dnc in tennessee wrote: > Please give some guidance if you can. I have never actually subscribed to Ancestry.com, though I had access to their database for a year. This came about as a result of donating money to Rootsweb shortly before they were acquired by Ancestry. Donors were given free access to the database as a result. The time period may have been based on the amount that had been donated to Rootsweb, but I don't know that for a fact. One major benefit I had was that Ancestry never had my credit card number so they couldn't auto-renew my membership. I really dislike that policy. My magazine subscriptions don't do it, my genealogy society memberships don't do it, nowhere else in my life am I auto-renewed for anything. It is the primary reason I am not an Ancestry subscriber right now. If you decide to sign on the dotted line, read the cancellation policy very carefully. You may want to read some old threads on this topic too - they won't be hard to find because it comes up all the time. Is it worth the price? That depends on what you are looking for. I can tell you that in one year's time I never took a single name or date from any of their databases to add to my genealogy database. So did I get anything out of it? You bet! I collected tons of stuff from the PERSI database, then had a field day when I went to the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN. I found a couple of listings for my third great grandfather Edwin HYDE related to his Civil War activity. Because of this information I was able to find the 1890 NY Civil War Veterans Schedule and find him on it. I also was able to use the information to send to NARA for his pension file. From that I ended a 20 year quest (mostly my aunt's - not mine) to identify my third great grandmother's maiden name. NONE of this information came directly from the Ancestry database, but it ALL came about because of the clues I did find there. These are just two of many examples where I found clues through Ancestry that ultimately furthered my research. I want to emphasize the word CLUES here. There were no original records in Ancestry's database at the time (pre-digitized census). If you are comfortable adding information to your genealogy based on database transcriptions, you will be happy with Ancestry. If you want to use the database to find helpful clues you will be happy. If you expect to find original records so you don't have to make a trip to the courthouse you will be very disappointed. They aren't there. Would I sign up again someday? Maybe. I would include the census subscription if I did so. Ancestry may have to change some of their policies before I jump in again though. Two other comments come to mind... First, I am taking a very parochial (American) view in my comments here. I have heard many people from other countries say the databases within Ancestry aren't very helpful. I can't comment on that. Second, you say that you wish you could try out a few searches to see what you get before actually buying. Many libraries have subscriptions to AncestryPlus. I know many if not all public libraries in Michigan do (at least in the metro Detroit area). I know the library in Greenville, SC does. I don't know about places in Tennessee, which is where I assume you are from. If you are near Knoxville, Chatanooga, Nashville or Memphis you might want to check with libraries in those areas. Try it out then decide for yourself. Good luck. Mike Curtis

I guess what I am asking is , is a $129 subscription for one year to the whole site something I might regret? Or am I penny pinching here? thanks, On The Date Of Fri, 08 Feb 2002 15:39:21 -0500, Mike Curtis <mcurtis@gopinnacle.com> Wrote The Followng: -> -> ->dnc in tennessee wrote: -> ->> Please give some guidance if you can. -> ->I have never actually subscribed to Ancestry.com, though I had access to ->their database for a year. This came about as a result of donating money ->to Rootsweb shortly before they were acquired by Ancestry. Donors were ->given free access to the database as a result. The time period may have ->been based on the amount that had been donated to Rootsweb, but I don't ->know that for a fact. -> ->One major benefit I had was that Ancestry never had my credit card ->number so they couldn't auto-renew my membership. I really dislike that ->policy. My magazine subscriptions don't do it, my genealogy society ->memberships don't do it, nowhere else in my life am I auto-renewed for ->anything. It is the primary reason I am not an Ancestry subscriber right ->now. If you decide to sign on the dotted line, read the cancellation ->policy very carefully. You may want to read some old threads on this ->topic too - they won't be hard to find because it comes up all the time. -> ->Is it worth the price? That depends on what you are looking for. I can ->tell you that in one year's time I never took a single name or date from ->any of their databases to add to my genealogy database. So did I get ->anything out of it? You bet! I collected tons of stuff from the PERSI ->database, then had a field day when I went to the Allen County Public ->Library in Fort Wayne, IN. -> ->I found a couple of listings for my third great grandfather Edwin HYDE ->related to his Civil War activity. Because of this information I was ->able to find the 1890 NY Civil War Veterans Schedule and find him on it. ->I also was able to use the information to send to NARA for his pension ->file. From that I ended a 20 year quest (mostly my aunt's - not mine) to ->identify my third great grandmother's maiden name. NONE of this ->information came directly from the Ancestry database, but it ALL came ->about because of the clues I did find there. -> ->These are just two of many examples where I found clues through Ancestry ->that ultimately furthered my research. I want to emphasize the word ->CLUES here. There were no original records in Ancestry's database at the ->time (pre-digitized census). If you are comfortable adding information ->to your genealogy based on database transcriptions, you will be happy ->with Ancestry. If you want to use the database to find helpful clues you ->will be happy. If you expect to find original records so you don't have ->to make a trip to the courthouse you will be very disappointed. They ->aren't there. -> ->Would I sign up again someday? Maybe. I would include the census ->subscription if I did so. Ancestry may have to change some of their ->policies before I jump in again though. -> ->Two other comments come to mind... -> ->First, I am taking a very parochial (American) view in my comments here. ->I have heard many people from other countries say the databases within ->Ancestry aren't very helpful. I can't comment on that. -> ->Second, you say that you wish you could try out a few searches to see ->what you get before actually buying. Many libraries have subscriptions ->to AncestryPlus. I know many if not all public libraries in Michigan do ->(at least in the metro Detroit area). I know the library in Greenville, ->SC does. I don't know about places in Tennessee, which is where I assume ->you are from. If you are near Knoxville, Chatanooga, Nashville or ->Memphis you might want to check with libraries in those areas. Try it ->out then decide for yourself. -> ->Good luck. -> ->Mike Curtis