The WikiTree is not very user friendly.

Question

The whole WikiTree is bulky and not user friendly.

The creator might think it is awesome as I also do when I design a house plan or make a painting, until I get a comment from a pro or advice from a client.

Some text is overboard large while important text is hiding at the bottom and reading through the whole section is tiring.

I get the feeling that it is built for pensioners that have 25 hours a day to click and read all the nitty gritty.

I was requested to adjust the privacy level of my 70 wishlist members but they are living non members and remain as is. Thing is it took me more than an hour to browse through all the "spam" to get understand the error.

You added to much junk info to the pages and impressive as it may seem, it adds to the frustration.

You spell checker on this chat sucks and don't offer corrections.

There is little effort put into making changes and rebuilding the structure eg the settings menu option should be last and not stuck half way down. shows laziness and is unprofessional on the programmers side.

Be creative with icons instead of using a symbol such as the + for add which actually looks like a medical or hospital quick reference. The conotation is horrible.

Just looking at this page is terrible. Links on the categories are underlined and reflects loosely scattered and are not in a block.

Who goes around doing DNA test?s I mean, really silly to add this as an option and should be hidden. Possibly add check boxes to enable categories that the user wish to fill in. 

I think you need to sit and think about this and do a complete overhaul of this Wiki program. 

In fact I hate to log in and do changes with all the schlep I have to go through trying to find all you confusing links and unlogical paths.

Look at this nonsense  line below this text box

"WikiTree ID/URL if this relates to a person or free-space profile:" (What does it even mean???)

Am I supposed to jump through 20 screens to try and figure this out?

There should be a top structure that is much simpler that always shows my profile.

Not positive I guess, but I feel honesty is better than nothing.

Don't reply please.

Have a great holiday and new year.

Comments

Yes me again.

I've read some comments and questions answered on more or less the same as that which I raised and I have formed my opinion... very sad situation.

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Hmmmm.  I'm having trouble trying to decide if this is sarcasm or not.

"Who goes around doing DNA test?s"

That seems like an odd question. Most people who are stuck at dead ends with their ancestral journey do DNA tests to determine their closest match so that they can then build from there.

You're funnin with us right?

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What part of "Don't reply please" did y'all not understand? 

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(edited this out as it was pretty pointless. Sorry).

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Yikes!!!! Oh do not reply. So he can complain and then tell us what not to do?

What a kidder he is.

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We have a number of excellent Projects here in WikiTree that are specifically designed to locate and correct errors and improve Profiles.

-Gilly

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Hi everyone,  let's still be courteous, even when someone presents compaints. Thanks! :)

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While it's unrealistic for someone to post to a forum such as this and request that people "Don't reply please" - as Eowyn suggests, please remember to be courteous. From the Honor code that we all agreed to: "by being courteous to everyone".

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Hi everyone,  let's still be courteous, even when someone presents complaints.

I agree!!

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I actually agree with what this person is saying. This site is not user friendly at all. For example, when I go to the help portion to learn how to add a member to my tree it says that you are supposed to "add them directly from your profile", the word profile contains a hyperlink. A user-friendly site would naturally allow the link from the words "your profile" to take you to your profile... but instead it takes me to a page that explains what a profile is. Hardly any of the links on this site can be used intuitively. I have a genuine interest in genealogy, and I'd really love to make use of this site. But every time I log in I get extremely frustrated because I waste so much time trying to figure out how to do basic things with zero progress. Just feels like I'm spinning my wheels and getting nowhere. So yeah, just spent 45 minutes trying to add my mother to my tree, still haven't figured out how to do that, but read a BUNCH of info from the help page about mitochondrial DNA and what a profile is. Maybe I'll have better luck next time.

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I agree also. The negative response to criticism from some on here is discouraging. Yet, it is a free site. You get what you pay for.

It's a lot of work and money to conduct usability studies of a site . . . lots of work and money. And it's even more time and money to actually fix a site.

There are problems . . . Why not try asking for donations to make this place more efficient, like Wikipedia does? I donate there and am an editor.  Ask for $1 to $5 a month. If genealogy is important to people on here, they will pay to maintain and upgrade the site.

Answer 1

Hi Gustav,

If you don't want to use the site, you can close your account - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Special:CloseAccount

Comments

Gustav, Wikitree is not for everyone.  There are simple sites out there with just names linked together.  You won't have any idea whether they are true or not, but who cares?  You won't have to read long lines of text that lonely pensioners had nothing better to do than post. I hope you enjoy your alternative site as much as some of us enjoy WikiTree...

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You have gotten back a number of generations with a fair number of lines.

Answer 2

I'm curious. You've been on the site for a few years. Why now has it become so "unfriendly"?

No one is forcing you to remain here using a site you quite obviously don't like. Many others out there. One of those might be more to your liking.

Answer 3

As a point of possible interest to readers of this thread, it's my understanding that most of the software used on this site is not custom software, but is either "borrowed" from or shared with Wikipedia and other wiki sites.  So I suspect that the correspondent would most likely be dissatisfied with any wiki site.  As others have alluded, he might be better off to use one of the pay sites that retains a staff of paid software developers who could implement his suggestions if they wished, or perhaps create his own genealogy site.

Answer 4

Funny but I was thinking in a different direction. Yes, wikitree is complex and sometimes I find myself a little frustrated because I can't find a link I remember seeing or can't recall how to add a subcategory, etc.

