Fees for information from Genealogy sites

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Catherine Davis on December 17, 2009 at 9:57pm

If I follow the little arrows correctly, I think I am entering the discussion started by Jim LaLone yesterday, and answered by Russell Jordan and Jim Hart. The only point I want to make is one that I think you are all saying and that is to be sure you have the right family, you have to do the research yourself and rely as much as possible on actual records, or their digital images. Totally forget the groups who will do it for you for a mere $1200, say thank you to anyone who puts their research in an accessible spot on the internet but use it only as a lead to find the actual record, not as the gospel fact, and do the same with local history books.

That said, I have to tell you that you have all spoiled my fun. I thought that because my great-grandmother was a Ferguson, I must be a "Royal," through the line of King Fergus of Scotland. LOL.

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Permalink Reply by Russell Jordan on December 18, 2009 at 8:54am

Hi Catherine & welcome ! No,I was just saying that before you post something as "fact",you want to make sure that the information is from a documented source. Like,I have met a few researchrs online that I would have no problem in relaying their information as fact. Because I know that they would only post it if it was well reseached and a proven fact. But in some cases you will see something posted by 5-6 people with no record of any kind other than a "he said-she said". No, I am not saying you cannot trust infomation gained from all professional genealoy researchers. Infact after paying $1200 to have it done,I would hope it was vvvvvery well researched & backedup.LOL I just saying for me,it is more fun,for me,to do it myself.:) But if doing your own reseach is not possible. Then I would see using a good & reliable professional researcher. But I would somehow try to make sure that his resources would or could be dependable. As for as possiblity of being related to a "Royal",I think that would be left to you. But I would include the words,"but just how--not certain". :) There where many ways to be linked to a "Royal". Some directly and others not(like being a mistress or being raped).LOL

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Permalink Reply by Ayesart on December 18, 2009 at 7:30pm

The data on the LDS is bereft of sources. If you pay a site to access data you are sure to get sources included with the data you seek. Sources are important as proof of family connections.

I don't pay anyone by the way.

Ayesart

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Permalink Reply by Russell Jordan on December 18, 2009 at 8:46pm

Ayesart this is not always correct .:) Sometimes ,say at Ancestry,you may have 5-6 people may show a person linked to one family. But not one will show a source of the information it was obtained from. This is not true in all cases,but you will find some.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara Bradley Petura on December 27, 2009 at 4:00pm

Thanks for the invitation, Catherine, to join the discussion on fees for genealogy information -- and whether any genealogy resources are truly free. I have a series of postings called Finding Family for Free in my blog Relative Musings and invite you to check it out. I agree that there are many free and low-cost resources - and I discuss some of them at my GenealogyWise group, also called Finding Family for Free. Catherine posted a great comment there, and I just replied today.

One other thought on the issue of costs. I live in the state of Washington but many of my ancestors and extended family lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The cost of flying to Milwaukee, paying for a hotel room and cabfare for several days so I could use the printed copies of Milwaukee City Directories would surely cost me more than $750.00 -- or about my Ancestry.com membership for two years. Ancestry lets me find my ancestors in those city directories from 1876 to 1900 and again in some of the years during 1937-1945. All from the comfort of my home.

To me, the question is whether you get real value for the fees you pay.

Again, I agree with Catherine's posting at my group that we should always thank the volunteers who help us for free, and happily pay the modest fees of $10 or $15 to genealogy and history societies that send us materials from their archives. And also sign up to be volunteers ourselves if we can, in order to give back. It is the collective genealogy community -- committed, caring and generous -- that makes family history research such an absorbing and satisfying activity.

Happy New Year!

Barbara

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Permalink Reply by Jen on December 29, 2009 at 10:49am

Hi everyone! This is a great discussion. I, myself, pay for several sites and use them regularly. As each one comes up for renewal, I evaluate how much I have used them lately and how much I see me using them in the near future. If the past/projected use is low, I let them lapse. After all, they will be more than willing to let you come back later, maybe even offering a better deal. Most (all?) pay sites offer a free trial period. I gather a pile of dead ends and make the most of them. Be sure to cancel within the time constraints if you don't want to keep it because they are waiting to zap your credit card.

Barbara made a great point about travel expenses and brings me to a thought. An Ancestry.com or other subscription maybe 4-6 months before a big research trip may allow you to make the most of your time on the ground. Who wouldn't want 'just one more day...'? How much would it be worth? Looking back at my 30 years, along with my Mother's and Aunt's 30 each, I wonder how much of what we chased down the hard way is now available in the comfort of my home office with me dressed in my pajamas.

Happy New Year, Everyone!
Jen

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Permalink Reply by James P. LaLone on January 13, 2010 at 9:09am

Dick Eastman makes some interesting comments on his online newsletter "Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter" regarding this topic, see: http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/12/why-isnt-it-...

Jim

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Permalink Reply by Erik S Dillenkofer on January 17, 2010 at 5:20am

Many libraries have subscriptions to Ancestry.com Library Edition, and all you need is a library card to use it.

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