MacKiev, 'Faffing' Family Tree Maker - I've given it a new name

Well it is nearly 3 months that MacKiev have had my money for FTM and still not supplied the product. I have just download Test Drive 2 which, they claim, is almost the release version and should be safe to use on your "live" data.

On running it and attempting to open my local data I was advised to convert the data to the latest version. This I did and then found that the database was no longer linked to Ancestry. There is no option to re-link the database. OK, I thought, I'll download the tree and media files again, even though there are over 3000 of them. No joy there either as they have disabled the sync abilty.

I wish I had requested a refund 3 months ago.

 

I volunteered to be a tester for FTM 2017, I cannot describe any of the issues I have encountered or tell you about any of the features because I have signed a confidentiality clause.
However, today I received an email from Ancestry where, in their blog, it announces that Roots Magic is now selling their new version that 'syncs' with Ancestry. I am laughing up my sleeve because they have beaten McKiev to it.

Every announcement that McKiev has made so far is thanking us for our patience, encouraging words and so forth. I don't know where to find those supportive comments.

McKiev provided a test version of FTM 2017 to use, having been a tester in a past life I took it literally and worked from a small test plan I wrote up. I raised issues but have never had any acknowledgement of them, there isn't even a list of known issues and I do not know if the issues I have raised are also raised by other testers.

Ancestry are partly to blame for the shambles because they did not build a test version, we are using live data to test with.

Just thought I'd get a few things off my chest.............

 

I have been 'testing' FTM 2017 and cannot believe the unprofessional approach taken by McKiev.
I volunteered to do the testing and was provided with a test version of FTM2017, I cannot tell you anything about what I tested, what the results were or what functionality is available because I have signed a confidentiality agreement.

Having been a tester in a past life I was expecting to receive a list of known issues and feedback on the issues i was raising. None of that happened.

Before I received the test version of FTM2017 I wrote a small test plan, as all good testers do and religiously worked through it but did not receive a register as such for raising issues and being able to see what other testers were raising.

I am amazed that Ancestry did not build a test system and we are testing live data.

FTM 2014 syncing has been turned off by Ancestry and it is possible to sync with FTM 2017 but McKiev are still not happy with the results and still not ready to release.

Today, I saw on the Ancestry blog that Roots Magic is now 'syncing' with Ancestry and their new version is available to download.
They have beaten McKiev to it and I'm laughing up my sleeve.
As a consequence I have spent some hours looking into the workings of Roots Magic to see if it is the right way to go for me. But, I have paid my money to McKiev and can't make my mind up. I don't expect anybody to recommend one or the other, i'm jut airing thoughts and some frustration with the whole sorry saga.

 

I bought RM7 but found it very clicky, although there's nothing else wrong with it. So many clicks to get anywhere. Just my opinion.
I have left my old tree on ancestry, which was synched ages ago and now use Legacy, which I prefer.

 

I am no expert but the following thoughts come to mind:
How many trees are syncing through RootsMagic? If not many or if they are only small trees it could be less problematic for them.
How concerned are RootsMagic that it all works correctly? Being first past the post is not always the sign of a winner.

 

My own thoughts are that there are 'tests' and 'tests', and MacKiev FTM testing is not on a par by a long chalk with (say) Microsoft Insider Beta testing . It is more ad hoc, try it as you have done in the past and see if it works. If it does tick the appropriate box and receive permission to proceed. If it falls short report issues via MacKiev proscribed channels and -if appropriate - continue testing. Of course it was annoying to have the syncing process suspended, but I believe with Test Drive 2.0 it is back on track (fingers crossed).

I have no knowledge of Roots Magic or how its own syncing process is working but I am quite sure it will not be without its own problems sooner or later. I am not as dependent as some with FTM as a computer program but its ability to sync was justification for keeping it on my PC. I am prepared to stay with FTM and just hope the syncing problem is well on its way to being resolved.