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  1. #1
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    Default Ancestry Messaging

    I have just discovered that Ancestry appear to have changed their private messaging system.

    Whereas previously you could exchange messages with other users and save them to folders as you wished, that view appears to have "vanished" to have been replaced by a long list of every message you have ever sent and received, and that includes any messages you may have put on their public message boards.

    In a separate box on the left hand side of the page the following message appears:

    Your messages are now located in our new message center and can be viewed by recipient.

    Your folders and messages from our previous system will be available to download and save until 31 August 2020.

    I cannot find anything else on their website that warns us about this change.

  2. #2

    Default

    Thanks Megan.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    Oct 2004
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    Wairarapa New Zealand
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    10,665

    Default

    It seems to have gone to the new system without me having received a warning message from ancestry.
    One thing I have noticed when I open up messages I have exchanged with a member is that the trash can for deleting the message is only deleting my message and not their reply. Also if i didn't receive a reply from someone and delete my message it doesn't delete the name of the person from the name column,, to whom I have sent the message.
    What am i doing wrong/missing?
    Christina
    Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.
    William Burroughs

  4. #4
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    Default

    Christina

    I didn't get any warning message - the only way I know its changed is that I got notice of a new message to me in my email and opened it up that way and thought whow what's happened?

    However, I have noticed that if you enter into what was the private messaging area by clicking on the envelope in the top right hand corner, I get a separate little pop up box in the bottom right hand corner saying

    Help us improve the new messaging center by sharing your feedback.


    Its very tempting!!

    There is no trash can any more - or at least that I can see.

    I downloaded the "old" messages and found that they come in the form of note pad documents with so much gobbledegook in them in terms of the coding of who sent the message, that it devalues them as useful reference documents.

    As the powers that be at Ancestry have cut off the Rootsweb mailing lists, how long before they cut off their own message boards?

    Megan

  5. #5
    Starting to feel at home
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    Oct 2008
    Location
    Ramsgate Kent
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    53

    Default

    Hi all

    This message has been appearing over the last few weeks, with the following clickable link

    It's almost here! Find out more about the new messaging experience at Ancestry. https://support.ancestry.co.uk/s/art...ng-on-Ancestry

    I had hoped that the new system would be an improvement but from these posts this looks not to be the case.

    Today my Ancestry UK is still on the old system.

    Pete

  6. #6
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    Default

    Pete

    Thanks for forwarding that link it's never popped up on my page despite having had a membership for many years. But having had a quick look it seems to me that Ancestry is targeting their on DNA rather than traditional genealogy, which is a pity.

    Megan

  7. #7
    Knowledgeable and helpful warncoort's Avatar
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    Jul 2009
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    Perth,Western Australia,Australia
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    Default

    I phoned Ancestry about this and was advised that they are moving to an SMS type system and we,the paying customers,have no input.Fairly typical as long as you pay your subscriptions they don't care!!
    Eric

  8. #8

    Default

    I phoned Ancestry about this and was advised that they are moving to an SMS type system and we,the paying customers,have no input.Fairly typical as long as you pay your subscriptions they don't care!!
    Eric
    actually, usually it's the other way around
    as long as you are a customer that pays them they are willing to help you
    and if you are just a free user they just do not care

  9. #9
    Knowledgeable and helpful stepives's Avatar
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    Jun 2011
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    Ireland, but born Buckinghamshire.
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    Default

    I'm reasonably sure there a trawlers used by Ancestry 'staff' asking questions on the 'new' messaging system. Or am I paranoid, when the owner of the message I received never comes back and replies, but has seen my answer to their question. Either that, or they are being rude by not saying thank you.

    More often they have no tree on Ancestry to talk of.

    I have gone through all my replies and deleted them, as I can't delete the whole of the message. It seems all I can do is block the user.

    I now don't don't answer with any details to the messages, until I can verify that they are genuine, and I ask for more details, and check their bio's. About 60% never answer back.

    So now I more or less know that messages received are genuine family history researchers.

    AND never give your email address in this messaging 'service'. Only do this once trust is established.
    Too many bones, too much sorrow, but until I am dead, there's always tomorrow.

  10. #10
    Famous for offering help & advice
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    England
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by samlarsoonn View Post
    actually, usually it's the other way around
    as long as you are a customer that pays them they are willing to help you
    and if you are just a free user they just do not care
    Ancestry are NEVER willing to help, paying customer or not, they just pay lip-service to it.

    The whole site - database, search engine, messaging etc etc - is in chronic need of an upgrade, but they're only interested in DNA these days.

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