* Is it time to split the General Forum?

[NickWalker]

Although I have been using Family Historian since v4, when reading the forum I now ignore questions on plug ins and ancestral sources as I do not understand them. I am still a very basic user, as I am not technically minded. I sometimes wonder why I keep upgrading!

I'm sure you're not really interested (as you've been doing perfectly well without it for many years ), but Ancestral Sources is used by lots of beginners, as much because it simplifies things for them as they don't have to fully understand how to deal with sources and citations, etc. If you are interested then there is an introductory video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tj9FzTZIng

[Gowermick]

One thing that could be useful, and not a burden to moderators, is for a post to have [Solved] added to the original topic/ subject line when appropriate, with perhaps OP editing the original post to append the solution to it. Some threads become very long, and to spot the one contaning the solution amongst all the posts is not easy.
This works well on other forums, with each response gently reminding OP to mark topic solved if the answer given provides the solution.

[fhtess65]

How does one view the forum via the Active Topics list? I just looked at the display options in Board Preferences and didn't see anything relevant.

I wonder if anyone else uses the forum like me. Other than the AS section (that I keep a closer eye on), I only ever view the forum via the Active Topics list, so the entire forum is presented to me in one long list and I don't really ever notice which section I'm in!

I do the same, but via the Unread post link.

[fhtess65]

As a non-techie person but an avid user of software I'm not too bothered by some of the techier answers - if they get beyond me, I just move along. OTOH, from time to time, I do learn something I can apply, so appreciate this aspect.

I'm in favour of anything that keeps things as simple for the admins as possible. As a former email list moderator, I know what kind of work monitoring many discussions entails.

I cannot help but notice the increasing technical nature of posts in the general forum, to the extent that, if I were a new or inexperienced user, I would be quite put off using FH at all due to its apparent complexity. As someone who has been using FH since V3, and a 50 year plus IT practioner, even I at times get quite lost in the bewildering nature of the discourse in some of the threads. May I therefore suggest that the General forum be subdivided into smaller forums say for novice, intermediate and advanced users, and even, maybe, specialist topic areas, for example use of Evidence Explained with FH?

[jbtapscott]

Active Topics is one of the menu options under Quick Links

[fhtess65]

Thank you Found it now...

Active Topics is one of the menu options under Quick Links

[NickWalker]

I pretty much only use the shorter list of Active Topics on the FHUG home page, as I check the page generally at least daily and it is rare that there are more than 10 topics with new posts - they are highlighted if I've not read them. If all 10 are highlighted as having new posts, I click the 'View all unread posts' or 'View More Active Topics' links at the bottom of that list.

[AdrianBruce]

I pretty much only use the shorter list of Active Topics on the FHUG home page, ...

Thus proving we each do things in our own way.... I never use "Active Topics" because I've never been confident that "Active" means what I'd like it to mean. I use "Unread posts" - in fact, I don't even use that in a sense, because I have the URL of "Unread Posts" in FHUG pinned to Firefox, so it's just a right click away.

[Gary_G]

For me, the biggest drawback to trying to use the board's search engine is that I've no idea what unique "FH"-ish words someone else might have used in their post or the knowledge-base. Learning the "buzzwords" takes time. I'm not sure that dividing up the posts differently would resolve the issue for much the same reasons. I might have no idea whether the original poster considered the issue to be a "general" issue or some other category. Thankfully; some of the board members have jumped in and suggested specific articles etc. I would never have thought of the correct keywords and located them on my own.

[Uppedsticks]

Perhaps there should be a forum for beginners and non techies. In fact I have stopped using Family Historian as I also ignore AS and plug ins. I am still trying to get my head around the differences in citations and sources. On reading the various questions that appear I have been put off with all the technical queries which appear and I have formed the opinion that if so many people are finding problems, then I am bound to find problems without even reaching the stages which some people are at. I use version 6.

[fhtess65]

Have you watched Nick Walker's video about Sources and Citations in Family Historian? It does reference the templates in V7, but the rest should generally apply:
https://youtu.be/jm6gg1HSbEs

I wish I'd had access to this great video when I first started with FH - Nick does a wonderful job of explaining how Sources and Citations work in FH.

Perhaps there should be a forum for beginners and non techies. In fact I have stopped using Family Historian as I also ignore AS and plug ins. I am still trying to get my head around the differences in citations and sources. On reading the various questions that appear I have been put off with all the technical queries which appear and I have formed the opinion that if so many people are finding problems, then I am bound to find problems without even reaching the stages which some people are at. I use version 6.

[ergo]

This question sparked a lot of responses, but unless I missed it, no-one mentioned my Zoom group.
By presenting talks and hands on sessions on specific topics of Family Historian by watching live or viewing the recordings the Group is proving to be an invaluable resource, especially for beginners.
For those who don't know about it, have a look at our website:
https://fhuzg.uk/
Derek Heritage

[ColeValleyGirl]

Derek, why would anyone mention your Zoom group when we're talking about the structure of our forums?

[Mxy]

I would like to work on genealogy, instead I find myself working on Family Historian. I can't find answers to questions in the knowledge base because, as another mentioned, I can't figure out the key words. I end up here and exactly as you say it is mostly techie. It seems I start with 3rd level support. The apps strength is also its weakness. I suspect the difficulty navigating the forum is a reflection of the difficulty navigating the app. I recommend a lite version and split the forum that way. Techie folks should be banned...ok, that may be a little strong. Perhaps they should find it so boring they don't want to be there?

[Mark1834]

Could make an interesting forum. At a rough guess, 70% of the answers come from “techies" (including four out of five admins), so who exactly would answer your questions?

Unless, of course, you are offering to set up "FHUG-lite" yourself...?

