I enjoyed this post by Randy Seaver on Ancestry.com's new Member Connect service. Unlike Randy, I do find that the recent activity has been updated each time I return.
My question regarding this service is trying to understand its usefulness. At first I was frustrated because it wasn't indicated whether or not a record had already been added to my own tree. For example, if I see that Mrs. Genealogy added a particular Millennium File Record for John Genealogy II, I wanted an indication that I too had already added that record to my tree. Now I'm realizing that if it shows in my Member Connect list, then that item has already been added to my tree. In other words, if it's in the list, it's already in my tree. Am I wrong on that assumption?
What would be nice is to see such a list relating to the members in my tree, but with a notation that this item is not already an attached source document for that person. Is this there and I'm missing it? I don't really understand how a huge list of things I already have in my tree is helpful for me. I do understand the member connect part, as in finding people who are also researching the same names.
What would be even more helpful is the listing of pieces I am missing. As I write this, I'm realizing that's basically what the little leaves are for. That brings me back to my original thought. . . what purpose is the list of recent activity for things I already have? I'd much rather just see a list of members who are also researching my names.
Is it just me? Do you find this service helpful? Please enlighten me!
(Due apologies for the excessive use of italics, but hey, I only used one exclamation point.)
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For member connect to be useful you have to add connestions to other trees from ancestry hints. Then if the person that owns that tree adds something new it will show up in your recent connections. I have made dicoveries this way. When my uncle died I found his obit in newspaper #1. If not for member connect I would have missed a nicer obit published in newspaper #2 that was added to another tree. Another example, this morning a distant cousin added a death certificate for a person in both of our trees that I hadn't seen yet so I knew where to go get it for myself. I have connected my trees to lots of other trees so that I have more opportunity to make these connections. Much of what I get in "my recent connections" is useless but worth checking through for those little gems others find. Keep watching you may find something you do not have!
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