Do you purposefully make the interface so confusing?!?!?!??!

+10 votes
533 views
in The Tree House by David Baldner G2G Crew (460 points)
retagged by Julie Ricketts
David, it would help if you gave us example of what is confusing....you know, some of us have been using it for so long....we may not see what you are struggling with....
David --

We have a group of mentors here that are really good at helping new members to understand the basics of the website. Would you like to be connected with one?

Also, as most everyone has said, there is plenty of help here in G2G. Search for subjects that you need help with, and if you don't know what to search for, just ask another question. :-)

We've all been down the same path, and we understand the learning curve.
Omg i thought I was the only person who went maniac on this site!!!! EVERYTHING IS CONFUSING!!!! Lol
Kandy, as indicated in the message, if you can tell us specifically what you are struggling with, and what is missing in our How to instructions, we want to improve.

3 Answers

+35 votes
 
Best answer
Actually, no.

It's been said that Wikipedia's interface is intentionally complex. It's considered a filtering mechanism.

We've built our system using Wikipedia's Mediawiki code as a starting point. So, in that sense, if the above is true, then there is an intentional complexity deep in our systems.

But it's not intentional on our part. We've tried hard to make WikiTree as simple as possible, and are constantly working to prevent it from becoming too complex.

Of course:

1.) Advanced features inevitably add complexity. Trying to remove anything that's complicated would be like throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

2.) We're only human. Attempting to make WikiTree user-friendly isn't the same as succeeding.
by Chris Whitten G2G Astronaut (1.5m points)
selected by Eowyn Walker
I’m another who finds wikitree confusing.  I’ve downloaded my Gedcom file, given my Gedmatch kit #, my Ancestry user name I attempted about four times but it won’t accept it.  All I’m inputting in is my two names - no dots or dashes.  So I gave up on that bit and moved on to complete my profile.  It’s asking me for my date and place of death!?  This is so frustrating.
I also find it very confusing and not organize well.
+14 votes
by Doug Lockwood G2G Astronaut (2.6m points)
+28 votes
David, we all recognize your frustration.  I dabbled with WikiTree for two years and then fell in love.

What I learned is that WikiTree is unlike any other site out there and that is what causes the frustration at first.  Give yourself time to learn the basics and study what other people are doing.

A great first step, which you wisely chose, is to ask for help on G2G.  You will find excellent help here.

In time, I am sure you too will fall in love too.  Many of us have.  

And welcome to WikiTree!
by Michael Stills G2G6 Pilot (523k points)

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