Fumbling as to how to enter a comment on this page without starting a new idea.
Throughout my career I have had management parrot to the staff - "Change is good."
If you think about it, "Improvement is good. Change is stressful. Change without perceived improvement is frustrating and demoralizing" .
While not wanting to squelch initiatives that are perceived as improvements, I need you to know this about the upcoming change in format to the details page -
The early December page of how to override the revised version and default to the previous version was well done.
HOWEVER, the message that has appeared on the top of my details page this morning informing me that the former format will no longer be available as of early 2023 is TERRIFYING. If the intent is to discourage use of family search... this will surely accomplish it. Please , please. please, DO NOT discontinue the old format.
Comments
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While I am not so strongly opposed to the new Person Page as the above comment, I still strongly favor the "old" Person Page, not the new one.
I could not agree more with the initial sentiment expressed above regarding change for change sake. With so little warning or even explanation, it's frustrating to keep track of the constant changes in the Family Tree. And there's nowhere (that I've found) to learn specifically which features have changed, and why.
Take the new pedigree views. Deleting the "invert colors" option from the pedigree chart makes it difficult for my wife. A white screen is straining on her eyes, and it seriously limits her time on FamilySearch.
Also, it says to use "Feedback" to make comments about that specific new change (the new Pedigree view). Yet finding anywhere to post it in the Community is a time waster! The "Feedback" link at the far left of the page does not work!
--Chris
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"So little warning"?? The new person page was available for testing and commentary starting in the spring!
There's a group for commentary on the new pedigree view. It is my impression that the invert colors option is not permanently removed; they simply haven't gotten to that yet.
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I wasn't referring to the new person page with that comment, though I can see how it could have looked like it. There have been other changes that suddenly show up (such as the new pedigree chart view). And as for the group commentary on the new pedigree view, I'd appreciate a link to that. I searched diligently for it and never found any Community dedicated to that topic. The new page invites people to click the "Feedback" link on the far left side of that new page, but it doesn't work.
I still find it frustrating that there is no summary of what the changes are. The "Options" icon over on the far right no longer has any label above or below it as it did before, and all the other icons that were over on the upper left moved over with the now-unlabeled "Options" icon.
The new person page print function requires multiple clicks and is hidden. The "Print" menu used to be completely visible at the bottom right of the old person page, requiring just a single click.
By themselves, each change doesn't amount to a big deal, and new users will learn how it functions, but more experienced users are very frustrated. If we at least had some summary of changes, it would be very helpful.
As for the invert color option, I hope your impression turns out to be correct.
--Chris
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Lyle linked the pedigree view group from the pinned topic in the new person page group.
https://community.familysearch.org/en/group/320-tree-pedigree-views
From the pinned post in that group:
Dark mode is missing.
Blocked: Waiting on a long and complicated fix from another team. We love this option, too. We will add it as soon as we can, but it will take a while.
I just checked: there is still a "go back to old pedigree" link at the top right of the new tree views. Until they get dark/invert mode working, I suggest using that for people with vision issues exacerbated by brightness.
The Feedback tab-thingy works perfectly well for me. Did you fill in both of the fields before clicking Submit?
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I looked at the link you posted above. Thank you for the "pinned post in that group" from which I now know that FamilySearch is aware of the issue and intends to add "Invert Colors" back into the new pedigree page.
And in answer to your last question, I did not "fill in both of the fields before clicking Submit," simply because as I've stated, the Feedback "tab-thingy" does not work. I use Firefox, if that helps any tech support person reading this post, (latest version on a Windows 10 computer upgraded to 22H2).
--Chris
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I, too, will be using the old page(s) until there is no alternative. I know I'll have to adapt, but I still can't get used to the new Record page format a year on, so would rather do without the enhanced features of the new Person pages, as working with them just slows down my work too much.
