We need an easy visual way to know that a person has discussions posted on them
Answers
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Mary Urban said: Yes, I think brguest's suggestion is excellent. We shouldn't have to wonder and click every individual to find discussions. Hopefully this need will be addressed soon! We are frustrated with the lack of action on this obviously important issue.0
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DianneKerr said: When I put items up for discussion they seem to be not reviewed. Is there a way to flag or highlight that items are listed in discussion so they won't be ignored?
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Discussions.0 -
Margaret Faye French said: on New Family Search could discussions please be flagged prehaps similar to how disputes were.
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Flag discussions in NFS.0 -
Loni Gayle Gardner said: When people use the Discussion area, could the the word Discussion be another color or highlighted to show there is information there?
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Discussion.0 -
Elizabeth L Nichols said: Suggestion:
Would it be feasible to have an asterisk (*) or other symbol appear beside the term “Discussion” and /or “Notes” when something has been typed in that field? (Not just system generated; but put there by a thinking, human person)?
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Notify users when a discussion or note has been added by use of a symbol.0 -
Dale Charles Buechele said: Maybe the word "Discussions" could flash if there are discussions present or you could put a number beside "Discussions" to show how many discussions have been posted.0
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Dianne Kilburn said: I would like the "Discussions" button to have some star or other indicator appear letting the patron know there are discussion items to consider.
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Discussions Alert Symbol.0 -
Alison Pack said: There seems to be considerable interest in "flagging" an active Discussion. We need more input from familysearch as to where they stand currently on advancing this needed feature.0
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Mary Urban said: Yes, we really would like to hear when we can expect to see this feature. I'm not trying to use FamilySearch until this happens. It is far too frustrating!0
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rotkapchen said: For me the bigger issue has always been what is 'in' the discussion potentially impacting someone who is attempting to combine records. I just got done reviewing the document "The Case for Moving to 'Our Tree'" https://help.familysearch.org/kb/guid.... It is not clear from this document exactly what the architectural design decision has been for the entire concept of combined records.
As well, discussions is entirely architecturally unstable, because in the current design a discussion is attached to but 1 record. If that record gets separated out -- the discussion goes with it. In some cases this would be desired, in other cases, not.0 -
Katherine Anne Evans said: It is great that there is a place for discussion on each individual in the FAMILY SEARCH PERSON TOOLS (in the share data tab). But unless you click that button each time, there is no indication whether or not a discussion is enclosed. I would like to see the button change color (or some other indicator) to show that a discussion has begun on the individual.
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Discussion Tab in the Share Data Screen.0 -
Christine Campbell said: When I add data to New Family Search, I always include sources and notes. Additionally, I have initiated discussions when I have had information that would clarify or vary from the standard fields on New Family Search. I think that it would be helpful if there were an icon appended to the individual's name in the family tree, similar in nature to the one that indicates multiple spouses, that indicated that there were specific notes and discussions. I know that the Discussion field is pretty obvious but the addition of an icon in the family tree space, which redundent would still be helpful.
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Icons are easy..0 -
Tom Decker said: All of the commentsa and suggestions support my needs. The flag for discussions would be nice in the family tree, but at least something on the Discussion tab itself seems like the minimum that needs to be done.0
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Denise Marie Sorensen said: I agree. Perhaps the word "Discussion" could be changed to "Active" when there is a discussion in place. Others, not realizing there is a discussion in place, could inadvertently merge wrong families, have incorrect people sealed, etc. I hope this becomes a reality soon.0
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Annette Crowley Berger said: If we're going to be able to collaborate and get things right, we've got to have some way to know there is information in the discussion area. without always having to check -- I don't always remember to do that. Hope this is a serious consideration.0
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Richard Bitter said: I agree with all the comments. I hope, I think that something is in the works to accomplish this.
Another improvement that I would like to see (and it should be a simple one) is to give us the contact information for anyone combining or separating records. Contact information is supplied for all other changes and additions of information. The Watch feature tells me when records are combined or separated and who did the combination or separation...it would be a simple matter to just add their contact information to at least the watch notification. The contact information is already in the system.0 -
rotkapchen said: Actually, Denise you raise a really good point as to why discussions is a really bad design for the whole aspect of managing for merges -- you have absolutely no notice of the content or access to it while doing merges.
For now the only way to manage to this is the workaround: Details - [Lower Left] Add Information - [Lower Right] Personal Facts: Other - Title="Do Not Combine" or "Combine Carefully", Description=[the issue].
Since the description area is so small I will add a note to check the discussion, which is where I put more details/links.
All notes added here appear in the "Combine Records" Panels, so you see them when you're combining records.0 -
Lauri Ann Massey said: Totally agree with that one. WITHOUT this the button is worthless.
