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When I first started doing family research online, there were a multitude of free sites providing a vast amount of information. There were also a multitude of individuals contributing to the growth of these sites. It did not take long for those whose motivation was solely financial to realize the money making potential. They swallowed up as many free sites as they could and even swallowed up the reasonably priced pay sites.

What I am referring to are not professional genealogists who make their living doing this sort of research. That is a legitimate profession that I wish I could undertake. I am referring to businesses devoted to putting as much information on line as possible, then charging as much as possible for access. To me they are whores, selling our heritage to us at top dollar.

I will not use their sites and will not use sites that promote them. Regardless of the amount of free information someone may put on their site, once they begin to promote the whores, they have become whores themselves. The closest I get to any involvement with any of these is to post on their free message boards and subscribe to their free mail-lists. I have been curious to see how long it will take them to start charging for these services.

This is a personal standard I feel compelled to express. For anyone reading this, do as you wish, it is still somewhat of a free country.

One of the more humorous things I have experienced in the course of doing family history research, is the consistent emergence of what I call “The Big Five”. Individuals appear to have a fascination with making connections to ancestors falling into one of these groups and fail to see the significance of their ordinary hard working ancestors. The Big Five are as follows:

Of the five groups, I personally could care less about the first four, all four representing criminal activity; religious, social or political oppression; ethnic genocide and bigotry; or just plain old stupid people. The fifth category is interesting enough, but I personally do not suffer from “White Man’s Guilt”, so do not have a fascination with linking myself to any Native Americans. Oddly, while I do not share this fascination with others who are doomed to discover that they do not have Native American ancestors, I actually do! It is interesting and I present it with the amount of pride any ancestry deserves – I am who I am, good or bad, regardless of who my ancestors were.

Just to help anyone suffering from the illusions of The Big Five clear their perspectives a little:

1) Most individuals that immigrated to this country were the bottom rung of the social ladder seeking a better life. Many took the names of the ruling families in their areas or of other oppressive individuals that they were impressed with. With few exceptions, most families that do trace back to European Royalty, trace back to individuals that were deposed, exiled or fled their countries.

2) It is estimated that 90% of the United States population that can trace a family line back past the Revolutionary War will eventually find a connection to the Mayflower. Not a particularly special thing, if it is so common. If you have a need to be descended from religious fanatics that were only one step from Jimmy Jones, then you are almost certain to be successful. Yes, you too may be descended from those that went to the extreme of murdering others for expressing their religious freedom, while whining and running away from civilization in order to gain the freedoms they sought to deny others.

3) The fascination with common criminals, especially horse thieves, is something I just do not understand. All I can say is that there were none in my ancestry that I am aware of, though I did have ancestors whose horses were stolen.

4) Jesse James is the outlaw hero in the part of the country where my family comes from. There are similar individuals almost everywhere. Given the activities of individuals in this category, I find it interesting when people express their pride in being related to homicidal psychotics. I am not sure what it says of them, but I for one am more impressed with my ancestors who started with nothing and worked hard to create a solid financial base for the betterment of their family. You can keep the criminals. Yes, I am related to a couple myself – so what!

5) Statistically, I understand that less than 2% of the White population in the United States might connect to a Native American. Most will connect via marriage down a different line, since their Native American cousins are more likely to have gone to reservations and remained there. It is more common for Blacks to have Native American blood, and more common for Whites to have Black blood than it is for them to be Native American. Oddly, I have never seen a message board or mailing list that does not degenerate into speculation about Native American ancestry. My advice is – don’t waste your time, the odds are long and improbable. Go back to the Mayflower thing, before you hurt your own feelings with the disappointment and fail to enjoy the true benefits of knowing your own true ancestry.

My primary advice to everyone is to seek out original sources as much as possible. In many cases, this is no longer possible as those sources have been lost or destroyed. But originals do exist and in most cases copies can be acquired from the organizations mandated to maintaining these often fragile documents. The potential for error in transcriptions is a real potential and surfaces quite often. Look for originals and go to the expense – it is definitely worth every penny.

Another advice would be – do not stop with transcripts. The original document contains much more information, which may be vital to solving other issues. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, copies of the originals can often be acquired and are worth the expense.

I have one comment to make about the LDS Family History Centers – they are staffed by devoted and sincere and provide access to resources that would otherwise be beyond the reach of most of us. Do not waste your time with the IGI. I made this mistake and waste a couple years of research starting with the IGI as my basis. Submissions to that list were motivated by religious beliefs, not a sincere interest in family history.

Finally, family traditions are a wonderful thing! It is part of what binds a family together. If you are serious about your family history, be prepared to have those traditions dashed against the rocks of reality! If you cannot let go of traditions, do not research your family history. If you present the truth to someone who insists on the traditions despite your evidence, do not waste your time arguing. They have chosen the fantasy as reality – a common trait amongst people today. Let them be happy with their traditions, you go be happy with the truth.