Anyone Ever Try Ancestry.com?

Question: Anyone Ever Try Ancestry!.com!?

Worth it!? Recommended member "levels"!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Yes, I am currently a member of Ancestry!.com!. I have a US Deluxe Membership!. I believe it's worth it, especially when you are looking for ancestors between 1850-1945!. Prior to 1850, you are going to want to look for published works or microfilmed records that are more specific, and after 1945, you are going to want to look for more local sources such as obituaries, newspaper records, school records, city directories, and other records that might be privacy restricted!. However, Ancestry covers that sweet spot really well for a fair price!. You could get it other ways with a little creativity and diligence - get a month of Footnote; make a visit to your local Family History Center, but nothing beats the convenience of scanning census pages from the comfort of your home in your pj's!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Nearly all the regulars here use ancestry!.com, since it has the largest amount of original records!. It is critical for your research to know the difference between a census record (original) and family trees, which are not original!. If you seriously want to do research, you almost cannot do without it!. You can get records from other sources!.!.but those can cost as much or more, when you invest time and maybe gas money!.
I have seen new researchers jump right in to ancestry, and be disappointed!.!. basically since they don't know the groundwork, or what it is they need to find!. With all honesty!.!.!. some will say "I could not find it there" and someone else finds the same thing in minutes, by knowing how to "tweak" a search or look for alternate spellings!.
My subscription is lapsed at the moment!. I think the levels thing is simply a matter of getting a discount for longer term commitments!.
One other BASIC lesson!.!. don't rely on any one website or the internet alone!. Genealogy is about finding the information, which can be in hundreds of places!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

I actually did not want to Pay for it, Fonzie - although I am Nutz about Ancestral Trees, etc!. -- and put mine together on a really old, outdated program!.

However, I WILL tell you that, friends have shown me Their Results from "Ancestry!.com" -- and (to me) it DOES look worth what I remember the Cost to be (which really was not that bad to begin with) -

- I just did not feel like paying for it at the time!.

Hope that helps, a little :)
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I believe Ancestry!.Com has more records online than any genealogy sites!. It has all the U!.S!. censuses through 1930!. The 1940 and later are not available to the public yet!. It has U!.K!. censuses through 1901!. It has military, immigration and other records!. It has indexes to vital records of many states!.

They have transcribed the censuses but you can view the original images!. Now, there are errors in the transcriptions but when you view the originals you can have pity on the transcribers!.
also the originals often times have errors as the census taker was mostly interested in getting a head count and obtaining certain information wanted during that census!. He had no earthy idea that 100-150 years down the line, people would be pouring over those censuses trying to find their family history!. Still, they are valuable resources in family history!.

Just don't take as absolute fact everything you see in family trees on their website or ANY website, free or not free!. The info is subscriber submitted and mostly not documented or poorly documented!. You might see different info on the same people from different subscribers!. Then you will see repeatedly the same info on the same people from different subscribers but that is no guarantee at all it is correct!. A lot of people copy without verifying!. The information can be useful as CLUES ONLY as to where to get the documentation!.

They have 4 family tree program!. Ancestry World Tree is their oldest and largest but I find it is now impossible to update it!. One World Tree is nothing but absolute trash!. Public Member Tree and Private Member Tree are 2 new programs!. I am in Public Member Tree and their system is set up to give you notice if it appears they have records on persons in your family tree!.
Often time though, they refer you to some other subscriber's information in One World Tree!. Be cautious!. Don't take it for granted it is correct!. Their system is just picking up the information from someone else's tree and sending it to you!. Even the records need to be verified that they have the same person as sometimes they don't match but info from One World Tree, I don't trust at all!.

When they set up One World Tree, they took info already in Ancestry World Tree!. They try to accumulate under one entry all the different info various subscribers had on the same person!. However, I have seen twice where they have combined 2 people in one!. You always need to verify other people's research and other people's resarch is what their systems is providing you when they make a reference from One World Tree!. It is not an actual record!. Records and FamilyTrees are 2 different things!. Records they have obtained from public records all over the country!. Family Trees are just what some subscriber has submitted!.

They have mailng lists and message boards!. You can go under a surname or a location!. I have found the location message boards very helpful!.

also, as a rule, you will not find information on living people in family trees as that is considered an invasion of privacy and can lead to identity theft!. In the Public Member Tree, there is a way you can invite others to view your family tree so they can see the living as well as the deceased!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

UK answer!.
I am a member of ancestry!.com and I love it, it's well worth the money, I have the world deluxe membership, which entitles me to every document registered with ancestry!.com/!.co!.uk I have been registered with other genealogy sites but that is the best!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If you browse the questions in this genealogy section , you will find that a lot of us use Ancestry to answer questions!.
Yes, it's very much worth it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I really like www!.familytreemagazine!.com!. They have forms you can download to chart your research and group your sources!. I tried Ancestry!.com but most of the info was the same I found on the local county sites!. Www@QuestionHome@Com