Go back to previous format
The new format you've just initiated is awkward and difficult! (and I'm not simply averse to change). Things that were less frequently used are now front and center, in bold, and the things that were accessible before are now nearly invisible! I use familysearch a lot--like a lot, but am now considering switching to some other data base. At the very least, please consider giving the option to revert back to the other format.
Answers
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The new version of the person page does nothing to improve or simplify to previous version. It doesn't make it easier even for a "worldwide Church". People around the world are equally, (if not more so) interested in having a clear and user-friendly process for recording and researching their family histories. This new version has made it more difficult in many, many ways! (too many to include screenshots of them all)
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Please, please return to the old format! The new one is dreadful, very frustrating and difficult to use. It provides NO benefit. - A MacD
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Join the New Person Page Group at https://community.familysearch.org/en/group/316-new-person-page
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I agree with the above comments. Although there may be a few things that are a little bit nicer like the blue and red headers for the couple, for the most part I find it very difficult to view and thus use. The right hand column is way too large, the old one was perfect. It contained all of the same information in about 1/4 of the space. The font is too thin and small especially for us old timers who are most likely in the majority doing research. I don't need to know when the last change was done and by whom on every single field. It is so prominent and with the added blank space around it overshadows the main data. If I need to know I can always go to the Latest Changes in the right hand column. Much simpler. There is so much blank space that it takes over the whole page and stretches out all of the pertinent data so that we have to spend all of our time scrolling up and down especially since it now has much less width so that so many lines have to wrap down especially on place names. By only showing what information has been entered it no longer reminds us of what information is missing or the difference between birth and blessing or baptism dates or death and burial dates. I agree that we need to have the ability to go back to the old format if it works better for us. Not all of us prefer vanilla. Some of us really like chocolate. Please give us the chance to choose. We don't want to discourage anyone from contributing and sharing their knowledge and expertise just because of a difference of opinion over the optics of page format.
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Memories no longer works correctly. The only Memory you can add directly from the menu is a photo! You cannot add a story or document from your gallery. The workaround is to go directly to the general gallery, find the document and add the pid there -- twice to make it work and actually attach it. So this feature is now officially broken unless you want to find PHOTOS in your gallery. Please fix it. It's another reason I don't like this format.
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The toggle back to the older version is now available again on the website.
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Thanks for adding back the link which gives us the ability to use the old format!!!
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where is the toggle?
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Thank you for the feedback. It looks like PDF documents have been excluded from the momories picker. We'll get that fixed.
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Please, these recent changes made to Family Search have made doing the work that I have done for many years so much more difficult.
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What exactly is the point of the facelift? Is there any real benefit? Why not just leave it as it, did anyone anywhere request this?
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Totally agree. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the layout of the page as it currently appears. This is another example of "change for change's sake". The site is no faster or easier to use, in fact the opposite. I am reminded of the adage -- If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It.
We are being forced to make this change without any consultation whatsoever and without the option to continue to use the old format.
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Hello Everyone,
FamilySearch is continuing to change and evolve from feedback given by users of this service. You can submit your feedback too so that we can find what works and what doesn't work for the users of this website. If you haven't already submitted your feedback, please locate the feedback button at the bottom of your page located next to Cookie Preferences.
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I agree. Although there may be a few things that are a little bit nicer like the blue and red headers for the couple, for the most part I find it very difficult to view and thus use. The right hand column is way too large, the old one was perfect. It contained all of the same information in about 1/4 of the space. The font is too thin and small especially for us old timers who are most likely in the majority doing research. I don't need to know when the last change was done and by whom on every single field. It is so prominent and with the added blank space around it overshadows the main data. If I need to know I can always go to the Latest Changes in the right hand column. Much simpler. There is so much blank space that it takes over the whole page and stretches out all of the pertinent data so that we have to spend all of our time scrolling up and down especially since it now has much less width so that so many lines have to wrap down especially on place names. By only showing what information has been entered it no longer reminds us of what information is missing or the difference between birth and blessing or baptism dates or death and burial dates. I agree that we need to have the ability to go back to the old format if it works better for us. Not all of us prefer vanilla. Some of us really like chocolate. Please give us the chance to choose. We don't want to discourage anyone from contributing and sharing their knowledge and expertise just because of a difference of opinion over the optics of page format.
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@Ericcjohnson, we've been told that the old page uses technologies or tools that are going away, and that's why it needed to be re-done.
If you have a specific and constructive suggestion for how to improve the new page, please join the New Person Page group and post your comment there. The new Alert Note feature was added based on user suggestions made in that group, and that's just one example showing that yes, they are listening.
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Where have you all been the past five months? The new pages have been easily available for evaluation by that link in the top right corner for all that time and the engineers have been begging for bug reports and feedback. Why are you just now jumping in this late in the process?
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Gordon, they're jumping in now because the toggle was missing for a while yesterday (something about preventing an endless loop) and/or because the new format is now the default.
Gotta love all the complaints about not asking for feedback, though. One gets the feeling that what people actually mean is "they didn't ask my express permission!"
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The "new page" is messy and confusing. The old page is concise and clear. Please always have the original detail page available. So far no one I have spoken with likes the new version.
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I don't need to know when the last change was done and by whom on every single field. It is so prominent and with the added blank space around it overshadows the main data. If I need to know I can always go to the Latest Changes in the right hand column. Much simpler.
It sounds like you have the Detail View turned on. The change in the page must have turned it on for everyone, probably to remind them it was there. This has been a feature of the Details page for years. At the top of each section is a slider to turn it on and off. If you don't like seeing the reason statements, the last contributor, and the date of the last change, just turn it off. It stays off until you turn it on again.
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Change is difficult. I am having trouble with searches, and yes, I've been at this a while. I'm a Temple & Family History Consultant, and we've had no training on the new interface, but we can still work with others to figure it out.
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Never seen one request to evaluate anything!
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@Keefoz Did you join the New Person Page Group? There the developers ask for detailed evaluations of proposed changes.
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@Keefoz How would you like to be requested to evaluate upcoming changes?
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I hate this new format. It takes more time to enter information and the system is slower. Bad idea.
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@Jocelyn C. Can you enumerate the reasons why it takes more time to enter information?
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@lyleblunttoronto1 When you enter more than 10000 new information per month, you will understand the meaning of "taking more time".
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@Jocelyn C. While I do work on my own family history weekly, I clearly don’t use the site like you do. Without shared understanding, we can’t make the changes that will improve your experience.
Speed improvement will continue to be made, but if there is something specific you are noticing, we may be able to directly address the issue(s). At this point all I understand is the page loading speed is the issue.
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