On Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:38:43 +0100 Charani <[email protected]> wrote: Hello Charani, > more and more available. My main gripe about the commercial sites are > the exclusive deals they make so there is only one source for the Like it or not (and like you, I'm not keen), but without those exclusivity contracts, Ancestry, FMP, et al wouldn't make the info available, because their revenue stream would be compromised. > records - and what happens when/if they go under? The likelihood is that the rights to the databases they have would be sold on to other interested parties. -- Regards _ / ) "The blindingly obvious is / _)rad never immediately apparent" Keep your drink just give em the money U & Ur Hand - P!nk

Brad Rogers wrote: > Like it or not (and like you, I'm not keen), but without those > exclusivity contracts, Ancestry, FMP, et al wouldn't make the info > available, because their revenue stream would be compromised. There is that. If they couldn't get the revenue, they'd probably up the subs which could result in membership declining. Catch 22 > The likelihood is that the rights to the databases they have would be > sold on to other interested parties. One would certainly hope so but it would probably be several weeks or even months before they were available again. There'd be an awful lot of very frustrated researchers in the interim! <G> I'm more in favour of databases being held exclusively for a set period before other sites could purchase them *if they so wished*; rather like FMP with the 1911 census. -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk http://www.savethegurkhas.co.uk/