SOUTH-AFRICA-L Archives

From: Sheena Bass <>
Subject: FREE records - Response to Delia and Andre
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 07:30:33 -0500

Delia, not wishing to get in the middle of acrimony or inflaming this debate
or anything - but Andre does have a point in his favor - at our local
libraries we have FREE access to all sorts of material in USA - Censorship
records etc. AND Rootsweb are certainly doing a fine job, with volunteers
etc. to provide further free collaborative efforts. And of course they do
ask for donations - and they are freely given to those of us who appreciate
the efforts of these marvelous people. So is LDS with their new online
sites of reference material and leads (now that is not to say that they
don't also cover their costs by encouraging you to purchase their more
detailed goods, of course they do!).

There are people willing to serve and exchange data - as readily seen in
this medium with the contributors to this very list - people willing to go
the extra mile for folks in look-ups and all. AND God Willing, there will
be a time when I download my family history or set up my website so that
others may gather material of interest to their family branches - FREE.

BUT there are certainly documents, copies for which we have to pay, to allow
for others to maintain jobs etc., birth certificates, death certificates
etc. etc. I do take umbrage though at the companies who encourage you to
download your hard earned research and then market it at pretty hefty prices
to others. I got caught on that scheme and found myself buying my own
material back! No joke!!

So, to you both - from my perspective, you both have some good points -
don't be so hard on one another.

This thread:

• FREE records - Response to Delia and Andre by Sheena Bass <>