Michael, I appreciate your position regarding the support of Ancestry and I would hate to see RootsWeb discontiued, but I have to express my frustration everytime I want to see information from a 'public' record I am asked to pay for it. In addition Ancestry asks you for $$ from you, even though you can't be sure you will ever find a single ancestor from their records. Many people can't afford their fees. I spend many hours online researching, and I do find some free places, but as you stated, they are slowly declining. I just feel that it is unethical for one place to monopolize data and sell it to the people who have the right to know about their ancestors in the first place. Again I do appreciate your position and your work, you do a great job at MOHENRY. Thanks for letting me express myself Sincerely, Michelle -----Original Message----- From: Michael G. McManness [SMTP:mmcmanness@mindspring.com] Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2001 6:55 AM To: MOHENRY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [MOHenry] [admin] RootsWeb / Ancestry Explanation Hi Everyone, Volunteer contributions did *not* support RootsWeb well enough for it to remain viable. Ancestry purchased RootsWeb. RootsWeb remains a free volunteer effort. Ancestry is subscription or pay for use. You will see further consolidation of the two where they overlap in the future such as the merger of RootsWeb's GenConnect & Ancestry's Family History Message Boards and RootsWeb's WorldConnect & Ancestry's WorldTree Family Trees. These features have been improved and remain free to researchers. Ancestry is trying to make this merger work while still showing a profit. There is less and less that is "free" left on the Internet. Everyone knows that the bottom line is showing a profit. It is important as RootsWeb users that we try to support Ancestry to help RootsWeb and it's concept of free genealogy aided by volunteers available to researchers! I can't predict the future but I can tell you that however Ancestry goes so will RootsWeb. I hope this explanation helps. If you have problems or further questions please let me know. :-)) Thanks again, Mike ************************* Michael G. McManness, a Jayhawk through and through, eating, sleeping, and bleeding Crimson and Blue near the University of Kansas. Family genealogist and research historian. "Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones." --- Phillip Brooks ************************* ==== MOHENRY Mailing List ==== Share Your Family History The primary purpose and function of RootsWeb is to connect people so that they can help each other and share genealogical research. Most resources on RootsWeb are designed to facilitate such connections. "But where do I begin?" That question is often asked by new users when faced with all the options available at RootsWeb. The best ways for you to connect to others on RootsWeb are to make it easy for others to find you, ask for help, and give others help. This page will give you a brief overview of the many resources available at RootsWeb; and areas where you will want to contribute as your own research progresses. Your contributions to RootsWeb make the MOHENRY Mail List possible. http://searches.rootsweb.com/share.html ============================== Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 Source for Family History Online. Go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=702&sourceid=1237

Hi Michelle, Thanks for writing. Kind words like yours make my efforts worthwhile. :-)) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark J. Stangohr" <m.stangohr@worldnet.att.net> To: <MOHENRY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2001 3:50 PM Subject: RE: [MOHenry] [admin] RootsWeb / Ancestry Explanation > Michael, > I appreciate your position regarding the support of Ancestry and I would hate to see RootsWeb discontiued, but I have to express my frustration everytime I want to see information from a 'public' record I am asked to pay for it. In addition Ancestry asks you for $$ from you, even though you can't be sure you will ever find a single ancestor from their records. Many people can't afford their fees. I spend many hours online researching, and I do find some free places, but as you stated, they are slowly declining. I just feel that it is unethical for one place to monopolize data and sell it to the people who have the right to know about their ancestors in the first place. >Again I do appreciate your position and your work, you do a great job at MOHENRY. Thanks for letting me express myself [snip] I understand your frustration. Genealogy research is *not* inexpensive. Ancestry provides an online convenience. Many people *can't* afford their fees. There are *no* guarantees, whether you are searching Ancestry online or otherwise searching for and collecting information at Cemeteries, Court Houses, Libraries, or other Archival Repositories. I feel that it is unfair to claim that Ancestry is unethical or tries to monopolize data or information. Ancestry did purchase RootsWeb and if that is what you are referring to as monopolize then I think it is only fair that we realize that RootsWeb would have probably disappeared or changed drastically without Ancestry. There are other online subscription databases. It is probably too expensive an endeavor for there to ever be very much competition. I would encourage everyone to support online research information. We are fortunate that Ancestry has stepped in to keep RootsWeb and it's concept of free genealogy aided by volunteers available to researchers! Ancestry is continuing to do what RootsWeb previously did but in a different way. People who subscribe to the subscription databases now financially support the free resources of RootsWeb. I would like to continue to help genealogical researchers find their ancestors and without Ancestry/RootsWeb where would we be? I don't know about you but I use Ancestry/RootsWeb and the Internet to help others make connections as well as make connections myself. Once again, I want to thank you and let you know that kind words like yours make my efforts worthwhile. :-)) Thanks again, Mike ************************* Michael G. McManness, a Jayhawk through and through, eating, sleeping, and bleeding Crimson and Blue near the University of Kansas. Family genealogist and research historian. "Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones." --- Phillip Brooks ************************* > -----Original Message----- > From: Michael G. McManness [SMTP:mmcmanness@mindspring.com] > Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2001 6:55 AM > To: MOHENRY-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [MOHenry] [admin] RootsWeb / Ancestry Explanation > > Hi Everyone, > > Volunteer contributions did *not* support RootsWeb well > enough for it to remain viable. Ancestry purchased RootsWeb. RootsWeb > remains a free volunteer effort. Ancestry is subscription or pay for use. > You will see further consolidation of the two where they overlap in the > future such as the merger of RootsWeb's GenConnect & Ancestry's Family > History > Message Boards and RootsWeb's WorldConnect & Ancestry's WorldTree > Family Trees. These features have been improved and remain free to > researchers. > Ancestry is trying to make this merger work while still showing a profit. > There is less > and less that is "free" left on the Internet. Everyone knows that the > bottom line is > showing a profit. It is important as RootsWeb users that we try to support > Ancestry > to help RootsWeb and it's concept of free genealogy aided by volunteers > available to > researchers! I can't predict the future but I can tell you that however > Ancestry goes > so will RootsWeb. > > I hope this explanation helps. If you have problems or further questions > please let me know. :-)) Thanks again, Mike > > ************************* > > Michael G. McManness, a Jayhawk through and through, eating, sleeping, and > bleeding Crimson and Blue near the University of Kansas. Family genealogist > and research historian. "Character may be manifested in the great moments, > but it is made in > the small ones." --- Phillip Brooks > > ************************* > > > ==== MOHENRY Mailing List ==== > Share Your Family History > > The primary purpose and function of RootsWeb is to connect people so that they can help each other and share genealogical research. Most resources on RootsWeb are designed to facilitate such connections. > > "But where do I begin?" That question is often asked by new users when faced with all the options available at RootsWeb. The best ways for you to connect to others on RootsWeb are to make it easy for others to find you, ask for help, and give others help. This page will give you a brief overview of the many resources available at RootsWeb; and areas where you will want to contribute as your own research progresses. > > Your contributions to RootsWeb make the MOHENRY Mail List possible. > http://searches.rootsweb.com/share.html > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=702&sourceid=1237 > > > ==== MOHENRY Mailing List ==== > Would you like to check for information in the Archives? > > RootsWeb Threaded Mailing List Archive: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/list-index.html > > RootsWeb Interactive Search of Mailing List Archive: > http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=702&sourceid=1237 > >