Genealogy Chat

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Hi Peter, You seem to be getting on OK with the new tree viewer. Does this mean you have found a way of getting it to display marriage and death details on shared trees? I find that sort of data somewhat crucial in sharing tree info and it bothers me a lot that the only way I have of viewing it is to use the older tree. Another viewing issue I have is that my eyes cannot cope with the lack of distinct contrast in the new display - ie red lettering on pink boxes and blue on blue. I'm still in my early 40s and have good eyesight, but find I'm having great difficulty reading the information boxes. The plain white box backgrounds of the earlier version made the text easily legible for people of all ages and visual ability. I know about changing the text size using 'View - text size' on the browser's menu bar. This used to work perfectly on the old system as the browser menu was incorporated onto the page. You could change the size up and down without having to exit the page. The text size cannot be changed once the new viewer is opened - you have to get the text size set beforehand. But look what happens if you open the new tree with the larger text sizes already selected. It does indeed enlarge the text in the data fields, annoyingly makes no noticeable difference to the text in the tree boxes, makes the text in the menu bar too big to fit the buttons AND worst of all, makes the GO button to the shared trees disappear altogether! So THAT's why people have been complaining they cannot access shared trees! (I'll post a separate fix to this to put them out of their misery!) Another bug-bear is that when using the new viewer to access shared trees, they all open with Full tree as the default. It is very time-consuming waiting for them to open and a good 7 out of 10 fail to open properly, bringing up error messages and freezing. The immediate family view is much easier to open and work with and, personally, I think the immediate view should be the default for that very reason. Tracey

Laura, If you go in this way is shows the entire tree when it opens, which is not much use if it is a big tree. Click on change view, then immediate family Then to go to the part of the tree you are interested in, click on search then enter the name you want, ut navigate up or down as you please. If you go to someones tree from Shared Trees / My Contacts, it takes you directly to the immediate family view. I find this is more convenient.

Peter - if I click on 'view other's tree' at the top right, it just takes forever to load anything - i've never seen it bring up the other tree apart from one time, when it seems to be in a format that's quite confusing! Maybe I just need more patience! Laura x

Laura, Can I ask why you think it us useless at looking at others trees? II find it works ok for my research.

I like the new tree for adding bits and pieces, but it does take a long time to load certain things (and have had a few time outs where it states 'unable to connect to GR site) and is useless for looking at other's trees, so I revert to the old tree for that. Any idea when they're getting rid of the old system? They'd better not do it until the new tree is running smoothly!!!! Laura x

June, I find search on the new tree very fast. Click search, enter the name, up comes a list, click and it opens the appropriate bit of the tree with the name you want. Couldn't be easier.

I think the new tree could be very good but it seems to have gone live with bugs and some unfriendly features. I have 1500 names in my tree on GRU and viewing in 'Immediate Family View' works better for adding new names. Full Tree is a right royal pain, takes for ever to load (even on broadband) and then is impossible to navigate. When the new tree first started there was a Go Button by the 'Other trees I have Access to, this has now disapeared, but the help desk insist on telling me that it is still there. Does anyone else have this problem? Also when looking at someone elses tree it trys to open it in Full Tree. I just click on the 'Immediate Family' view and it stops trying to load 'Full View' and switches to Immediate family view. However untill the Go Button comes back I am using the old tree to view other peoples trees or I have to use the Contacts section to get at them.

I work on both as some things are good on old tree and others on new. But if you want to find someone on someone elses tree it certainly quicker on old version. If you go onto new version as soon as I shows change view etc, old tree is seen click on it and go from there. Also if their tree is taking time to load on new site, click on change view immediate family and see what happens. As for adding extra details on new new you have to just add first details first then a line will come up saying marriages to add that way. But it takes time, so click on feedback and send your comments to them direct as many people doing that might help us getting the best of both worlds.

I'm having problems too - how do I get to the old tree? Ros

I have given up adding new names just add any corrections I find. I do like having a bigger box for notes though.

The new tree has some nice ideas, but on an antique steam-driven computer like mine a tree of any size is impossible to load. I expect that if I had a top of the line, up to date machine I'd love it! Gordon

I prefer working with the old tree. I'm using a laptop and finding the new version doesn't fit my screen as well. It's easier for me to use the old version to add information. It may be because I have things on a large setting but my eyesight isn't brilliant with small letters. Sue

I quite like the new tree too I remember similar threads when the old tree was the new one and was they were deleting the first old tree. Nobody likes changes. But dont like the way they have done the tree matches i think that should be changed back Jeanette

I don't attempt to view more than one section at a time............that's enough for me to cope with!! Reg

No need to apologise Reg! If you are satisfied with the program then that is good. I'm interested to note that you have a big tree (twice the size of mine in fact). How are you finding the full-tree view? How long does it take to open for you and do you get the 'script in this movie is causing adobe flash player to run slowly' message which gives the option of aborting the program? I am afraid I now cannot get it to work at all and have only got use of the immediate family view. I have Adobe Flash player 9 which I think is the latest version.

Sorry, but I'm using the new one.......I find it much easier when adding info. Each to his/her own, I guess....... Reg

Well said! Old but tested - works better for me!

Most of my GR contacts having problems with the new tree program have admitted to me they are now ignoring it altogether and are relying on the older program. I am doing the same. Mainly because the older program is so much quicker to open, easier to enter marriage data, and generally more reliable and accurate (apart from the occasions when GR does something and some of the previously-entered data disappears). This means, of course, that we are no longer wasting our time with the new program and so have discontinued reporting its problems to GR. Will GR interpret the fall in complaints about the new program, and requests for help in using it, as an indicator that we are all contented customers at last? In which case just WHAT will happen when GR finally takes the old program offline? How many of you are still relying on the older program and what are your reasons?

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