Comments on: Seven Great Lessons from Who Do You Think You Are?

By: BEE

BEE — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:25:41 +0000

Each program was a chance to learn something about a celebrity’s personal history, how information was found, and what it meant to that person to learn about their past, so I found each program very interesting.
I have a family member with a connection to Salem, MA – the brother of his direct ancestor was involved in the trials on what some would consider the “wrong” side. He’s related to both “Patriots” and “Tories”, has a few drops of Native American blood, and a relative buried in Arlington. Other family members have roots in the Midwest that started in the colonies and went through all the southern states, and also have some Native American blood, and family members fighting on both sides of the Civil War.
I’ve spent many hours pouring over documents in the past 10+ years – first at a National Archives, Family History Center, etc, but now mainly from the comfort of my home on ancestry.com, and it’s always exciting to find something new to add to my own family history.
I especially enjoyed{for lack of a better word} Lisa Kudrow’s journey. My heart ached for the village lady when she had to relive the horrors of war. I never knew that I had living relatives in Poland, but a second cousin traveling in the country found a family living in the very village our grandmothers had left almost 90 years earlier. Thanks to the internet, after 60+ years of no contact, I have “met” these relatives, and learned first-hand of their hardship and suffering during those years. Catholic Poles sent to Siberia, their land taken from them, some never to return or heard from again; women raped by soldiers; young girls conscripted to work in German factories, their health ruined, and many who suffered the same fate as the Jewish population at the hands of both Germany and Russia.
I long to see more information from Poland on ancestry.com, and I’m sure that “Who Do You Think You Are” can find a “celebrity” with Polish roots to follow. A genealogist was able to find many records for one branch of my family in what was the German sector, while the relative living in the Russian sector can’t find records for certain years, although he directed me to microfilm for the same area for an earlier period that I was able to view at a FHC. There are documents in local churches in what was the Austrian sector, and we were very lucky to know the name of the church to write for records for this branch of our family. Unfortunately, so many of these records in all areas of the country have never been microfilmed, and for those of us who can’t travel or afford the cost of a genealogist, this information will be unavailable to us.

By: Janet Emig

Janet Emig — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:40:49 +0000

This series was interesting, but lacked some of the more mundane problems many of us routinely face in our research.

My biggest disappointment lay with Ancestry’s failure to take this opportunity to share one of the biggest mistakes many “newbies” make: to merge someone elses tree into yours and consider it a legitimate “source” is dangerous. I saw a tree yesterday that has 29,325 people in the tree. I have been working since 1997 on mine and have 848…I also have birth, marriage, death certificates, censuses, newpaper clippings, etc. that are included as sources to back up my research.

I use others’ trees to get clues, many times leading to a correct county, etc. for my research. This should be explained when recruiting so many new customers. Thanks for letting me vent.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Mon, 10 May 2010 17:42:57 +0000

I enjoyed watching this show and also the PBS show with Louis Gates. The one thing I liked better about WDYTYA was that the celebrities actually went to the places where their ancestors lived and died and they actually did some of the research themselves. Mr. Gates simply did all the research and presented it to the celebrites. I agree totally with the comments regarding using everyday people instead of celebrites and have made this comment to a lot of people during this shows run. However, there are a few celebrities that I would be interested in knowing about. I also reminded people constantly to watch the show. Some came to me after the series ended and thanked me for telling them about it. And from personal experience, it HAS inspired quite a few people I know to start researching.

For those of us wishing that we could go to various places and get info….the LDS church needs volunteers to transcribe records! The project they are undertaking is mammoth – they are transcribing the millions of records that are stored in the Granite Mountain outside Salt Lake City that the church holds. These records are being transcribed and digitized so that the world can view them ONLINE FOR FREEE. The one point I want to make is that volunteers are given choices as to what record they would like to work on. One of those records may be just what you need. So go to the website and sign up. it only takes about a half hour to transcribe a census page. And just to tickle your fancey about all this, they just released 300 million names for births, baptisms, marriages and deaths from many different countries. Go to familysearch.org home page and click on the link.

