Have Ancestry been messing with 'Messaging' again?

[scotmum]

Just double checking it isn't an issue with my browser. Have disliked the new Messaging system since they introduced it. Anyhow, towards end of this week have noticed:

a) formatting has gone awol - typed paragraphs don't appear as such after sending (and presumably on receipt too), in longer messages this makes for awful presentation and will no doubt put even more people off bothering to reply. From memory this was also happening in early days of their new system, but was then sorted.

b) option to search messages by keyword content has gone - now only letting me search by contact name (previously allowed for either, even since new system came about), which is often useless as it rarely matches the subject name of person you are enquiring and/or offering help on.

Before I contact them, is anyone else here finding same? I was sure both were working fine early last week or late the previous week, but could be mistaken.

[Ray T]

I get the impression that Ancestry is currently a case of the blind leading the deaf! I've had no problem sending or receiving messages in the last week but I am having other issues (weird pop-ups appearing amongst the messages). It's the same on both my desktop and iPad so it must be something to do with their website and I thought I'd raise it with them.

Once I'd fought my way through their messaging system - "You seem to be having difficulty inputting your password?" etc. their contraption agreed that I could speak to an "agent" and that I was No.3 in the queue. Twenty minutes later, I'd gone from No.3 to No.4 - explain that! - I then went back to 3, then 2 then1 and two hours later they decided that they had no agents available.

Pathetic! 

[PrawnCocktail]

Everything was fine (if slow to load), until earlier this week. Then I couldn't access the page - it would start to load, and then tell me it was unavailable. I can get in if I clear cache and cookies, log back in, and try again. Then I can read and reply to one message. Refresh to get a new message, and the whole circus has to start again.

Both windows and Firefox have updated this week, which is all that's different at this end.

Mercifully, I can get in on the app.

I reported this to Ancestry, but the next thing I got was an email asking how I'd got on with their message to me, which I never received!

[scotmum]

Thanks for feedback so far. Yes, reporting anything to Ancestry can be a bit hit or miss and takes the patience of a saint.

RayT, gosh, I thought something had appeared in middle of a message last night too, but blinked and it was gone, so doubted myself. Your comment now makes me think it must have done.

[melba_schmelba]

Everything was fine (if slow to load), until earlier this week. Then I couldn't access the page - it would start to load, and then tell me it was unavailable. I can get in if I clear cache and cookies, log back in, and try again. Then I can read and reply to one message. Refresh to get a new message, and the whole circus has to start again.

Both windows and Firefox have updated this week, which is all that's different at this end.

Mercifully, I can get in on the app.

I reported this to Ancestry, but the next thing I got was an email asking how I'd got on with their message to me, which I never received!

Exactly the same experience, but so used to it being flaky I haven't contacted. I think they put 99% of their efforts into the App, which is probably completely perverse as the majority of their userbase probably still prefers browser access.

[scotmum]

(weird pop-ups appearing amongst the messages).

Yikes, went back to check on a message I sent to a member a few days ago, suggesting they try What Are The Odds....and another message I suggested trying Scotlandspeople for a record...look what's on the messages now:

[scotmum]

Mmmmmm....their help pages still say you can search by a keyword from content as well as by contact's name:

[magnacarta]

I've had trouble as well!!!!! All my messages marked read on one particular day,even the messages sent years ago and had never been read. Wierd pop ups also. Contacted Ancestry,  last message from them ask me to phone as they could not understand what had gone wrong apparently they cannot go into the messages themselves.

[scotmum]

Just sent another message to someone today, in which I was suggesting various sites, including Rootschat, that might be helpful to them.

 It would seem that if you now place a  website address in the body of the message, once you hit send, the address detail is left as is  within the message and a rather large in my opinion clickable picture box (per examples in previous post above), is added above the message. If you then click on same, a warning pops up that says "Leaving Ancestry. This link is taking you outside of Ancestry.com and may not be safe." and asks if you want to proceed or return. The daft thing is, the address left as is within the message remains clickable and when clicked, gives same warning, so why even the need for adding the clickable picture links above the message too.

All good and well that Ancestry are trying to look after your online safety, but in the example I gave, I had added about 5 website addresses, resulting in recipient seeing five clickable picture links immediately before the body of my message. I suspect many recipients might be confused and/or wary at this point and not even bother to then scroll down to see there is a message beneath.

It can be hard enough to encourage contacts to reply without adding this (and the awful formatting or rather lack of that is now back) to the mix.

I've had trouble as well!!!!! All my messages marked read on one particular day,even the messages sent years ago and had never been read. Wierd pop ups also. Contacted Ancestry,  last message from them ask me to phone as they could not understand what had gone wrong apparently they cannot go into the messages themselves.

Oh dear, have checked and all my messages have also changed to 'read' now too. Maybe they thought too many people were being put off sending messages as so many go un-read that they decided to change their status to let us think they have been read.