Hello everyone, I'm going to try one more time because I'm not sure that everyone understands what is going on. Most of us probably don't read the Wall Street Journal and would not know about these recent mergers/buy-outs, etc. This is a real threat to what we enjoy on the Internet. Another statistic for you: There are about 5,000 mailing lists hosted by RootsWeb and only 174 of those listowners have a clue what has been going on. Those who are subscribers to the Listowners-L know that we've been talking about how to raise additional monies for RootsWeb to upgrade their equipment and to expand the materials available to be posted on the Internet. Support Rootsweb and free access to genealogical data. Go to http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/how-to-subscribe today and make a donation. If you can't afford the $12 per year it takes to be a member then send what you can. I, personally, am going to upgrade my membership this year. The Clendinen cousins made their wishes known and paid for the webspace they have. The INPutnam list is being hosted FREE. How about it, Putnam Countians; can we give enough to be paying for our webspace too. 'Nuff said. Please read Brian's remarks below. >>Just so I don't seem alarmist, here's the background on why I'm concerned. Mattel/Broderbund has just locked up about 85% of the genealogical software and CD-ROM market with their purchases of TLC and hence Broderbund, Palladium, Mindscape, and essentially everyone else who sells genealogical software except Sierra and Wholly Genes. That means the Mattel/Broderbund monopoly can funnel major bucks into genealogy and be certain that it can charge the community essentially whatever it feels like for software and CD-ROMs. Ancestry just sold 30% of their company to CMG (a venture capital company) for $10,000,000. This is money on top of the $60/year they get from "tens of thousands of subscribers" (from the Wall Street Journal). That means that Ancestry has more than $10,000,000 to spend, and they expect to make a *lot* of profit off the community because venture capitalists don't make investments unless they believe they can score some thing 400% or higher profits within a 3-5 year period. Mattel/Broderbund and Ancestry expect to make a *lot* of money off our fellow genealogists. But the community has a choice. We can grow our own cooperatives like RootsWeb and voluntarily spend a few bucks apiece to bring data online, or we can be charged through the nose and make the stockholders at Mattel/Broderbund and Ancestry wealthy. The right choice seems like a no-brainer to me, but 94-98% of RootsWeb's users seem to be saying they think it's a pretty good idea to make the stockholders at Mattel/Broderbund and Ancestry wealthy. BTW, don't worry about the staff at RootsWeb throwing in the towel; we won't quit. But it is kind of discouraging when you watch large numbers of your users making what appear to be barkingly irrational choices. Cheers, B.<< Why don't you think of this as a Jerry Lewis telethon, give until it hurts and then give some more. Just kidding, but if you have gotten anything off the RootsWeb pages, please consider "paying" for it by making a donation. Bless you and have a good New Year, Sharon Bryant Webmaster, Clendinen Family Research http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~clendin Webmaster, INGEN - Putnam Co. http://users.rootsweb.com/~inputnam Listmaster, Clendinen-L/D Listmaster, INPUTNAM-L/D Listmaster, Knauer L/D -- Dr. Brian Leverich Co-moderator, soc.genealogy.methods/GENMTD-L RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative http://www.rootsweb.com/ P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798 leverich@rootsweb.com