However, the reason I like wikitree is similar to why I enjoy genealogy. When I'm researching genealogy, I sometimes feel as if I am a detective searching for clues or figuring out a puzzle. That's fun for me.

Wikitree appeals to me so much because it IS complex. Someone once said Wikitree was like a treasure hunt. I agree. If it were super-simple, it couldn't provide as much content as it does. For example, you could have a pull-down menu for things like categories, but you might have to forego categories such as "kissing cousins" because the number of categories would be limited.

Complexity provides us with more content and more flexibility. Wikitree has also taught me to get more out of genealogy research. I tend to be a bit of an introvert, but I've had to rely on the advice and help of others on G2G to figure out how something works. Engaging with others on Wikitree is fun and I've learned a lot.

There are things I would change on Wikitree. Because the site is collaborative, I have the ability to get involved and work to improve things I don't like. I can make suggestions for improvements in a constructive way. I am definitely not a big contributor (I take more than I give) because I'm the CEO of a small nonprofit organization as well as a parent of two boys. This keeps me really busy.

Just sharing a different perspective. I've enjoyed unraveling all of the rich content and wisdom Wikitree provides.

Comments

A site can be complex and have great usability at the same time. I love the complexity. I even make it more complex by using other sites in conjunction. Yet, the usability of this site is terrible. That is what people are complaining about . . . usability.

Answer 5

WkitTree may not be to everyone's liking. It does have a bit of a learning curve, and yes, there are always ways to improve it.  However, I'm grateful for WikiTree. It is free afterall. I have learned  much and I like to think I also contributed and helped others. Genealogy is a journey that is never complete but WikiTree is that resource that helps us along the way.

Answer 6

While the OP is has graced us with a whine-ey post full of negativity that sounds like a spoiled rich kid seeing WikiTree as a poor mans Ancestry it is what it is - and when I started here I was quite lost but with a better attitude - now some people want life easy and they can go ahead and miss all the flavor and satisfaction hard work gives the rest of us - or perhaps the "don't reply" was a challenge and we are to show him why this is the best site to look back and discover those that came to eventually create us - those who are trying to preserve what we can of the people and places and times leading up to our own lives - maybe we could explain how the Honor Code took what we thought of as a hobby and turned it into a passion and a calling to learn and bravely go forth and find the truth about our forbearers - maybe we could explain how helpful almost everyone is here getting folks information from places they have no access to - or showing them how to source, connect and enjoy those profiles here that have come together from the work of all of us volunteers

Comments

Hi Navarro,  while i appreciate the intent of your message, it seems rather discourteous, particularly the beginning. You mention the Honor Code, we need to be sure it applies to our posts in G2G also. Someone making complaints doesn't give us an excuse to not be polite. Thanks!

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Looking at it now I agree - went into it with the nice end part in mind but got to it a little later than perhaps I should have - rough week at work and that may be why - usually give all the benefit of a doubt as to the intention but got a little mean here - not my usual self

Answer 7

Hi Gustav

I'm sorry you are finding WikiTree not very user friendly and I agree that our help pages are very text based and it can be difficult sometimes to find exactly what you are looking for.  The Help Index page does have a Google Custom Search and that is often helpful in finding the pages you need.

It also sounds like you had a particular issue with finding a page about privacy levels, or related to a suggestion report but I'm not sure?  If you can let us know exactly what that is, then it can be looked at to see if the page or finding the page can be improved.

You make a number of comments about improving WikiTree and I'm not part of the team and don't know for sure, but I think much of what you currently see is related to keeping WikiTree free for everyone.  

To keep it free there is just a skeleton staff, and I think only one programmer, which for a website this size is amazing.  That person must be busy just keeping the website going but the site is being constantly improved and there is a list (probably a very long list) of improvements they hope to make one day and some of the changes you mentioned could end up at the top of that list.

As a number of people have said elsewhere, WikiTree does have a very steep learning curve and those of us who have been involved in Wikitree for a long time, can often forget that some things that seem natural to us, can be confusing for others.

Even though I am probably on here at least once every day, there are aspects I don't use often and have to also look up the help pages so it can be a learning curve for all of us.

I hope you persevere with WikiTree as others have said it does have enormous benefits (did I mention it's free ) and that you also have a great holiday and 2019.

John Atkinson

Comments

Well articulated and wonderfully courteous, John. I commend you.

Answer 8

I realize that wikitree is not for everyone but with the G2G forums and with the chat sessions you can get help from other volunteer wikitreers.  You can also get help from infor@wikitree.com

Answer 9

WikiTree users are very friendly. 

Comments

I agree with Herbert Tardy.

We're one big happy Cousin family.

Answer 10

It is regrettable that you find yourself so frustrated. However, I'm sure the outpouring of warmth and concern you see in the commentary here will encourage you to look beyond our shortcomings. Truly, Wikitree is a community that is always looking for ways to improve. Cheers.

Comments

Hi guys

How many points do I get for this post? Did I do it right?

Was it a bit overboard? My apologies.

Got some great comments though and a few good laughs.

You all have a great time and be good. And Navarro.  ;-)

Answer 11

My Mother is from Limavady, her ancestors have lived there for hundreds of years and I have quite a bit of info that I have added to Ancestry. In an effort to broaden other peoples knowledge I have tried to add info to Wiki and note DNA matches that stack up. Lordy, it's so hard. But you be you and I've given up.