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 *************************