Re: RootsWeb to be Moved to Ancestry.com

Dr. Brian Leverich wrote:

> > > <snip>
> > > RootsWeb to be Moved to Ancestry.com.
> > >
> > > As a more-or-less skeptic, I wonder when the other shoe will drop
> > > and RW will be either terminated or become a for-a-fee service,
> > > despite Sullivan's claims to the contrary..
> > >
> > > Suspicious Ol' Bob
> > > "Robert Melson" <melsonr@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > It was some time ago so my memory may be fuzzy, but I seem to recall
> > the originators of RootsWeb (when, due to economics were forced to
> > use Ancestry as a host) included as part of the contract that
> > RootsWeb would stay a free resource in perpetuity.
> >
> > Gary Templeman "GaryT" <gtemplemanPAINT@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
> Having signed the contract, I'm kinda aware of the details.  ;)
> 
> There was no requirement that RootsWeb stay free or persist in
> perpetuity.
> 
> On a practical level, though, we certainly expected that.  The user-
> provided RootsWeb content almost by definition has to stay free,
> because the users can always take it elsewhere.  And it's hard to
> imagine Ancestry not sup****ting RootsWeb's functionality, because
> RootsWeb is relatively inexpensive to operate and serves to grow the
> customer base for Ancestry's commercial products.
> 
> From my perspective, there's nothing particularly good or bad about
> moving RootsWeb's content inside the Ancestry domain.  It clears up
> some statistical difficulties associated with tracking traffic at the
> two sites, at the cost of vaguely blurring the line between the free
> community site and the the commercial data provider.
> 
> On the balance, that's a yawn.
> 
> Again from my perspective, the thing that has surprized me is how
> little effort Ancestry has put into improving RootsWeb over the last
> seven years.  Technology has changed a lot, these days there's a whole
> variety of powerful new social networking tools and such, but most of
> RootsWeb has been stagnant or (arguably) has deteriorated.
> 
> Karen and I have been kinda sitting on the sidelines for some years
> now, just operating Linkpendium to stay involved.  We have lately 
> started gathering the resources to build a next-generation site for
> genealogists that fully exploits current technology.


too late Brian

BTW how much did Ancestry pay you for RootsWeb?

[ Not enough that I could retire the 1989 Ford Aerostar van that
  I still drive.  The heater doesn't work and I've had to recover
  the seats with slipcovers from Costco, but it still runs good.
  - Mod ]

Hugh W


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>