Big Problem - signing in to Ancestry free access sites

[Necromancer]

Unfortunately, which ever option  people are going to use, they don't have the right to expect those costs to be subsidised by other enthusiasts.

It'll be interesting to see if the lookup requests for BMDs increase on here !

On a related issue .....

When I see the number of Census lookup requests for some half-a-dozen individuals on here I wonder a bit ...... I'm quite happy to help people starting off their research, really enjoy getting stuck into a mystery and/or helping verifying somebodies interpretation of an image, perhaps being another 'pair of eyes'  .... but for a select few, it seems that their whole research is based on others generosity in using their subscriptions !

Probably this wont be a popular posting - but as Silvilocks says, any hobby has associated costs, and I doubt that people would expect a free ride in stamp-collecting for example ....

INCOMING   

[Tati]

I doubt that people would expect a free ride in stamp-collecting for example ....

ROFL 

(though I don't mind a bit "paying for others" - ancestry subscriptions were the same price before they put the BMDs online anyway I believe) 

I can't quite relate to some posts on this thread - there wouldn't be complaints now if ancestry hadn't made the images available for free in the first place. Before they did, nobody was complaining about the index being per pay view at 1837online/findmypast   

Let's just be happy it lasted so long     

[Necromancer]

I

can't quite relate to some posts on this thread - there wouldn't be complaints now if ancestry hadn't made the images available for free in the first place. Before they did, nobody was complaining about the index being per pay view at 1837online/findmypast     

Very good point ! 

[trish251]

Before they did, nobody was complaining about the index being per pay view at 1837online/findmypast   

I sure did Tati      When 1837 first had the index, they were indexed via first 3 char of start/end name on each page  - and it was pay to view only - now that was a licence to print money. I was always very thankful to ancestry that it stopped that little money making scheme. I have never been back to that site, but I do have a sub to ancestry (UK only).

Trish

Edit: I also think the National Archives charge way too much for their data e.g. 1901 census

[Tati]

When 1837 first had the index, they were indexed via first 3 char of start/end name on each page  - and it was pay to view only - now that was a licence to print money.

Sigh ... dreadful times I agree ... I spent fortunes on there searching for Stevens and Chapmans 

[Ruskie]

How long have the complete BMD records been available for free on Ancestry?

I haven't been doing this family history lark for very long and I think I remember when they were subscription only. It was wonderful when they became freely available - I am surprised it was free for so long. I think we all got used to that and it has come as a shock to have it taken away.

I have been reluctant to pay for an annual subscription for Ancestry due to the cost, however I wish I'd done that in the early days of my research instead of requesting so many lookups on here  .

I have recently paid for a monthly subscription. They are currently offering a percentage off subscriptions - and I paid only 8 pounds 47 pence ($18 or so Aussie dollars). You can actually get an awful lot of searching done in that time, so maybe this would be an option for those who are reluctant to pay the annual fee or for credits (don't understand why anyone would buy credits on Ancestry, but there you go). I'm going to sign up for another month when I find that I have more ancestors to find.

[JAP]

... When I see the number of Census lookup requests for some half-a-dozen individuals on here I wonder a bit ...... I'm quite happy to help people starting off their research, really enjoy getting stuck into a mystery and/or helping verifying somebodies interpretation of an image, perhaps being another 'pair of eyes'  .... but for a select few, it seems that their whole research is based on others generosity in using their subscriptions ! ... 

Hi Newfy, I too "wonder a bit" - and I'm sure there are many others who "wonder a bit".  But there are others who clearly disagree completely.  There are some people who obviously enjoy nothing better than looking up, typing out and posting information - whether they are using their Ancestry subscriptions or are even doing lookups from free resources such as the IGI, FreeCEN, FreeBMD and various regional sites which are just as easily accessible to the "select few" (as you term them  ).  To each his or her own!  So I guess it will continue and some of us will simply continue to "wonder a bit".

But wouldn't it be nice if certain (not all) of the "select few" didn't repeatedly fail to indicate what information they already have and didn't repeatedly fail to link to other relevant threads.  And, given the enjoyment one can get out of researching and finding one's ancestors oneself, it does seem a bit odd that such persons don't want to do (and/or don't want to learn to do) their own lookups - even on free sites.

Ah well ...

JAP

[Necromancer]

And, given the enjoyment one can get out of researching and finding one's ancestors oneself, it does seem a bit odd that such persons don't want to do (and/or don't want to learn to do) their own lookups - even on free sites.

Yep, spot on JAP.

[JenB]

To the best of my knowledge the full GRO index/images have only been available on ancestry for a couple of years;  from the start many people suspected that the free access was merely a trial run and that they would become pay per view at some time.

We are complaining about the loss of something that has only been available for a short time. How did we cope before that? By waiting patiently for more information to become available on free BMD or by going to our local record office or Family History Centre and trawling through acres of microfilm. Many people still do the latter!

The internet has made us (I include myself!) too impatient for instant information and not prepared for the long haul.

Jennifer