Ancestry Toolbar

The Generations Network has announced the availability of an Ancestry Toolbar. The Toolbar is a new feature that you can add to your Windows browser (Internet Explorer or Firefox) and use to save photos and stories you find on the Web to a person in your Ancestry Member Tree. With the toolbar, you can:

• Attach photos and stories them to people in your family tree
• Save links to web pages to people in your family tree
• Access your Ancestry Quick Links
• Quickly access your family tree(s)

Please note that it is for Windows only; there is no Generations Toolbar for Macintosh.

You can learn more about the Ancestry Toolbar at http://landing.ancestry.com/toolbar.

Comments

[LARRY HAYER]

I don't like or use the Ancestry Member Tree. I need something that I can use with Brother's Keeper. Every new "improvement" Ancestry makes is something more difficult to download in it's entirety.
Larry

[Roberta Wunder]

I also dislike Ancestry Member Tree, It seems you can't update from a gedcom as I end up with multiple trees, very confusing. I took mine down and just post to rootsweb. It's too much work to re-enter information into the online tree.

I know people who use it as their only database but I think that is relying on someone else to safeguard your data and if you lose internet connectivity, you cannot access your own work.

[Amelia]

2 things:
1) is this toolbar useful only for people who use Ancestry's Member Tree?

2) I too post my information elsewhere. There are many things I dislike about Ancestry's family trees. That is probably another discussion though : )
That said, the main reason I don't post my family tree on Ancestry is because I can't always afford to be a member. Over the years I have been a member off and on. If you are not a member, I'm not sure if you will be able to see all of the information you collect .... perhaps I am wrong about that.

[Susan]

I haven't posted a tree to Ancestry.com for fear they will be selling my research w/in 6 mos. I work very hard to document everything. I have poured enormous amounts of time and money into as accurate a tree as I can construct. It would be wrong for Ancestry to take it and sell it.

Am I alone on this? Am I just being paranoid?

Susan

[Sherri]

I quite agree with Susan and all the others too.Can Ancestry be trusted??

[Marilyn]

I, too, have posted my tree to Rootsweb because it is free and available to me in it's entirety if something happens to my computer. I used to have an Ancestry Online Family Tree, but it was too danged slow to add to with my former dial-up connection, so I took it down. When Ancestry announced it's picture storage feature I almost bit until I read the fine print. It said that the pictures became the property of Ancestry to use as they saw fit.

[Joanie]

I understand and agree with folks who are leery about the Ancestry Member Tree, but there is another usage fom their page, one that connects/searches via Google: "Everywhere else – the Ancestry.com toolbar appears at the top of your internet browser and gives you the choice of two different searches. The default search will allow you to specifically search Ancestry.com for a name using Google’s™ search engine. To search the entire internet, click the arrow to the right of the search field and select “search the web (Google)”.

I haven't used it yet, but was glad to see it wasn't only for Ancestry Member Tree.and uses Google. Will try it later and report back. Others may want to try the Google search and let us know.

[Joe Brescoll]

I too had posted 3 different GED files into Rootsweb, since the early 2000's. Because of identify theft within my family I decided to removed my files from Rootsweb. Following directions I had no problems removing my files off Rootsweb.
Now the problem - Three weeks after removing my files, while surfing Ancestry.com World Family Tree I found my file still installed in their World Family Tree.
It took 3 weeks and 4 e-mails to finally get Ancestry.com customer solution section personnel, as their e-mail stated "as a courtesy to me" to remove the file.
I believe people using the Rootsweb site should be made aware that Ancestry.com is copying their files into the World Family Tree and are not removing them when the Rootsweb file is removed by the owner.
Joe Brescoll

[geneladyMO]

Call Ancestry's marketing department when you have an issue with getting the WFTs down. My living father's age was posted in about 10 WFT files submitted by others. It took me nearly a year to have the age removed and I only got that done by calling the parent company and speaking to the marketing department. Basically, I promised to give them tons of bad publicity if they didn't fix the age to show as "living."

You all do know that RootsWeb is now owned by Ancestry?

