About Kathy's Family History Project
I am learning about best practices in genealogy research on my own and I still have a lot to learn. In addition to the family artifacts and a few books that have been handed down to me, I am able to go in person to the New England Historic Genealogical Society library. However, most of my results come from online searches.
I use a paid subscription to Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com for researching and maintaining records that establish family relationships. In the past I have also used Family Search.
I use a paid subscription to Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com for researching and maintaining records that establish family relationships. In the past I have also used Family Search.
I am learning about best practices in genealogy research on my own and I still have a lot to learn. In addition to the family artifacts and a few books that have been handed down to me, I am able to go in person to the New England Historic Genealogical Society library. However, most of my results come from online searches.
I use a paid subscription to Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com for researching and maintaining records that establish family relationships. In the past I have also used Family Search.
I use a paid subscription to Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com for researching and maintaining records that establish family relationships. In the past I have also used Family Search.
Answers to Common Questions
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE between them?
FamilySearch.org is free, it does not have all of the collections of data sources that Ancestry offers, but it has many very valuable ones, like the US Census records and data from family group sheets that were originally stored on paper at the Family History Library. It offers direct access to the Find-A-Grave records. When trying to review or examine a record you never get blocked by a pay-wall (that asks you to pay to view your search results).
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How is the Ancestry.com Tool Different?
Truth versus Tradition. With Ancestry, it is easier to maintain a family's traditional telling of the relationships, events, and locations. Your Tree, Life Story and Gallery are all your own and you can share any of it selectively or fully. The storytelling is richer as you are allowed to add documents that are relevant to your family regardless of their value to other researchers. As a casual family researcher, you can find out if your distant cousins were told the same traditional stories as you were. I loved discovering that cousins I had never met were enjoying the same Cherokee myth that I had been told by my father.
More is Less. You get more information with less relevance. Ancestry will routinely offer you the chance to sign up or to upgrade for more access. Both tools let you refine your search but in the results, Ancestry will typically show you more results that are a poor match and that clutter your efforts. Similarly, Ancestry will notify you more often that they have found new "hints" for a person. These unrelated results add up fast and they are time wasters. For example, you can establish that an individual was born and died in the US and was a resident in each relevant US census, yet Ancestry will still give you hints for someone in another country with a similar name.
Relating and Sharing! Ancestry gives you a social network augmented by DNA results. This can be fun as you discover helpful and experienced new friends or kind and colorful cousins among your connections. You can access
Hoped-For Leads. The only time that you want more information is when you are stuck. I have not actually moved forward on any of the mysteries that have me stuck in my research. Yet, I really value the chance to see what other people are speculating and to have conversations with interested cousins.
More is Less. You get more information with less relevance. Ancestry will routinely offer you the chance to sign up or to upgrade for more access. Both tools let you refine your search but in the results, Ancestry will typically show you more results that are a poor match and that clutter your efforts. Similarly, Ancestry will notify you more often that they have found new "hints" for a person. These unrelated results add up fast and they are time wasters. For example, you can establish that an individual was born and died in the US and was a resident in each relevant US census, yet Ancestry will still give you hints for someone in another country with a similar name.
Relating and Sharing! Ancestry gives you a social network augmented by DNA results. This can be fun as you discover helpful and experienced new friends or kind and colorful cousins among your connections. You can access
Hoped-For Leads. The only time that you want more information is when you are stuck. I have not actually moved forward on any of the mysteries that have me stuck in my research. Yet, I really value the chance to see what other people are speculating and to have conversations with interested cousins.
WHY IS FAMILY SEARCH FREE TO THE PUBLIC?
In order to show that humankind shares one family tree, we are invited to contribute freely to the database at FamilySearch.org. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (colloquially shortened to the "Mormon Church"), family is so fundamental that they have invested tremendous resources in helping their members identify and unite with deceased relatives. By extending their wealth of resources and services to everyone, all discoveries and records can become part of the one database.
Are you Mormon? Are you using your research to baptize your ancestors?
I'm not a Mormon and I do not seek to baptize deceased ancestors. I have simply benefited from their mission and the quality of their research tools when it comes to family research. I'm clearly stating that they have a substantial database that supports creating a single set of connections. It is my hope that the tool will continue to improve so that it can support same-sex relationships and gender-fluid identities for individuals.
Do you want to risk having your work altered by others? Are you ready to explain your own work?
