did you mean monopoly, Marvin? Look, I'm no big fan of Ancestry, except there's really no other good alternative. I've used them for years (too expensive, too many errors, too unresponsive to problems, too slow to correct clear mistakes, etc.). But, they were the winning bid at NARA to scan/digitize many of OUR federal records. WE have to pay for access to the resources that are OUR (US) records. And, there's little oversight and few controls over their QC problems. It's a huge problem. (Frankly, for me QC is their biggest problem.) But, they won the X-year contract. So we (you, me, US taxpayers) PAY them to do this, don't provide adequate oversight, and somehow allow problems in QC so that we (you, me, US taxpayers) can access these records via subscription. In theory, by public policy, this doesn't make sense, as we (you, me, US taxpayers) should have free access, but the reality is that there just aren't discretionary funds these days, and haven't been since 2011 when we went to war in two countries spending billions of dollars each week outside the US. No it's not right, but it is reality. And it is unfortunate. But the agreement (Ancestry-gvt) was to provide free access in (certain) US facilities. The plus side, is that now people across the world can access these records which were once available only by going there (or similar facilities) and sticking our heads into old, creaking MF readers, as I did AT NARA in 1990+. The room was packed and you would get kicked off the readers after 3 hours and have to sign back in. And, yes there was a waiting list to get into NARA -- esp. the morning before the 1930 census was released -- down the stairs, down the block. Yes, the rooms were packed till closing when open at night (w/some exceptions). Now they're nearly empty. (Just when they upgraded to a "new" research room at NARA DC with "new" (v. uncomfortable chairs) in a large, new room w/new carpeting and .... THE SAME OLD READERS that didn't work well before .... and, yes, most of the little reading lamps don't work well either, and only a couple of the printers work well .... ) As a "user" I would have had different priorities (certainly better MF readers, working lamps, working printers, etc.), but ... no one asked me .... hey, I'm just a taxpayer and regular user ... Marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marvin Hoerig" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 10:20 AM Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths > > Marilyn, > > Your message is quite accurate but you left out the word - MENOPOLY > > Marvin Hoerig > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Marilyn L. Arnold" <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 8:22 AM > To: <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths > >> >> Ancestry, in business terms, is the big gorilla in the closet -- no real >> competitors (for US resources). Menopoly ! > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Marilyn, Here's the "o" I owe you and the list. You may have the "e". Marvin -------------------------------------------------- From: "Marilyn L. Arnold" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 2:23 PM To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [BW] Access to Records/Ancestry > did you mean monopoly, Marvin? > > > Look, I'm no big fan of Ancestry, except there's really no other good > alternative. I've used them for years (too expensive, too many errors, > too > unresponsive to problems, too slow to correct clear mistakes, etc.). But, > they were the winning bid at NARA to scan/digitize many of OUR federal > records. WE have to pay for access to the resources that are OUR (US) > records. And, there's little oversight and few controls over their QC > problems. It's a huge problem. (Frankly, for me QC is their biggest > problem.) But, they won the X-year contract. So we (you, me, US > taxpayers) > PAY them to do this, don't provide adequate oversight, and somehow allow > problems in QC so that we (you, me, US taxpayers) can access these records > via subscription. In theory, by public policy, this doesn't make sense, > as > we (you, me, US taxpayers) should have free access, but the reality is > that > there just aren't discretionary funds these days, and haven't been since > 2011 when we went to war in two countries spending billions of dollars > each > week outside the US. No it's not right, but it is reality. And it is > unfortunate. But the agreement (Ancestry-gvt) was to provide free access > in > (certain) US facilities. > > > The plus side, is that now people across the world can access these > records > which were once available only by going there (or similar facilities) and > sticking our heads into old, creaking MF readers, as I did AT NARA in > 1990+. > The room was packed and you would get kicked off the readers after 3 hours > and have to sign back in. And, yes there was a waiting list to get into > NARA -- esp. the morning before the 1930 census was released -- down the > stairs, down the block. Yes, the rooms were packed till closing when open > at night (w/some exceptions). Now they're nearly empty. (Just when they > upgraded to a "new" research