Gareth, "It is my understanding that the BMDs certificates have been digitised at great expense to the taxpayer." Based on what? Give me facts and figures not your opinion for what it may be worth. Back it up, with factual information or shut up! "The index for these certificates have also been digitised at great expense to the public although the digital index was made from the ones held at General Register Office, which were indexed off the local returns and were not as accurate as the local index, due to the incentives given to those doing the work." "at great expense to the public" Where are exactly are you coming from? A member of the Public, or a Genealogist or at least someone interested in their Ancestry. What exactly is your motive, for simply endorsing the petition, without providing in my view at least any justification? Are you also on commission? I agree that the local indexes are far more accurate than that at the GRO. The GRO Indexes are already available on Free BMD. "due to the incentives given to those doing the work." Contracted to India, and other countries where there is cheap labour, but no knowledge of Surnames, Christian Names or Place Names. Just look at the Information provided my Commercial Enterprises to see the lack of knowledge. Commercial Enterprises don't care. Their motive is profit not accuracy. If you want accurate information then you should be petitioning for local Family History Societies to be allowed to Index the Local Registers. At the moment it is Hit or Miss, depending on the Whim of the Local Registrar. Some have allowed members of local Family History Societies to transcribe and Index their Records to the benefit of both. This in my opinion is what we should be petitioning for. I am seriously interested in Genealogy. and honestly believe, that for the "niche" information that Commercial Businesses do not consider profitable, unless they get it for nothing, Family History Societies have an important role. Take away their potential "niche" information, and commercialise it, and you end up with a myriad of fictitious pedigrees on the Internet, which only DNA tests will confirm are false. So Gareth, please explain what I and list members have to gain, by endorsing this petition. Rhodri ======================================== Message Received: Mar 26 2014, 11:05 AM From: "Gareth Morgan" To: dyfed@rootsweb.com Cc: Subject: Re: [Dyfed] Campaign to Open Historic Registers Hello Rhodri It is my understanding that the BMDs certificates have been digitised at great expense to the taxpayer. The index for these certificates have also been digitised at great expense to the public although the digital index was made from the ones held at General Register Office, which were indexed off the local returns and were not as accurate as the local index, due to the incentives given to those doing the work. Thank you Gareth P.S. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/62779 http://anguline.co.uk/ohrn.html -------------------------------------------- On Tue, 25/3/14, RHODRI DAFIS wrote: Megan, Are you on commission, to so blatantly advance the interests of an apparently Commercial Enterprises? ================================ Dyfed list REVISED resources http://home.clara.net/daibevan/DyfedML.html [Dec2012] ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DYFED-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message Rhodri