Individual researchers don't always apply the same standards of proof when deciding to add a parent but there's only one tree. In order to fix a mistake that someone else makes, you will have to un-do the relationship. Then as an important courtesy you should explain why you changed the relationships, why you deleted or added or merged people. It's certainly not a good place to set up plausible but unproven relationship theories while you seek out additional proof. You may come back and find that a relationship that you had proven as incorrect and then politely deleted has been restored by the original researcher. I've had an irate user tell me that they are certain that they descend from the President Rutherford B. Hayes, after I altered the relationships for our shared ancestor and showed where the mistake existed in their connections.
- Read more about the importance of family history to the Mormon faith at their site.
Are you Mormon? Are you using your research to baptize your ancestors?
I'm not a Mormon and I do not seek to baptize deceased ancestors. I have simply benefited from their mission and the quality of their research tools when it comes to family research. I'm clearly stating that they have a substantial database that supports creating a single set of connections. It is my hope that the tool will continue to improve so that it can support same-sex relationships and gender-fluid identities for individuals.
Do you want to risk having your work altered by others? Are you ready to explain your own work?
Individual researchers don't always apply the same standards of proof when deciding to add a parent but there's only one tree. In order to fix a mistake that someone else makes, you will have to un-do the relationship. Then as an important courtesy you should explain why you changed the relationships, why you deleted or added or merged people. It's certainly not a good place to set up plausible but unproven relationship theories while you seek out additional proof. You may come back and find that a relationship that you had proven as incorrect and then politely deleted has been restored by the original researcher. I've had an irate user tell me that they are certain that they descend from the President Rutherford B. Hayes, after I altered the relationships for our shared ancestor and showed where the mistake existed in their connections.
Which one is the best?
For more analysis read the articles at AncestryInsider is written by a more experienced researcher who seeks to compare and improve both of these tools. To develop your own opinion, I recommend using both tools for several months.
Do I really need to choose one?
Key Value of Ancestry Trial.
The challenge is to get the unique image-based records that you want OUT of Ancestry before you cancel the account. Also, there are no international collections in the trial account. Those are only available for the “World Explorer” price or from a library’s in-person network account called “Ancestry Institution.”
The challenge is to get the unique image-based records that you want OUT of Ancestry before you cancel the account. Also, there are no international collections in the trial account. Those are only available for the “World Explorer” price or from a library’s in-person network account called “Ancestry Institution.”
What am I contributing to by building a tree on FamilySearch?
I've read about the Mormon practice of "baptizing the dead" and it's not quite like it sounds. Yes, there is a practice that involves trying to bring your ancestors into the LDS community in the afterlife. But it is not a baptism. I've read some of the objections and controversy and I just don't see any harm being done in any meaningful way.
Will I be asked to join this religion? Does this tool promote organized religion?
No to both. I don't like proselytizing. I have found that nothing is expected from non-Mormons who use the database and related software. There are only two situations where I have even noticed that this tool was created for a religious group. First I went to the app settings area on my mobile device and looked at other apps, the other apps buried there are all designed for members of the LDS Church. Second, I sometimes see wording in another user's notes that relate to a Temple Sealing Ordinance. I ignore this now that I know what it means.
What happens with data that I contribute?
It can be used by anyone for any purpose. This includes the use by members of the LDS church who wish to be sealed eternally to a shared ancestor. This could mean that your ancestor's data will be brought into a Temple for sealing without your consent. It does not mean that your ancestor's original affiliation or observed faith is being altered without their consent.
Is a Temple Sealing Ordinance intended to force an LDS religious affiliation onto an ancestor?
No.
What does a "Sealing Ordinance" mean for my ancestor?
Some of the notes for my family members indicate that they have been "sealed eternally," meaning that a member of the faith community has taken the details to their ancestor, proven their familial connection, and arranged for an "ordinance" (ritual or event) to be performed so that they can both be recognized members of the church, united forever in the afterlife.
Is my research assisting the process of hijacking an ancestor's faith?
As part of this practice, an ancestor may simply refuse to be sealed as a righteous or worthy member of the LDS Church in the afterlife. No one can be sealed against their will.
Will I be asked for consent before my deceased relative is "sealed"?
You should be asked and you can use the tool itself to make yourself available to be asked.
Will I be asked to join this religion? Does this tool promote organized religion?
