Ancestry.com

[dadmomh]

Anybody ever get seriously into Ancestry.com??  My dear cousin and I are getting together next week for a "girls week" and have some questions and nobody living to answer them.  We were wondering if this is a good and legit site.  Wouldn't mind paying the $12.95 per month after the "Free 14 day trial!, but they want all the billing info before you can see much of anything worthwhile.  I'm always hesitant that it's not quite as advertised.  Opinions??

[TooManyTents]

I have not made time yet to be "seriously" interested, but I expect I will at some point.

Yes, it's legit.

[beemerphile1]

My wife likes the site.  She is on her free trial.  I don't think she plans to join past the free trial but she is having fun looking up her history for now.

[dadmomh]

One of my concerns is that to start the Free Trial, you have to give them all the billing info for when you actually start the 6 months, or whatever.  I've dealt with places before - like a not to be mentioned internet provider - that it takes forever and a day to get the billing stopped and a refund if needed.  They will show a smidge of info, but then that's as far as you can go.  I'm just leary that I'll end up paying for something that I can't get stopped if and when I want to.

[blw2]

I think that they are a legit site, and I wouldn't worry......
but my experience is second hand through my sister.  She really got into it a couple years ago and spent a lot of time taking our tree way back accross the pond.
I am under the impression though, that a lot of the branches were a little tentative in terms of how certain she is that it's correct.  Lots of dead ends or gaps in the info.
Reminds me, I need to ask her about it.... I was after her to let me know when she got it cleaned up that I wanted to pay to get it printed into a nice book, poster, or something.  A nice keepsake for her.  the problem is that for a book, about the only imagry she would have for most of it is things like sensus records or military discharge paperwork that has been scanned in.  Not a lot of photographs or anything out there of the poor masses of long ago. So it's really just a list of names.....

[dadmomh]

Thx for the info.  We're still looking into this possibility, but neither of us want to end up knowing nothing more than we already know.....which isn't much. 

[stumps]

just my two cents...

in my experience, there isn't anything on ancestory.com that you can't find through traditional means of research, and most public libraries have historical and local sections with tons of records. 

I researched my family back to pre 1700 (and they are still in Virginia!) all without ancestory.com. 

I don't know what the commitment would be, but I'd only use it if I knew I could get out when I wanted. 

JMHO

[dadmomh]

The downside to this might be that I live in TN, my cousin lives in TX and the info we are interested in is probably in GA, FL or NV.  Any thoughts on how to accomplish this with the distances involved???

PS What makes this so intriguing is that our grandfather MAY have had a second family no one knew about OR was involved in some sort of slightly illegal stuff.  Inquiring minds want to know.  This is a definite "2- glasser", maybe 3.  Just too many things in this past history we know don't add up. 

[P.Dieter]

my wife is addicted to a.com. Very legit site.

One thing you get through it that you won't get on your own is access to all the other folks who are doing tree research that intersects your own. there's lots of opportunity to learn things about your family that you would probaly not find in an part time search on your own.

We have actually reconnected with some second cousins (grandsons of grandfather's brothers) one of which lives 1/2hr away that we didn't know about. Lot's of entertainment value to be found at the website.

[Martya115]

1. a lot of libraries (at least here in RI) have access to Ancestry for free.  You can do a lot of research there and it also kind of limits you to when you have time to go to the library.  You can get real caught up in it.

2. Another site that is real good and free is www.familysearch.org.  I used that a lot and it was very useful in my research.

3. Keep good notes, you will find many conflicts in information (like birth dates), some because person is not the one you want and some because someone wrote down the wrong info.

4. Last but not least write down what you search for and where otherwise you end up researching for the same information, in the same place six months down the road.

Have fun with it.  Have a plan go back as far as you can or get as much information as you can.  Either way have fun.

Marty

[wavery]

If you decide to cancel the service, be sure to do it in writing and send a copy of the cancellation notice to you C/C company. That puts the responsibility on them to stop allowing charges to come from that company. If they charge you again, simply call your C/C co and dispute it. There will be no question.

[dadmomh]

Thanks again for the suggestions.  Our "girls week" was great!  One of the evenings we sat out on their screened porch with perfect temps, perfect breeze, perfect wine.  Lots of "I didn't know that!".  About 11:00 her DH came in from work and was surprised to see us still sitting, talking about family and still sipping.  Stumbled onto a few things each of us didn't know and mostly just had a perfect evening of spending time together.  DS#2 is getting into some family history on the "other side" and I'm anxious to see how that goes. 

[VWCampers]

I have been using Ancestry for years.  I never would have been able to do the research without it.  It's a small price to pay per month for a really great hobby...um--obsession.