Why does a recently viewed person's tree open instead of my tree?

JulieVWilcox

Currently, whenever I want to view my tree, I see the tree for whoever I most recently viewed (Not MY tree) - no matter which TREE view I select. Previously, if I selected the TREE item from the drop-down menu, I would see my own tree. To see the tree of the person I am researching, I would select the VIEW TREE option at the right of the detail page and can see that person as the key person on their tree. As a consultant and experienced researcher, I know that I can select the little home icon to view my own tree at any time. However, the last three patrons I have assisted have been frustrated and unaware that the house icon will bring them to their own tree.

Not sure why the system is functioning this way, but it is inconvenient and a little confusing. Could your tech people restore that particular feature so it is easy to hop on our own tree view?

Thank you.

Amy Archibald

This is a bug that was introduced when the new person page was released. The last person viewed is meant to function in parts of the site, but not override the person's settings for the home person. The engineers have indicated they are working on fixing it, but don't want to break something else in the process.

Amy Archibald

Here is the thread about this bug:

https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/129748/bug-preference-for-family-tree-starting-person

Dennis J Yancey

Yeh I totally agree

I have never been certain whether this was just a bug that is taking a while to fix

or whether it was a an intentional (but poorly made) conscious decision

the home icon is just not intuitive or natural enough for newer users to know

and I totally agree - it just causes a lot of frustration for no good reason.

I would really like someone in a management position at FamilySearch to explain to us what the intent here is.

Just makes no sense for all the confusion and frustration it causes.

Maybe there is a desire for certain people - that it work as it is now -

BUT for the most of us - we prefer the way it worked before.

Please revert back - or at least allow for an "opt in" to the new approach.

Mike357

@JulieVWilcox, I''m sorry that this has been a problem for those that you have recently assisted. I suspect that, if engineers where to change the algorithm for determining the starting point of a tree view, we would see many distraught users. As convenient as it is for some to have the initial tree view start with our own name, for others it would be preferred that the initial tree view start from the last person that was last viewed.

FamilySearch has been designed with many options to perform the same function; thus, (as you have indicated) it is extremely easy to return to viewing one's self in the tree view.

For newer users it is often good to have ready and easy access to the following article that describes how to return to one's self when viewing a tree.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/return-to-myself-on-the-pedigree

Dennis J Yancey

https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/472887#Comment_472887

This is a recent change - the vast majority of distraught users - are the ones that have been used to it working the way it was previosuly for the past 10 years!! (the home view)

why not at least let the user choose which way it should work.

millions of people are used to it working this way (the home based view)

and to make it worse - most NEW users are getting totally confused as to how to make it back to their tree as is clearly evident by so many confused complaints here in the community,

It is not intuitive,

I dont see ANYONE clamoring for it to go their last name touched (thats was RECENTS are for)

but I see tons of people clamoring to put it back the way it was.

at least allow users to select which way they want it to work.

Dennis J Yancey

https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/472893#Comment_472893

THANKS for the feedback.

I kind of thought it was a bug.