Yikes! As far as typos go, I committed a doozy in the last article, Details revealed about Ancestry.com Indexing Initative. Leaving out one letter, "r", changed "free" to "fee" and reversed the meaning of the sentence. Here's what the bullet point should have said.
Active participants in Ancestry's World Archive Project
- Have free access to original images in the project's databases.
Both Ancestry.com's World Archive Project (WAP) and FamilySearch Indexing (FSI) seem to be using identical models. Everyone gets free access to resulting extractions and indexes. Active participants in either WAP or FSI also get free access to the images. Non-active participants in either WAP or FSI can get free access to the images through thousands of local libraries (public or FHCs, respectively). Non-active participants in either WAP or FSI can have home access to the images by "joining" the sponsoring organization. WAP is sponsored by a commercial organization, so joining is a commercial act. FSI is sponsored by a religious organziation, so joining is a religious act.
Both sponsoring organization are hated by some individuals. If you hate only one of the two, volunteer with the other. When one participates in either WAP or FSI, one is effectively giving the extracted indexes and data as free gifts to humanity. If you hate both, don't even worry about volunteer indexing. Depression runs in my family, so I'm serious when I suggest that if you hate both, you should have an extended talk to someone you trust. You're probably fine. But you'll be glad you had the talk.
Insider,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation. It was in the back of my mind that perhaps Family Search doesn't really mind Ancestry's indexing project at all for the reason you mention, i.e. some people may dislike the LDS Church but be willing to index for Ancestry where LDS members still benefit from such efforts in the long run.
I do find it difficult to believe though that long time genealogists (I use that term very loosely and widely there :) ), could dislike the LDS Church even if they disagree with their doctrine, which I too do as a non-Mormon Christian.
On this subject of indexing, perhaps you could address in a future post about the cooperation of Family Search with various genealogical societies, and whether such cooperation might be extended to a model of an internet only society. I am particularly thinking of various areas near borders of two or more states, where research is made more difficult by ancestors migrating back and forth across such borders. Such "border societies" if they were formed, might induce many new indexers to enter if they could index records local to such areas.
Mike
Insider,
ReplyDeleteYou know, I may not go to the same place of worship, but without the microfilm provided by the LDS Church my genealogy would still be in stage one. Of course we could have traveled to all those places and maybe found the documents.
If I can find the time, I will be indexing for one or both organizations. It's what I call pay-back for the good stuff already available....Jennie
Hi anscestry insider
ReplyDeleteI've been using PAF for more than 10 years. I'm thinking to switch to MyHeritage.com.
What do you say abour that?
thanks for your posts.
Sam
Is the indexing going to be rundant? Are Family Search and Ancestry both indexing the same records or focusing on different projects?
ReplyDelete