On 2/3/2011 9:59 AM, Ian Goddard wrote: > knuttle wrote: >> On 2/3/2011 1:41 AM, Steve Hayes wrote: >>> New FamilySearch: what you gain on the swings you lose on the >>> roundabouts. >>> >>> I like new and improved versions of software and search engines, but >>> with this >>> one for every gain there is a corresponding loss -- is it worth it? >>> >>> Review here: >>> >>> http://su.pr/ADGVVj >>> >>> >> What is the URL for the new site. >> >> I have been using >> >> http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html# >> >> and been quite happy with the ease of use and results obtained. > > The new site is on the old address, www.familysearch.org. The old site > is now http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp > > The new site, based on the pilot you've been using doesn't use Flash > which is a point in its favour. The downside is that it's full of quite > pointless large graphics which, if it hasn't been tested on your > particular browser, may overlap the actual search form rendering it > quite useless until you change your browser. > > The advantage of the new site, like the pilot, is that it's a bit freer > in search construction. For instance on the old site you couldn't just > put in parents' names unless you also had the batch number. > > That, I think is the only advantage. The disadvantages? Where do I start? > > I've already mentioned one: the preference for style over (dys)function > in page design. > > There isn't and, according to the info I've been sent, won't be a > provision for downloads. What's worse, presumably to prepare us for the > withdrawal of the original site, they've broken the original download so > that if you attempt prepare more than a very few records for download > the site throws an error. > > The original site presents up to 200 hits per page. The new site has > very few (can't let the information get in the way of those graphics) so > you're for ever hitting next, next, next to review the results. > > AFAICS there's no good way to drill down to the record sources. What you > get is mysterious looking references such as "England-EASy". > > However, we can't complain we weren't warned - the new site is billed as > a "New Experience" or some such. The E-word is almost invariably an > indication that that the marketing people have got involved and chucked > things like functionality out of the window. > > IMV it's designed to attract casual passers-by and the requirements of > serious researchers simply no longer matter. > Assuming that all of the Familysearch sites work the same around the world. www.familysearch.org Gives you a listing of documents with the search string. To access the referenced document click and the document opens. http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html# Gives a much more usable pretension as it is divided such that you can look at those documents where there reference occurs. Each entry is given a as a summary of the entry. Click on the the name on the left, gives you the transcribed entry. Click on the document icon or on the right margin and you get the document image. It is quite easy to navigate between the document image, transcription, and the search results. PS I see I am going to have to do some harvesting as there are a lot of new records on the site.

knuttle wrote: > On 2/3/2011 9:59 AM, Ian Goddard wrote: >> knuttle wrote: >>> On 2/3/2011 1:41 AM, Steve Hayes wrote: >>>> New FamilySearch: what you gain on the swings you lose on the >>>> roundabouts. >>>> >>>> I like new and improved versions of software and search engines, but >>>> with this >>>> one for every gain there is a corresponding loss -- is it worth it? >>>> >>>> Review here: >>>> >>>> http://su.pr/ADGVVj >>>> >>>> >>> What is the URL for the new site. >>> >>> I have been using >>> >>> http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html# >>> >>> and been quite happy with the ease of use and results obtained. >> >> The new site is on the old address, www.familysearch.org. The old site >> is now http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp >> >> The new site, based on the pilot you've been using doesn't use Flash >> which is a point in its favour. The downside is that it's full of quite >> pointless large graphics which, if it hasn't been tested on your >> particular browser, may overlap the actual search form rendering it >> quite useless until you change your browser. >> >> The advantage of the new site, like the pilot, is that it's a bit freer >> in search construction. For instance on the old site you couldn't just >> put in parents' names unless you also had the batch number. >> >> That, I think is the only advantage. The disadvantages? Where do I start? >> >> I've already mentioned one: the preference for style over (dys)function >> in page design. >> >> There isn't and, according to the info I've been sent, won't be a >> provision for downloads. What's worse, presumably to prepare us for the >> withdrawal of the original site, they've broken the original download so >> that if you attempt prepare more than a very few records for download >> the site throws an error. >> >> The original site presents up to 200 hits per page. The new site has >> very few (can't let the information get in the way of those graphics) so >> you're for ever hitting next, next, next to review the results. >> >> AFAICS there's no good way to drill down to the record sources. What you >> get is mysterious looking references such as "England-EASy". >> >> However, we can't complain we weren't warned - the new site is billed as >> a "New Experience" or some such. The E-word is almost invariably an >> indication that that the marketing people have got involved and chucked >> things like functionality out of the window. >> >> IMV it's designed to attract casual passers-by and the requirements of >> serious researchers simply no longer matter. >> > > Assuming that all of the Familysearch sites work the same around the world. > > www.familysearch.org > > Gives you a listing of documents with the search string. To access the > referenced document click and the document opens. I'm not sure what you mean by this but in the UK that site takes me to the new site. On my preferred browser the fields are not correctly placed as the designer intended. Initially the huge and quite irrelevant splurge of graphics covered most of the search form. Now it's even worse; I can see some of the search form but it won't take focus. > > http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html# > > Gives a much more usable pretension as it is divided such that you can > look at those documents where there reference occurs. > Each entry is given a as a summary of the entry. "Pretension"! There's a Freudian slip of the first water! It describes the new site's styling splendidly. Yes it works better than the new site but uses Flash where plain, old HTML worked quite well on the original site. But my understanding is that that pilot site and the original will eventually be withdrawn. > Click on the the name on the left, gives you the transcribed entry. > > Click on the document icon or on the right margin and you get the > document image. > > It is quite easy to navigate between the document image, transcription, > and the search results. Wherever I've searched I've always found that display of the image required subscription to some other service. If I had that subscription I might as well have used that service instead of Familysearch. > PS I see I am going to have to do some harvesting as there are a lot of > new records on the site. Harvesting is right. You won't be able to click, prepare and download. Hence my post about developing software to help automate the process of getting data off the site and into a database. -- Ian The Hotmail address is my spam-bin. Real mail address is iang at austonley org uk

On 2/3/2011 10:50 AM, Ian Goddard wrote: > Harvesting is right. You won't be able to click, prepare and download. > Hence my post about developing software to help automate the process > of getting data off the site and into a database. Sorry I have not downloaded a document in years. When ever I want a document on this site or any other I all ways print it. Print it to a PDF file where I can zoom either all of the documents or parts. PS I have found that using the ruler at http://onscreenruler.nfshost.com is great for those documents like US census document when trying to line up the entries with the headers.