What is Ancestry playing at now?

[Bob Spiers]

the icons and photos are circular and nothing is missing.

An example of an ancestor depicted in family tree mode with a female icon is 'circular' but is referred to as 'teardrop' by its shape.
But in profile mode it reverts to 'square'(as previous)


Although the examples are not actual photos the same applies when they are.

I have few photos in Ancestry, but where I do have them they are shown the same and I have none where detail is lost because of the 'teardrop' shape.

 

[Katie Bee]

When I click on a tree from the drop down menu and look in Family View this is what I now get.


If a photo was there then part of it is now missing for example

This is what was annoying my sister in law so much, as she will have to go and reposition her photos so that they show a whole face for example.

 

[At home in NZ]

When I click on a tree from the drop down menu and look in Family View this is what I now get.
View attachment 2067

If a photo was there then part of it is now missing for example
View attachment 2068
This is what was annoying my sister in law so much, as she will have to go and reposition her photos so that they show a whole face for example.

But will she? What do the photos look like in the Gallery? If they are 'normal' she won't.

 

[At home in NZ]

An example of an ancestor depicted in family tree mode with a female icon is 'circular' but is referred to as 'teardrop' by its shape. View attachment 2062
But in profile mode it reverts to 'square'(as previous)
View attachment 2063

Although the examples are not actual photos the same applies when they are.

I have few photos in Ancestry, but where I do have them they are shown the same and I have none where detail is lost because of the 'teardrop' shape.

I was referring to the images/icons in Family Group Sheet, they are circular, not teardrop.

 

[canadianbeth]

On the Ancestry website, my tree shows pictures as more rectangular or square, definitely not circular or teardrop.

 

[Bob Spiers]

I was referring to the images/icons in Family Group Sheet, they are circular, not teardrop.

OK I yield, as obviously as I cannot find any icon or photo circular (ie non teardrop)on ANCESTRY - how do I locate a Family Group Sheet because it seems I do not use same. If I can view same perhaps mine too will be circular.

EDIT: Ok found it and as I thought, they also are teardrop - cant copy/paste in edit so see next post

 

[At home in NZ]

OK I yield, as obviously as I cannot find any icon or photo circular (ie non teardrop) - how do I locate a Family Group Sheet because it seems I do not use same. If I can view same perhaps mine too will be circular.

Go to a Profile, click on the tree name at top left of screen and you will see a drop down with 'Family group sheet' at the bottom of the list, click on it. It will then show you the parents, date of marriage and a list of children.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Sorry and am shedding tears but none circular - we must have different Ancestry versions

 

[PhilGee]

But will she? What do the photos look like in the Gallery? If they are 'normal' she won't.

Part of the picture displayed is lost due to the cropping of the original to fit the new "shape". The only way to recover is to adjust the original so that the face is not in the area removed by the cropping algorithm.

 

[Katie Bee]

But will she?

The only way to recover is to adjust the original so that the face is not in the area removed by the cropping algorithm.

I think that is what she was hoping to do. She said it took a while to get the photos displaying how she wanted in the first place.

 

[At home in NZ]

This is utterly ridiculous on the part of Ancestry, we should all be seeing the same view regardless of which 'version' we use.
Furthermore, we should not have to manipulate our photos to suit some shape that Ancestry has decided on without any consultation whatsoever with us, the users.

 

[peter]

we should all be seeing the same view regardless of which 'version' we use

It's how most websites test new features.

Furthermore, we should not have to manipulate our photos to suit some shape that Ancestry has decided on without any consultation whatsoever with us, the users.

This is the consultation. If there are sufficient people who object they will either roll back the change or make amendments based in the feedback.

I would certainly not recommend changing your photos - it wouldn't be that difficult for Ancestry to do it themselves.

 

[At home in NZ]

It's how most websites test new features.

This is the consultation. If there are sufficient people who object they will either roll back the change or make amendments based in the feedback.

I would certainly not recommend changing your photos - it wouldn't be that difficult for Ancestry to do it themselves.

