Ancestry and Chrome

[Susan]

Today, the search results were back defaulting to 20 results. So I emailed Ancestry. Their reply:

"Ancestry is aware of this issue. Unfortunately we do no have a timeline for it being fixed."


It look as though we'll have to put up with this for the foreseeable future. At least we do have the option to change it, unlike Find My Past.

 

[Pauline]

"Ancestry is aware of this issue. Unfortunately we do no have a timeline for it being fixed."

I've had more than a few responses like that, and there are some issues I raised with them years ago that still haven't been fixed.

However, I am wondering if they may be in the process of changing their search results page. One search I did earlier today was telling me at the bottom how many pages of results there were, and there was a drop-down to jump straight to a particular page. I don't remember seeing this before, and I'm still not seeing it in other searches.

 

[peter]

At least we do have the option to change it, unlike Find My Past.

But at Findmypast you have a lot of control over how the results are sorted - at Ancestry you're at their mercy.

 

[Bob Spiers]

I do have the Kaspersky extension for Chrome, though Chrome keeps warning me that it's a security risk.

Only just found this topic, and reading through came across your note about Chrome & Kaspersky. I actually have been getting a message from Chrome (under its Setting heading) advising me to delete a program it considers a security risk; that program it reveals as Kaspersky! Of course I ignore it but now having had that some half dozen times, I am beginning to tire, OF CHROME because Kaspersky stays. Safari gives no such message, nor Edge for that matter & cannot speak for Firefox as I no longer use it.

By the way none of that relates to Ancestry but on that score I can say that since removing cookies, things have improved with only the odd gremlin thrown up. I can however empathise with Pauline who seems to have had the 'Ancestry' book thrown at her.

 

[peter]

I am beginning to tire, OF CHROME because Kaspersky stays. Safari gives no such message, nor Edge for that matter

Might be a big mistake - a quick check suggests there isn't a Kaspersky extension for Safari ( running on a PC) or Edge, so that might be why you're not getting any warning messages from those browsers.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Might be a big mistake - a quick check suggests there isn't a Kaspersky extension for Safari ( running on a PC) or Edge, so that might be why you're not getting any warning messages from those browsers.

Of late I have grown quite fond of Chrome, so will not lightly discard but for Chrome to decide Kaspersky is a security risk is pure nonsense; at best a "false positive". I strongly suspect a clash of the Titans, Norton (perhaps under the guise of Identity Safe) having a side swipe at its rival Kaspersky. With a holiday looming I do not have time to investigate but if it continues after my return to base, I surely will...and then it will be decision time.

As for not getting messages from Safari or Edge, that is good news. Why else would I have Kaspersky keeping guard, I don't need additional bells and whistles, even though Chrome obviously thinks it necessary.

 

[peter]

Bob, I suggest you re-read my previous message - you seem to have it the wrong way round.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Bob, I suggest you re-read my previous message - you seem to have it the wrong way round.

Sorry Peter, re-reading your message brings no different enlightenment. What I was saying was that I don't want or expect warning messages about Kaspersky from any Browser, and Kaspersky works perfectly in synchro with Safari & Edge. If I have misunderstood your comment I would appreciate you explaining further.

 

[peter]

Sorry Peter, re-reading your message brings no different enlightenment. What I was saying was that I don't want or expect warning messages about Kaspersky from any Browser, and Kaspersky works perfectly in synchro with Safari & Edge. If I have misunderstood your comment I would appreciate you explaining further.

My understanding is that the Kaspersky extensions for Chrome and IE provide added protection (see this page on the Kaspersjky website). So if you use Safari or Edge, which don't even have the option of a Kaspersky extension, you'll be in the same position as if you were using Chrome with the Kaspersky extension disabled.

Which means that rather than switching to a different browser you may as well disable the extension. Or put up with the occasional warning message from Chrome, which is what I do.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Which means that rather than switching to a different browser you may as well disable the extension

As my own understanding of browser extensions is they are at best a double indemnity (like owning a dog and barking yourself) and at worst a positive (or should that be negative) liability. I recall a while back receiving an 'How-to-Geek' Newsletter with the heading: "Don't use Antivirus' Browser Extensions: They can actually make you less safe." I know it can depend on what AV you employ yourself and what AV is employed via the browser extension (and their motivations in discouraging browsers who do not support their add on). But I accept things have moved on since the Newsletter. But I think I may well disable the extension anyway but will reflect and seek advice first. Thanks anyway.

 

[peter]

If you read the Kaspersky page I linked to you'll see what the extension for Chrome and IE does - then you can make a decision based on facts, rather than relying on general advice from a half-remembered article that might be out of date.

I'm not disabling it in my browser - the way I look at it, either you trust Kaspersky or you don't.

 

[IanL]

I've been trying to create the DNA survey spreadsheet Peter asked for and have been irritated by the Ancestry location search box being cleared after entering the first letter - it's not just with N but just about every letter. After re-entering the first letter it doesn't happen again until I clear the search box and start typing a new search. I haven't noticed this before. I haven't suffered from any of the other problems mentioned.

 

[peter]

I've been trying to create the DNA survey spreadsheet Peter asked for and have been irritated by the Ancestry location search box being cleared after entering the first letter - it's not just with N but just about every letter. After re-entering the first letter it doesn't happen again until I clear the search box and start typing a new search. I haven't noticed this before. I haven't suffered from any of the other problems mentioned.

I've got used to it - sometimes you lose the first letter you type, sometimes you don't, so I watch carefully. I haven't checked other browsers, so don't know whether it is Chrome-specific.

 

[Pauline]

don't know whether it is Chrome-specific.

No, it has happened to me in Firefox and in Safari, so I guess it’s probably not browser specific.

 

[palfamily]

I have found that often in the evening (uk time) that I can’t access Ancestry on my iPad using Chrome or Safari however if I try Chrome on my Windows 10 laptop it will work OK.

 

[Pauline]

I have found that often in the evening (uk time) that I can’t access Ancestry on my iPad using Chrome or Safari however if I try Chrome on my Windows 10 laptop it will work OK.

Recently I have sometimes had this problem on my iPad - only with Ancestry and only in the evening (UK time). I have found that deleting all Ancestry website data (via Settings & Safari) sorts the problem. Once done, I get to the site promptly, log-in again and all works normally.

I don't know why this was happening but now I think about it, it's been OK the last few days, so maybe the latest iOS update sorted it.