder2 rather than forward slash ... etc etc. They screwed up with C, C++, SQL, TCP/IP ... the list is endless. Always trying to "embrace and extend".

When the web appeared they first sulked and then brought out (very) non standard versions which tried to force such delights as DCOM and basic scripting onto an unwilling world. They did though succeed in creating massive security problems which persists to this day.

Now M$ are on the back foot and trying to foist yet more not-really-standard browsers on the world.

If people insist on using Internet Explorer then they really should not complain. Ever. There are much better options which cost nothing. Why the heck should Gru resources be taken up working around the half baked IE (any version) when there are other better options? "I like IE I don't like change" does not really cut it.

In any case regarding Gru such problems should be addressed to Gru Support directly. Is the suggestion "I suggest that GRu should fully support IE ?" Good luck with that then, I think they've done as much as ever will be.

Those who are technically phobic should do themselves a favour and use Apple. If the price seems steep remember it "just works" (mostly). Otherwise there are some good end of line / eBay / Amazon deals.

Microsoft are supposed to offer a browser selection on the home screen for Win7 but from SP1 "forgot". As a result they are facing a multi million dollar fine and possible late release in Europe of Win8. All the same *THINK* why is there a choice of browsers?

jiminy cricket


ps: Gru have a built in spell checker with the editor used by their message boards albeit using US English. Just a thought.

IE9 should be OK. One possible cause of your problem could be that you have Compatibility View ticked.

At the top of the page is an icon like a torn piece of paper. That should be grey for accessing most web sites. If it is blue then click on it and it should turn grey. Then see if that resolves some of your problems.

Without wishing to belittle your disability, have you considered using a Reading Programme rather than relying totally on your eyesight? It may enhance your usage of other internet pages.

Margaretfinch uses one, and seems to get on very well - the only query she has had on the new layout is that she couldn't find where the access to other trees had gone.

You could send her a PM if you thought it worthwhile. She originated this thread.

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/general_chat/thread/1302825

To contact GR you need to use one of the following

The feedback button from the tree page - its the square 'speech bubble' icon
The support team from the link in http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/help/contactus
[email protected]
[email protected]

You'll probably only get a generic reply back unless there is a specific technical problem

GR, although they apparently read the boards frequently, may not spot and answer queries on an individual's thread. If, stressing the if, the old tree were to be reintroduced there would be a general announcement, not an individual reply.

As Ken has pointed out, GR employees have a golden star incorporated within their board name. An example (from the generic 'Genes' ) is here.
http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/suggestions/thread/1308918
Estelle, an employee, is known to post. Her name is followed by the star.

The strength of GR is in its members and the community boards. Many times people such as Pokie Pie, Ken, RollotheRed and Inspectorgreenpen (amongst others) can advise on IT questions without the questioner having to wait for GR to come back with an understandable response several days later....if they ever do.

Well reslly it should not matter what Browser version I am using as it worked perfectly well with the old version of Genes, it is them who have messed up big time, not me or my browser.

But since you asked IE / 9.
which you lot say is ok.

I am not going to change to any other just because someone else says this that or other is better.

This is what I like and have had set up for me by an expert for my situation.

As I said I was quite happy with the old set up so please respect my and other wishes that the old version was much better to use.

Also Genes has put this Thread on saying Suggestions and if they don't look at it they are taking as for mugs as well.

They should do as they pearch not do as I say.

Roger this is the wrong place to ask Genes questions, you need to do that directly via email or Help-Contact Us. They do occasionally read these threads but very intermittently. A direct contact will get you an answer within three days and usually within 24 hours.

The people on the boards do not work for Genes unless there is a yellow star by their name.

The fact that you have a new laptop doesn't necessarily mean it has the latest browser. What browser and version are you using?

There are masses of people who would like to put their trees on line and discuss their mutual ancestors. Many are discouraged because they are not happy with computers, not sure how they work, or are physically or mentally disabled in some way.

What a business opportunity for someone now Genes appear to gone upwardly mobile with an exciting new layout and wondrous new design. Old people are often very keen on family history, and have more spending power these days. And the old layout would be a good base to start from - but make it nicer and simpler for us.

Well I asked for Genes to reply, I have the most upto date system as it is a new lap top.

So I want the old tree and I don't see why Genes cannot run both - they did before saying well we are dumping the old one.

Do everyone who has replied stell me and other what to do WORK fir Genes.

Yes or No, if no I asked for Genes to answe my question.

And all who want a more user friendlt Tree which the old one was cannot be wrong can we.

I could see everyone whose trees I can see on one page, not like now which I have to put down to 75%, I don't want 75% as I am going blind I want 100%, so come on Genes the new tree and set up is discriminating against the Disabled.