I hesitated replying to this, as it is not really on topic, but maybe this will reduce the number of additional replies. Ancestry didn't "grab" the SSDI (Social Security Death Index). Recently, there was a media/congressional frenzy because the general public first learned that the SSDI existed. In response, it seems as though all of the sites hosting it dropped it, except for Ancestry. So in reality, you can complain to the sites that dropped it, or you can complain to your congressman (better yet). But complaining about Ancestry isn't really valid. On Apr 2, 2012, at 2:00 PM, [email protected] wrote: > I agree with you both, Marvin and Max. Less free sites are available every week. > > > [email protected] > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Max Burgdorf <[email protected]> > To: baden-wurttemberg <[email protected]> > Sent: Mon, Apr 2, 2012 1:53 pm > Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths > > > > My sentiments exactly. I am not a professional geneaologist, just a > enealogy hobbiest and I have noted over the recent past that many of > he sites I went to I now have to log into Ancestry.com. Much of their > free stuff" is but a lure to get you to sign up. An example is there > urrent posting of the 1940 census. Not too long ago the annual fee > as $200 and it is now is $300. Ancestry is obviously trying to > orner the genealogy information market. > BODY { font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px; } > On Mon 02/04/12 13:33 , "Marvin Hoerig" [email protected] sent: > Why must I now pay to look at the Social Security Death Records ? > hen did Ancestry grab this previously free resource up? It looks > ike Ancestry is going to be the one and only source for genealogical > esearch online before long. Aren't there a laws concerning monopoly ? > Marvin Hoerig in WI > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] [1] with the word > unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > essage > > inks: > ----- > 1] mailto:[email protected] > > ------------------------------ > o unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] > ith the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of > he 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 > Chris Smolinski Black Cat Systems http://www.blackcatsystems.com

Then there's Rootsweb, a free genealogy community, first independent and now sponsored (owned?) by Ancestry.com. Rootsweb had provided until a few months ago free use of the Social Security Death Index, via a search engine that was much more efficient than Ancestry's. Now one can no longer access the Social Security Death Index on Rootsweb. I think the general public's concern was the dissemination of private personal information of the deceased, including the social security numbers, within a few months of death. Why Ancestry.com chose to continue providing access to the SSDI but remove it from Rootsweb one can only guess. On 4/2/12 2:06 PM, Chris Smolinski wrote: > I hesitated replying to this, as it is not really on topic, but maybe > this will reduce the number of additional replies. > > Ancestry didn't "grab" the SSDI (Social Security Death Index). > Recently, there was a media/congressional frenzy because the general > public first learned that the SSDI existed. In response, it seems as > though all of the sites hosting it dropped it, except for Ancestry. > So in reality, you can complain to the sites that dropped it, or you > can complain to your congressman (better yet). But complaining about > Ancestry isn't really valid. > > On Apr 2, 2012, at 2:00 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > > I agree with you both, Marvin and Max. Less free sites are > > available every week. > > > > > > [email protected] > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- From: Max Burgdorf > > <[email protected]> To: baden-wurttemberg > > <[email protected]> Sent: Mon, Apr 2, 2012 1:53 pm > > Subject: Re: [BW] Soc Sec Deaths > > > > > > > > My sentiments exactly. I am not a professional geneaologist, just > > a enealogy hobbiest and I have noted over the recent past that many > > of he sites I went to I now have to log into Ancestry.com. Much of > > their free stuff" is but a lure to get you to sign up. An example > > is there urrent posting of the 1940 census. Not too long ago the > > annual fee as $200 and it is now is $300. Ancestry is obviously > > trying to orner the genealogy information market. BODY { > > font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px; } On Mon > > 02/04/12 13:33 , "Marvin Hoerig" [email protected] sent: Why must I > > now pay to look at the Social Security Death Records ? hen did > > Ancestry grab this previously free resource up? It looks ike > > Ancestry is going to be the one and only source for genealogical > > esearch online before long. Aren't there a laws concerning monopoly > > ? Marvin Hoerig in WI ------------------------------- To > > unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > [email protected] [1] with the word > > unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > > essage > > > > inks: ----- 1] mailto:[email protected] > > > > ------------------------------ o unsubscribe from the list, please > > send an email to [email protected] ith the > > word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body > > of he 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 > > > > Chris Smolinski Black Cat Systems http://www.blackcatsystems.com > > > > > > ------------------------------- 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 >