However, there has been plenty of advanced notice regarding the change (of this and the new Pedigree View page) and improvements made to meet the requests of everyday users. On the Feedback issue, I just checked (using both Chrome and Firefox) and found the link to be on the far right of the page (not left) and to be working perfectly okay. Sometimes these issues can be OS / browser related, so it helps if you provide such details (down to version detail) if you are experiencing a problem that is not unique to you, but is not a problem for other users (e.g. Julia and me, in this case).
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Perhaps we need a new thread for the Feedback-tab-thingy issue, but I'm lazy. I'm also using Firefox, and as I said, it works perfectly well for me. As Paul wrote, it was on the far left rather than the right where I expected it, but clicking it brought up the smilies-popup, where I chose the middle ("neutral") one, and then I got the popup with the text field and the email field and the Submit button. And yes, I filled in both and actually clicked submit, and it acknowledged that my feedback had been sent. (I filled in the text field with something like "just testing the Feedback tab".) Where does this process break, for the people who report that it doesn't work?
Regarding the ongoing revisions, I've already gotten mostly used to the newest version of the new person page, and have been applying the new source-tagging feature it offers. I never use the pedigree views (except the fan chart as a starting point), so I haven't explored those changes. (I wouldn't know what was different, really.) I certainly feel that there has been gracious plenty of warning about both sets of changes, and FS has been very responsive to our feedback offered in the Community group. It really seems like they've learned from their mistakes when rolling out the changes to the search interface and to the Record page format, and I for one appreciate the new method. (Yes, I wish they'd go back and re-revise both Search and the Record pages, using the new group feedback format, but I know that's unlikely to happen soon.)
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Very odd that you'd find it on the right side of the new pedigree chart page and I find it on the far left edge.
As for versions, I've got the most up to date Firefox version (108.0.1), 64 bit, and Windows 10 with the 22H2 update.
I give up! 😁
--Chris
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Regarding:
I could not agree more with the initial sentiment expressed above regarding change for change sake. With so little warning or even explanation, it's frustrating to keep track of the constant changes in the Family Tree. And there's nowhere (that I've found) to learn specifically which features have changed, and why.
I have to say I think it is a bit of a shame that FamilySearch's announcement in August was missed by so many people. It was here: https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/person-page-redesign-2022 There had actually been an announcement several months earlier for uses to go to the beta site and start commenting on the new pages.
The reason there have been so many and so rapid changes is that FamilySearch tried something new with this update. Instead of releasing the final, fully developed product, they released it when it was about 90% done for users to try out, report bugs, report concerns, and report suggested improvements. What you see as frustrating, I view as a wonderful experience of watching the develops working frantically to make corrections and improvements all in response to user input. The design team has been remarkably responsive and nimble.
A follow up blog post reported on this work: https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/feedback-new-person-page I wonder if there might be a fuller explanation of the new changes when they hit their final form and the current version is retired.
Apparently the early release to allow users to take part in the final page design worked so well with the Detail page that they are now taking the same process for the pedigree pages. They will likely change frequently over the next six months, also.
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Perhaps the fact that it was missed by so many people indicates an issue. I hadn't noticed until just recently that I was no longer getting Blog email updates. It's easy to say that FamilySearch has been forthcoming about changes, but if we aren't receiving those notifications, that's no fault of the users.
I've been aware of the new Person page simply because it was there ON FamilySearch with the option to use the old or new page. But I was having to discover the changes one by one on my own. When/where was the early announcement of the coming change to the Pedigree charts? The new "Help" article (https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/new-landscape-and-pedigree-views) is only dated 15 days ago. That's hardly timely nor "a wonderful experience" as you termed the Person page experience.
The Community system is cumbersome to use. The "Feedback" button for the new Pedigree view doesn't work for some users, and the Community search engine doesn't point to a specific group. I note that the above "Help" article does point to the Community Group, and that it began in October, and that you were one of the first respondents. That's great! But how were you notified? I now see that it could be tested out using the Beta site - but how were the rest of us to know that if we weren't receiving Blog posts or other notifications of new information? I can't know what I don't know. Your statement that, "The design team has been remarkably responsive and nimble," isn't something a number of us can relate to at all.
