The new search records format is missing records
Records that I previously found using the old search records format, are not showing now, this new format looks prettier but it does not help if I cannot see all the records
Answers
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Which records are you searching for? Can you use the 'Find a Collection' option to at least find the collection for the records you are searching?
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Also if you click on Browse Place to the right under search by place there are many options.
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What both of you are not getting, is that in the old search when a simple question was asked of it, it gave an enormous amount of data. It was up to me to do the discovering, now when in the new search, I ask a simple question, I am not getting a enormous amount of data. It has been limited somehow, now I have to use options, which are very specific. e.g I am looking at a person born in the county of Kent, England, I cannot find their death record in the new system. However I did in the old system, they had moved to another county (they might have move to another country). In the new system I must search each county (one at a time) looking for them. After some months find that they emigrated to another country.
In other words, a simple system, which allowed the Genealogist to use their brain, has been changed to a complexed system, which courses frustration, as we have to second guess bad programming, disguised as helping beginners
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Some users are complaining they are getting "too many" results from their searches, others that they are getting none - often getting the now infamous "Something went wrong" page, which implies a temporary hitch relating to this feature of the website.
Whilst I fully support the cries of "bring back the old version!", I must admit I have generally found it possiable to get a matching number of results, in using "old" and "new". I'm sure (after some tweaks from the developers) we will find things easier in time. However, we have been advised the general design / format of these pages will not be changed, so FamilySearch is going to have a lot of disgruntled users (and probably lose quite a few) before the majority can find they are able to adapt to the changes.
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You are correct - 'new Search" Results are different thus as a FamilySearch Community - we need to become educated on these changes so that we can get the Results we would like.
Here is a post on another thread:
We need a clear explanation of changes in the Search Algorithm - what does 'Any Place' mean now versus 'old Search'. Why are Search algorithms resulting in less Results - are the records being 'worked on' or not currently available - did something change in the index? If the location of the records didn't change why are Search algorithms not finding them as they did in 'old Search'? All of these are good questions to ask - they will just require education from FamilySearch to explain them.
To this point I do not have a good answer as to what has changed - if I don't figure it out I will continue to comment until educated.
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In the "Old" System I never used the simple search, but used the "Browse all publications", which was found under the map located on the right hand side.
Now "Browse all publications" is found on the left hand side on the front page of the Search Records page
For me it is the easiest way to find what you are looking for.
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Martyn,
We are happy to share some ideas on how to enjoy the new look and Search features for Search Records and record results page.
The Search Records update is inviting and helpful for our new users, but the features that our experienced users love are still available, even though it has a new outward appearance.
The update provides a new look and feel, but just click on “more options” to see the more familiar search page for a more specific search. The same search engine is the gate to finding wonderful records.
On the new Search Historical Records page, there is a wonderful link for “Tips for Effective Searches.” We hope that the explanations to what a historical record is and how records help us learn about our family are helpful for experienced users as well as for beginners.
As you get used to the new features in the search results page, you may discover new features that can help in sorting, saving and viewing your record search results. Many of our guests are discovering marvelous ways to use the new features. These updates may be challenging at first, but a great deal of work, research and experienced planning has gone into this update for our benefit. Please give it some time. Experience the search. Experiment with each feature. We hope that you will grow to love the new update to FamilySearch records search.
May we suggest some articles from the Help Center.
Best practices and search tips for historical records. https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/when-i-am-searching-historical-records-what-are-the-best-practices-and-tips
How do I filter the search results in historical records? https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/filter-the-search-results-in-historical-records
How do I change how search results in historical records are formatted?
We hope you find this information helpful.
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Mods, please stop posting that idiotic bit of boilerplate. It's full of false statements, especially the one about the new interface being "inviting and helpful for our new users". The update is demonstrated, by this and the many other posts like it, to be neither inviting nor helpful, hiding its functionality under many levels of extra clicking and not displaying the information needed to assess search results.
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IdahoSusieQ, Could you maybe give us some examples from the "Many of our guests are discovering marvelous ways to use the new features" so the rest of us could understand what you're talking about. I am most interested in the "New" and "Marvelous".
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@DianaHawks, @IdahoSusieQ, and other mods who have posted or are thinking about posting that new boilerplate about the awful new search interface: I echo Chas in wanting some examples of these positive responses that people are supposedly having to it. In the meantime, here are some examples of the reactions that are actually to be seen:
- Can't figure it out
- I can't find the info
- Not user friendly at all
- Have I forgotten how to search?
- too many clicks and presses
- significantly harder to use
- It is cumbersome, slow and no longer intuitive.
- I am ready to give up
- It does not function effectively
- There is nothing intuitive about it
- It is virtually impossible now to conduct quick, accurate, and meaningful research.
- now all searches end in complete frustration with incorrect results
@Casey Robinson 001 and anyone else who may be listening: PLEASE tell The Powers That Be that this update is an utter, complete, and disastrous FAILURE.
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SAME COLLECTIONS + SAME SEARCH PARAMETERS => SAME SEARCH RESULTS...
I have attempted to do my best to support the 'new Search' here in Community. Unfortunately I do have to concede that your report of user reactions appears to be accurate. The parameter interface itself is fairly intuitive because it looks like 'old Search' but the Search Results in relation to the selected Parameters selected are severely unintuitive! I have seen so many reports that the Search Results are undecipherable at worst randomly helpful at best that I tend to agree with @MiriamJoyce21 that users should currently bypass the Search> Records in favor of Searching through Search> Find a Collection or Search> Search by Place. Once the Collection is accessed the index searching is the same as 'old Search' I believe - thankfully I think that means the collections haven't changed (but there may also be some collection/index issues going on at the same time which makes Search Results further unintelligible). But it also means not being able to Search multiple collections at the same time - the whole point of Search Historical Records! I await education from FamilySearch how to achieve the same Search Results with the same Search Parameters - as documented by many users with specific search challenges - it just doesn't seem to be happening...
To be clear, FamilySearch has not 'lost' me as a Researcher, etc. I hope to help provide a solution and educational improvement for how to work with Search successfully - new user or 'expert' (it should be similar to 'old Search') - but right now it appears that Search Results algorithms are not producing what experienced users with 'old Search' had grown to 'expect'. I believe it might have to do with the defaulting in this 'new Search' to Life Event: 'Any' - but am uncertain - there also appear to be other algorithmic changes, etc.
I believe at this point - the least FamilySearch can do - is release specification for the Search Parameters - the most they could do would be to revert the Search algorithms back to 'old Search' specification - something I know nothing about...
Please FamilySearch - educate Community ... what has changed - only y'all know ...
The most recent relevant FamilySearch blog post relating to Search is 'vague' at best. Experienced users already know about filter options - but not how they are behaving now - and we do not know best practices to show Same Results we came to expect in 'old Search'.
A better option to get the problems fixed:
https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/104538/more-comments-about-changes-in-search
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Yes, please don't go the way of Google and sites driven by ad revenue and think you can recommend the best answer. This is not a contest or a game. Many genealogical questions are solved by having more relevant data and often contributory (and contradictory) data, instead of the spot-on answer that you (or some machine algorithm) suggest.
Sorry to be an oldster saying the obvious, but if you're not over 55 or so, you haven't lived a lot and don't necessarily have the lived knowledge with comes with age. Try this: whenever you state something as true, then say: But I could be wrong!
And you know the old adage for a lot of things: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And if a lot of users are griping, they may be right!
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