Well, they've been threatening us with it for years now and they've finally gone
and done it at Ancestry.com. They've replaced the "Old Search" with "New Search".
Now I have to decide if I am going to keep my subscription to Ancestry.com.
Let me say this upfront. I've tried "New Search" before several times when it was
presented as an alternative to "Old Search". I can best describe my opinion of the
experience by channeling my inner Gollum to say "We hates it." I hate the way it
looks, the slidebars, the filters. I hate the whole damn thing. I don't know how
else to explain it. It just doesn't flow for me, if that makes any sense, which I'm
sure it probably won't to some of my genealogy friends. I'm sorry, that's just the
way I feel about it.
You've heard of K.I.S.S.,( Keep It Simple, Stupid);
I think New Search uses a principle I'll call C.H.O.P. : Confuse the Hell Out of People.
I don't know how newbies to genealogy are going to react to New Search. I think I'd
have given up after a few days if I'd had to deal with it in my early research days.
So now I have to decide whether to keep my subscription. I might unsubscribe, and
add to it from what I find on FamilySearch.
The only thing I can say with certainty is I think Ancestry.com has made a big mistake.
UPDATE: Upon further reflection, I've cancelled my subscription to Ancestry.com.
13 comments:
You are not alone in preferring Old Search. It was there this morning but I stepped away to do laundry and then in was gone. I was just lamenting the coming loss a few days ago on my blog, http://goneresearching.blogspot.com/
I hate "new Search" and have notified ancestry of this several times. New Genealogist will never know what they are missing, but they will be missing quite a few ancestors.
It's a real hardship for people who do not have tons of time to search. Took me quite a while to find the link so that I could search just one census - there used to be a nice menu in that category! A great big F- for website design.
Ancestry has definitely increased my research time to find people. Not only that but hasn't Ancestry heard that Denver has three counties, not one!
The nice concise tables that I could easily cut and paste to Excel are more difficult to get that way now.
Why does Ancestry think that 40,000 returns are better than 8.
In my experience it was the heavy duty power users using old search. Why make it harder for the loyal old users?
The New Search is a complete load of rubbish. Have let Ancestry know and received a VERY patronising reply.
Doubt if I'll be using Ancestry as much as I did and think they will find most people will do the same.
I just called Ancestry to complain. I am not a genealogist, but a historian. In the past, I developed methods for manipulating data and information using the old search. While I know the old search is not coming back, I also have major issues with the new one. I just ran a test. I often derive statistical information from Ancestry searching, for example, how many black people or Irish people are in a given municipality or county in a specific census years. Even though the new search told me I could be exact in specifying a location (and presumably no one from anywhere else would appear in my list), I started to see people from other states in the resultant list. This will never work for me! So, if anyone wants to start an alternative website, you will have me a permanent subscriber.
I have been dreading this since the notice of the new and improved was coming! It is here and a great big Bronx cheer to it!! I have been doing genealogy for over 30 yrs now, and found the old search worked like a charm. The n&i version is stinky (mother told me not to abuse a public utility, so I am really trying to be clean here). Some times you are not sure where to look, so throw a wide loop. This can help direct you and you find things that you did not know were there. What use is the new, if I put in a specific of Arkansas, United States and get all of the UK, Australia, etc., etc., etc. Old search allowed me to enter what I knew, and start paring down the info to a more specific or wider ’general’ source. I also am on the fence of should I continue to pay for the new and improved trash, with apparently no removal included in the fee??? Also when you had looked at something under the old, the color change noted this. New has no indication that you may have checked it, and you are getting more ______ as you are looking at the same ______ more than once.
I prefer old search also. Having been a subscriber for many, many years, I most likely will cancel also. The new search may work well within a European country, but not the U.S.
Hate the new search. It is not worth the $300.00 a year that I pay for a World subscription. So after being an Ancestry for 12 years. I'm done. Better to save that money for an extra trip to Salt Lake. They certainly did not listen to to older subscribers.
The new search is a disappointment -- basically McDonalds for genealogy researchers. The disappointment is they have such great content, but now they have created a mess of the search function that it will just take too long to hone in on what you need. I just let them know today I cancelled my subscription after 10+ years. A sad day.
I've been a subscriber to Ancestry.com for twelve years. I cancelled the other day because of New Search. It is horrible!
I too will not be re-subscribing in June. I am spending too much time searching, trying to repeatedly narrow down results, or quite often not getting the result I KNOW was once out there. Before, I could get a specific result with the minimum of data input. And those 'sliders' are dreadful. It is a sad day but I really have TRIED!
Ive been researching for over 20s ..when ALL that was avaible, WAS familysearch.org and MAYBE alil roots web. MY question is..WHAT is going on..YOU cant find anything before 1800, and nothing after 1940. Information Ive had for years, have proof of, has now disappeared Everywhere..From Ancestry to Familysearch.org..to get further/more..they expect more money, DNA crap, ..Familysearch.org..gotten so they refer ya to ancestry way to much, and that “free account” of familysearch.org, ya use it once, and then ya cant get into after that..no matter what ya do.
MY opinin, is..I started this years ago..loved it..BUT..the modern way of blocking information, omiting it, ..less and less available..I dont see the point anymore..I have learned..Just get some of the historical books on the branch (es) of each family..and use that..ITS more resourceful..,cheaper..and less B.S. Need to use Ancestry. now and gain...do it at the library..where its free
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