--Chris
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I know a relatively minor point, but I can confirm the Feedback button was on the right side yesterday, but now on the left. I nearly always take screenshots to illustrate, but failed to do so yesterday. Either way, I am still able to provide feedback, the lack of this ability being the problem in your case.
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You present a number of valid points that I hope make it to the proper people in FamilySearch for review.
I do feel I need to point out, however, that ever since the new pages were put out in production, there has been the banner at the top of the page:
Did no one in your groups or that you have talked to ever click on Learn more? Currently it links to a Help Center article that was last updated 13 December 2022, but has always linked to information about the new changes. The page that link led to has also always, if I remember correctly, had the link to go directly to the Community group dedicated to the new pages.
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@EllenZepp and @Chris Bieneman Schmink I feel your pain - mostly! During the past couple months, being forced to use FS Community when the contact-by-phone was discontinued (gladly restored again), I discovered many things that were in beta mode, projects being worked on and discovered the limited impact I could have on development of FamilySearch Family Tree design and functionality. I'm getting used to it; not even going to the old version much. It is a change in progress, and I've felt pleased with certain features that have been given badly need attention. For the seasoned researcher, however, there are still some major issues that I'm hoping to see resolved (to my liking, anyway).
Navigating all that is going on in FS Community, FS Blog and the fast paced off-the-top communication (for such a major change to the technology platform) has left many seasoned users in a not-worth-the-fight mode; almost to the point of let-it-be-destroyed so we can look back later and figure out what-went-wrong.... It will go on, but those who teach have a major job because it's shaping up as a whole new world.
In the FS Community, it's hard to tell who is expressing the views and/or comments of FamilySearch Family Tree; those who design, engineer and implement changes, verses those who are just another user/member of the site like you and I. Through experiencing the pain of being involved you will know to what degree heed should be given to "answers" to your questions and comments.
While the New Person Page Group is useful, I believe it limits the exposure of certain discussions to that limited audience who "join" the group. I don't worry too much about posting issues just there only - I want ALL members of the Community to be engaged and know what the issues are, so sometimes I'll even post a couple different places....
Just another voice, and a relatively newly engaged kid in the Community!
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To answer your question, "Did no one in your groups or that you have talked to ever click on Learn more?" Of course we did! -- once the new Person page suddenly appeared on main FamilySearch page.
For those of us unaware of the beta.familysearch method of evaluating the Pedigree view, that new view's sudden appearance on FamilySearch was a complete surprise.
Roll it out, let people get used to the changes, but do significant behind-the-scenes testing before just making changes on the fly for months at a time, which is seriously frustrating for most end users - especially when multiple teams are required to make some of the major changes. Allow people to opt into becoming a programming guinea pig rather than making that a cost of using the software/website.
--Chris
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On the issue of phasing out the current Pedigree view and Person pages, I, too, am unhappy with this happening. I just cannot adapt at the moment and continue to use the now titled "previous version" and "old pedigree" pages. As I have commented on many occasions, the Search and Results pages have been a complete failure for me - especially the latter, which is extremely difficult to work with when census records are involved.
So I can empathise with many of the points you are making, but can't get too worked up over matters on which I know there will be no turning back. And, whether its news about the release of new records or about program changes, FamilySearch does seem to have a way of keeping things to itself to the last minute. Whereas the actions of lyleblunttoronto1 in opening these recent changes for discussion (well in advance of the phasing out of the old versions) has been a refreshing change from what we experienced in the past. However, again I acknowledge that many FamilySearch users do not find it easy to get to the useful pages that are probably only easy to find if you are are regular / longstanding member of this forum.
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mod note - posts were edited for violations of the code of conduct and for clarity after the violations were removed
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