Hi All: I have recently subscribed to Ancestry on a monthly basis as I want to change my options now and then. Just in the last week, this has turned up a new 3rd cousin and we are busy exchanging data. I do agree that an annual subscription is out of reach for many people, and I think there ought to be a national data repository that does not charge for "our" data. However, the little data I have bought (such as four family members' Navy records) has been well worth while. I have also tried pay-per-view sites but found that in around 50% of cases they cost more than initially expected - pay for a transcript, then one page of census, then find out there's another page (or more) - 9 units instead of the expected three! So as with everything, there are pros and cons. Regards Martin Willcocks Taylorsville, UT, USA. Lynne wrote: As family historians, most of us have an ethic of sharing and our research certainly works a lot better if we DO share what we have found out with each other. Should we all start posting our family histories and photos exclusively on free web sites? It is for selfish reasons as well. I want to have the best possible chance of connecting with other people interested in the same family as me and its obvious that more people have access on a free site. I simply cannot afford to keep up an annual membership in Ancestry.com myself.