On 8 April 2014 10:48, Adrian Bruce <abruce@madasafish.com> wrote: > I can't resist saying that if I were paying a professional genealogist > to search out data, I'd expect them to get it from the optimum source and > leave their (probably justifiable) personal opinions out of it. And if the > required data includes information from Cheshire Parish Registers or 19th > century Army documents, say, then unless said genealogist lives in Cheshire > or London respectively, then there's not a lot of alternative to FMP. I agree that there is no online alternative to FMP for some of the records I use in my work as a professional genealogist and I shall certainly continue to use them. However, it now takes longer to find and load records on the site, which is bad news for clients who pay me by the hour. So where I do have a choice I am using alternatives. If that has not changed by the time my FMP worldwide subscription is due for renewal in July, I shall probably switch to buying credits as and when required, which will mean less revenue for FMP. Subscriptions to online databases are a large overhead in my work - factored into my hourly rate since they cannot be passed on to my clients directly - and I have to keep the costs of them under constant review. In the meantime my aim is to provide constructive feedback to FMP on specific issues, using the lightbulb icon on the relevant page. Full credit to FMP that they have responded rapidly and positively to such feedback. But the time spent on this - and on compiling a toolbox of links to the search forms for the record sets I use most often - is another addition to my overheads. Caroline Gurney http://www.carolinegurney.com

In the case of WO 97 there *is* no alternative. As a professional genealogist in London, I can assure you there is no physical access to WO 97 records at Kew. The documents have long since been archived, the films withdrawn from access, and everyone is forced to use FMP, whether professional, amateur or staff. As Caroline has said, the client will have to pay for the extra time taken to find the records. All the more reason for pressure to be put on FMP to get it right. Judy London, UK ________________________________ On 8 April 2014 10:48, Adrian Bruce <abruce@madasafish.com> wrote: > And if the > required data includes information from Cheshire Parish Registers or 19th > century Army documents, say, then unless said genealogist lives in Cheshire > or London respectively, then there's not a lot of alternative to FMP.

Like Caroline I have to continually review my overheads and I also believe that as professionals we need to ensure that our suppliers are keeping their service up to scratch. This is not just a question of "personal opinions" but making our professional lives more efficient. FMP has just made our professional lives considerably LESS efficient! If I end up leaving FMP and need to access their records for my professional research (I.e. The few datasets such as the Westminster Collection which I cannot access elsewhere online), I will either use my surplus FMP credits, pay with new credits, or if the client project justifies it, take out a monthly subscription. I intend to return to FMP on an annual basis when they have a decent website which I feel is both useful and beneficial. I I also have regular access to archives and libraries where FMP is freely available and I do not charge clients for my travel time or costs. Rosemary Morgan On 08/04/2014 11:59, "Caroline Gurney" <caroline.gurney@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: >On 8 April 2014 10:48, Adrian Bruce <abruce@madasafish.com> wrote: > >> I can't resist saying that if I were paying a professional genealogist >> to search out data, I'd expect them to get it from the optimum source >>and >> leave their (probably justifiable) personal opinions out of it. And if >>the >> required data includes information from Cheshire Parish Registers or >>19th >> century Army documents, say, then unless said genealogist lives in >>Cheshire >> or London respectively, then there's not a lot of alternative to FMP. > >I agree that there is no online alternative to FMP for some of the >records I use in my work as a professional genealogist and I shall >certainly continue to use them. > >However, it now takes longer to find and load records on the site, >which is bad news for clients who pay me by the hour. So where I do >have a choice I am using alternatives. If that has not changed by the >time my FMP worldwide subscription is due for renewal in July, I shall >probably switch to buying credits as and when required, which will >mean less revenue for FMP. Subscriptions to online databases are a >large overhead in my work - factored into my hourly rate since they >cannot be passed on to my clients directly - and I have to keep the >costs of them under constant review. > >In the meantime my aim is to provide constructive feedback to FMP on >specific issues, using the lightbulb icon on the relevant page. Full >credit to FMP that they have responded rapidly and positively to such >feedback. But the time spent on this - and on compiling a toolbox of >links to the search forms for the record sets I use most often - is >another addition to my overheads. > >Caroline Gurney > >http://www.carolinegurney.com > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >SOG-UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >quotes in the subject and the body of the message