Dear List readers... GenServ is a commercial service. We do charge for memberships as muchas as $12 a year or $1 a month. For seniors it is .50 Cents a month. However, and here is what we believe is the "tip" portion of our service. We have many free services on GenServ. Let's say that you are searching, have run up against brick walls, and want to see if GenServ might be a possible resource for you. Our Free GenCount service would allow users to query the system to see if their particular and unique surname is represented. So far, 10,000 people have loaded their various databases, and found tons of information. Example: When I started out, I had about 6000 to 10,000 records in my database. Using the resources of the Internet along with GenServ, my database is now over 122,000 records strong, and I have enough information from my contacts to keep me busy for the foreseeable future. So when I recommend or give the group "A tip" regarding GenServ I do so because it works. Let's say that after checking GenCount, you find ONE particular surname that you are excited about. You can then use the ONE-TIME GenSample report to get a listing of that surname. It includes everything that normal users get that evidence what we have on the system. Members and non-members would get the same report. When still unsure about the look and feel of GenServ, people have the chance now to use the Free Demo System at http://demo.genserv.com. Because I have used the system, and found it most useful, I have volunteered my time to seeing that it continues to be a success. Doing so serves me and everyone! All of these services are FREE!! Totally! If others would like to offer their services or offerings FREE to the readers at Gen-Tips, I think I would love to see them. All of us need help and ANY assistance is always appreciated. I sincerely hope that you use any resource that will help you achieve your research goals. GenServ for me has been a GREAT resource, and the contacts made there have helped me keep from re-creating the research wheel. I've saved thousands, and that is a TIP worth knowing about... Best wishes --- Terry D. Smith GenServ User Assistance tsmith@cleanup.net E - Mail from Terry D. Smith 19 June, 1998 Personal Genealogical Home Page: http://www.cleanup.net/~tsmith/smith.html GenServ "Genealogical Server" a service for making GEDCOM data available. OVER --> 13,405,000 names in 10,027+ GEDCOMs with 325,000 different surnames GenServ Your one-stop resource for genealogical connections. Try GenCount today. Contact our homepage for details at the following URL http://www.genserv.com Try the new Demo System at http://demo.genserv.com