Author Topic: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.  (Read 8374 times)

Offline Guy Etchells

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Re: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.
« Reply #54 on: Monday 01 January 18 16:15 GMT (UK) »

Given their connection to Scotland, I wish they'd publish more Scottish records. Scotland's People have a stranglehold on BMD's, I know, but there are plenty of others they could concentrate on. Would love to see more Free Church records, Kirk sessions, parish aid and shipping records for instance.

In answer to the original question: yes, I'm more often than not disappointed in FindMyPast Friday's.  Not enough local Irish or Scottish records for me. And I'm getting a bit sick of these companies posting (and therefore charging for) what amounts to little more than links to other sites I can access for free myself anyway!  By all means do it if need be, but don't post them as though you're posting a ton of new information that your loyal customers should be excited about - you're not and we aren't!

I take it you do not see the contradiction in your own posting!

Companies like Findmypast post records held by other companies in order to expand what they are offering to their subscribers. If they did not do that then the coverage of the records they hold would be diminished for two reasons.

1) They would have to spend time and money digitising and indexing the records held by partner companies in order to supply them.
2) The money and time they save can be productively spent on digitising and indexing new records not held elsewhere.

To address your first point I would suggest the Findmypast would be happy to host more records of the kind you mention, but it is not as simple as that.
Have you ever tried to gain access to such records to transcribe them for instance, it is not always easy. Some who are approached are happy to have their records digitised but have unrealistic demands that have to be met before that can happen.

There is also the simple business case that has to be met, a Scottish parish may have a tiny population therefore a tiny proportion of people requiring access to those records. That means they do not have the same priority as larger parishes have for digitising.

However all is not lost there is a way you can quickly get more Scottish records online. Negotiate with the holders of the records and digitise and index them yourself then offer them to the large internet companies, but then you will possibly be joining the groups of people and companies you are complaining about.
Cheers
Guy
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Offline BumbleB

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Re: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.
« Reply #55 on: Monday 01 January 18 16:38 GMT (UK) »
We can all be a bit selfish, can't we?  I personally have no connections to Scotland, Ireland or Wales and I sigh sometimes when I see the Friday productions.  As of this moment all my families are in England, and specifically Yorkshire, with one or two escaping to London, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

However, I am more than happy to see that FindMyPast is expanding their coverage, as is Ancestry, and I can fulfil the other side of my persona - I can help others.

Let's face it, you CANNOT please all of the people, all of the time.   :D
Transcriptions and NBI are merely finding aids.  They are NOT a substitute for original record entries.
Remember - "They'll be found when they want to be found" !!!
If you don't ask the question, you won't get an answer.
He/she who never made a mistake, never made anything.
Archbell - anywhere, any date
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Offline chinapaddy

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Re: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.
« Reply #56 on: Monday 01 January 18 18:05 GMT (UK) »
at bottom of findmypast webpage you will see

Other Findmypast sites:
    Lives of the First World War
    The British Newspaper Archive

©2018 Findmypast

Corri, Holland,
Newman, Kiernan,
Lyons, Murphy

Offline rosie99

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Re: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.
« Reply #57 on: Friday 16 February 18 08:48 GMT (UK) »
Again - where's my email?  :-\

 Not bothered about the world sub but, as a paid up subscriber to FindMyPast, why am I not receiving any of these notifications? It appears I'm not alone - are they really this disorganised?

You are certainly not alone.

I tried resetting my email notifications by unsubscibing to them , leaving it a few days and re subscribing - nothing.  I contacted customer service - Today I have F M P Fridays email  ;D  ;D  ;D
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Offline jillruss

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Re: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.
« Reply #58 on: Friday 16 February 18 11:23 GMT (UK) »
And - hurrah! - they've added some Yorkshire BMDs today, but - boo! - no indication as to what they've added so will have to plough through all my Yorkshire lines (a lot!).

I just don't understand why they can't spell it out.
HELP!!!

 BATHSHEBA BOOTHROYD bn c. 1802 W. Yorks.

Baptism nowhere to be found. Possibly in a nonconformist church near ALMONDBURY or HUDDERSFIELD.

Offline BumbleB

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Re: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.
« Reply #59 on: Friday 16 February 18 11:31 GMT (UK) »
If you use the connection via the e-mail for any of the Yorkshire items, you will see that on the right-hand side of the screen is Useful Links and Resources.  First item is "Yorkshire Parish Registers - parish list"

Transcriptions and NBI are merely finding aids.  They are NOT a substitute for original record entries.
Remember - "They'll be found when they want to be found" !!!
If you don't ask the question, you won't get an answer.
He/she who never made a mistake, never made anything.
Archbell - anywhere, any date
Kendall - WRY
Milner - WRY
Appleyard - WRY

Offline jillruss

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Re: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.
« Reply #60 on: Friday 16 February 18 11:51 GMT (UK) »
Sorry, BumbleB, what email?

ADDED: Thanks, I've located the parish list via the FindMyPast Friday link and I suppose that's better than nothing but it would be so much more helpful if they could put the added parishes/years in italics or similar to show exactly what has been added.
HELP!!!

 BATHSHEBA BOOTHROYD bn c. 1802 W. Yorks.

Baptism nowhere to be found. Possibly in a nonconformist church near ALMONDBURY or HUDDERSFIELD.

Offline Mart 'n' Al

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Re: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.
« Reply #61 on: Friday 16 February 18 12:02 GMT (UK) »
They seem to be lots of comments here about people moaning about not getting the email. You don't need one. Just click on Blog, (what a stupid word) , and select New Records. Last month I found a wonderful photograph of an ancestor I didn't even know served in the army.

It's one of the first things I check on a Friday after waking up.

Martin

Offline rosie99

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Re: FindMyPast Friday's. General opinions.
« Reply #62 on: Friday 16 February 18 13:24 GMT (UK) »
The first thing I do any morning after logging in is to look at my emails that is why I prefer not having to go searching their blog  ;)
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