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Position:Home>Genealogy> California Death Index-- Ancestry vs. Rootsweb--- Why the difference?


Question:I was doing research in California and noticed that I had source citations in my family file referring to the California Death Index. At the time, I was using my Ancestry subscription, but was unable to pull up the information in my source notes (even with a social) on Ancestry, but yet was able to pull up the information on the Rootsweb FREE California Death Index. Has anyone else had this experience? I wouldn't bother with this question if it was one or two people, but I've had this happen at LEAST a dozen times. Why wouldn't the two be the carbon copies of eachother since Ancestry and Rootsweb are both owned by The Generations Network AND why would the one with MORE information be free?


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I was doing research in California and noticed that I had source citations in my family file referring to the California Death Index. At the time, I was using my Ancestry subscription, but was unable to pull up the information in my source notes (even with a social) on Ancestry, but yet was able to pull up the information on the Rootsweb FREE California Death Index. Has anyone else had this experience? I wouldn't bother with this question if it was one or two people, but I've had this happen at LEAST a dozen times. Why wouldn't the two be the carbon copies of eachother since Ancestry and Rootsweb are both owned by The Generations Network AND why would the one with MORE information be free?

*** GOT THE ANSWER! ***

Well, they AREN'T the same databases after all. Rootsweb actually accesses the for real California Database maintained by the DHS Health Information and Vital Statistics section. It can do this because it is a free service. CA (and apparently most other states) don't let pay services access their databases as part of their features.

SOOO, Ancestry has it's own copy of the CDI database (and other states as well) in Provo, UT. It is SUPPOSED to be an exact copy, but clearly it isn't. Ancestry believes that in the process of accessing the information so it could build it's own database, there was a bug in the process and some names (possibly when substantial information matched a prior entry - such as name, middle name/initial, etc - but they couldn't swear to it.) were dropped.

Since this particular database was "closed" in 1997, it is never "updated" so whatever errors were there when it was created, remained.

They promised (for what that's worth) to review this database and other "local copy" databases for accuracy.

But Rootsweb accesses the actual California database, Ancestry accesses it's own copy of this database. Same for a number of states that don't allow pay services to access their databases....but do allow free services to do so.

I would suggest that everyone run their stuff through both.

Ancestry and Roots Web used to be separate. RW was supposed to be a contributor-supported non-profit, like Public Radio and PBS in the USA. They were failing - too few donors - when Ancestry bought them. Ancestry promised to keep RW free, although it now has ads in it. I suspect they promised not to delete anything, as well. As a result, they have some overlap.

As to your specific problem - I have never used the Ancestry version of the CDI, but I use the RW one 1 - 27 times a week. They both started with the same data. They should be parallel.

using one of my family names (not just a single person), the CA death index lists 4 of the name who died in CA in 1970. I used ancestry, and all 4 showed up in their Ca death index. I went for advanced search for that last name in CA 1970 and ancestry picked up NONE for 'their' ssdi.
Then went to the regular ssdi via rootsweb, using the exact same specs and only 1 of the 4 was reported.
Focus on one... she is clear as a bell in the regular CA death index at rootsweb, but nothing including her social # would pull her up on their ssdi.
Since that is just for CA... it's hard to estimate how many ssdi are missed, that would show in other state indexes.
Enough to make me want to take up quilting.

I'm with Ted. I don't understand how Ancestry owns two different versions of the same database which give completely different results. Hypothetically, both come off the same public database owned and maintained by the State of California. I know most of the indices just pull records from a simultaneous query that you enter on Ancestry, then ancestry does a search on all other sites that maintain the information.

Personally, I think it's important enough to let them know there is a discrepancy so they can figure out what's happening. It's possible they don't even know there's a problem. Here's a link where you can go into a live chat with one of their C/S people and figure out what's up.
http://ancestry.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/anc...

I think we'd all like to know what's up with this one if you get an answer from them.