This week has seen Ancestry (www.ancestry.com) turn 40 years of age, which is some achievement.
Whilst many of us will scoff at some of the poorly sourced trees available on the platform, and seek treatment for the 'shaky leaf syndrome' that constantly lures us to false horizons like a siren's song, just imagine a genealogy world today without Ancestry. The sheer volume of genealogical data, the preserved stories, the sheer power of its DNA platform (which has solved several brick wall issues for me personally, and raised a few surprises, including a second cousin I never knew of!), Ancestry was, and still is, a game changer for the family history world. Occasionally it gets it wrong, just as often it gets it right, and it will always remain a talking point between two genealogists!
Happy birthday Ancestry, it's a hugely significant milestone. But always remember that the data you share is there because of the folk who came before you, and that your continued existence will forever be determined by those willing to subscribe for access.
I look forward to continuing to share your successes over the next 40 years (ambitious!)!
Chris
Pre-order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.
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