Genealogy Chat

see below

Can someone please tell me the point of all the new-fangled gizmo’s that GenesR are insisting on puting on the tree software? I refer specifically to ‘matches’ in the various census. These are about as useful as ‘Hot Matches’ (roll’s eyes!) I have just been in to my tree, to edit some info. (Elizabeth Taylor, specifically, bn 1782, marr 1800, died 1844) Genes search facility is telling me that I have 300 matches in 1841, 300 in 1851, 300 in 1861, 300 in 1871 and 211 in 1891!!!! (Don’t know what happed in 1881) That’s quite remarkable, as the lady died in 1844!! Even if she had lived a lot longer, as she married in 1800, her name was never Taylor, in any census! What is the point of this? If they are going to have a search facility, it has to be able to pick up the change in name, when women marry, and pick up the death date, when people die! Interested to hear other’s views on this. Sorry, rant over :)) Debbie

As with almost everything else they've added, it's a stupid gimmick, with which they hope to trap unwary newbies. It's a ploy to get people to buy GR units.......... Reg

Hi Reggie, Thanks for your reply. Thought as much! (a gimmick to part with more money) It can't be that difficult to incoporate the name changes. Ancestry have managed it, when using the search facility via FTM. Debbie

They keep telling me that my mysterious James Holden matches with 4,328 entries in various censuses. I am so tempted to email them and say - yes, I know, I have already looked at every one of those entries. OC

Hi OC, Daft, isn't it? What potentially, could be a very useful tool, is just riciculously useLESS. As I said above, it has given me over 1,000 matches for a dead person, who's name wasn't even Taylor, at the time! Sheesh! Debs

Hi, I totally agree. They could also try to match people to the same place they were born. I find I have hot matches and census matches in places that my ancestors clearly never lived, e.g USA. Also why do GR keep telling me about their updated versions? It is really annoying when the window keeps popping up! Cheers, Carolyn.

What would be REALLY useful - but beyond their competence I fear - would be the ability to grade our own hot matches. For example - I have three Mary Bells in my tree. I have no interest in them whatsoever - they are second wives of married-ins and have no relationship to me. But they are in my tree as a sort of full stop, if that makes sense, to stop me wasting any more time on them. I would like to turn all my Mary Bells OFF as potential hot matches. I would also like to be able to limit Thomas Greens to those born 1831/2, anywhere in Cheshire - not interested in the millions of thomas Greens born all over the world,- who have a father called John. But I welcome any Joseph Holden born 1855, anywhere in the world, who has a mother called Ellen! If we could set parameters for our hot matches it would be wonderful. And if only 'Do not show me this match again' really meant that! Constant reloading of GEDCOM files means I get the same (useless) not matches over and over again, presented as new matches. OC

Hi - sorry, had to pop out :(( MGH S, now I understand what happened in 1881 (see above) lol Whilst on the subject of 'the tree',, when editting one's own tree, am I the only poor s*d who only see's their own info through a letter-box-type window??! I have never seen anyone else moan about this. I can see everyone else's info ok, but on my own it's the weeniest little bit of the screen! I've tried all different ways to make it bigger, but haven't managed it yet. OC - yes! Wouldn't it. They've introduced a star rating for contacts, why not a check box if you do/don't want the name included in the search for Not Matches!! I only keep the absolute direct lines on here (c350 entries) but I still get 8 pages a fortnight, mostly for Mary Smith, living anywhere in the world bn 1812! Debs

MGHS Don't worry - the gap you left (finally!) in my contacts is being filled by other 'boomerangers' lol. OC

I got an e-mail this morning from Genes asking 'Is this your relative in the 1901 census'. It was some obscure chap from my husband's side of the family (I had already found it), but no-one of importance. I have had one of these before. How do they pick them?? I have a large tree, so they could pick hundreds of them. Why him? As everyone says, a useless gimmick. A lot of us have already trawled the censuses for relatives, and just one of hundreds isn't a big deal!

Hi I am quite new to this, and building my tree, has a lot of dead ends, but keep on geting 'HOT MATCHES' and emails is this your family, if it was my tree would be so big I would need a chain saw to take some of the branches off. The census thing that keeps on come up is unreal my mother died but according to them she is living in the USA. how good is that. Phyllis.

If you don't want to receive any 'Hot Matches' go to MY ACCOUNT DETAILS (top left) and under e-mail preferences it says 'Do you want to be notified by hot match or new name e-mail.....' just untick the box. I would rather search for my own contacts.

What I think would be good is if they just did a version of Hot Matches for your direct ancestors. Half the time, I'll find, say, great-great uncle John, and get really excited, only to find out that the tree owner is only distantly related to him by marriage and isn't concentrating on that surname at all. If they just did your direct ancestors maybe that would be a more effective way of finding people. After all, we have a facility to search for additional branches and twigs ourselves.

Hi Pam, The problem is, is there is no middle ground, is there? All or nothing. I have often thought of cancelling my 'Not Matches', as I am fed up of getting 8 pages of totally unrelated Mary Smith/Jones'. BUT just every now and then, a good match comes up, so I persevere. I know it's been said, dozens of times before, but they really need to be able to match the places of birth, for this to work well. Elizabeth - I'm getting these census messages too. Got really excited, when I got the first one. Thought they were going to let me in on some big 'find' to do with a rellie. How disappointed was I?? Debs

Hi Maureen, The actual drop down box, is 'off screen' to me as well, but you should be able to scroll the page across, with the blue bar at the bottom of the page, so you can access it. Debs

Added by Deborah Scott 625305 on 18/05/2007 13:19:33 Whilst on the subject of 'the tree',, when editting one's own tree, am I the only poor s*d who only see's their own info through a letter-box-type window??! I have never seen anyone else moan about this. I can see everyone else's info ok, but on my own it's the weeniest little bit of the screen! I've tried all different ways to make it bigger, but haven't managed it yet. It is slightly easier if you go to 'full screen'. Press F11 on your keyboard.

Hi Jim, Just tried that - works lovely here (at work). Thank you!! Will try home pc when I get there - presume that will work the same way. Debs ( who only knows what F5 is for)

Hi George, No, but Jim does! :)) (know what he's talking about.) Go on - try it F11- you know you want to! Debs

Debs I put that complaint on before about my screen.Asked if anyone elses was like that.Its all of an inch at the bottom of the page so I see my info a line at a time when I try to add.Got fed up and decided as I cant access it then I wont be using it.So I am basically only on GR because of the message boards which I love.. Wanda.x