is ancestry.com a scam?

[fris]

anyone used this place?

ive seen some people with results to like abe lincoln, and shit like that.

[CurrentlySober]

I cant afford to use ancestry.com...

[baddog]

It must be a scam. No one is related to Abe Lincoln.

[JamesChoopa]

Not sure if it's a scam but it sure as hell is expensive. I looked into doing it a few years back for my parents for a Christmas gift... It was too expensive. Not sure about the rates now though.

[barcodes]

[CyberHustler]

Of course this shit's a scam... hell, this whole DNA tracing hocus pocus wizardry is a scam any which way you look at it.

[iamtam]

it is a bit of an odd business model, because the information is self-sourcing. so you are depending entirely on the honesty of others, which is risky. its sort of like wikipedia without editors.

[seeandsee]

i just ask where they link my info with other people info, yeah...

[tommy5tone]

I ran a trace a couple years ago to verify this book on information that my grandfather had and the information was very similar to the information that was provided in this book that was passed down through our family.

[Elli]

What's the fun of that? You used to have to TALK to people in the family to find stuff out. Travel to places to see the birth registries. Now there's just a website with a fee? Boooooooring. Yay, you made a family history. Oh, it took you a whole weekend? boooooring.

[Brujah]

No, it's definitely not a scam. As someone mentioned, you have to be careful with information from other ancestry.com members. You don't have to accept/add the information but it's usually correct in my experience, or provides a good starting point in your research. They provide a great deal of official records and sources and you could just stick with that information 100% if you wanted. Most of us will be related, and the past several years adding inexpensive DNA results to the mix has been pretty insightful.

[willwank]

Not a scam. Brilliant biz/sales model. Cheap if you only need strictly US/Canadian records. Anything related to immigration, travel and/or foreign records comes at a much higher price. Homer says... d'oh, think about it, unless u'r native it's gonna cost you.

[Phoenix]

seems like a scam...im sure they provide some legit results, but you know they are faking it sometimes..lol

[PR_Glen]

Not a scam. Brilliant biz/sales model. Cheap if you only need strictly US/Canadian records. Anything related to immigration, travel and/or foreign records comes at a much higher price. Homer says... d'oh, think about it, unless u'r native it's gonna cost you.

not many of us on this continent that doesn't have europe or asia in their background...

[Sly]

not many of us on this continent that doesn't have europe or asia in their background...

Forgot Africa.

[Vendzilla]

When I did my family background search,I started with the Morman church who has more records than anyone and it's free. I couldn't go too far with my Native American Heritage, they didn't keep very good records, but my fathers side did go back to the 1400's

[CyberHustler]

Forgot Africa.

He said Asia...

[Si]

Adam and Eve fucked and we all came from Eve, of course we are all related.

[JenniDahling]

not many of us on this continent that doesn't have europe or asia in their background...

I agree, they base a lot of their info from the Mormon library, but my ancestors are from Asia, so its a moot point for me, however, my ex husband's family have direct links to Wild Bill Hickok and John Quincy Adams, and Ancestry.com had similar info for them.

[BigRod]

I joined after seeing one of their advertisements on TV, their search is crap. Someone already summed it up as a Wikipedia without editors which is exactly what it is. I used the service for about an hour got bored and cancelled my membership.

[raymor]

I too would suggest starting with the site from the Church of Latter Day Saints, aka the Mormons.

[ottopottomouse]

What's the fun of that? You used to have to TALK to people in the family to find stuff out. Travel to places to see the birth registries. Now there's just a website with a fee? Boooooooring. Yay, you made a family history. Oh, it took you a whole weekend? boooooring.

My mum has spent ages doing it the slow way.

Keeps her out of mischief

[Brujah]

Let's go ask Aunt Edna. She weaves a great story about a grandmother who was an Indian Princess. Even better if you can say you were related to Pocahontas. It's not factual but it sounds good, and we pass it on to everyone else. This happened a lot. There was a period later where a nation was sympathetic, and where it became romantic to be native american. Then they start doing their genealogies and can't find it anywhere and that grandmother never did turn out to be native american.

