Problems with the New Search results screen
I'm attaching photos of the same search on the old search results screen versus the new one.
I was specifically searching for census records using the 1910 census collection filter.
1) I can only see ONE census result on my entire screen without scrolling down because there is too much white space. The old search results screen was much more compact and I could see 8 or 9 census results. I also liked that I could adjust the column widths on the old results screen to make even more details visible.
2) Census record results on the new screens do not include the place of the census residence. Only the persons birth place is displayed. Without seeing the residence location it is very difficult to determine which record is the one I'm seeking.
Please see my attached photos on the differences between old and new search results using the same search criteria.
Answers
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@BGPSW You raise very valid concerns. As many will no doubt reply, make sure to also use the feedback button on the right of the search screen to raise these concerns there as well.
You're absolutely right that lack of location information makes it impossible to determine which records are actually relevant. In genealogy, as in many things in life, it's all about Location, Location, Location. Why was it determined that location could be excluded from standard display of search results even when view "All Information" is selected in search results?
As a makeshift solution, I've been setting my page zoom to 75% so that I can see more results and narrower bands of wasted space. I've also taken using the "data sheet" in search preferences to display search results. This does allow you to customize (within limited parameters) which columns are displayed in search results, meaning you can actually see the enumeration district location of census records, for example. Finally, I close the bloated "More Options" frame (which contains my search parameters) while I'm skimming through results so I can actually see more than two or three columns without having to scroll horizontally back and forth. I'm so thankful the new interface is so more intuitive and user friendly.😉
Its defenders insist that all of the same features we know and love are still there, just moved around a bit. However, sometimes I feel as though I'm a cook preparing a Thanksgiving meal but all my pots/pans/utensils have been moved to the attic, while my kitchen appliances have been moved to the basement. The window on my oven is no longer on the oven door but rather in the room behind the oven so I have to run back and forth to see how things are browning and remove them. Yes, everything is still there, but is it actually convenient for the cook?
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Yes! the new Customize Data Sheet should provide the needed fields to resolve your item 2). But don't allow resizing of the columns.
Item 1): I don't know if this will change - I don't know all the reasons for the change to begin with. Zooming might not be the best solution here - but it's the only suggestion I can think of as well. Maybe this will change in the future (more responsive web design) to 'fit' results more efficiently.
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Thank you for your comments. I did find how to turn on the data sheet under preferences but no way to customize it for the column width or row height. BUT the search criteria and data headings with the data sheet (person information closed) turned take up most of my screen and only allow about an inch of space at the bottom of my screen to scroll through the results. If I leave the person information open with the data sheet option there is only ONE line of results visible and no way to scroll through the results.
The residence location IS displayed on census records with data sheet turned on but not with the standard fixed format configured o show ALL data in the record. (You'd think enabling ALL information would show the census residence location.)
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The new search results screen is not just different, but horribly un-user-friendly. I'm all for change, but this is definitely a change for the worse.
The lack of color contrast makes it very difficult to find what I'm looking for at a glance. It needs the gray to help divide the space. It's very hard to look at. The black and blue doesn't help--it's not enough of a contrast to make a difference.
The header is so bulky and the fonts are so large that I can only view one or two records at the bottom of my screen at a time.
The customized data sheet does not help. It just makes it so that I have to scroll to the right now to see an entire search result.
I've tried changing all of the options available and it doesn't help.
I agree that the old search results format could have used an upgrade, but this has made searching worse and almost unbearable.
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