Seeing as my view is no different means I get no say in the matter, that is NOT consultation.

 

[peter]

I get no say in the matter, that is NOT consultation.

If you want to have a say, contact Customer Services.

 

[Katie Bee]

If you want to have a say, contact Customer Services.

Is there any way of contacting Ancestry that is not "Chat", "WhatsApp" or "Phone"?

 

[Bob Spiers]

Seeing as my view is no different means I get no say in the matter, that is NOT consultation.

I hate to say this, but Ancestry (and they are not alone) do NOT consult as you imagine they should do. They re-design, re-organise, re-vamp (and as many 're's' as you can envisage) and test it on their customers on a win some (hopefully a majority) and lose little basis.

Their motives will be to improve on the facilities/services they offer and hopefully steal a march on their rivals. Be sure they will have tested the waters producing prototypes, taking in-house and professional advice, but there is unlikely to be any advance promotional notice given, unless they think it will gain them kudos.

They will of course have QA (Quality Assurance) practices in place where complaints and complimentary remarks or suggestions are duly noted and fed to the appropriate department, likewise those received via Customer Feedback. Evaluation will take place and after that everything will hinge on 'pros and cons'. But there will have to be a heck of a 'con' vote before anything changes. It is sadly the way of the world.

 

[PhilGee]

If you go to Family History Support , under "Phone" there is "If you would prefer to send us an email, please click here."

 

[PhilGee]

Their motives will be to improve on the facilities/services they offer and hopefully steal a march on their rivals.

In this case, what have they done to "Improve" anything? Recent changes have been "for the sake of change", with an element of "let's make it pretty"! Other than that it quite clearly (at least) irritates a number of customers. Functionally, the only changes recently seem to be detrimental and fully untested.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Part of the picture displayed is lost due to the cropping of the original to fit the new "shape". The only way to recover is to adjust the original so that the face is not in the area removed by the cropping algorithm.

Quite a few years back -early 2000's - I decided to treat myself and my sisters by sending and paying for an Ancestry Family Poster (it had a different name back them but I see that is what they call them today).


It was more elaborate and larger than the example I show (depending on the number of generations to be depicted) and included photo inserts up to Grandparents and noting without photos (or icons) back to 2nd Great Grandparents.

Imagine by horror when receiving them and noting they had beheaded my paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather

(My Poster has been hanging in the Hall for years and has drawn comment over the years about these only half revealed grandparents, and I have attempted to photo and show the poor unfortunates so badly treated below)



Of course they appear fine in my Ancestry Tree - and still do even in tear drop format - to this day, although I have since changed the photo of my granddad to one taken in WW1 army uniform; but grandma still has the same photo. I never did attempt to get a new poster but if I did I would make sure they were all 'head shots' and luckily my Tribal Pages allows to do this so they get displayed as such. They also offer Family Posters at a price, but a fair bit dearer than those Ancestry produce.

 

[Bob Spiers]

In this case, what have they done to "Improve" anything? Recent changes have been "for the sake of change", with an element of "let's make it pretty"! Other than that it quite clearly (at least) irritates a number of customers. Functionally, the only changes recently seem to be detrimental and fully untested.

What you say does not just rest on Ancestry shoulders. It is typical of almost anything sold to and used by the public. How many times do we see 'NEW' formula or NEW packaging which are all ersatz ways of catching the eye. Before a price increase it is standard practice to provide an 'increased content' offer, before reverting to standard content at an increased price or reduced content at the old price. One has to be supremely confident of one's product not to engage in such deceptions and supermarkets do the same combining price increases with changed packaging and/or changed shelf layouts.

I was once aware of such 'trade' practices (as a managerial employee) and knew some branches would discount goods, based on the higher prices charge elsewhere, before hitting the customer nationwide with price increases. Often package enhancements are made or subtle changes to design just to disguise what essentially are ways to increase prices.

Such things fool some of the people all the the time, or all the people some of the time. But they went on then as they do now. Ancestry are no different...so be aware of impending price increases.