Global Genealogy has an article about Ancestry.ca stopping the production and distribution of the CD format of their FamilyTree Maker software. It will only be available as a download - directly from Ancestry.ca of course.
http://globalgenealogy.com/news/articles/00086.htm
I understand that we live in a tech world, but this one just reeks. Or maybe it's the straw that has finally broken this camel's back.
Ancestry is on the fast track to a worldwide monopoly on genealogy. First they take over the digitizing and indexing of the 1921 Canadian census. Yes, it will be free - as it would have been if LAC had managed the indexing. For now. Once the 1921 Canadian census is indexed by name, Ancestry makes the money on the backs of Canadians. Not cool since for every other census, we have had free access to these records. I'm not opposed to paying for records. I get the cost involved in scanning and the manpower involved in indexing. Not to mention the cost of the bandwidth to make the records available online. It's the principle on this one that irks me.
Then Ancestry "paired up" with FamilySearch to digitize/transcribe/index their records. That have always been freely available and we are told will continue to be on the FS website. But not on Ancestry. And there isn't a genealogist on the planet that hasn't found major transcription errors - even more so when the conglomerates fast track the process in order to have the the records first.
Next it was the purchase earlier this week of Find-A-Grave. Another free resource that is about to cost genealogists, thanks to Ancestry's quest for a monopoly.
Now they are discontinuing our option of purchasing a hard copy (CD) of our genealogy software. On the face of it, this seems inoculous. The software will still be available. By download. Directly from Ancestry. So, they are taking the middleman out of the consumer equation. No money for the distributor. No option for the consumer. And likely no option of paying for one copy and being able to install it in all of your devices. It will probably be a set fee for either one download or three downloads, but what happens when you upgrade your computer? Or when it crashes and you have to re-install?
Personally I am tiring of Ancestry's drive for a monopoly. I believe in consumerism. Including a healthy sense of competition. This isn't happening the the world of genealogy consumerism.
I agree with the writer's comments. This has been slowly building for the last number of years. Watch where you post your family tree and read the fine print on who can use this material. On some sites you sign a release to have it posted.
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