Also for notes and sources
This also is kind of a DUH thing - i think
NEEDS somekind of a FLAG to say IM HERE read me0 -
Alison Pack said: I feel it is time for some sort of statement from New
FamilySearch on this. The perceived need and frustration has been going on for a long time, and I don't remember reading any official response. It is difficult to imagine a reason for this.0 -
rotkapchen said: Here's what I don't understand (this and any number of other 'basics' that we're still waiting for). These are the sorts of things that can be done in a week -- 2 months at most. What exactly is going on behind the scenes that this stuff takes so long to 'fix'. Seriously?
Moreso (a problem that I've brought up to the Tech group repeatedly) where are the designers to help avoid these problems in the first place?0 -
Alison Pack said: Agree wholeheartedly!0
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rotkapchen said: Ah there's the problem "the programmers look at all the suggestions". Programmers are NOT the right resource to be deciding what needs to be prioritized and how.0
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Mary Susan (Carlson) Scott said: I agree. Where IS the official response about the need to improve the discussion tab? It sure would be good to read some insights from NFS support.0
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Daniel Rick Jones said: Until NFS changes the discussions tab from a passive feature (i.e. nothing) to an active feature (i.e. grabs the attention of other researchers) I refuse to participate in it --- honestly, what's the point?0
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Rex Wayne Shumway said: I believe the programmer's highest priority for now may be to get the www.familysearch.org Tree released to replace new.familysearch.org. It will be a big change and requires much effort. Perhaps then we will get an improved Discussion feature.0
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rotkapchen said: Daniel: I feel your pain. I decided to make the most of a bad situation, I simply use it for my own notes because I lose track of things. It's a great place to store the online links that I need to the data that proves a point that needs to be made in the case of really messed up relationships -- or relationships that need some serious 'splainin.
If I really want to get someone's attention I change the name itself (only for records that I've separated that are so wrong no one should be using them) for a visual cue (something NFS disagrees with, but until there's an alternative...), and I put notes in "Details - Add Information - Personal Facts, Other" so that it appears very clearly in both the combine screens and in the "Combined Records" display.0 -
Daniel Rick Jones said: I'm a little wary of them moving ahead with these grand projects without ironing all the defects out of this 'beta' program (which, at times, feels more 'alpha' than 'beta'). But then again, I'm just a heckler that wishes for real quality instead of flashy newness.0
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Daniel Rick Jones said: Rotkapchen: that's actually a fairly good idea --- one would hope that even those blaring flags would stop wholesale merging of anyone the computer brings up as a possibility. As for now, I've actually resigned NFS to the "for temple work use only" --- it's way too flawed for me to actually trust any of my real data, or to spend any of my time cleaning when the sloppy work of someone who comes after me makes all my work for nothing. I have hope that one day, it will be a program that will generate far more positive responses than negative ones, but based on the speed at which even mundane requests for enhancement (like this one, which to me doesn't seem that difficult) take, I have no real hopes that this will happen even within the next five years. Of course, I'd love for NFS to prove me wrong, but better to have no expectations than to have them continually dashed (which happened for me with NFS about 6 months ago)0
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rotkapchen said: Daniel: I use it for temple work too (even though Support regularly tries to remind me of same as if I had some other agenda -- accusations are never useful). The challenge is, that the records are such a mess, there really is no way to know what work has been done or hasn't been done until it gets cleaned up. I wish we had access to our statistics, so I could show how many hundreds of hours I have logged into the system working on cleaning up the data.
Just yesterday, I unraveled one of the 'automatically merged' records (that's where the problems first started), to take apart at least 5 different men and in the process found a family floating in the middle of nowhere, with no connections to anyone else and no duplicates to be found -- and none of their work was done -- and it never would have been if I'd left them trapped in the mess. I quickly added them to my list even though I don't know who they are -- if they were trapped in my family, I figure it was for me to find them.
It's scenarios like this that make it all worthwhile for me. And all the other time I spend, helps me to get to know my family better so that when I meet them all, I will remember the circumstances of their relationships and the commonalities that encourage the errors (husband/wife pairs of same names 3 generations apart -- the wives both have fathers of the same name -- you can't make this stuff up).0 -
JNowak said: In my opinion....
there is more than one answer to this. Yes the discussions tab needs to have a number (representing the number of discussions) or an asterisk next to it. But also education is needed. People need to be educated on the correct order and use of the information on NFS. I am trying to do something about that. I am teaching classes on the correct way to use the program and in the proper order. I have had excellent response to it. And those who have learned it are teaching it to there family and friends. This is the only thing that will stop the uneducated combining and changing and not adding notes, sources, etc. The programmers will always continue to improve the program, but until the users of it learn how to utilize it effectively it will remain a mess. My classes are not about 'what happens when you click this'. It is about working in logical order and using the program correctly to fulfill the purpose it is being written for. They have been highly effective classes with really great response. Each one of them have had that 'A-ha!' moment. Education is essential.0
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