And to the person who asked about FREE software… go to FamilySearch and download the PAF (Personal Ancestral File) program. It only takes a couple minutes to download. And just in case you’re wondering….no missionaries will contact you in any way, shape or form.

I also believe that Ancestry has used this series as a marketing tool. But on the other hand, it has generated more interest in Genealogy and don’t we all want that? More people working on their Family History….some which may be related to us, that may have information that we don’t have, information that may break down that brick wall we may have been working on for years? let’s not look this gift horse – or any others – in the mouth.

I look forward to the next season with great anticipation.

By: Benny

Benny — Mon, 10 May 2010 02:39:15 +0000

SPECIAL EFFECTS – The show was good. My daughter would now like to have her own Who Do You Think You Are “show”. I have plenty of interesting information, pictures, videos, etc. of our family, and am wondering what software (freeware preferred) I might use to create something like the show for her? I also liked the cool, simple “trees” they made on the show showing, for the most part, one family line back in time. Anyone know of software (free preferred) that could do that fairly easily and as nicely?
Appreciate any good info.
All the best.

By: Mickey

Mickey — Sun, 09 May 2010 18:24:26 +0000

Absolutely love the show. I’m sorry it’s over. I don’t care who’s history it is, I’m interested. Sure the stars have the money to get it done for them, but what a thrill it is to find something no else has knows about. After Sarah’s search in Salem I did more research and found several ancestors who weren’t as lucky as hers. Oh, and I just bought the 2010 FTM and love it! Merging is so easy. I have so much more to learn about it. It’s been quite a trip. Thank your techies so much!

By: Andy Hatchett

Andy Hatchett — Sun, 09 May 2010 06:40:23 +0000

Was it wasteful?

In the first quarter of this year Ancestry averaged over 1,000 memberships a day above what they gained in the same period a year ago. Seems to me it did exactly what it was supposed to do.

As to the subscription fees… they are a bargain; can you name anything else that costs today the same as it did in 2007?

Oh- and I didn’t like the shows, not nearly enough solid how-to genealogy stuff and way too touchy-feely for my taste. I can get TV soap operas anytime.

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 09 May 2010 05:32:57 +0000

Thanks to Maxine. Total agreement. The moment the series was advertised, I was disgusted. Most subscribers can’t hire a pro and won’t be on TV since we’re not famous. Instead, the annual subscription fee goes to wasteful spending. These Hollywood people can afford the luxuries. I can’t and do my own research. Please, Ancestry…no more.

By: danielle

danielle — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:20:29 +0000

TG for the internet! Never thought I’d say that, but this has expedited everything I started back in the 70′s!!! Thank you “Ancestry.com”! Finding an ancester always gives me goose bumps!

I loved the shows on BOTH networks (including the best,PBS) but thought 7:00 was a little early and missed more than a couple!! Now, trying to watch them on-line is like “Mary” and “BEE” said. Watching the little circle spin and trying to make out sentences is so not worth the agony!

Nonetheless, thanks!

By: ccm

ccm — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:46:50 +0000

I enjoyed the series. I understand why you chose to use the celebrities–to spark interest. They had some interesting stories and situations. Anyone who has done research, however, knows that it is not as easy as was portrayed. Most of us are not greeted at the door and provided the information that we would be searching for, but wouldn’t that be nice? We will look forward to seeing what next season brings.

By: kathy price

kathy price — Thu, 06 May 2010 22:24:01 +0000

I agree with those who stated why not do a show using “us commoners” as stated we are the ones paying for it!!! I also thought the PBS series was just as good and it was all about those like us….not the rich and famous who can afford to do the kind of research needed when you reach a brick wall. I’ve been looking for an ancestor for over 30 years so maybe if I was rich and famous I could find her, too.