[Jo Dye]

I do have trees posted on Ancestry.com, but they are there just for research purposes. I am a paying member, so I use it to do quite a bit of research. I will often post possible or probably items I find to my tree or Shoebox for review later. My REAL files & tree, however are all on Family Tree Maker offline. I have verified, sourced information there that I have compiled from all over the web. That is all backed up off site daily. I do like Ancestry.com & will take a look at the tool bar. But, I wouldn't be posting photos or personal documents on the site unless I found them on that site. I don't want all my research beseiged by Ancestry.com & parceled out on their whim.

[Kathy]

For Amelia - Earlier this year I couldn't afford to renew my subscription to Ancestry and I could still access my trees - one public and one private. And also all the records I'd attached to people in my tree from Ancestry.

[Jennie Jimenez]

I have been a Ancestry member on and off for many years now, They are becoming too expensive to keep up these days, If you sign up for just one month for their service, they will continue billing your card. Because of this I have had to change my card a couple of times. What is the sense in uploading all your info and keeping track on shoe box, if you cant have access to your own info that you have given them the clue and link to. Then they turn around and charge you for your info that you have kindly given them. I would bee very reluctant to post any thing of mine to their site, they will use and sell your info. And you have given them the right to do so. Read the fine print.

[M. A. Dell]

Isn't is shame that Ancestry (and all of the Generations group) which has provided us with so many great data bases (albeit at a charge)has gotten such a lousy reputation of greed and being untrustworthy. They are equally obnoxious with their presence on almost every genealogy related web page you access.

[Donald Boyle]

I foolishly send a gedcom file of my family to a cousin starting out on his family search. I did not send only on his line but it contained my completer file. He immediately submitted to it to Rootsweb and also to LDS. This caused a lot of angry emails from cousins who were upset with this being on line and contained a lot of info I should have taken off before sending. I talked to Rootsweb and was told the only person who could have it removed was the submitter. He promplty changed his email address and I was unable to contact him and he keeps adding to it and then immediately changes his address again. He has made a complete mess of my family.
Any suggestions in how I can have this corrected?

[dee]

I'd like to know if there's any spyware in the toolbar.

When I clicked to download it, the user agreement popped up with the "Agree" and "Disagree" buttons but the rest of the wording was missing. The box was blank.

Has anyone else had this problem? I'm using Firefox 3.0.4.

Thanks.

[Paul Caverly]

Just so many critics. Ancestry has had its ups and downs with all their products but over the past decade they have continually tried to improve. There have been many things I did not like over that time but some were made better. Cost is competitive when I gain access to US, Canada, UK, French and German records all at one price. Yes, there are some short comings with some of the data bases, hopefully these will improve as well. I have an LDS History center within walking distance but, Ancestry is a 24/7 service for me and has reduced the number of times I have had to travel to other archives.

Now when they upgrade the toolbar for Windows Vista I may give it another look.

[HAttoe]

No hobby is cheap. when you compare the cost of travel, gas wear and tear on the car, hotel rooms, fees for archives and meals the yearly fee is quite reasonable. Many of you may have Ancestry at your library where you can enter for free. So if I feel the cost is too great I will march down to my local library and search for free and take my computer along. No hassle. Digitial copies of records take money and time to write the program and maintain all those data bases to search. I think my membership has saved me as much as it cost when I add it all up. and yes I also would like free.

I had wondered if the downloaded documents went away with a stoppage of membership. It is nice to know that is not true.

I have long since stopped sending stuff to ancestry or others to post or in bulk to friends and cousins, Way too much of my stuff got on line .I also very, very seldom send info about anyone living.

[lOVICY lOCKWOOD]

I hAVE DOWNLEADED CENSUS REPORTS IN PAST YEARS BUT RECENTLY I HAVE GONE BACK FOR VERIFICATIONN OR CURIOSITY ABOUT A HEADING THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED-ONLY TO FIND THAT IT IS AN IMAGE THAT ANCESTRY CAN NO LONGER FIND. I TRY TO USE THEM THE LEAST NOW.