This is a very interesting topic of conversation that was opened up for
discussion. Eric thank you for bringing it up. Various surname or area
lists getting only 1 or 2 posts a year isn't really odd. Supply and demand.
Some areas and surnames don't even have lists. Popular places and well
known names will always have more postings. As for volunteers becoming
scarce, that cuts across all lines of charity now, considering the price of gas.
A lot of the volunteer genealogy researchers are on fixed incomes. I don't 
think Genealogy has become obsolete, it's just feeling a pinch right now
like everything else. 

Sharon, you sound like a philosopher/sage pondering the aspects of 'why?'

Grandma Bemoke, what you wrote was very touching. Cynthia in Phoenix is
a fine example of a second generation 'catching the bug'. Either way your
grandchildren will be grateful one day for something you enjoy doing now.
Were any of your Kings located in Richmond (Rappahannock) or associated
with the Ford and Dye families?

Twyla, I love your "Looking for dead people" reply to your husband inquiry.
LOL, so true. Between courthouse and grave yard hopping I've dug up a few
myself. I agree with you that Google books is great and consider myself a
Google Girl. I look forward to exploring the diary you mentioned of Henry
Townsend, thanks.

Chuck, I greatly enjoyed reading about all the beautiful people you can in
contact with during your genealogical travels. I'm sure they were blessed
getting to know you and your humor. You had me laughing over your 'red
flaw' photos. I am an advocate of using cameras to copy records because
they are so much kinder to the records than using the standard copiers that
the courthouses supply.  

PazIam, Missouri offering death records on line proves that they are
the Show Me state. Wish other states would get on board like that.

Sue, you are so right not to share information about the living. If done at all
permission should come first.

Fern, there's no need to apologize for the length of your post and I hope
nobody threw any bricks your way. I cannot believe the gall of anybody
that would complain about you hawking your book on your own site!! I 
can only imagine the time, effort and monetary cost that you had to put 
forth to publish your work. Shame on those who want it all for nothing.

Clay, thank you for the links. $70 a year is pretty awesome deal for what
Genealogy Bank offers. Wow, Footnote is even more impressive!! Plans
from Free to $60 a year. Thank you again Clay!!

Tom, I share your sentiments exactly. I have been to your Eastern Shore
& More sight and was delighted with what you offered. 

LWilson, email me what obit you are looking for in Des Moines and I'll
see if I can enlist a friend to help you get it.

Alice you are so right about the undocumented stuff on the www and the 
fill in the blank mentality. Unfortunately in some forums it's taken as the
gospel truth and passed along. 

Mickey, you sound like a dyed in the wool die hard genealogist who has
earned his stripes. Wear your T-shirt proudly knowing by those who
didn't give you your due credit that at least some of the information on 
RootsWeb & Ancestry is correct due to your efforts. 

Karen, that is so neat how you redid history by the light of a microfilm 
reader. I bet you about fell out of your chair when you saw "my son
Elijah"!! I have family and friends in Colorado Springs and Loveland.
Is that anywhere close to you?

I started my genealogy research in 2005 and have made connections with
many lovely people, in person and on line. As in all walks of life you have
to take the good with the bad. There are polite people and there are rude
people....givers and takers...all in all I'm happy with 99% of the fellow
researchers that I've come in contact with. The 1% that I'm not happy with
would be those that are rude toward clerks and volunteers, those that don't
treat historic records with care, those that horde knowledge of family ties
(not counting book sellers who are offering family information on their 
website like Fern), those who ride on the coat tails of others works to claim
as their own and last but not least those who cling to a famous tie even when
documentation points elsewhere. In truth I must point out that I have not
been a witness to or experienced all of the above mentioned gripes but I 
know that they happen from time to time and I don't approve of any of them.

Genealogy is here to stay as a hobby and as a profession. As long as there
are people who love history and have inquiring minds it will continue to
go on and be passed down to future generations. It's a people puzzle that
fits together with documentation.

Blessings to all Ya'll and hope Ya find your pieces!!
Vicki Ford 
Chesapeake, VA
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