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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Stanwix England on Saturday 22 August 20 20:15 BST (UK)

Title: Personal website suggestions
Post by: Stanwix England on Saturday 22 August 20 20:15 BST (UK)
Hello,

I've started compiling my personal website which is a record of my family tree.

Naively, I thought writing it up would be the quick bit given I've done the research, but it's taking ages and I've only put three people on it so far.

I was hoping that someone would volunteer to have a look at it and see what you think before I go any further with the format that I am using.

Primarily what I want to know is, can users navigate the website easily and find what information they need - or is it too confusing?

Is the format easy to read or is it confusing?

Here is the link, I would really be very grateful for some feedback if anyone has the time.

Thank you!

https://wheldaleenglandfamilyhistory.wordpress.com/
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: IgorStrav on Saturday 22 August 20 20:34 BST (UK)
Firstly, and above all - Well Done!

I think it's very attractively laid out and I like the way you've set out the history of the three people you've done, and the photographs and other information are great.  The map, with the clickable links showing where people lived is also excellent.

If I had just one small point - once you've read a person's details, I think it would be good if you can make it absolutely clear how to get back to the first page again.  I know the small sign bottom left does that, but it might be good for those less experienced to have a note saying 'back to family tree' or some other message.

It is my ambition to do something like this one day, but I only have admiration for you creating such a great site.

 ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: Jebber on Saturday 22 August 20 21:00 BST (UK)
Congratulations, it is nicely laid out and I am sure others will like it also.

One small comment, on the “Who am I” page you seem to have left a word out,  “Hello, my is Ilona” you have missed out name
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: Stanwix England on Saturday 22 August 20 21:20 BST (UK)
Thank you IgorStrave and Jebber, I really appreciate your feedback it is all really useful and very helpful.

I'd say that I can't believe I missed that obvious typo, but it's exactly the sort of thing I'd do.  ;D

I will look into making it easy to navigate between pages.

It's actually fairly easy to put together on WordPress as I've just used their pre-made themes and blocks. The maps, timelines etc are all their premade blocks, you just have to fill the information in.

Thank you very much again for sharing your time.
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: Jebber on Saturday 22 August 20 22:01 BST (UK)
It’s the sort of slip up I would make. I have just been preparing an item for a local publication, each time I read through it I find the odd typo, partly caused by predictive text.

Good luck with your website. :)
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: guest189040 on Saturday 22 August 20 22:39 BST (UK)
Looking good

One question, why Wordpress?

There are sites like Tribal Pages that are specific for family trees.
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: Stanwix England on Saturday 22 August 20 22:45 BST (UK)
I wasn't aware of that one, tribal pages I mean. It looks good.
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: Ruskie on Saturday 22 August 20 23:05 BST (UK)
One thing Ihave noticed so far .... When scrolling the pages down to read more the text goes behind the title (Wheldale England Family History). I don’t know how easy it would be to put a solid block under the title so the words which scroll behind it aren’t visible? Not a deal breaker though.

Overall it looks good.  ;D
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: oldohiohome on Sunday 23 August 20 00:39 BST (UK)
Very nice site.

My advice, mainly, is to enjoy it. I put all my and my wife's families into a genealogy program which outputs webpages, so I uploaded them to my site. But then I have a "front" section of the site with articles about many of them and whatever else I feel like writing about as I go along.

When you put your tree online, you never know who will contact you with information (see below :) ). If you want to hear from them, put some contact information on the site - usually on the About Me page.

Unless you want to spend a lot of time on website security, stay on the wordpress.com site, as you are now. Stand-alone wordpress sites are favorite targets of hackers, usually through the plugins. Which is the reason I went to a flat .html format.

And here is John Dalton England's passenger manifest:

Arrived New York, February 10, 1907 on the SS Carmania, which left Liverpool February 2, 1907
John England, 27, a plasterer, born in Whitby,  England
last residence: Nottingham
destination: San Francisco
relative in the U.S.: uncle H* Short, Knox and Felton Street, University Heights, Mission, California
[or University Heights Mission, California]
has a ticket to his destination and is carrying money, but the amount is unreadable, presumably over $50, since that is the column header.
description: 5'6", dark complexion, dark hair, blue eyes

https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-details/czoxMjoiMTAxODg3MDUwMzM5Ijs=/czo4OiJtYW5pZmVzdCI7

It is free to view, but probably requires setting up an account.

* edited - that should be W Short. after rereading your article, I took another look and it is a "W"
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: Mowsehowse on Sunday 23 August 20 10:13 BST (UK)
So GOOD! Thunderous round of applause.
I am deeply impressed.
Clear and easy to read. Interesting and engaging.
Well done.

No wonder it is taking a long time to write up, but there is no rush probably. (And anyway, as fast as you think you have it all covered something else will emerge. Or at least it does for me!)

The banner heading "Wheldale England Family History" came all the way down the page as I was reading which probably shouldn't happen?
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: iluleah on Sunday 23 August 20 15:46 BST (UK)
Well done, it is simple and clear.   
Two comments one is you missed out 'name' which has already been picked up and the other is I found myself clicking on the picture to go into the tree, (instead of the title underneath) and I automatically did it for both trees, so it might be worth enabling the connection to the picture as well ( for us kinesthetic's out there)
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: IgorStrav on Sunday 23 August 20 18:28 BST (UK)
Well done, it is simple and clear.   
Two comments one is you missed out 'name' which has already been picked up and the other is I found myself clicking on the picture to go into the tree, (instead of the title underneath) and I automatically did it for both trees, so it might be worth enabling the connection to the picture as well ( for us kinesthetic's out there)

I also clicked on the picture, Iluleah!  So you're not alone, and that may be a good tip for Stanwix  ;)
Title: Re: Personal website suggestions
Post by: Stanwix England on Sunday 23 August 20 21:02 BST (UK)
Hi Everyone,

Thank you very much to everyone who has replied since I last logged in. I will take all your advice on board, especially the tips about security and the thing with the floating title. That irritates me too, I'm sure I can find a way to stop it from happening. Will also look at seeing if I can find a way to make the tree and the images clickable. Thank you very much for the hint about the Ellis Island website, I wasn't aware of that site at all and that information is super useful and I don't doubt I'll use the site again for other family members.

Thank you also for all the kind comments.