In case anyone is interested, I believe TNA are in a similar position to SoG (regarding potential loss of income) and maybe they have more clout. But I believe they have been campaigning hard behind the scenes to get FMP to understand the seriousness of the situation and ensure that users are able to adequately search the records. Rosemary Sent from my iPhone > On 4 Jul 2014, at 19:31, "Lin & David" <lin@boots1.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > For information: > > > > As suggested I contacted Else Churchill about the non response to my earlier > email to the Chief Exec concerning the FMP. I am pleased to have now > received a reply from June Perrin and include it below in case it is of > interest to others on the list. > > > > Lin > > > > From: June Perrin [ <mailto:ceo@sog.org.uk> mailto:ceo@sog.org.uk] > Sent: 04 July 2014 12:30 > To: 'Lin & David' > Subject: Findmypast > > > > Dear Lin > > > > I am emailing regarding your original query re Findmypast and the changes to > their software. > > > > First let me apologise for not replying earlier. I did actually act on your > first email and I discussed it at the Trustee meeting in April and contacted > Findmypast. However when I returned to my emails to reply I had failed to > put a flag on the email and didn't find it. I do receive a huge number of > emails so this is not as lame as it sounds but I was rather silly in not > setting the flag on it so I apologise wholeheartedly. > > > > Our position with Findmypast is a commercial one but there is very little we > can do about the new systems apart from add our own concerns to the list. > The income we receive from the contract is not easily replaceable for the > Society as we often run in deficit due to our high running costs so we would > not withdraw our data. Findmypast are not likely to return to their old > systems so all we can do is continue to give feedback on how the new one > needs improving. > > > >> From my own observation Findmypast are listening and trying to make > improvements but how quickly this can happen when they are adding so much > new data is not clear. We did also hold a training day for the new system > here at the Society and hopefully will add more training days as they make > improvements. > > > > I am sorry to not be able to help more. > > > > Kind Regards > > June > > > > > > June Perrin > > Chief Executive > > Society of Genealogists > 14 Charterhouse Buildings, London EC1M 7BA > Registered Charity No. 233701 Company Limited by Guarantee Registered > No.115703 > > This email and any attachments are confidential and intended for the > addressee only. You must not use, disclose, reproduce, copy or distribute > the contents of this communication unless explicitly permitted to do so. > If you have received this in error, please contact the sender and then > delete this email from your system without further distribution or > use. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > From: Lin & David [mailto:lin@boots1.demon.co.uk] > Sent: 04 July 2014 19:24 > To: 'June Perrin' > Cc: genealogy@sog.org.uk > Subject: RE: Findmypast > > > > Dear June > > > > Thank you for your reply which is appreciated. I quite understand about the > deluge of emails you no doubt have to cope with! Thanks too to Else for her > very prompt acknowledgement of my most recent email. > > > > I am glad to learn that you raised the concerns I, and many other members > had, with the Trustees and note that contact has been made with the FMP. > The SOG's pragmatic response seems reasonable in view of the financial > constraints in which it has to work. Only time will tell whether the FMP's > system will return to its previous comparatively high standard. > > > > As I referred to your apparent lack of response on the members' forum, I > hope you will not mind my forwarding a copy of your email to that list for > members' information. > > > > Regards > > Lin > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SOG-UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message