Big Problem - signing in to Ancestry free access sites

[Benn2509]

What has happened to the Ancestry website?? For years I've been using it for bmd info, but in the past few days I've tried searching and I'm being told I have to subscribe to view the indexes!!
Is this a new thing, have they realised the popularity of genealogy and started charging for basic information!!!!
Now I have to go to my library, just to search the bmd indexes.
I'm not happy!!!

Moderator comment: topics merged

[Necromancer]

you could use  --  http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/  --- getting close to complete for the 19th C, and working up to 1920 quite well .....

Yes, Ancestry have finished their free period for the full GRO Indexes .... see other threads in the last 4 days ....

[celia]

Well said Jap & jen.B.

Hali-benny
Now I have to go to my library, just to search the bmd indexes.I'm not happy!!!

                                   

Thats what we all had to do before the G.R.O was put on-line,thats real research

Yes jen b thats true
I once had a private request from a lady who had  been doing her tree for  2/3 years she did have some info of the internet.She wanted a death look up for a year that was not available on the internet.I said i was happy to do the lookup on the G.R.O Fitch at the library.
She asked me what a G.R.O & a Fitch was and why did i have to Library, she didn't have a clue It was obvious she had done most of he research sitting on her bum

Celia

[JAP]

Hi Celia,

That's a gorgeous typo (fitch for fiche)    Fitch = a polecat which gives off an unpleasant odour when threatened 

Of course, it's not just that people prefer to do their research sitting on their bahookies (nice Glesga patter word!) - well, surely all of us who spent years and years of going to libraries and looking at fiche and winding through films, etc, etc also prefer it - but that some people won't even do the research which they can do (so often for free) sitting on their bahookies at their computers.  Some even want others to look up free answers and serve them up to them on a plate.

Funny old world, eh!

JAP

[celia]

That's a gorgeous typo (fitch for fiche)    Fitch = a polecat which gives off an unpleasant odour when threatened 

The Librarian has been correcting me for years,every time i ask for the fitch box I cannot get rid of T
Now i know where the saying comes from."You smell like a Polecat" must remember that

Celia

[Tees]

Hi,

Does anyone know when they stop giving a free access to the full BMD indexes on the Ancestry??

I was surprised to find this out just moments ago...now I am not able to find the marriage(s) to determine if the death entry I found was her or not. 

Kind regards,

Tees

Moderator comment: topics merged

[Simon G.]

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

I don't think it's so much that people are dissatisfied at having to pay for access to the BMD index, but more the case that we're dissatisfied at having to pay for Ancestry's poorly transcribed and incomplete version of it.  All it took to get the images properly indexed was to take the first and last name from the pages, and very often they couldn't even get that right (blind ignoring the massive "T" in the corner of a page for example, and misreading "Taylor" and "Faylor"...amongst other things).  If they were spending the money employing people with a little common sense to transcribe things, instead of using OCR or whatever it is they use, then there wouldn't be so much issue when they remove access to something based on "the expense of transcribing material".

[trish251]

I don't think it's so much that people are dissatisfied at having to pay for access to the BMD index, but more the case that we're dissatisfied at having to pay for Ancestry's poorly transcribed and incomplete version of it. 

I really don't think it is that bad Simon. Problems exist in the index when insertions have been made on a page (and they are never done particularily well by the index ceompilers). It is relatively simple to resolve the problems. There are a few pages completely missing - that is annoying - but they may not exost in the originals!

Trish

[MarieC]

Can I have my two cents here?

If I see someone asking for a lookup on a free site, I will gently direct them to the site to look for themselves.  If someone was asking for a lookup on a pay site for which I had a sub, I would not hesitate in looking.  I don't think we can or should ever judge the situation of another person.  For example, for myself I don't have enough people left to look for to make subs to most pay sites worthwhile.  If I find something else to look for, I'll ask my kind Rootschatter friends who have offered, but it won't be enough to be a real imposition (hopefully!!!)

I am now looking pre civil registration in England, and in other countries which are not easy!

Several years ago, I was the very grateful recipient of help from a Rootschatter with a sub who went far beyond the call of duty!  She was incredibly generous and I think this is the spirit of Rootschat.

I constantly trawl the general boards to see if there is a question I can answer, and do lookups in the local cemetery for Rootschatters.  I don't mind answering simple queries which have been answered before, if the person is a beginner.  I remember what it was like when I was a beginner.  I do all this freely and gladly, and in gratitude for the help I have received!

MarieC