Comments on: Can Genealogy Software Be Rated Fairly? http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=1146 the Development of my Genealogy Program named Behold http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/../beholdblog.gif Comments by Louis Kessler are Copyright 2000-2013 Louis Kessler, All Rights Reserved. Comments by others belong to the people who made them. By: Louis Kessler http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=1146#comment-582 Louis Kessler Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:52:51 +0000 http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=1146#comment-582 rodokmen: TopTenReviews are not user-based ratings. They are comparisons of programs based on features, and the rating is effectively the decision of a person from TTR. The rating may be influenced by the popularity of the program and possibly by the affiliate commission that TTR would receive. They only include a select list of 10 programs, and there are many more programs than that. Sites like that are good to compare features and give you a good first idea of what programs you might want to try. But ultimately, you want the program that provides the best usability and benefits that you need. Louis rodokmen:

TopTenReviews are not user-based ratings. They are comparisons of programs based on features, and the rating is effectively the decision of a person from TTR. The rating may be influenced by the popularity of the program and possibly by the affiliate commission that TTR would receive. They only include a select list of 10 programs, and there are many more programs than that.

Sites like that are good to compare features and give you a good first idea of what programs you might want to try. But ultimately, you want the program that provides the best usability and benefits that you need.

Louis

]]> By: rodokmen http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=1146#comment-580 rodokmen Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:45:01 +0000 http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=1146#comment-580 Interesting point of view. What do you think about review by "Top ten reviews" (toptenreviews.com)? Interesting point of view. What do you think about review by “Top ten reviews” (toptenreviews.com)?

]]> By: Louis Kessler http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=1146#comment-558 Louis Kessler Thu, 10 Jan 2013 02:34:50 +0000 http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=1146#comment-558 I think the key, Randy, is not to worry about comparative ratings between programs. I think the key is that each program must attempt to make its own users happy, 4 stars out of 5. Louis I think the key, Randy, is not to worry about comparative ratings between programs. I think the key is that each program must attempt to make its own users happy, 4 stars out of 5.

Louis

]]> By: rjseaver http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=1146#comment-557 rjseaver Mon, 07 Jan 2013 02:51:45 +0000 http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=1146#comment-557 No, I don't think that you are wrong. I think it's the best genealogy software ratings service available. I really like that you weight recent reviews more heavily than earlier reviews. However, the ratings are subjective - and therefore subject to the reviewers biases and experience. My guess is that most reviewers will rate the software that they own and have used. How can they judge it is a 3, 4 or 5 star program? How many reviewers have actually used more than one software program to do a specific job? I think that I could rate RootsMagic 6, Family Tree Maker 2012, Legacy Family Tree 7.5 and Family Tree Maker 16 fairly because I have a lot of experience with each of them. There are a number of us that could do that, but have we done it? Perhaps a "select panel" of 10 or 20 reviewers could do that and come up with a better ranking of the programs. My opinion is that some reviewers have given low ratings to some programs out of spite - Family Tree Maker 2008-2012 comes to mind. There is the possibility that a software provider could get a number of friends or employees to rate their software highly. It is what it is. A software review site with hundreds of reviews each year for each program would be more respected than one with just a few reviews each year. The problem is getting software users to do the reviews. Thank you for the review opportunity - you can only offer it and hope that it is used and is respected. No, I don’t think that you are wrong. I think it’s the best genealogy software ratings service available. I really like that you weight recent reviews more heavily than earlier reviews.

However, the ratings are subjective - and therefore subject to the reviewers biases and experience. My guess is that most reviewers will rate the software that they own and have used. How can they judge it is a 3, 4 or 5 star program?

How many reviewers have actually used more than one software program to do a specific job? I think that I could rate RootsMagic 6, Family Tree Maker 2012, Legacy Family Tree 7.5 and Family Tree Maker 16 fairly because I have a lot of experience with each of them. There are a number of us that could do that, but have we done it? Perhaps a “select panel” of 10 or 20 reviewers could do that and come up with a better ranking of the programs.

My opinion is that some reviewers have given low ratings to some programs out of spite - Family Tree Maker 2008-2012 comes to mind. There is the possibility that a software provider could get a number of friends or employees to rate their software highly.

It is what it is. A software review site with hundreds of reviews each year for each program would be more respected than one with just a few reviews each year. The problem is getting software users to do the reviews.

Thank you for the review opportunity - you can only offer it and hope that it is used and is respected.

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