Poor Sit with Poor Assistance by the Family Search Team

LegacyUser

Robert Deming said: I have attempted to use this site. It is a very poorly laid out and managed site. I would suggest that people that wish to actually use a heritage site use another that is much less difficult to use. I find it astonishing that it is used at all.

LegacyUser

A van Helsdingen said: If you have constructive suggestions, then please write them. Simply saying the website is "poor" is unhelpful.

FamilySearch has the most historical records of any genealogy website, has the FamilySearch Family Tree with over 1 billion people- much bigger than the competition, and it is free unlike many of its competitors, so it has distinct advantages.

It is also funded entirely by donations, and many aspects of the site depend entirely on volunteers. It is therefore not always as well resourced as the commercial websites.

LegacyUser

Robert Deming said: It may have the most historical records, but if you can't locate any of them, then what is the purpose. Perhaps you could give a suggestion on how to actually locate a person on the website. I only people that I can locate are the actual people that I added. I fought for years to be able just to be able to make my father, my father instead of my brother. That is one of the problems that I have. I cannot rectify mistakes that are in the information that I locate. That is not an aspect or volunteers, that is a major failure.

LegacyUser

Gordon Collett said: If you give a specific example of someone you cannot find who you know is in the website and whether you are trying to find them in the Historical Records databases or in Family Tree, someone probably can identify why you are having problems and show how to accomplish what you are trying to do

A problem with your father showing as your brother sounds like you are referring to Family Tree but FamilySearch is such a huge site with so many types and sources of information, without knowing exactly what section of the website you are working in and exactly what you are trying to do, it's impossible to address your concerns.

What you probably should have done long ago, before all the pandemic closures, was to go to your local Family History Library for free, one-on-one help in using the site. They will be open again some day and you will be able to then.

Another option is to spend some time with the Family History Guide website and work through it at https://www.thefhguide.com/

LegacyUser

A van Helsdingen said: FamilySearch has billions of historical records. If you go to "Search" at the top of the page, then "Records", you are taken to a search engine. However many records cannot be found there, for those go to the "Catalog", and search by place name. The Catalog has every record FamilySearch has. The search engine has only the records that have been transcribed and put into a database.

The FamilySearch Family Tree (FSFT) is a "one-world" tree, meaning it is a single tree for all humanity. The idea is that everyone is listed just once. This is unlike other websites where individuals create their own, separate, family trees.

To search in the FSFT, go to "Family Tree", then "Find"

LegacyUser

Robert Wren said: Robert, Welcome to the users' forum for the FamilySearch Tree

As Gordon suggested: You might try learning some more of the FS Tree by following some of the lessons in the approved FH Guide:

https://www.thefhguide.com/ "Your free learning, research, training, & activities center for family history"