Announcement of the new "Record Issues" option?
Recently a new method has appeared to report "errors, problems, restrictions or bugs, with specific records/collections".
I have some concerns about its introduction, the first being that there seems to have been zero publicity about its existence. I know that if the user goes to Community Home / Ask A Question / Search, then they'll see the new option but I have reservations about the efficiency of choices made by users. For instance, in Community Home / Ask A Question / General Questions, the 2nd thread (at the time of writing) is about the inability of someone to access a specific "microfilm". This is surely a classic Record Issues query because it's about who can access a film - indeed the Mod's response started with the usual (correct) explanation "Some images on FamilySearch have access restrictions due to ..." So arguably that's in the wrong area.
So my first suggestion would be - can we please have an announcement about the new facility that explains what it's for and gives the precise navigation path - i.e. please don't just say "It's under "Search"!
I have two further queries about the new "Record Issues" option.
Firstly, will there be any visibility of Issues that have been raised via the form? In recent discussions about the loss of large parts of the England & Wales Registration Indexes, a lot of heavy lifting was done by members of the Community pointing users at previous threads on the same topic. The ability for us to add comments was also invaluable as several of us were continually telling FS users that no, they hadn't lost all access to the relevant years, they just had to go over to the FreeBMD site. Not as convenient since it doesn't feed into Source Linker, but better than the complete loss that some thought they had suffered.
Secondly, I would like to know if FS Support will be directed to use the new facility? I have seen numerous threads in the Community where FS users have contacted FS Support only to be told that they (the users) should report the issues in the Community. However, given the detail necessary for one of those Record Reporting forms, I'm uncertain of the best way forward there, so I'm just asking the question.
As for the items on the Form, I suspect only time will tell if users understand what concepts like Metadata and DGS, for instance, mean.
Answers
-
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback and questions—we really appreciate the insights you’ve shared.
This new Record Issues reporting process is currently being tested, and feedback like yours is very helpful as we work to improve it and ensure it meets the needs of our community users.
To help bring more clarity around record issues, we’d also like to involve the community in building a shared resource. We invite everyone to help collect:
- Common questions about record collections
- Known issues or access concerns
- Confirmed resolutions or helpful workarounds
We will compile this into a central document - FAQ doc--that can be shared as a link for all community members to reference.
As new issues are identified and resolved, we will:
- Update the document
- Post announcements in the Community to keep everyone informed
Thank you again for your contributions—your input helps us continue improving and better support everyone.
4 -
I've often thought FS ought to have a "central document/book" with a Table of Contents; an Index; and a Glossary of both computer technical terms and Standard Genealogical Terms
1 -
And an explanation of how the indexing process works. Plus how the Support, Community, feedback, Abuse, and Suggest an Idea channels work, how they fit together, and what they can and can't be expected to deliver. It was only very recently that I realised that first line Support is staffed by volunteers.
2
