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From: <>
Subject: [PADAUPHI-L] FYI PLEASE READ
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 04:02:31 GMT

Hi All,
Please read this information.
PEERING INTO THE FUTURE

by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG, Co-editor, RootsWeb
Review

Recently Mattel, the toy maker (Hot Wheels, Ken and Barbie),
announced it would buy The Learning Company, Inc. Earlier in
1998, The Learning Company purchased Mindscape (producer of
Family Tree Creator) and Broderbund (producer of Family Tree
Maker), and then in December it acquired Palladium
Interactive
(producer of Ultimate Family Tree).

What does this mean to genealogists? It appears Mattel is
going
to wind up with all of the genealogy toys, so to speak --
owning
the major popular genealogy software programs and the
companies
that produce most of the genealogy CDs.

Additionally, the "Wall Street Journal" in its December 17,
1998,
issue announced that CMG Information Services, Inc., will
invest
$10 million in Ancestry for a 30 percent stake in that
company.
CMG is betting that genealogy is about to make a big
breakthrough
on the Web. However, the CMG investors are not talking about
helping you find that long-lost ancestor when they refer to
a
"breakthrough." They mean making money.

Where is all this going in 1999? I have as much trouble
peering
into the future as I do digging up the past, but it appears
to me
that the costs of computer genealogy (software and CDs) are
likely to increase. Moreover, the price of admission to many
genealogy sources on the Web is probably going to go up.
Many
surfers are already paying $5 to $10 per month ($60-$120
annually) to have access to various sources or finding aids.
Many
onliners are discovering their "free" Web space or e-mail
account
comes with hidden prices -- loaded with ads and their names
and
e-mail addresses sold to cyber-merchants.

RootsWeb is one of the "Top 25" or so sites on the Internet
and
continues to swim against the tide by providing free access
to
huge amounts of genealogical data. Yet currently less than
three
percent of its users are providing financial support. If
RootsWeb
users contributed only $2-$3 per month ($24 to $36 annually)
there would be adequate financing to maintain and build an
incredible genealogical resource. If they don't, the future
of
Internet genealogy looks expensive.

* * * * *

DONATIONS TO HELP SUPPORT ROOTSWEB ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
For
details about support levels/benefits and payment options,
please
visit:
<http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/how-to-subscribe.html>;
or send e-mail to: <>. RootsWeb's
address is:
RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative, P.O. Box 6798,
Frazier
Park, CA 93222-6798. (Please include your e-mail address on
all
correspondence and checks.)
Nadine Hensley
Listowner

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