No to both. I don't like proselytizing. I have found that nothing is expected from non-Mormons who use the database and related software. There are only two situations where I have even noticed that this tool was created for a religious group. First I went to the app settings area on my mobile device and looked at other apps, the other apps buried there are all designed for members of the LDS Church. Second, I sometimes see wording in another user's notes that relate to a Temple Sealing Ordinance. I ignore this now that I know what it means.
What happens with data that I contribute?
It can be used by anyone for any purpose. This includes the use by members of the LDS church who wish to be sealed eternally to a shared ancestor. This could mean that your ancestor's data will be brought into a Temple for sealing without your consent. It does not mean that your ancestor's original affiliation or observed faith is being altered without their consent.
Is a Temple Sealing Ordinance intended to force an LDS religious affiliation onto an ancestor?
No.
- Read more about the Sealing Ordinance in the words of the faithful.
What does a "Sealing Ordinance" mean for my ancestor?
Some of the notes for my family members indicate that they have been "sealed eternally," meaning that a member of the faith community has taken the details to their ancestor, proven their familial connection, and arranged for an "ordinance" (ritual or event) to be performed so that they can both be recognized members of the church, united forever in the afterlife.
Is my research assisting the process of hijacking an ancestor's faith?
As part of this practice, an ancestor may simply refuse to be sealed as a righteous or worthy member of the LDS Church in the afterlife. No one can be sealed against their will.
Will I be asked for consent before my deceased relative is "sealed"?
You should be asked and you can use the tool itself to make yourself available to be asked.
- Read more about consent of family members prior to a Temple Sealing Ordinance.
What happens to my work on Ancestry when I stop paying for records?
Key Value of Ancestry Trial. The challenge is to get the unique image-based records that you want OUT of Ancestry before you cancel the account. Also, there are no international collections in the trial account. Those are only available for the “World Explorer” price or from a library’s in-person network account called “Ancestry Institution.”
After you cancel at Ancestry. You will lose the ability to see the image-based records like US Census pages. But you can keep your tree with each individual’s name and facts and records/sources. So you’d still see the data as text from a particular record, but when asking to view the image, you’re taken to another offer to pay-wall screen where you are invited to purchase access.
Get less convenient, but free access to Ancestry records. When canceling the account, you do not lose everything. Anything that you still want to return to, can be had. If they are the only ones to provide it, then we go to a local library with an Ancestry Institution account and download the records. So far I have found the institutional access at my New England Historical Genealogical Society ($20 per day) and at the National Archives regional offices. (FREE in DC and in one of my nearby suburbs)
After you cancel at Ancestry. You will lose the ability to see the image-based records like US Census pages. But you can keep your tree with each individual’s name and facts and records/sources. So you’d still see the data as text from a particular record, but when asking to view the image, you’re taken to another offer to pay-wall screen where you are invited to purchase access.
Get less convenient, but free access to Ancestry records. When canceling the account, you do not lose everything. Anything that you still want to return to, can be had. If they are the only ones to provide it, then we go to a local library with an Ancestry Institution account and download the records. So far I have found the institutional access at my New England Historical Genealogical Society ($20 per day) and at the National Archives regional offices. (FREE in DC and in one of my nearby suburbs)
How do I save my records from Ancestry on my local Computer?
Two Types of Saved Records.
Scans as JPG: You can download any image that is provided inside of a viewer with tools. The most visible tools in the viewer are for zooming in and out. But you will see little icons for additional tool menus and one of those includes download. When clicking on Save you will often get the option to save the image to your computer.
Text as PDF: Other records do not have an image or maybe they only offer to send you to the county records office to buy an image. When it is text, I used the “Print” button on the screen above the record. That consistently provided a nicely formatted page to print. I printed to PDF so that the record could be saved quickly in a folder with the other images for that individual.
Scans as JPG: You can download any image that is provided inside of a viewer with tools. The most visible tools in the viewer are for zooming in and out. But you will see little icons for additional tool menus and one of those includes download. When clicking on Save you will often get the option to save the image to your computer.
Text as PDF: Other records do not have an image or maybe they only offer to send you to the county records office to buy an image. When it is text, I used the “Print” button on the screen above the record. That consistently provided a nicely formatted page to print. I printed to PDF so that the record could be saved quickly in a folder with the other images for that individual.
Got More Questions?
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