[NickWalker]

I would like to work on genealogy, instead I find myself working on Family Historian. I can't find answers to questions in the knowledge base because, as another mentioned, I can't figure out the key words. I end up here and exactly as you say it is mostly techie. It seems I start with 3rd level support. The apps strength is also its weakness. I suspect the difficulty navigating the forum is a reflection of the difficulty navigating the app. I recommend a lite version and split the forum that way. Techie folks should be banned...ok, that may be a little strong. Perhaps they should find it so boring they don't want to be there?

I do find these comments tiring and insulting to be honest. I don't think I give 'techie' answers, I very much pitch answers to the level being asked. I've just had a look through all my posts over the last couple of months and apart from a very small number of 'techie' questions I've been specifically asked (how can I respond to a techie question without a techie answer?!), I don't think I've responded to any non-techie questions with techie answers. I literally spend hundreds of hours every year developing software to help users of FH to enter their data more easily. I respond to people with what I believe are very helpful comments and also pitched at the appropriate level for the person asking it. I've created videos to help users to understand my software and also to help to explain some of the source-related terminology in FH. Feel free to ban me from the FHUG if you like, but I'm not sure that is justified.

[fhtess65]

While I understand your frustration, as a non-techie person, I can't agree with you about the forums and the help provided here. Each time I've asked a question, I've received helpful responses with step-by-step instructions I can follow. If I find something in a "techie" post, I ask for clarification and receive it. If an answer to one of my questions gets too techie, I ask for clarification and receive it.

The key is to ask a very specific question in the right place.

As an example, for a long time I struggled with Ancestral Sources, but never asked directly for specific help. Instead I read about it and tried it out and kept failing. When I did finally ask for directions about establishing an AS workflow, Nick provided me with a list of steps to take and since then, it's been clear sailing.

The other thing I did was use AS for mini-projects so I could practise with it without risking messing up my entire database (though I always make back-ups). That made a real difference. This happened over a period of about 4 years - it was only then that I moved over completely from RootsMagic to Family Historian.

All of this has been possible with the patient advice and guidance from the volunteers here who take a LOT of time out of their days to answer questions. Please remember this - they are volunteers.

I would like to work on genealogy, instead I find myself working on Family Historian. I can't find answers to questions in the knowledge base because, as another mentioned, I can't figure out the key words. I end up here and exactly as you say it is mostly techie. It seems I start with 3rd level support. The apps strength is also its weakness. I suspect the difficulty navigating the forum is a reflection of the difficulty navigating the app. I recommend a lite version and split the forum that way. Techie folks should be banned...ok, that may be a little strong. Perhaps they should find it so boring they don't want to be there?

[neil40]

WOW, that's a bit strong mxy.
Of course we all want to do Genealogy, and these are the very tools a lot of us have chosen to use.
You can make it as simple or 'techy' as you chose.
FH is an amazing tool in its versatilty and abilty to work in those simple or technical ways. To each his own.
I would never wish to 'ban' the excellent techies (who after all volunteers as Teresa points out) who frequent (and maintain) these forums.

It would be useful to perhaps have a section for the more 'entry level' use of the product though.

[ColeValleyGirl]

I would like to work on genealogy, instead I find myself working on Family Historian. I can't find answers to questions in the knowledge base because, as another mentioned, I can't figure out the key words. I end up here and exactly as you say it is mostly techie. It seems I start with 3rd level support. The apps strength is also its weakness. I suspect the difficulty navigating the forum is a reflection of the difficulty navigating the app. I recommend a lite version and split the forum that way. Techie folks should be banned...ok, that may be a little strong. Perhaps they should find it so boring they don't want to be there?

Ask your question. Specify your level of expertise (how are we expected to know, otherwise?).

The answer you get may still be 'techie', if there isn't any other answer, but nobody here sets out to bamboozle you with answers you can't understand.

Re the KB, if you want to help improve it (say, because you can't find the answers you need when you search) we have a forum dedicated to that. Let us know what you searched for and why the answers didn't help.

[fhtess65]

I don't blame you for being insulted. You definitely do NOT give techie answers - they're always clear and direct, with no jargon. I definitely appreciate all the time you give to both these forums and to AS.

I do find these comments tiring and insulting to be honest. I don't think I give 'techie' answers, I very much pitch answers to the level being asked. I've just had a look through all my posts over the last couple of months and apart from a very small number of 'techie' questions I've been specifically asked (how can I respond to a techie question without a techie answer?!), I don't think I've responded to any non-techie questions with techie answers.

[Mark1834]

I note that Mxy's previous posting before today was in the summer of 2021. You're not asking questions, so how can you complain about the answers...?

[ColeValleyGirl]

I note that Mxy's previous posting before today was in the summer of 2021. You're not asking questions, so how can you complain about the answers...?

To be fair, Mark, Mxy could be searching the forums and finding answers that don't help them. You don't have to ask questions to be unhappy with the answers.

[jelv]

To be fair, Mark, Mxy could be searching the forums and finding answers that don't help them. You don't have to ask questions to be unhappy with the answers.

So if the answers he finds don't help, why hasn't he asked his own questions?

[fhtess65]

I wondered the same thing... Yes, it can be hard the first couple of times to put yourself out there and ask a question, but if you want help, it's the only way.

To be fair, Mark, Mxy could be searching the forums and finding answers that don't help them. You don't have to ask questions to be unhappy with the answers.

So if the answers he finds don't help, why hasn't he asked his own questions?

[ColeValleyGirl]

To be fair, Mark, Mxy could be searching the forums and finding answers that don't help them. You don't have to ask questions to be unhappy with the answers.

So if the answers he finds don't help, why hasn't he asked his own questions?

Lack of confidence that the answers he'll get will be any better?