[#24940] Census 1801 is screwed up still

[Gjest Fredrik Buch]

It used to work fine, and I know you didn't intend to screw it up, but you did, so please fix it!The problem is the 1801 census. As you search for a person, say first name contains 'ilhelm', and you have 21 persons in Throndhjem selected, and you get a list of 10 of them up, you can't get to the other 11...This is a bug, and you just need to make the buttons work as you intended, so just fix it!I do note, though, as an old computer guy, that it's unwise to do two things at a time, like you've switched to doing, instead you should do one thing, and do it well. You are clearly missing out on the fact that the searches are done using data screens, and the information you are pulling up is more than a screenful, and therefore the whole thing is confusing, and the concept of your change is ill advised. Please change it back so you dont mix the list of people with a certain name with a page of household data for a single person on that list. The new way is plainly poor software design as far as the user interface...Digitalarkivet used to work in a superbly functional way, and there were no need for substantial changes. The improvement that would be meaningful for me would be more baptism data from the church books, since those records are very powerful for constructing family trees.And have a wonderful day!!!Freddy

[Gjest Jan Oldervoll]

The system is still working nicely. The example you gave will give only 8 persons. If I or it seems to me, everybody else, search for anything giving more than 10 hits, the Next page works like it should.There is more than one opinion on how a good user interface should be. Since I have worked on user interface for more than 35 years, I should think my opinion is as valid as yours. You are of course free to express your opinion about how we work. All well intended advice is welcome.But it is sad if it is customary in the US to do it in such a rude way as you do.

[Gjest Geir Asheim]

Jan, du gjør en utmerket jobb!

[Gjest Fredrik Buch]

Hi Jan,please accept my apology, I didn't mean to be rude. Of course your opinion about user interfaces is important, and as the manager, you get to make the decisions. I appreciate your experience in the area, and with it you can be a fantastic manager.I think the issues at hand falls into the class of bugs - things not working as desired yet - and I notice the changes to fix things up.I just tested the first name contains 'ilhelm' case, and things are functional now. I'm grateful for that. I know you always wanted it to be functional...In Throndhjem I get 21 hits, and as I bring up hits #11 -20 (which I couldn't before), you show household information. I think that is inconsistent, and possibly not as intended. Please check it out! We are both pursuing perfection here...Your facility is very important to me, so I want it to be very functional, especially for very complex searches, that would be unmanageable otherwise.Have a wonderful day, Jan, and please accept my apology!Freddy

[Gjest Lillian Koehler]

Hi Fredrik, I think you should explain what you do, step by step, to get 21 persons in Trondheim in the 1801 census. As Jan, I get only 8 :-)

[Gjest Fredrik Buch]

Hi Lillian,I'm glad you're checking out this!I just go to the 1801 census, and for 'first name contains' I input 'ilhelm', as if I'm looking for Wilhelm or Wilhelmina, or something like that (I'm really looking for the parents of Fredrik Wilhelm Kavli)... The thing is, it could be Wilhelm, or Vilhelm, or it could be the female version, with spelling variations...I select almost everything that's offered, giving 21 hits in Throndhjem (where FWK was born in 1813)...The response is quite functional now, however, I dislike getting family information on the second page (#11-#20). It's not what I asked for, and it doesn't fit onto my screen. I like to pull up the family information when I ask for it...Lillian, to see what I'm pointing out, you need to see hits beyond #10. The format is different for those hits, as if the original software correction missed this case. All I would like to see is the list of #11 to #20 of what my query was about. For more, I'm happy to continue my query!Thanks for working on this powerful facility, to bring it towards perfection! Have a wonderful day, Lillian!!!Freddy

[Gjest Bent Grotle]

Now I understand what you do. You search for a first name containing 'ilhelm' in the 1801 census for Norway and not for Trondheim. When you do that you will get a selection of about 14 different ways of spelling a first name containing 'ilhelm'. Crossing out all of them and following it through till Trondheim you will indeed get a list of 21 persons.What puzzles me still is that you see a different format on the second page (from #11 to #20) of this list compared to the first. The second page shows detailed information about the first name (#11) of this selection and so do the first page (#1). I cannot see a difference in format here. This you will have to explain in more detail.You don't like to see information that you haven't asked for. That is fair enough, but it is difficult to design a program that pleases everybody. I don't see that as a problem.Regards Bent Grotle

[Gjest Fredrik Buch]

Hi Bent,thanks for working this case. At this time we are applying the same 'ilhelm' test case, and we both observe that things are quite functional.I observe, though, that on the second (and third) page household information for one person is added, and this is inconsistent with the first page, which has no household information. Please recheck this...We probably agree that consistency is desired, and we probably also agree that whether or not household information should be added is a matter of 'taste', or an issue you really can't please everyone on. However, my opinion is that household information should not be shown, but rather only be shown when requested. That way the record I pull up is less cluttered, and more screen oriented. I believe in one thing at a time here, in particular because the records I construct that way are more to the point - dealing with what I'm looking for, and nothing else. My opinion!Have a wonderful day & thanks for making such a great facility available for me!!!Freddy

[Gjest Bent Grotle]

I've checked it and yes, you're right about household information on the first page. On the other hand if you return to the first page after you have been on the second or third page you will have household information of the person in bold letters on the first page also.Again a matter of taste and I think Jan Oldervoll shouldn't put much effort in changing it. Regards Bent Grotle

[Gjest Fredrik Buch]

Hi Bent,the added household information represent a change from before, and it's also an inconsistency. In my mind it is a step backwards; the way it was before was the right way. I'm the customer, so in that sense I'm right. Jan is the manager, so he calls the shots, and I know he has the experience to do that... In any case, this is not an urgent matter, but rather a matter of reaching perfection in software operation/user interface.I can understand the quest to streamline searches, since it is sometimes tedious to go through all the levels. To do that I suggest you combine the local hits (i.e. Throndhjem) with the county hits (i.e. Sor Trondelag), into a more lengthy page.However, as a customer, I can tell you that my principal concern (beyond what is covered by the data base) is the generation of clear records that I can capture, and that I'm able to build (through selecting) such records. Tediousness in doing so is of much less importance - after all, what's a few minutes spent on your hobby, when you're looking for people living hundreds of years ago!Bent, thanks for working this case & have a fantastic day!!!Freddy