DISCOVERY PAGES

Dennis J Yancey · December 29, 2021

I know over the months there has been some (sometime highly emotional) discussion about DISCOVERY PAGES and how they often contain inaccurate or misleading information,

I assume there are valid issues of concern.

BUT I just ask myself - Are the Discovery pages going against the same set of data that Family Tree data pages are going against?? (apparently not) if not, why not?

If I make an correction to data in Family Tree - why would it not update the the Discovery Page correspondingly?

Seems with so many people bringing up this issue - there (might hopefully) be some plans in the works to make some adjustments?? If so -what?

Just seems like these Discovery pages were someone's neat idea that based on comments here in Community - seems to have backfired.

Obviously for someone's perspective there was a need - I just don't get why the two ways of looking at the data seem to be so out of sync (based on comments from past posts)

and what was the intent n the first place? why do we need a new "view" of things??

Dennis J Yancey · December 29, 2021

. . . and it just seems to me that FamilySearch should have had a better idea of the reception this would have had a long time ago . . .

why do so many things go into the live environment only to be called a 'disaster" by so many users

(the other was the major restructuring of the SEARCH records option)

I hope we can do much better at reading/reacting to user feedback .

I'm not just a complainer - I'm someone who wants to be part of the solution, to be part of the resolution.

BUT this really seems to be an area that FamilySearch keeps tripping up on again and again.

How can we all work together to do better?

Amy Archibald · December 30, 2021

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/fix-errors-on-a-family-tree-discovery-page

Dennis J Yancey · December 30, 2021

https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/416560#Comment_416560

Thanks

Time delay (as reported in that link) in the updating of the Discovery page seems to be the most likely factor of the reported issues (though I believe there are other significant issues)

again I just don't understand how this whole Discovery Page process design could have been made without a serious look at ensuring the pages are updated in a reasonable amount of time.

that flaw in design proved to be a serious backfire of the whole implementation and user acceptance along side other issues that have been reported.

Julia Szent-Györgyi · December 30, 2021

The names, dates, and places on Discovery pages do come from Family Tree -- but their selection and presentation very often make it seem like they've been picked out of thin air. Only one marriage is ever mentioned, and it's unclear how it's chosen. (No, it's not the "preferred" checkbox.) Weasel words ("at least") make the "life summary" always sound vaguely wrong, no matter how technically true. And the choice of standardized values instead of display values, while possibly useful in pointing out standardization errors, really only serves to confuse, especially given the delay between updates to Tree and updates to Discovery pages.

And then there's all the fluff that doesn't come from Tree, and cannot be influenced in any way by FamilySearch's users: "World Events" (apparently chosen and worded with maximum insult to the reader's intelligence in mind), "Name Meaning" (always either blank or wrong), and "Activities" (again full of insult to one's intelligence, on those rare occasions where they work).

So yeah, discovery pages are awful. Thankfully, once you dismiss them, you have to go actively searching in the bowels of FS to find them again, so they're easy enough to ignore.

SadlerAnn · February 15, 2022

The discovery pages are awful, full of inaccurate information based on peoples unsourced family trees. Unfortunately if you Google a name and get one of these discovery pages and are inexperienced at genealogy you may believe it all and so like ancestry trees bad and inaccurate information gets copied and believed.

Ann

MDRMT · February 15, 2022

Thank you for posting your concerns about Discovery Pages and asking about making corrections.

The following is relevant:

To fix errors on a Family Tree discovery page, create a free account on FamilySearch. Creating a FamilySearch account gets you access to a massive collection of genealogical records and tools, including access to the Family Tree.

Time needed to update discovery pages

To update the discovery page, you need to update the person's information in Family Tree. Please be aware that it can take some time for the discovery pages to be refreshed after you correct the information in Family Tree.

The following article adds more to the details above.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/search?q=Discovery+page+error+correction

Best wishes.

MJ04 · April 18, 2022

Family Tree discovery page does not show my father, my brothers and sisters. My mother’s life is not there at all. My family is not even recognized. Please give the subscriber the opportunity to correct the information and even a choice to opt out of this erroneous “discovery page”. That is not the life of my mother at all and I do resent the errors and lack of choice for the subscriber. Please remove this. I do not need to edit my tree. My father is on my tree married to my mother. Our families are precious to us. A digitized algorithm cannot write a synopsis of my mother’s life. These records are or were real people and not just data records.

Brett . · April 18, 2022

@MJ04

FYI

I am just another 'lowly' User/Patron ...

Just in passing ...

Regarding, the "Discovery Pages", in "Ancestor.FamilySearch" [ .org ] ...

I totally understand; where, you are coming from ...

And ...

Although, personally, in their CURRENT "Format", I wish, that the "Discovery Pages", in "Ancestor.FamilySearch" [ .org ], DID NOT exist; as, they have caused MUCH, concern; upset; angst; contempt; and, derision ...

I would not be, too concerned, with the "Discovery Pages" ...

Please be, aware and advised, that ...

IF, your, Father, Brothers and Sisters, are STILL "Living"; THEN, ...

▬ The "Discovery Pages", DO NOT, list/show "Living" individuals/persons

▬ We CANNOT (and, most likely WILL not/never be able to) "Edit", the actual "Discovery Pages"

▬ Currently, as far as I am aware, we can NO LONGER "Remove", the "Discovery Page" status of an Ancestor

Now ...

That Said ...

But, 'Yes', you are correct, the "Discovery Pages", in "Ancestors.FamilySearch", about our Ancestors, can be (and, often, are) riddled with errors; and, lets say (to be kind) somewhat 'misleading'.

Please be advised/aware, that ...

Often, what appears to be a perceived mistake, on the "Discovery Page", is just the way that the "Discovery Pages", displays information/detail, about the individual/person, from "Family Tree", of 'FamilySearch'.

The "Discovery Pages", in "Ancestors.FamilySearch", are ONLY, simply, to enable (SOME of) the individuals/persons, in "Family Tree", of 'FamilySearch', to be "Found" (ie. located), by ANYONE, doing a search on the INTERNET, for such an individuals/persons.

The "Discovery Pages", in "Ancestors.FamilySearch", are NOT any form of definitive "Resource" for Genealogy/Family History research.

The "Discovery Pages", in "Ancestors.FamilySearch", are simply to bring OTHERS, not aware of; or, already associated with, "Family Tree", of 'FamilySearch', TO discover 'FamilySearch'; and, especially, to enable them, to participate in, "Family Tree", of 'FamilySearch', if the so desire - nothing more, nothing less.

The "Family Tree" Part, of 'FamilySearch'; and, the "Discovery Pages", in "Ancestors.FamilySearch" [.org], of 'FamilySearch', are Two (x2) separate and distinct programmes.

The "Family Tree" Part, of 'FamilySearch' maintains the "Data".

Whereas, the "Discovery Pages", in "Ancestors.FamilySearch" [.org], of 'FamilySearch', 'Pulls' from, the "Family Tree" Part, of 'FamilySearch'.

Here are some of "Knowledge Articles", in 'FamilySearch':