The dreaded change of Ancestry

[msr]

So you entered their place of birth as simply "Leeds", rather than "Leeds, Yorkshire, England"?!

Why should it matter if I did?  Leeds, Yorkshire should be enough in my opinion, but then it is only mine, and I'm sticking to it.  Even Leeds on it's own should be left how it is, and not changed by some know-it-all, whether human or machine.

[california dreamin]

I haven't looked yet...I've been avoiding it.

Wish me luck

[KGarrad]

Ancestry hasn't changed your data at all! (Check the Profile of that person if you don't believe me!)

BUT when it displays the details, Ancestry defaults to North American place-names - well, Ancestry IS an American company

Leeds, Yorkshire might be OK in a UK-based FH program.
But Ancestry is worldwide! Leeds could be anywhere!!

[BumbleB]

BUT you HAVE/NEED to qualify the location:

I live in Tamworth, Staffordshire - there's one in NSW
I used to live in Rainham, Kent - there's one in Essex - just across the river
Rainham, Kent is near Gillingham, Kent - there's another Gillingham in Dorset
Cowes, Isle of Wight - there's another on Phillip Island in Australia
Canterbury, Kent - there's another in New Zealand

And, on and on and on!!

Don't blame Ancestry or any other worldwide website.     We all have our own idea of where somewhere is located, so why should you deny someone else of their idea of where somewhere is?

Added:  AND having lived in Kent I forgot about Leeds in Kent  - wonderful castle 

[LizzieL]

My big problem is the way the search has changed. With old Ancestry search if you ticked the box for exact match on a surname, that is what you got. Now if I tick "exact match" it is totally ignored and I get thousands of hits, some nothing like the name.

[KGarrad]

My big problem is the way the search has changed. With old Ancestry search if you ticked the box for exact match on a surname, that is what you got. Now if I tick "exact match" it is totally ignored and I get thousands of hits, some nothing like the name.

Sorry?
That's simply not true!

The "new" Ancestry (i.e. as of today) has NOT changed the search functionality one iota.
Use the sliders if necessary to increase the exactness.

[california dreamin]

Hi all,

Okay - I've looked now.  When I logged in I had a last fleeting view of the old site...and then it changed. I'm not impressed but as a lot of people have said I suppose you get used to it. I find it very 'dumbed' down. It seems to mimic the FindMyPast site 'Lives of the First World War' somewhat in the timeline formula. But somehow the military information seems to fit this style. I wondered if the big changes were so that the site is now more compatible with use on android & digital devises via an app?

What I did wonder was have they now done away with the 'discussion' platform?  I couldn't find it.  I don't use it that much but sometimes it is useful to look through.

Thanks
CD

[KGarrad]

Do you mean the Message Boards?

Click on "Help", and then "Message Boards".

[LizzieL]

My big problem is the way the search has changed. With old Ancestry search if you ticked the box for exact match on a surname, that is what you got. Now if I tick "exact match" it is totally ignored and I get thousands of hits, some nothing like the name.

Sorry?
That's simply not true!

The "new" Ancestry (i.e. as of today) has NOT changed the search functionality one iota.
Use the sliders if necessary to increase the exactness.

I put in Livermore (surname exact match) and I am getting additional surnames not all even starting with L.