CWGC: Changes, Updates & Access difficulties

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by Monty, Mar 18, 2004.

  1. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    I got (headstone) docs to download for 2 casualties via Geoff's engine. Using CWGC itself, clicking on docs, it failed entirely.

    The headstone paperwork really just provided confirmation that no personal inscriptions were ordered for either brother's headstone and I also noted that on one set an incorrect surname was given for NOK. Which was all a bit sad to see.

    Thanks for the heads-up on this, I think I'll let it settle down before trying again. CWGC site traffic stats must be spiking.
     
  2. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    This is definitely not the way to upgrade a website! Think I'll wait for it to settle before I attempt to download more documents that tell me nothing more.

    And yes, GeoffsSearchEngine is also spiking. Up a little over 100% at mo.
     
    dbf likes this.
  3. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    The Advanced search page has changed. There is no separate field for initials or forename. It suggest entering forenames or initials in the name field,but that does not work.
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  5. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

  6. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Noticed this today. Is someone being economical with the truth?


    http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty-details/frequently-asked-questions.aspx

    "The records I downloaded do not include a Final Verification (FV) form. Does this mean no contact was ever made with the next of kin?"

    Answer:
    "During the Second World War, a number of records, including the vast majority of FV forms relating to First World War war dead, were destroyed. However, after the First World War the CWGC made strenuous efforts to contact the next of kin of those who had died in service during the war, and in many cases were successful. Where an original headstone schedule records a personal inscription we can be confident that contact was made with the next of kin at the time."



    http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3727&p=27040

    "The Forms were destroyed in the early 1970s when CWGC moved to Maidenhead - as is mentioned earlier in this thread. The Forms for WW2 still survive. "
     
  7. jmcq

    jmcq Junior Member

    Anyone else still having problems with searching for names on the cwgc website, I keep getting page not found (error 404) when trying to get a new search going ?
     
  8. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Seems to be slow to respond today (slow = never)

    Perhaps it is overloaded, or maybe the IT consultants are at work. You know how they work:
     

    Attached Files:

  9. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Same problem here, I have contacted CWGC to ask if there is a problem - other than exceptional demand due to centenary researching.
    It's been like that since at least the weekend, deteriorating gradually all last week.

    GSE just says "server busy - please try later". All other websites I visit have no problems, so it's just CWGC.

    Problem is, if it's due to demand, when it just freezes no one is getting any response, all locked out!
     
  10. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    GSE/WW1 activity was up by 97% for July (140% for WW2). It looks like August is even busier, up by 229% already. Searches on GSE seems to be the only practical way of getting into CWGC records at the moment. Can't believe it takes several weeks to fix the name/initial/forename problem (10 minute job on Geoff's Engine). IT consultants taking the p1ss? And hard to believe there is some sort of site overload due to increased traffic. A lot of the data now seems to be in the cloud, not sure of the general search database software though. It could explain the problem if the cloud route is busy or shared, but the scanned documents seem to downlodd readily, just searching that is slow or non-functional.
     
  11. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Just noticed CWGC search our records now has a unit search. When was this added? Still has the useless name search, unless they have improved the 'fuzzy' logic. I've not tried it.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Does funny things when searching for a record with mis-spelling of vessel name. The incorrect names is in their list, the record is found at the top but with every other record included. I suppose it sort of works.
     

    Attached Files:

  13. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Why, FFS ?
    If it's not broke, don't fix it.
    All it needed was the Search button replicated at the top of the form.

    Commonwealth War Graves Commission

    (Geoff's Search Engine is still available until at least mid 2018).
     
    ritsonvaljos likes this.
  14. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Geoff

    I'm afraid its a sign that you, like me are growing older and less likely to be fully complaint with all the technologies of today. Having said that from what I have seen that may not be true in your case. However whenever I become accustomed to a piece of software and begin to feel comfortable with it, some snitty little button pusher decides its time to change it - why - because he has sod all else to do all day except play with 'web designs' and change it for changes sake. The other side of so called changing up that these so called designers forget is that some of us like it as it was and have not updated the last 3 updates so therefore we cannot upload the 4th in the last month and now whatever it was will no longer run/work because I do not have the latest update, and it will now start to play havoc with other pieces of associated software that previously were independant but no longer are because some conglomerate has decided to pay well over the odds for something that in real life is worth £10 but in the ether world is worth billions

    Moan over - sorry to have taken over your thread, but as you say FFS

    TD
     
  15. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Hi

    To be fair, all of the options that would be on the one form are still accessible at the bottom. That means that the "One Input Box" search option (which looks strangely like the TNA discovery search page) keeps the newbies happy, offers a little more at the touch of "advanced" and still gives those who want a multi faceted data querying engine if we want it with a few more clicks.

    Display/Text is bigger which should suit those who are not getting any younger. ;-)

    Only bit I don't like is that all the CWGC links that Geoffs record dumps provided now dont work. :-(

    Any ideas on what has to be done to re-map them? As I now have 1000 links on a spreadsheet that just go to the main search page. :reallymad: Grrrr.

    Gus
     
  16. smdarby

    smdarby Well-Known Member

    Refine search option has been reduced. Now you can't search for awards.
     
  17. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Links from GSE work OK. If you have very old links on spreadsheets, it may be fixable. I've done a couple.
     
  18. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    ha ha

    404
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE
     
  19. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    It says "Shop" at the top, and that's all that matters. It's beyond parody.
     
  20. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Not sure the Gurkhas would be to pleased to have been left off the list - Forces

    TD
     

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