Changes to the FamilySearch website

[CBHagman]

Poll question: Changes to the FamilySearch website

Okay, it's clear I've devoted too little time to genealogy the past few months. I was clicking on links on various Irish-themed genealogical websites and somehow wound up back at FamilySearch, which I hadn't visited in I don't know how long.

What a shock! They've yanked the instant search boxes right off the homepage and now have all sorts of tutorials, videos, slowly loading pages, etc.

In short, I feel as though I have to jump through hoops.

For those of you have used it, do you...

[Rosie1223]

1. Link?

I see the search boxes on the homepage.

https://www.familysearch.org/

I haven't used the site in a while, either, but am not seeing what you are seeing.

:hi:

[CBHagman]

2. That's not what I saw last night.

I approached the site in a roundabout way, from a few Irish genealogy websites, and wound up in this...this thing with links to a blog, tutorials, videos, yada, yada, yada, but no search boxes.

However, I see by your link that they've just updated on April 27th, so I guess that answers my question. There were oodles of angry postings about the new website.

[iverglas]

5. that one - go directly there

When you click on "advanced search" on that start page you get essentially the same thing as the old IGI search.

Click on "relationship" to specify parents or spouse, and then you can enter names in those boxes.

There's also a box for the batch number if you want to search by batch.

The convenient thing is that once you get a list of search results, there is "new search" in the upper left that you click and that opens a search form right there alongside the search results with all the same boxes as the advanced search form, with the search criteria that you used pre-entered so you can alter it.

I am actually warming to it. I particularly like not having to leave the search results and go back to the search page/form to start over.


edit

Just noticed the date on the OP. ;)

Yes, back then, the pilot.familysearch was clunky and annoying, and I hadn't tried the beta version of familysearch itself, so I don't know how it was.

But as of this past week I've been sent from pilot to the link in the post I replied to -- so for anybody who hasn't tried it in the last few days, give it a shot and you will probably grow to like it quickly. I'm very change-resistant and I do.

[riverwalker]

3. hate the changes!!! n/t

[csziggy]

4. I've just started using the site

So I have no comparison but the search seems inconsistent. One time I found a screen that let me enter more parameters. Then many of those choices were gone, even when I selected Advanced Search.

The biggest problem I have is figuring out how to list the information from indexes. Is most of the information you find a way to list the fiche or microfilm so you can request them at the local LDS libararies? It certainly is not sufficient information for a full source listing.

It probably does not help that most of what I located the first time around are 1500-1800 parish records from Cheshire, England and similar records.

Also how do I tell if there are images of those records available? Would it be better just to go straight to the British site BMD and order actual copies?