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2. Sometimes drilling down to what you want is difficult, even when looking for a record you know is there just to refer to it.
3. Sometimes the record I want is on page 3 or 4 of a 50 records per page search after sifting through dozens of other records first. So if I'm looking for James Smith, example, I have to look through every Tom, Dick or Harry Smith too. Yet exact searchs are too limiting.
I am very grateful for the vast amount of information I have found on Ancestry.com, and for the helpful contacts I have had as a result of it.
The two shortcomings that repeatedly bug me are:
1. The rather large number of badly transcribed census document entries...some of the errors are so painfully obvious that it is unbelievable. It seems sometimes that a transcriber took no time to look and see if the goofy scramble of letters he has put down could actually be some other more reasonable name.
2. The seeming lack of control over the correction of errors in documents. They allow users to suggest alternative spellings, etc., and usually these seem good to reasonable. But some are done by mindless idiots and they need to have their hands slapped. I am researching the name Moon, and yes Moon does sometimes end up Moore, but not that frequently. However, some diphead has "corrected" kerzillion Moon records with Moore, clearly having read once that the confusion sometimes exists. I have come across so many Moon records, which are clearly written and which have clear preceding records under the name Moon, and yet there is Moore as an alternative name.
Nevertheless, I am quite happy with it overall and without it I would have gotten not nearly as far as I have.
I have had a paid membership for about 4 years now. I used to go every day all the time, then I get bored and don't come back for several months. I have found all the new versions of the tree frustrating. However, I am sure that is just me . When I come back after a month or so, I can never find the old buttons.
I also find searches need to be improved. If I enter John Smith and a birth year, I want to see ALL the people that meet that criteria FIRST.
Does anyone know where the search for the famous people you are related to is listed? It used to be right there on the front page!
I recently cancelled my subscription because it was too expensive for the amount of information I was able to retrieve.
I found it frustrating to put in a John Doe, born 1932, Boise, Idaho and get returns of numerous dates and states rather than narrowing the returns to my original search. Also when searching for John Doe, it would return all John's without regard to the Doe.
I was going to volunteer to do transcribing but after listening to the training video I just became confused.
Ancestry.com is a great resource but the words "room for improvement" come to mind.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevxu
...2. The seeming lack of control over the correction of errors in documents. They allow users to suggest alternative spellings, etc., and usually these seem good to reasonable. But some are done by mindless idiots and they need to have their hands slapped...
I've noticed corrections and just the way they are presented makes it difficult to scan for the names you're looking for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stacylee926
...I also find searches need to be improved. If I enter John Smith and a birth year, I want to see ALL the people that meet that criteria FIRST.
Does anyone know where the search for the famous people you are related to is listed? It used to be right there on the front page!
Yes, that's one thing that needs improving. I wish they wouldn't mix in a bunch of unrelated names. Seems like they need to program the filters better.
Famous page? Never knew they had one, though I've looked up famous people for the fun of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellwood
...I found it frustrating to put in a John Doe, born 1932, Boise, Idaho and get returns of numerous dates and states rather than narrowing the returns to my original search. Also when searching for John Doe, it would return all John's without regard to the Doe.
That's what irritates me. Looking for an ancestor named Oliver recently and it was pulling up names that had an O for a middle initial!
With different last names!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellwood
I was going to volunteer to do transcribing but after listening to the training video I just became confused.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevxu
1. The rather large number of badly transcribed census document entries...some of the errors are so painfully obvious that it is unbelievable. It seems sometimes that a transcriber took no time to look and see if the goofy scramble of letters he has put down could actually be some other more reasonable name.
They have volunteers doing it? No wonder.
Someone told me some of these things had been outsourced overseas where they no sprechen the lingo.
I have had a paid membership for about 4 years now. I used to go every day all the time, then I get bored and don't come back for several months. I have found all the new versions of the tree frustrating. However, I am sure that is just me . When I come back after a month or so, I can never find the old buttons.
I also find searches need to be improved. If I enter John Smith and a birth year, I want to see ALL the people that meet that criteria FIRST.
Does anyone know where the search for the famous people you are related to is listed? It used to be right there on the front page!
Why don't you cancel during the periods of time when you are not using it?
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. When I come back after a month or so, I can never find the old buttons.
