Digging Into the entire FamilySearch.org website: Part Two

 

If you happen to have tens of thousands of relatives in the FamilySearch.org Family Tree, your personal startup screen might look like this one once you sign in. But this screen is customizable and so everyone's screen may look different and if you are just starting out, it may look quite different. In the screenshot above, there is a notice that says: "We’re testing new features that help you share important family moments and connect with others." Keeping up with the changes to the website is a challenge. As I dig into the structure, operation, and functionality of the FamilySearch.org website, you will probably be amazed at the number of pages that seem to have no links. Many of these abandoned or orphan pages are still online but invisible from any link on the website itself. Some pages have links but not from any part of the website that users would generally visit. So now we launch off into the known and unknown world of the FamilySearch.org website. 

I thought about conducting this survey from the standpoint of coming into the website for the first time but when I saw that there was already a newly advertised feature, I decided to take a more eclectic view and merely wander around like I would in a large museum seeing what I could highlight and discover. The first thought, just like with a museum, is there a map of the floor plan? Hmm. the answer for the website is yes and no. 

The "map" for any website is really a map and it is called the "Site Map." FamilySearch.org does have a Site Map. There is a link to the Site Map at the bottom of the startup pages. Note there are two "startup pages;" the one you get when you open the website and the one you get when you are registered after you sign in. 

Here is a screenshot of the bottom of the pages showing the Site Map link. Since we are just beginning our exploration of the website, you will note several other links that suggest our voyage of discovery may take a very long time. 

Here is the Site Map. 

https://www.familysearch.org/site-map

Some of the links are to other websites. Over time, there are pages that are no longer linked or pulled from the website so finding a link may be difficult. Here is one example. 

https://www.familysearch.org/campaign/pioneers/ 

You can look at the URL (link) and see that this webpage is apparently on the website somewhere, but it is not in the Site Map. It is one of the activities listed in the "Activities" menu when you click on the drop down menu item for All Activities. 

Back to the Site Map. I suggest exploring all the links. It is a good way to get an idea of exactly what is available and what may be more difficult to find. Bear in mind, that there are parts of the website that are not listed on the Site Map. Here is another example. 

https://community.familysearch.org/en

If you look at this URL, you will see that is it still from FamilySearch.org but really on a separate website. The link to this website is accessed from the question mark icon at the top right of the pages. 

I would appreciate questions or comments as I work my way slowly through the entire website. 

Here is the previous post in this ongoing series.

Part One: https://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2021/10/digging-into-entire-familysearchorg.html