This is just one example how you may not get accurate information asking family either. Memories aren't very reliable. The LDS church got much of its info the same way for a long time. Ancestry.com is a good place for official sources to verify any information you may have gotten from family.

* research the indian princess myth

[Wizzo]

The site works quite well if spend the time searching the records, its not a pay them $20 and they tell you that you are related to George Washington or whoever, its just research tool.

[JFK]

It told me I'm related to GOD, so y'all kneel and show restpect

[papill0n]

Of course this shit's a scam... hell, this whole DNA tracing hocus pocus wizardry is a scam any which way you look at it.

are you just trying to funny with this shit ?

I know youre just a doped up stoner but even youre not this stupid yeah ?

[Rochard]

I have a second or third cousin that teaches genealogy at University.

My family structure is odd. My father died in Vietnam when I was nine months old, and other than seeing my grandmother once or twice a year I had no contact with my father's side of the family. When my grandmother passed on a few years back, I flew home to NJ and introduced to this cousin. Seems I was the missing piece of the puzzle - She knew about me, but the only one who knew me was my grandmother.

I learned a lot that day, including the fact that I'm Irish. Surprise.

[scarlettcontent]

I used it for years and found out load of stuff, its not cheap though

[Vendzilla]

Let's go ask Aunt Edna. She weaves a great story about a grandmother who was an Indian Princess. Even better if you can say you were related to Pocahontas. It's not factual but it sounds good, and we pass it on to everyone else. This happened a lot. There was a period later where a nation was sympathetic, and where it became romantic to be native american. Then they start doing their genealogies and can't find it anywhere and that grandmother never did turn out to be native american.

This is just one example how you may not get accurate information asking family either. Memories aren't very reliable. The LDS church got much of its info the same way for a long time. Ancestry.com is a good place for official sources to verify any information you may have gotten from family.

* research the indian princess myth

I take it this is a lame attack on me? My grandmother was full blooded on my dads side. Not some myth. I had a great grandmother on my moms side that was full blooded as well. I'm not related to some princess, I got reference from the 5 books of Cherokee for the Oklahoma tribes to confirm. But as usual, you're talking out your ass.

When I dug up my families past, I found some surprises, like a coat of arms I'm eligible to use and that I'm directly related to the guy that started Alexa.

Oh and BTW, no such thing as an Indian Princess, unless they have them in India?

[bronco67]

I don't give a flying fuck if Cleopatra was my great grandmom.

[Brujah]

I take it this is a lame attack on me?

Yes, everything is always about you.

No, it's a tale of caution when using unofficial sources like family, compared to official documents. The "indian princess" myth is a famous example. It's one I had heard myself directly from relatives, and knew in my research to be quite common.

[PR_Glen]

Forgot Africa.

not really considering that only makes up about what? 13% of the population in north america? Which is probably even a lot lower than that considering that many african american people (for once used in the correct context!) have euro or asian roots as well...

[Sly]

not really considering that only makes up about what? 13% of the population in north america? Which is probably even a lot lower than that considering that many african american people (for once used in the correct context!) have euro or asian roots as well...

I don't know about Canada, but in the United States blacks outnumber Asian descent three fold.

So yes, you did forget!

[Vendzilla]

Yes, everything is always about you.

No, it's a tale of caution when using unofficial sources like family, compared to official documents. The "indian princess" myth is a famous example. It's one I had heard myself directly from relatives, and knew in my research to be quite common.

Sorry, knee jerk reaction, I have too many assholes that post just to insult me

Try going to an event for Native Americans where they try to better help people understand their culture, they come out of the woodwork saying they have a distant relative thats Native American. I didn't know anything about it till I met my buddies dad, we did the sweat lodge and some other things that were very much an experience.

