It looks like MyHeritage has done it again. This time they’ve used their search engine technology to help connect people who may be searching the same names. Using the new Search Connect™, I went looking for anyone searching on the name Meitzler. I checked that I wanted “exact spelling” to clear out the hundreds of Metzler searches I was sure to find. Sure enough – I found four, three searches made by USA residents and one by someone in Poland. The first item was a search for my brother, Neil Meitzler, who passed away in February of 2009. I just sent off a message to Shannon a few minutes ago. See the screen print for my search at the bottom of this blog.
The following was received from my friend, Daniel Horowitz:
MyHeritage Adds New Collaboration Technology to its Search Engine for Family History Breakthroughs
Search Connect™ converts users’ searches into results for other users, connecting people who are looking for the same ancestors and fostering collaboration
TEL AVIV, Israel & LEHI, Utah, November 04, 2015 – MyHeritage, the fastest-growing destination for discovering, preserving and sharing family history, unveiled today an innovation that fosters collaboration in family history research. Search Connect™ enables users to easily find others who are looking for the same ancestors or relatives, and get in touch with them.
Search Connect™ includes millions of searches made by MyHeritage members. Each search is indexed along with the full metadata (dates, places, relatives and more) included in the user’s query. When another user searches for similar information, previous searches are included within the results, along with the means to get in touch with the users who conducted them.
MyHeritage conceived the Search Connect™ innovation in April 2012 when it launched SuperSearch™ its search engine for historical records. SuperSearch™ has since grown at a phenomenal pace to include 6.2 billion historical records, and Search Connect™ has amassed more than 30 million entries from searches for rare names. The size of the collection will continue to increase as users conduct new searches. Users can easily opt out and turn off the feature if they do not want MyHeritage to record their searches.
Search Connect™ is complemented by MyHeritage’s new Global Name Translation™ technology, which allows users to find other people who searched for the same name in another language. For example, a user from the USA whose last name is Mogilevsky who queries Search Connect™ to find potential relatives, will successfully find people who searched for the same last name in English, Russian, Hebrew or other languages and see who they were searching for. This maximizes the chances of locating previously unknown family members anywhere in the world.
View an example of SearchConnect™ with translation.
“MyHeritage specializes in developing innovative technologies for family history discoveries”, said Gilad Japhet, Founder and CEO of MyHeritage. “We are particularly excited about Search Connect™ because it enables users to benefit from the knowledge of others. When searching for an elusive ancestor who had left no trace behind, Search Connect™ reveals other people who are searching for the same person, which is the next best thing. We anticipate that many of our users will discover long-lost family members thanks to this unique addition.”
Viewing Search Connect™ results is free. A MyHeritage subscription is required to contact other users.
About MyHeritage
MyHeritage is the world’s fastest-growing destination for discovering, preserving and sharing family history. As technology thought leaders, MyHeritage is transforming family history into an activity that’s accessible and instantly rewarding. Its global user community enjoys access to a massive library of historical records, the most internationally diverse collection of family trees and groundbreaking search and matching technologies. Trusted by millions of families, MyHeritage provides an easy way to share family stories, past and present, and treasure them for generations to come. MyHeritage is available in 42 languages. www.myheritage.com
