Ancestry.com and Family Tree Maker 2012

So I caved.

I finally got a subscription to Ancestry.com.  I told myself long ago I wasn't going to pay for a subscription to any site online.  But with the project i am working on right now, I figured I could use the subscription for the time being (plus my library subscription wasn't able to find some info!).  I am doing the month to month thing right now, not wanting to shell out nearly 200 bucks at one time to get the US membership.  I am not planning on keeping it all year long, but for now, I'll pay 23 bucks for a month to get info on my family.

But I won't put my family tree on Ancestry.com

Here's why:  To even see most of the family tree info that Ancestry.com has you have to have a paid subscription.  You can't use a library subscription of log on as a guest or use a free log-in.  You have to pay to see what info they have.  And for the most part, it's the same info sites like Rootsweb and FamilySearch have already.  I have always freely shared my info with relatives, and expect to be able to do that in the future, so my trees will be kept on Rootsweb.  Plus, if I decide not to continue my subscription on Ancestry.com, I can still access and work with my info without worrying about it being stuck where I can't change it.

That said, I found a wealth of info - some off the aforementioned family trees, but most from the vast amount of collections that Ancestry has.  And with the new Family Tree Maker program I got as a late Christmas present from my hubby, I am able to plug it into the tree with a click of the mouse (at least until I decide not to continue the aforementioned subscription).

I know, I know, this seems like a big advertisement for Ancestry.com and Family Tree Maker, but I can't help it.  I have never used any family tree program except Family Tree Maker, and since Ancestry.com owns it, I have to talk about them.   I figured it was time to do a semi-review about them.

Which reminds me - I have an old copy of Family Tree Maker 10 and several Family Tree Maker Family Archives CDs from Genealogy.com if anyone needs them.  I had to get the new 2012 version because FTM 10 doesn't work at all with Windows 7, which my new computer has, so the CDs are just laying here taking up space (I won't trash them though - too much family history!!!!!!!).  If anyone ever reading this post wants them, send me a message or comment here and I'll let you know which ones I have.  I wish they worked with 2012 so I could get the info off of them!