Catalog is missing places
Hello,
does someone know why it is that when I search place name in the Catalog, there is no record results for any town listed in Hungary, even for Budapest.
Is there a discussion about the bug/problem and information when will be functional again?
Regards,
Ann
Additional information:
problem seemed to be related the different backends, sometimes the load balancer directs me to one where there is something and sometimes to the other backend where there is none.
Answers
-
I have encountered this as well. I've found that choosing the place from the list under "Part of ..." generally finds the entries, while the catalog search mostly does not, though with no predictable pattern.
It's probably related to the recent (ongoing?) change in the catalog search/lookup algorithm, but I don't know who to alert to the problem or how.
2 -
Debrecen is merely Hungary's second-largest city. FamilySearch actually has reams and reams of records from it -- but not if you ask the catalog, any more.
I can get to the civil registers using the waypointed collection (https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1452460), but there isn't one of those for the various church records. Or the old tax lists. Or any of the other things that I know are in there, but the search refuses to show.
Please revert to the old algorithm, and stop trying to fix things that weren't broken. Please.
1 -
I've almost always found the keyword search worked better than the place search. I put part of the place name in the keyword box. I may have to filter a bit but I can usually find what I want. I agree, it certainly would be better if we didn't have to find workarounds.
The announcement article indicated the search would be different and would take some time for things to be rearranged and findable. Good luck!
1 -
Germany, Saarland, Ottweiler, Eppelborn, Calmesweiler
No results found
see:
- Part of German Empire, Prussia, Rhineland, Ottweiler, Eppelborn, Eppelborn
Not found
see:
- Part of Germany, Saarland, Ottweiler
see:
- Part of Germany, Saarland
not found
see:
Places within Germany, Saarland
- Saarbrücken
Where in the world are the rest of Saarland (Britten, Losheim, Calmesweiler, Eppeborn, Mettlach, Merzig, Ottweiler, Brotdorf, Reimsbach, plus about more than 200 parishes ???
This is what it is now like ever since the PlaceStandards decreed massive changes.
Saarland did NOT exist until January 1, 1957 when Saarland was absorbed into Federal Republic of Germany. Before then it was Rheinland until 1947, when Rheinland was split into 2 as NordRhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz.
0 -
For the first time ever, I got a response to the Feedback tab. For Debrecen, they offered the following link as a workaround "until [they] can get this problem resolved".
I haven't a clue how to expand on that for all of the Saarland places. W D, have you done the "Feedback" tab thing on all of those "no results" pages?
1 -
Heard from staff at the FamilySearch Library yesterday
They are calling for re-set the catalog back to what it was BEFORE the insanity.
The staff says to use keyword instead of place.
I looked up last night and got this:
Here's the latest: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=1948611&query=%2Bplace%3A%22Germany%2C%20Saarland%2C%20Merzig-Wadern%22
Where are those parishes? Merzig, Mettlach, Britten, Losheim, Wadern, Brotdorf, Bachem, Hausbach, Hilbringen, Fitten, Budingen, Weiskirchen
The whole place wiped out?
Better still , start listing the disappeared places, not just Deutschland but other countries, too.
1 -
I have reported the locations disappearing from the catalog. I have found some records are more easily found using Search>Images by place such as these for Merzig-Wadern and these for Debrecen.
0 -
@Maile L, unfortunately, the Images section's so-called cataloging continues to be an utter farce.
I mean, really: a year range, and that's it? Even for the ones that at least identify a type of vital, I only know that those are civil registrations because I'm pretty familiar with the available material.
In other words, the Images section cannot be used as a substitute or workaround for the Catalog search's deficiencies. It is simply nonfunctional.
3 -
Not all places have images accessible online. Some are literally restricted especially for Germany for LDS members only outside of Germany.
0 -
Anywhere on our site that you see this button, you should use it when you have feedback, good and bad, things that aren't working or causing frustration and ideas to make that specific page better. I say specific page because each feedback button is specific to the page you are on and goes to a specific team that is responsible for that page. So, you if add feedback about another page, it will likely not get any action. Always base the feedback on where you are on the site. Also, the teams that get this feedback are our engineers. That's where your feedback goes. Directly into the hands of the engineers. That being said I would keep in mind that engineers aren't support and that's why you don't usually hear back from them. That's not the point of feedback. It's more of a one-way communication unless they need clarification. But that doesn't mean they don't see what you send and do something. Engineers want your feedback. They choose to add that button to their pages because they want feedback. They turn that feedback into working tickets that you don't see and may not even see the results of for a long while. We are like the Titanic. We are huge and complicated, and we don't turn on a dime 🙃 The more feedback received, the more they understand how big an issue is. As multiple people share an issue, they see what a problem there is, and it can influence priorities (insider tip). So, use the button. The same rules should apply there as here: be kind, there is a person behind the monitor; be specific: they can't act on vague complaints, they need details; be kind, did I say that already? No name calling or telling them their work is stupid or useless - that's just not cool. Would you want someone to defame your work? Send positive feedback too! No one likes to hear the bad stuff all the time. Let them know there is something you love - it will make their day.
Second, as for the catalog location issue.... send feedback. I have been told that the feedback button from the catalog search is your best bet to get a correction for places in the catalog. Send in each location you find that is missing or not coming up as you expect. Share specifics on the location you are searching for and what you expected to find. As many of you are experts at this, you can provide some excellent feedback. The search does work better if you use keywords but that won't fix the location issues. It is just a workaround to find what you need. If you want to make a real difference in any of the locality issues, you can make suggestions to the places database. You can suggest new places that are missing and once you search for a place and bring it up, you can suggest improvements, like variations. https://www.familysearch.org/research/places
Sorry for the long post! I know it's not the best news, but I want you to know we are listening and trying find answers and solutions. Sam 🤗
2
