Question

Would you like your Watchlist sorted by oldest edit date instead of alphabetical by default?

Comments

Hi Vincent. I'm editing your question from "Can the watchlist be set to open by edit date instead of by alphabetical order?" to "Would you like your Watchlist sorted by oldest edit date instead of alphabetical order by default?" and giving yes and no answers so that people can vote.

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Yes, I would.  But since I can change the order to oldest edit, it's not a huge big deal.

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I eventually just learned to open a new tab and go to the watchlist and copy the Wiki-ID and paste it into the address bar and that sped things up for me.  To do that just didn't cross my mind back then.  How quickly we learn, huh?

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Funny, Vincent, if I'd understood your question the way you'd originally asked, we might have had this sooner. For some reason I wasn't thinking in terms of preserving your preferences, I was thinking in terms of changing the default for everyone.

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Well, at least it got changed.  In Holland I have Windows 7 and a 50mbps connection through coaxial and it doesn't really matter.  But when I'm in Spain, like right now, and working with XP and 5mbps over a telephone line, I can go and take a shower waiting on the watchlist to load (a little exaggeration there).  I don't know if you're familiar with Netscape Navigator in let's say 1995, it was like that, but not anymore, thanks.

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Yes, I would. You can also change the way anytime. So it might be very simple.-Creative biolabs

Answer 1

Yes, I would prefer that the default sort order on my Watchlist is by the oldest edit date.

Comments

I like the choice there is for changing the display density.  For instance when you open the watchlist you can make the list more compact and it remains that way for your whole session.  I don't mind the list beginning in alphabetical order I just wish that when I change it to display by edit date it would remain that way at least for that current session. Is that choice a possibility?

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I have a bookmark saved like this, so that I don't have to go to a screen and change it.

Answer 2

No, I prefer that the default sort order on my Watchlist remain alphabetical.

Comments

No, alphabetical.

(sorry Chris hid your post be mistake, reshown now)

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No.

I prefer alphabetical with the option to resort by oldest or most recent edit, as currently provided.

Answer 3

I like the way it is set up now, especially since we can change the order ourselves if we wished

Comments

My preference is to always sort on birthdate, oldest first, compact display. Those are the ones I'm generally trying to work on the most. But it's just two clicks once the watchlist opens. It would be nice to somehow store those 'preferences' though.

Answer 4

I wish we could set a default for ourselves and have it saved forever....I personally would like oldest birth date on top, as I try to keep cleaning out my watchlist, and I am more of a 'Hedge Row' genealogist....

 

Tye-166

Answer 5

No. Alphabetical

Answer 6

I don't have a preference for a default setting, but would like to be able to have a 'go to' button when it is in alphabetical order eg A, B, C etc.

Or an ability to search for a surname just within my own list.  The only way I have worked out to search for a name in my own watchlist (if a surname list is too big) is to use 'Find ancestor matches' in the people search.  This is often a long list as well, but quicker than going by surname only, particulalry for common names.  I'd like 'search for a surname' to have an option, 'within my watchlist'.

Comments

If you go to a surname page, resort it so the advanced options show, and click (for example) "LAVOIEs in your Watchlist", you'll see all the people with that surname (LNAB or current last name) on your Watchlist! :)

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Wow, thanks Lianne, I have been looking for something like this for ages.  Never thought to click on that link.  Must have glazed over it.  I see the alphabet links are on the bottom of the page too!

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Thanks so much, Lianne!  I hadn't noticed that either.  What a great tool!!

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Happy to help!

Answer 7

I would live to have an alphabet at top so we could click on the first letter of last name.

Answer 8

Yes - I'd prefer the default sort sequence to be by newest edit date first, so that I can continue with whatever I was working on yesterday. Whenever I go to the Watchlist I find that I first click to sort by Edit Date, and then have to click again to reverse the sort.

I'd also like the default layout to be compact rather than expanded.

Perhaps there could be options somewhere to allow us to configure this as we want it?