Anyone that's going to find out about it, start with relatives, you'll find they have bad information, but it's a starting point. Looking thru the census is a great way to find even more. I actually found a guy that had done the research on my family name back to the 1400's which was pretty cool. Sometimes you just get lucky

[jimmy-3-way]

I have a second or third cousin that teaches genealogy at University.

My family structure is odd. My father died in Vietnam when I was nine months old, and other than seeing my grandmother once or twice a year I had no contact with my father's side of the family. When my grandmother passed on a few years back, I flew home to NJ and introduced to this cousin. Seems I was the missing piece of the puzzle - She knew about me, but the only one who knew me was my grandmother.

I learned a lot that day, including the fact that I'm Irish. Surprise.

Shawshank rip off.

[Brujah]

Sorry, knee jerk reaction, I have too many assholes that post just to insult me

It's your love for Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, the usual Tea Party crazies Teasing just comes with the territory.

[Vendzilla]

It's your love for Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, the usual Tea Party crazies Teasing just comes with the territory.

Please tell me where these posts are? I just hate Barry, I never supported Bachman or Palin, just liked her show about Alaska. And I get assholes that say shit about my daughter, that's not teasing, that's just being a fucking troll.

[MaDalton]

we are all from Africa

[Chris]

my dad has done alot of our family tree and is working on the inlaws aswell and connecting it all together

it is interesting stuff...if your family has kept good records and you are able to go back a few generations your self already with just paper work you will do well with it

[Brujah]

Please tell me where these posts are? I just hate Barry, I never supported Bachman or Palin, just liked her show about Alaska. And I get assholes that say shit about my daughter, that's not teasing, that's just being a fucking troll.

If they ever take the time to fix GFY's search feature, I'll dig them up for you one day while I'm waiting for database queries to finish.

Yep, assholes that say shit about your family are probably intellectually unable to come up with anything else to push your buttons about.

[babymaker]

It's useless for me anyway, since I was adopted at birth, I have no history, supposedly I am a new england wasp, but that doesnt add up, but they were strict with that shit when i was adopted catholics with with catholics, jews with jews, wasp with wasp. Only thing I know for sure is my birth mother was lazy whore who didn't need a kid :D

[Vendzilla]

If they ever take the time to fix GFY's search feature, I'll dig them up for you one day while I'm waiting for database queries to finish.

Yep, assholes that say shit about your family are probably intellectually unable to come up with anything else to push your buttons about.

that's why they are on ignore.

I know I have said things about Palin, I think most was in hope she would better than what we have, big disappointment and I think the left media bashed the shit out of her more than they would have to a man, kinda fucked up. Bachman I know very little about and don't really care to learn more about her.

[V_RocKs]

I have a second or third cousin that teaches genealogy at University.

My family structure is odd. My father died in Vietnam when I was nine months old, and other than seeing my grandmother once or twice a year I had no contact with my father's side of the family. When my grandmother passed on a few years back, I flew home to NJ and introduced to this cousin. Seems I was the missing piece of the puzzle - She knew about me, but the only one who knew me was my grandmother.

I learned a lot that day, including the fact that I'm Irish. Surprise.

Was she hot?

[hottoddy]

I was told by a Mormon (LDS) friend years ago that Ancestry.com is run by the Church of LDS. You can fill out cards with your friendly neighborhood Mormons and get the same result - but that comes with the usual recruitment solicitations.

[2MuchMark]

My GF uses it and likes it a lot.

[Brujah]

I was told by a Mormon (LDS) friend years ago that Ancestry.com is run by the Church of LDS. You can fill out cards with your friendly neighborhood Mormons and get the same result - but that comes with the usual recruitment solicitations.

I've used both, and Ancestry has way more sources of information available. It really isn't the same thing, not even close.

[Juicy D. Links]

I am related to Ben Franklin it says

[Diomed]

I would be very careful using services like that,

always seemed a bit off to me.. like it was "government sponsored".

Big brother is watching you.. and all your dead relatives.

[garce]

My family actually kept records. Weird.

[acctman]

So there is 1 hoe (Eve) who started this all