Personally I don't think most of these sites with contributed databases are worth a subscription. I do not like the format of the sites on Geni. Personally I do not like what they offer for free -- have no idea what you would get for a subscription. There is a large shared database on Rootsweb.com (WorldConnect) which is free. Also you can "google" many names and find information from free sites. Through many public libraries you can access Heritage Quest for free from your home if you have a valid library card. They have census information and access to many local history books. I subscribe to Ancestry and have for many years. Also I subscribed to MyHeritage this year, but I likely will not renew it. The Allentown public library has a site that I have used in the past. I'm not sure whether there is a fee to access it. The Godfrey Library of Middletown, CT has good information and is not terribly expensive. I have subscribed to it in the past and found it useful. Margaret Scheffler -----Original Message----- From: nancy wright via Sent: Friday, June 24, 2016 4:48 PM To: Rootsweb mailing list Subject: [ROOTS-L] What is Geni.com? I have an offer to subscribe to Geni.com for a discounted price of about $90.00. Every time I click on a match they offer it takes me to MyHeritage where I have to subscribe for about $180.00 to see the match. Is Geni.com just a gateway to other paid subscriptions? I can't find a description of their product/software on their website anywhere. Nancy in Louisiana

I like the newspaper databases. There is one that comes with Ancestry. It is good for a name like Fellman. It is not so good with a very common name or a name with a meaning, like Driver or Binder. What I wanted to say was that they don't all have the same papers. And the Library of Congress has newspapers. It is free. They are not all digital. Lori Personally I don't think most of these sites with contributed databases are worth a subscription