Genealogy Chat

DazedConfused,

I can understand that and I don't blame anyone for getting annoyed when they have problems trying to access a site they have subs with but I find the word freeloader a bit strong,

regards
jean

My gripe is the fact that Ancestry have just so many of these Free weekends, yet are not prepared to get the site working properly for many of its members.

So some (not me as I have not got FTM) are having major problems, which just get worse on these weekends.

One or 2 a year, fine by me. But it seems they are having 1 a month lately.

Thank you all for your comments,

Sorry haven't got back here earlier as have been too busy freeloading as some of you seem to think.

Most if not all of my ancestors are Scottish or Irish so Ancestry is not really a lot of use to me so I decided a long time ago not to take out a subscription as I would not benefit .

I do however buy a lot of credits on Scotlandspeople and various other Scottish and Irish genealogy websites, which I must say are very good value for money, so when I see a free offer I certainly go for it, why not ?

Quite right....it IS good to encourage and help people to do their own research, hence that is why I have no problem in Ancestry offering a free weekend - thus helping those who maybe can't afford a sub, to do some of their own research.

Good on 'em. Cx :-)

MGNV - I have done look ups but on here, but I mainly do them on Rootschat.

That is purely because by the time I have found what someone on here has asked for, it has already been done. And I do not wish to clog up a thread with the same info that is already there which often happens and for a newbie that can be very confusing.

If you look at my posts you will see that I will often offer advice on where to find useful information etc., especially on Free sites.

I am a great advocate of guiding people to where they can find information out for themselves. Not because I do not want to do lookups, but I think that it is better to encourage and help people to do their own research, which is far more enjoyable than having the information handed to you on a plate.

And I have in the past gone back to threads I have added to and if my post was just adding the same, I will have deleted it. So just because it may look like I have not contributed, I have and then subsequently removed my post!!


:-)

My basic sub to Ancestry is my annual Christmas present from my husband. He's just glad he doesn't have to gift wrap it! :-D


Just because I have a sub doesn't mean that I am not happy for those less fortunate than myself to be able to access some records for free. In fact, I hope it helps them with their research. Obviously Ancestry hopes it helps them with their research too........;-)


I've had a spell of using Ancestry daily for a while now and haven't had any problems - it's been absolutely fine. When they have had issues in the past, they have always had the courtesy to inform and apologise to members, which is appreciated.


Thank you for the tip Jean. Cx :-)

thanks mg!



I have a sub, and will always have a sub, so I've never checked it out.

Sylvia - re Ancestry at libraries - your local one does have it - I think you can access it at home if you quote your library card bar code. The 3 municipalities to your north also have it, but I think neither of your neighbours to the east do.

I took out the sub or credits to the 1901 Census with the site itself



and I did the same when the 1911 Census was available.



and then waited for them to be available on ancestry if I wanted to know any more.



I can still access the 1911 site from http://www.1911census.co.uk/



and all the records I looked at back in 2011/2012 are still stored under My Records on there.

Yes I did the free trial with them, cancelled before my two weeks were up and joined GR .....well soon went back to ancestry :-D

Then took out the 1911 census only (6 months) with FMP... When that finished took out the full sub

RR .......................

I can't remember whether I used the free trial or not!


If I did, I continued with it after the trial.



I do remember picking up somewhere the idea that Ancestry should be notified on day 10 or 11 of the 14 day trial if you were not going to continue ......................


it can take them 3 days to get their act together, and they send the charge to your credit card immediately at the end of the 14th day ...................


and, of course, you have to give them your cc number and etails to start the free trial :-)

Margee ...........................


we don't get free prescriptions here, unless we are below the poverty line (ca $15,000 per annum in BC, that's about £7,000) ....................

otherwise, we have to pay full cost of all medications, until you reach a maximum per year under the province's Pharmacare programme ......................... that maximum for us has never been reached!


OR claim back the cost from Extended Health Insurance, if you have it.


We do have Extended .................. it costs us about $2,000 a year, and has a $1,000 deductible before they will start refunding anything .................... refunds are usually 75-80% of the full cost.


