RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: ankerdine on Saturday 28 July 12 21:08 BST (UK)
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I have just logged onto my GR site to check a "new contact". :)
There was a "voice over" advert for a type of painkiller - I will not stoop to say what it is. :P I couldn't get rid of it without closing the programme.
If this is the way they are going then I am definitely dropping out when my sub expires.
Whatever next? Oh, and they have removed the "Old Tree" possibility too, which I preferred.
Judy
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Perhaps its the way your computer is set up and its allowing pop ups. (I have just been on there and it didn't happen to me)
Try posting on the technical board and someone may avise how to check if your computer is allowing pop ups and how to stop it, or what else it may be
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I did n't get a voice over one. Alot of the sites are putting pop adverts on and are difficult to get rid of particularly the flashing ones.
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Everytime I log into Genes, it seems to have changed. I can't see my old tree either, which I preferred. There seems to be a 'open panel' sign today that I have never seen before. No voice over though.
Carol
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Thanks for your replies one and all. The Nurofen ad seems to have gone now. You have to enable popups though, don't you, to see some of the content. It had never happened before which is strange.
I'll try again.
Judy
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The "new, improved" family tree feature on GR is a disaster.
GR keep sending me possible matches which in some cases are not even names on my tree.
The "Hot Matches" sometimes don't match at all and are difficult to work through.
Can't see any improvement in the new version of the site and am thinking seriously about not renewing my subscription.
I can see that free sites such as RootsChat need to get cash from somewhere to support the site, but don't see why fee-paying sites like GR need to bombard us with ads.
Gillg >:(
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I did decide to renew mine this year as i have a fellow volunteer researcher who has links with me and thats the only site he's on but i think i will not renew next year, i will make sure its on my ancestry one. Probably is i like the horizontal views of trees. I am fed up of all the hot matches, most are n't relevant . I did see a old tree sign. I can always send a ged com to my fellow researcher, he uses the free legacy edition. I will give get my tree up to date on there so he can down load anything or give him a copy on disc. I used to get loads of contacts at one time from there.
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Don't forget that GR is currently owned by ITV, so they believe that if we are not watching ads all the time they are failing to do their job.
I have noticed a couple of other sites recently are running ads with sound attached. There may be others, but I commonly run my laptop with the sound turned off.
I am willing to put up with a reasonable amount of advertising on sites. I'll even put up with a bit of animation, but GR seems to push videos, which eat up my monthly allocation of bytes, and recently sound has started to appear. What appears on your screen generally only annoys you. What is pushed through your speakers annoys everyone around, and you get the blame. The better sites have "click to see more" or even "click for sound". Just shoving stuff out of your speakers is worse than typing in ALL CAPS. It is literally SHOUTING.
GR has deteriorated in other ways too. Has anyone else noted that the area into which you can type a message has been reduced so that it is less than that of an ordinary "banner" ad? I tried sending them a message about it, but the screen for contacting those running the site had over 75% by area given over to ads, not counting the website name.
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Don't forget that GR is currently owned by ITV ...
ITV sold Genes Reunited to brightsolid in August 2009 ... it didn't improve anything.
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What is so funny is that, on the actual GR website, the Blog facility contains nearly 100% complaints about the new Family Tree? Why don't they take notice and allow us to view the old one. Sounds like they have followed the path of Family Search!
Judy
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GR has deteriorated in other ways too. Has anyone else noted that the area into which you can type a message has been reduced so that it is less than that of an ordinary "banner" ad? I tried sending them a message about it, but the screen for contacting those running the site had over 75% by area given over to ads, not counting the website name.
You can resize the message box. Grab the bottom right corner and change it to a size that pleases you. :)
I've never noticed that many adds on GR - just a banner at the top and bottom, and one at the right. If it keeps costs of subscriptions down I don't really mind. There are browser addons that can make ads invisible... ;)
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Blimey! - They've changed it again, this time for the better. The ads seem to have been removed - just a single banner ad is left!
The message box is now fixed at 8 lines (not resizeable), which is much better than before.
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I ditched GR a few years ago, GR is one of the worst sites and only suitable for real beginners. Their search engine is pathetic and you can't even search by member name or number. I did suggest that GR stipulate who are current members so at least you know you stand a chance with a reply. My contact messages reached over 300+ without any reply whatsoever. GR wouldn't agree to the active member suggestion as people would then see the site is not that popular and maybe advertisers would desert them. I had enough so pulled the plug, and have also noticed the minimum membership fee has increased by 33% since I ceased.
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I've just got to agree with Hercule ....... I too left them a few years ago for the same reasons and I keep getting these 'come on' messages about possible links to my tree(s) which are so 'old hat' that it is laughable to say the very least.