room at NARA DC with "new" (v. uncomfortable > chairs) in a large, new room w/new carpeting and .... THE SAME OLD READERS > that didn't work well before .... and, yes, most of the little reading > lamps > don't work well either, and only a couple of the printers work well .... ) > As a "user" I would have had different priorities (certainly better MF > readers, working lamps, working printers, etc.), but ... no one asked me > .... hey, I'm just a taxpayer and regular user ... > > Marilyn > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Marvin Hoerig" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 10:20 AM > Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths > > >> >> Marilyn, >> >> Your message is quite accurate but you left out the word - MENOPOLY >> >> Marvin Hoerig >> -------------------------------------------------- >> From: "Marilyn L. Arnold" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 8:22 AM >> To: <[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths >> >>> >>> Ancestry, in business terms, is the big gorilla in the closet -- no real >>> competitors (for US resources). Menopoly ! >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' >> without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Thanks for the "o"! Rest of the respone sent to you privately, Marvin. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marvin Hoerig" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 3:54 PM Subject: Re: [BW] Access to Records/Ancestry > Marilyn, > > Here's the "o" I owe you and the list. You may have the "e". > > Marvin > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Marilyn L. Arnold" <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 2:23 PM > To: <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [BW] Access to Records/Ancestry > >> did you mean monopoly, Marvin? >> >> >> Look, I'm no big fan of Ancestry, except there's really no other good >> alternative. I've used them for years (too expensive, too many errors, >> too >> unresponsive to problems, too slow to correct clear mistakes, etc.). >> But, >> they were the winning bid at NARA to scan/digitize many of OUR federal >> records. WE have to pay for access to the resources that are OUR (US) >> records. And, there's little oversight and few controls over their QC >> problems. It's a huge problem. (Frankly, for me QC is their biggest >> problem.) But, they won the X-year contract. So we (you, me, US >> taxpayers) >> PAY them to do this, don't provide adequate oversight, and somehow allow >> problems in QC so that we (you, me, US taxpayers) can access these >> records >> via subscription. In theory, by public policy, this doesn't make sense, >> as >> we (you, me, US taxpayers) should have free access, but the reality is >> that >> there just aren't discretionary funds these days, and haven't been since >> 2011 when we went to war in two countries spending billions of dollars >> each >> week outside the US. No it's not right, but it is reality. And it is >> unfortunate. But the agreement (Ancestry-gvt) was to provide free access >> in >> (certain) US facilities. >> >> >> The plus side, is that now people across the world can access these >> records >> which were once available only by going there (or similar facilities) and >> sticking our heads into old, creaking MF readers, as I did AT NARA in >> 1990+. >> The room was packed and you would get kicked off the readers after 3 >> hours >> and have to sign back in. And, yes there was a waiting list to get into >> NARA -- esp. the morning before the 1930 census was released -- down the >> stairs, down the block. Yes, the rooms were packed till closing when >> open >> at night (w/some exceptions). Now they're nearly empty. (Just when they >> upgraded to a "new" research room at NARA DC with "new" (v. uncomfortable >> chairs) in a large, new room w/new carpeting and .... THE SAME OLD >> READERS >> that didn't work well before .... and, yes, most of the little reading >> lamps >> don't work well either, and only a couple of the printers work well >> .... ) >> As a "user" I would have had different priorities (certainly better MF >> readers, working lamps, working printers, etc.), but ... no one asked me >> .... hey, I'm just a taxpayer and regular user ... >> >> Marilyn >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Marvin Hoerig" <[email protected]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 10:20 AM >> Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths >> >> >>> >>> Marilyn, >>> >>> Your message is quite accurate but you left out the word - MENOPOLY >>> >>> Marvin Hoerig >>> -------------------------------------------------- >>> From: "Marilyn L. Arnold" <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 8:22 AM >>> To: <[email protected]> >>> Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths >>> >>>> >>>> Ancestry, in business terms, is the big gorilla in the closet -- no >>>> real >>>> competitors (for US resources). Menopoly ! >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' >>> without >>> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' >> without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message