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Archiver > MAMIDDLE > 2008-03 > 1205851506


From: "John Buczek" <>
Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] Middlesex County Lookup Volunteers page
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:45:13 -0400
References: <2bcc6c8f0803162006k483d6a37xdf518923cfeb462@mail.gmail.com><d1ea6c980803171156q61f94286ma584586f3ca3d6d3@mail.gmail.com><!&!AAAAAAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAEtFwG3voQtOkPkp3BTnMKPCgAAAEAAAALYdx7VZTnVAn289up6iixUBAAAAAA==@comcast.net><d1ea6c980803180614o4ee5eaa5kf34b9aaba54b74a@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <d1ea6c980803180614o4ee5eaa5kf34b9aaba54b74a@mail.gmail.com>


Susan... thank for your response (and the links). I'm sure that many of us
are unaware of this change.

RANT is turned ON!

I read some of the comments on Dick Eastmans site (most are negative)
regarding the change and ran across one that fits my CONCERN to a tee.

Sherry Owen on March 14th wrote:

I was in Dallas at the GENTEC conference with you Dick when Ancestry
announced that Rootsweb would always be free. I was skeptic then and still
am. Ancestry's first priority is to make money not preserve free genealogy
or to "make it easier" for any of us. The people who promised that are long
gone anyway. They are hoping the old people who remember that promise will
just die off and they will absorb Rootsweb into Ancestry without anyone
noticing. I can tell you that I am less apt to spend hours putting
information on the Rootsweb website now for fear that they will charge for
my hard work someday.

Here is what I found recently.

Several months ago I decided to look for an ancestors name at Ancestry.com
(I am not a member) and found some how a way to locate it.

TO MY suprise and dismay I also found another name that ONLY I have and I
mean in the entire world.

Ancestry must have taken it from my file that I uploaded years ago at
Rootsweb. I did so knowing that anyone could access the information and for
FREE!!! And I would possibly get some responses from long lost
cousins....... which I did (Thank You Rootsweb)

I now find that my information is located at Ancestry.com, but I have to PAY
FOR IT!!!! When I clicked on the name to see if I could find more info I got
something like "for ONLY $49.95 you can have access".........OUTRAGEOUS!!!!

Oh wait, there was one more person who had the name, Mr. Richard Ripley, and
he was charging for this info also. I emailed him and he removed the name
(at least on line).

As Sherry stated " I am less apt to spend hours putting information on the
Rootsweb website now for fear that they will charge for my hard work
someday"

Well guess what Sherry........... that day has come, at least for me and I
am sure many others.

I also have a large website on the History of Marlborough Massachusetts
sitting at Rootsweb. I'd take it down but for two reasons I will not.

First, to many people access it and get some benefit; second, Ancestry has
probably taken the information already.

It's a sad thing...... and not even a "thank you".

I am going into my 20th year of research, I've bought many books, visited
many many Town and City Halls to get records, I've visted many Historical
Societies, have been stung by bee's, pestered by mesquitoes while taking
hundreds of pictures of gravestones at the many cemeteries I've visited and
I have driven hundreds of miles to get my info.

RANT is now OFF!

John Buczek

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]
On Behalf Of Susan Daily
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:14 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] Middlesex County Lookup Volunteers page

John,

I first heard about it on Dick Eastman's free emailed Genealogy Newsletter
here:
http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2008/03/rootsweb-to-be.html

And this is the official Rootsweb Blog announcement:
http://blogs.rootsweb.com/newsroom/

There are comments sections on both sites if people feel moved to
comment about this news.

Susan

On 3/17/08, John Buczek <> wrote:
>
> Susan.....
>
> You stated " However, with the migration of Rootsweb web sites to Ancestry
> this week, a lot of the data is currently unavailable as site owners
> scramble to find new hosts, and have deleted their old web sites."
>
> What do you mean by "migration of Rootsweb sites to Ancestry"?
>
> Thanks
>
> John Buczek
>
>
>

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