I agree we get free hospital, and free drugs while in hospital ............. not otherwise


Actually, I'm quite glad that Pharmacare does NOT cover OH and I ...........

.................... they determine which drug you are allowed to have based on cost (ie, cheapest), and that often is NOT the one that your doctor has prescribed, or even the one that works best for you.

They even determine when you can refill a prescription ....................... eg, if you are going away, and your medication will run out while you are away, they CAN say "no, no, no"

I had a run-in with a pharmacist at my local drug store a few years ago because I wanted to do precisely that for a 4 week holiday when I only had 3 weeks' worth of medication .............. she refused to give me the refill.

She said something about "you can't expect Pharmacare to pay for your holiday" ??????????????? :-S :-S :-S :-S

I had to do a rant about the fact that we paid the full cost of the prescription and therefore I thought that Pharmacare could not stop me getting a refill 1 week in advance of the allowable.



I've never actually checked at mu local library to see if they have ancestry ....... they may well have!

I have to disagree with you, Sylvia. We pensioners in Canada get free prescriptions and free hospital.. Actually everyone in Canada gets free hospital not just pensioners. We also get free access to Ancestry at our libraries, at least we do here in Ontario. Although you're correct that we don't get free bus passes or help with home heating.

I do wonder how many of us who have, or have had, Ancestry for a long time made use of the 2 week free trial when we started out? I know I did :-)

Surely it's better for genealogy as a whole that new people are encouraged to pursue it by having a carrot dangled in front of them? ( which of us would turn down a discount or a free weekend on a site we don't currently subscribe to?) ....many of those people who try it will be bitten by the bug, and who knows one of them just might be the person to knock down my brickwall in time?

Just call me Pollyanna ;-) lol

I am also a pensioner, my genealogy site subs are one of my treats (although I do have the odd drink, I smoke, and have a quite active social life)

I have had no problems this weekend (or the past few months) accessing Ancestry. Don't understand what people are whinging about.

I endorse BeverleyW's comments in that business is business. If something's offered for free then why should people be castigated for taking up that offer?

I am also a pensioner .......................... and we in other countries get nowhere near the subsidies etc that you guys in the UK get, such as free bus passes, help with the cost of heating, free prescriptions, free hospitals, etc etc.

Nor do our libraries offer free use of Ancestry, so far as I know.



My subscription to Ancestry is now a gift from a family member


I do not have a sub to FMP ................... I occasionally do a search for free on FMP (NOT on one of their free for the weekend offers), and try to sort out whether the site actually has anything of value to me that could lead me to ask for a subscription to that as a gift from another family member (who is always asking).

Nada so far :-)



Even my sub to GR is a gift.




and yes, I understand exactly where DC and wisechild are coming from.



I have had problems with ancestry the last 2 or 3 days .................... getting "this page is not available". Ten minutes later, it is available :-S


Overall, I think Beverley's comment was rather patronising in and of itself, and ignorant of the true facts.

I've been using Ancestry for months and not had any problems with it, but my sub has just run out, so I shall be freeloading this weekend. I've been using it on and off today without any problems so doesn't seem to be unduly overloaded.

Do we not pay for libraries btw, and so by extension for the 'free' use of Ancestry there? But most libraries will be closed over the bank holiday ( as they are in the evenings) so freeloaders are left with no alternative but to take up the offer if they can only research when not at work but cannot afford subs at the moment.

Never seen Dazed and confused do any look ups....maybe she does not like as she calls them freeloaders.

I have Ancestry and FMP and dont have any of these so called problems everyone else is supposed to be having.

Being a pensioner means you dont normally work, so a couple of days out of the week should not be a problem.

Oh look Ancestry is working perfectly ok for me .....freeloaders cannot be using it :-D

To be honest, no I dont do free lookups on FMP.
I paid for access by their very cheap offer a couple of years ago & renew at the cheap price evey year.
I rarely use it as I find the searches very confusing.

Dazed & wisecld - so I suppose you refuse to do any free lookups on FMP when they have a freebie.

Thanks for the heads up, Jean