Free Ancestry UK Access this weekend

[Guy Etchells]

I'd agree with that Trystan if they were offered the free weekend once and then after that it was only open and available to those who hadn't used it before. As it is, these free weekends are open to anyone and a lot of people, who have no intention of taking out a subscription, wait for them and use them.

That was the model FindMyPast used when they first started offering free access periods; I assume that they changed because they found it was counter productive.
Another restriction that is tried is to limit the free access offered, for example various record sets (original images rather than transcripts) are excluded from the free access content. To see the original image the individual has to pay a one off fee or subscribe.

Another poster suggested free access was part of their contract, not so, the internet providers pay hard cash to licence the various records. He/she may be confused by the digitising contracts that do have a condition that the GRO receives a copy which provides users free access at the archive.

FindmyPast recompenses subscribers by extending their subscription with additional days.

Subscribers also benefit in a way they possibly do not realise. The free access periods allow the techies to monitor how the site responds to additional loading. This allows equipment to be upgraded if necessary or additional servers added to allow better load sharing

I would ask the people who object to free access for others. Are your opportunities for research so limited that you cannot avoid using that particular provider on the few days a year they offer free access to others?
Perhaps you could visit graveyards or archives to check records that have not been digitised on those days.

Finally I would note that there is one other reason for providing free access.

All the large record providers are actively talking to archives who hold records, if they can provide figures that show the archives they have x number of visitors to their site they are more likely to convince the archive to sign a deal with them rather than another company.

The more deals that are signed the more records are available online.

You the subscriber benefits in the end.

Cheers
Guy

[smudwhisk]

FindmyPast recompenses subscribers by extending their subscription with additional days.

As has actually already been posted on this thread, they only extend Worldwide subscriptions, not Britain subs.  But that is more than Ancestry do.

[StanleysChesterton]

I've been trying since midnight last night, but everything I want to look at generates an error message anyway. "Our apologies, we seem to be having some problems loading this page."

I've wanted some Censuses (1841-1871) and UK shipping list and some other random bits/bobs.  Can't get to anything after the search results are displayed.

So "free" .... for me, so far, it's just a "free access to a bucket of disappointment"

[AlexMcK]

Hello StanleysChesterton

I 'think' the offer starts tomorrow - Saturday - and lasts until Monday at 23.59

Hopefully, you'll be able to access the records you'd like after midnight tonight

Alex

[StanleysChesterton]

Hello StanleysChesterton

I 'think' the offer starts tomorrow - Saturday - and lasts until Monday at 23.59

Hopefully, you'll be able to access the records you'd like after midnight tonight

Alex

Ah, I struggle to find the start times/dates for these things - and end up finding the information on other sites - and I found it saying 17-20, and today is 17th

I've always found they "hide" the information about free weekends.  For years I always missed them as I only found out the week after, so now I'm trying to not miss them .... and still struggling to hit them right.

Bummer.  Having read it was 17th I'd cleared my decks in anticipation. 

Oh well... I can at least, now, leave the house today!

[jonwarrn]

It starts 2pm Eastern Time, 17 Feb 2017
Which I make 7pm today in the UK

supposed to end 11.59pm ET, 20 Feb

[AlexMcK]

I haven't seen the times and dates you mention, Jonw65 - perhaps it depends on your current or previous subscription type - UK or worldwide??

My suggestion was taken from the bottom of the recent Ancestry email:

   *Access to the records in the featured collections will start on 18 February and will be free until 20 February, 2017 at 23:59 BST. After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using an Ancestry.co.uk paid membership. To see a full list of the records in the featured collections please click here.

BST is currently GMT in the UK

Alex

[hurworth]

The "peasants" are just as capable as building Ancestry's resource as someone with a current sub.

I have no doubt that every time I correct a mistranscription or link someone who hasn't been linked before to the correct family that what I have in my private trees will influence shaky leaf hints for others.  So unbeknownst to the paying members these "freeloaders" are contributing. 

I don't currently have a sub and if I took one out now I don't think I'd be finding much that would build my tree.  Not until some new record sets are uploaded.  It took a few free weekends until I took the plunge.

On the other hand FindMyPast has uploaded numerous records of use to me in the past 8 days - English Catholic records and Norfolk Bishops Transcripts. 

[StanleysChesterton]

It starts 2pm Eastern Time, 17 Feb 2017
Which I make 7pm today in the UK

supposed to end 11.59pm ET, 20 Feb

You see, I struggle with that ... Eastern Time isn't something that one instinctively understands/knows

What's wrong with using good old British GMT