I started to research my family history way back in a 1979, when I was about 14 years old and my Mum was interested in it all.
We had no internet, no local family history society and no LDS research centre. We hand wrote all our letters, had no credit card so had to save up and either buy bank cheques in Pound Sterling or find a bank that would get English currency in for us to exchange Aussie Dollars for. We relied on people in the UK, who we found when we wrote to various Libraries, County Council Offices etc, to search Parish Records and graveyards for us, and made the occassional expensive trip down to Brisbane when we learned about the existence of the Genealogical Society.
AND we loved every minute of it. The time it took was part of the anticipation of it all, waiting weeks and weeks for return letters and certificates in the mail.
I still love every minute of it, but I do use much more efficient methods these days. My internet connection has been a godsend, and my credit card gets a fair bit of use. I still refuse to put my tree online but do have the some basic information regarding the surnames, dates and places out there in cyberspace to make others aware of my interests.
I only pass along information when I have proof of relationship and never send photos or copies of certificates until I know that the recipient will respect them for what they are - very personal sources of information. Perhaps that makes me selfish in some people's eyes, but I feel quite possessive of these people from whom I am decended and I won't share them with just anybody. I would not like to see my children on the wrong family tree, so why should I feel any less so about my gr gr gr grandparents?
To date I have been extremely lucky in that all the people who have contacted me, or whom I have contacted, via various internet sites, have been legit and willing to share. I have found some distant relatives who have become friends, and hope to find some more.
Instant gratification is all well and good, but sometimes good things are worth waiting for.
Thanks for letting me vent
Karenlee