New search features released
We have released a number of new search features this morning - we hope you find them useful.
- “Last Name” is no longer a compulsory field - you can search using “First Name” or “Census reference” instead
- Up to 5,000 search results can now be viewed
- Searches with up to 1,000 results are now displayed automatically, without the “gateway” screen being shown first
- You can choose to enter a Census reference number instead of an address in Place Search (see the help file next to this field for further details)
Enjoy!
February 5th, 2009 at 8:38 am
# Up to 5,000 search results can now be viewed
# Searches with up to 1,000 results are now displayed automatically, without the “gateway” screen being shown first
What on earth is the point of that?
Is your search ability that bad, you would have a return of 5,000 entries.
Limit the amount of results, and increase the ability to search, instead of fixing “loopholes” which were obviously helping finding the correct individuals would help.
February 5th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
” points, if I may.
1] I am still hopeful of a reply to my comment on an earlier thread:
“I wonder if any more thought has been given to my suggestion made during the Beta testing, that purchasing the image also gives free access to the transcript of the image. This would enable those purchasing the Image to easily make corrections to the transcription, thus improving the service for all.”
2] Is there a way of calling up in the Search the records where the Surname field is Blank?
Many thanks
John UK
February 5th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
@ John: We did look at different pricing models including this one prior to launch but decided against pricing this way after analysing customer feedback from the beta period. We do not envisage making any pricing changes post-launch.
I don’t know of any way of searching for a blank surname, but will ask if there is one….
February 5th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
The census reference field is extremely cumbersome. Why is it necessary to use all of it when the piece and schedule numbers (the official TNA citation) are sufficient to identify a household schedule?
Entries in earlier censuses have RDs, SDs and EDs, but they are referenced by piece, folio and page
February 5th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
@AC: we’re looking at that and will change it in due course. It’s rather unwieldy, we agree.
February 5th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Ian,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
Regarding transcriptions/images - if there is no possibility of those paying for images to have access to the transcriptions without an extra charge, is there anyway of easily submitting corrections to the details that appear in the Search Results?
Regarding Blank surnames - it is of some importance, as for various reasons a number of schedules will have been transcribed with a blank in the name field.
John UK
February 6th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
What am I doing wrong? I cannot get the surname wildcard “*” to work. For example, there is a Henry Charles WEBB, born 1884, Kent, but if I enter Henry Charles W*BB, born 1884, Kent, I obtain a “nil result.”
Is this wildcard feature supposed to be working yet?
February 6th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
@Noel: did you click on “Show advanced fields” and select “Wildcard search” below the field you were trying to use the wildcard on? If it still isn’t working please contact Customer Support but no problems with it that we are aware of currently.
February 6th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Ah, Ian, thank you.
No, I certainly was not doing what I was supposed to do - I was just trying the wildcard from the “Full person search.”
I must say that it’s not obvious that it is necessary to go to the “Show advanced fields” search…All comes with familiarity I suppose.
Thank you again.