I would note that genealogy has never been free and never will be. Does anyone seriously think that local, county, state and federal governments will cough up the money to put all those old records on line? I would sooner believe in the tooth fairy.

The LDS is still going round to various counties and scanning old records. Two years ago they were in Jackson Co. AL scanning the old courthouse documents. Go to familysearch.org to see what they are currently doing. Such as making digital images of all their old records with the intent that they will all be available on the internet.

Look at what www.footnote.com in conjunction with the LDS and NARA are doing. The Civil War Combined Service and Revolionary War Records are going on line at a smaller cost to you than if you had to go to NARA for them You can actually upload your old documents and tie them to your ancestors for free and in unlimited amounts. Prove those cousins wrong by posting the original source documents.

 Look at what www.genealogybank.com is doing also.

Of course these sites cost money, no one would expect them to do it for free. They do offer free tours of their sites. Footnote.com is free at the LDS Family Centers, just another reason to visit one. Footnote does make many original documents available free. Footnote from what I have read  will eventually have most if not all of the LDS records on line and at a much cheaper cost than what you get at ancestry plus you get to see and download a copy of the original document. 

I moderate [log in to unmask] one of the Jackson Co. AL groups where my John and Catherine (Mitchell) Gullatt of Fairfax Co. VA settled in 1816. This group has grown from 150 members in 2002 to 459 today. In May 272 posts were made in June 188 so far this month 41. Over the past 4 years the lowest was 28 the highest 351 so no I don't think genealogy is dead just taking a different form.

Clay Gullatt




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