MyGenShare launches

A new American based web portal has launched entitled MyGenShare at www.mygenshare.com. From the press release:

MyGenShare.com is a comprehensive digital library for genealogists. The digital library's million-plus indexed resources includes articles, eBooks, ePeriodicals, historical maps, podcasts, slideshows, videos, a genealogy links directory, and genealogy search engines.

MyGenShare is not a database full of records and names. It is the most extensive collection of genealogy how-to resources anywhere on the internet.

The site does proclaim that you can sign up for a free seven day trial - unfortunately, having done just that, many genealogical resources I have clicked on to view so far have told me I need to have a paid for subscription of some sort before I can access them. There are several free how-to guides though, seemingly sourced from FamilySearch, but some of those I have checked are well and truly out of date - e.g. I've just looked at one entitled Scotland, How to Find Maps: Introduction, published in 2001. A few may be of interest, however, though they are heavily geared to what you can source through the Mormons' collated family history resources, and about eleven years ago.

One useful resource I've found is a 32 part series of free-to-access tuition videos on digitisation of family history resources, and a links section, though again a few dead links are included. Amongst the subscription based resources available are an e-library of content from the Genealogical Publishing Company in the US, and a back catalogue of an American publication entitled Everton Genealogical Helper.

The site is still in Beta, so there may well be many further additions, but I've not seen too much to get too excited about just yet, at least from this side of the Atlantic. Possibly one to keep an eye on though.

UPDATE: From Barry Ewell, site organiser:

I have received several questions concerning the MyGenShare.com 7-day free trial such as:

"Why can't I see all of the MyGenShare content? Isn't there a 7-day free trial?"

If you have the same question, here is the answer:

There is a 7-day free trial. When you make a choice of a subscription level other than the "free subscription" you are given a 7-day free trial to view more content. This is an industry standard for subscription based websites. The Premium Subscription gives you access to all content on MyGenShare.com. You will be asked for a credit card number. You will have 7-days to view content before your credit card is charged. If at any time during that period of time you desire to cancel, it is very simple for you to go into your 'My Account' and click cancel.

If you choose to sign up for the MyGenShare.com Free, then you will only have access to the free content. The 7 day free trial begins only with paid subscriptions. Thank you for supporting MyGenShare.com

COMMENT: It's also an industry standard to explain such things on subscription based websites - there is no reference to this on the site's subscription page at www.mygenshare.com/subscription_levels that I can see.

Chris

Check out my Scotland's Greatest Story research service www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)