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.

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. -- Ian The Hotmail address is my spam-bin. Real mail address is iang at austonley org uk