Very interesting thread...
I employed a professional research company to find out details of my great grandparents in Belgium - I had tried looking before, but was handicapped by not knowing where to look, and being unable to translate documents.
They came back with a great deal of information, copies of documents, details about the history of the time - expensive, but very worth it in my view. It wasn't something I felt able to do myself, and indeed after many years of researching, hadn't been able to do.
Yes, of course the generous researchers on Rootschat are very helpful and also expert - but you would be surprised (or not!) how suspicious people are.
A remote relative had some 19th century photos of her ancestors (they were just family shots, nothing of general interest to anyone else, really) and couldn't as yet afford to have them improved, I suggested she post here on the Photo Restoration Board, for the experts there to have a go.
She was unable to do it, so I did it for her, and there were - as I confidently expected - some really great results. When I told her to look at the thread to see, she was horrified that the photos were 'on the internet for people to see and steal', and her husband suggested that Rootschat would take the photographs and sell them to 'pay for' the restorations, as he couldn't believe they would be free.
I had the thread closed, and - probably over-sensitive - I said that I had been rather offended by the suggestion that I would recommend a site which would play fast and loose with her photographs (although I did say I had never come across photographs being stolen from families and copyrighted).
So I wonder whether there is suspicion about the help provided here - can it 'really' be free and generously given?
People perhaps believe that employing a 'professional' is safer
Congratulations to all Rootschatters who donate their expertise and time so generously that others can't believe it.
