Y Search and complaining

[Brunetmj]

Is Y search a part of FTDNA or is it an affiliate of some sort?
I really just want to know who to complain to.
I find it to be the worse web site I have ever encountered. Sort of an example of what happens when security people go to far. The security codes are impossible to read even by humans and to make it worse they ask for another
impossible code for every task. I can appreciate an attempt to keep sensitive information hard to access to outsiders but for me it reaches a point it becomes to aggravating to even go there. Am I the only person who hates this site?

[on the edge]

I agree about the illegible security codes. It will reach a point when we will need a computer to decipher them!
It would also be very useful if they got round to updating the site to accommodate input for 111 markers.

[k.o.gran]

Is Y search a part of FTDNA or is it an affiliate of some sort?
I really just want to know who to complain to.
I find it to be the worse web site I have ever encountered. Sort of an example of what happens when security people go to far. The security codes are impossible to read even by humans and to make it worse they ask for another
impossible code for every task. I can appreciate an attempt to keep sensitive information hard to access to outsiders but for me it reaches a point it becomes to aggravating to even go there. Am I the only person who hates this site?

Ysearch is owned and run by FTDNA. The "security codes" are called recaptcha and is made up of two words. One is sort of wavy computer print. That one is generated by the server and is the one that need to be correct to let you use Ysearch. The other word is a scan from a book that has failed a text recognition scan. This word is sent out as a recaptcha to be deciphered by humans and does not have to be correct for you to be able to use Ysearch. You can read more about recaptcha here: http://www.google.com/recaptcha

-Kai

[Jim Barrett]

As stated above Ysearch is provided as a public service by FTDNA and I agree with you, they have made it far too hard to use.

[gtc]

The "security codes" are called recaptcha and is made up of two words. One is sort of wavy computer print. That one is generated by the server and is the one that need to be correct to let you use Ysearch. The other word is a scan from a book that has failed a text recognition scan. This word is sent out as a recaptcha to be deciphered by humans and does not have to be correct for you to be able to use Ysearch.

Not quite true in the case of Ysearch. The blurry one can be a guess, but in my experience it needs to be a near-correct guess. You can't just enter xxxx or similar to skip that bit.

By choosing that particular blurry/fuzzy type of "recaptcha", FTDNA has made Ysearch a royal PIA to use.

[ursus]

Ysearch is owned and run by FTDNA. The "security codes" are called recaptcha and is made up of two words. One is sort of wavy computer print. That one is generated by the server and is the one that need to be correct to let you use Ysearch. The other word is a scan from a book that has failed a text recognition scan. This word is sent out as a recaptcha to be deciphered by humans and does not have to be correct for you to be able to use Ysearch. You can read more about recaptcha here: http://www.google.com/recaptcha

-Kai

That is most interesting. Although I agree that it is a PITA and an overkill to have to decipher these images constantly, it's good that we are providing help in another area.

[thetick]

The PIA as you call it does allow the server to stay up and not get over burned with request. I would prefer the so called PITA instead of a slow barely responding website. Non profits even if supported by a parent company must be run on a shoe string budget. If you have a few thousand dollars to donate I'm sure they can get a new web server and remove the so called PITA. If you don't have the cash for a new web server donation, then you should be happy it's even on-line for no charge.

[Brunetmj]

I'm sure they can get a new web server and remove the so called PITA.

I can completely understand your response . I for one dislike it when people complain about a free service. However there are extremes and y search fits into that category. With a little thought it could protect it's integrity and be more user friendly

[gtc]

With a little thought it could protect it's integrity and be more user friendly

This.

[satyricon]

I stopped going to it, one captcha would be annoying enough, but having to constantly do new ones is ridiculous

[Zaru]

It's not free(really).

I can completely understand your response . I for one dislike it when people complain about a free service. However there are extremes and y search fits into that category. With a little thought it could protect it's integrity and be more user friendly

The funding, I am sure, was initially provided through its consumer based products and padded into the price. This works much like bread and butter in a full service restaurant.

The recaptcha function is annoying, make no mistake about that. However, the overall service that is provided is an asset that I am not comfortable complaining about. If FTDNA is interested in upgrading the server, perhaps they should do so and ask for voluntary donations. I would gladly donate $5.00 to the cause!

I would love to see movement towards a total pool site, where all customers can upload their basic str as well as snp results. It is a lot of work to move from site to site, uploading my results in hopes of finding a match (which has yet to occur)

[Brunetmj]

Well the site is so difficult to use only being a free site would save it. I can't think of anyone who would pay for that much aggravation.
If they cut back to a reasonable security log on and made it on a sliding scale say free for occasional users ( based on a time limit) with some fees for serious researchers it would be fair.

[Zaru]

I would like to know why you find it difficult to use. What specifically should be improved in your opinion?

[Brunetmj]

I cannot read the opening code things ( forgot their name ).
They are by far the most difficult ones I have yet to encounter. To make it worse one is needed after each task. If I would be allowed to make a suggestion it would be an easier code thing followed by a secret question and this be done one time at log in

[geharris611]

Y-Search

Ok, I get past the incredibly undecyphrable codes (just keep hitting new code until you get one you can actually read) but my question is this. How do you upload a gedcom file to it. I click on the file on my computer, it is a ged extension, under 5 meg and say upload and it tells me that there was an internal server error. "Internal Error Code 500 Area you are attempting to access is not available." This has been happening for the last several days. Is the site down, is there something I am missing, I don't know.