DNA - Genealem's Genetic Genealogy: December 2015

08 December 2015

Ancestry.com - Dumps Family Tree Maker

Once again we see Ancestry.com dumping their acquisitions! If this company had a solid "game plan" for itself, perhaps they would leave things alone and focus on what they CAN do instead of upgrading their viewer which often has to revert to the old viewer as it doesn't work well, never fixing indexing errors, but just allowing anyone to do a patch; doing DNA testing for the Y-chromosome and trashing all that; taking on various DNA companies then dumping those test samples and now this...

Dear Family Tree Maker™ community,

Ancestry is proud to have made a significant investment this year to bring valuable new content and records to the Ancestry site. In 2015, we’ve made 220 million searchable historical records from Mexico available, more than 170 million pages from the largest collection of U.S. will and probate records, among others. We’ve also introduced new features such as Ancestry Academy, and major advancements for AncestryDNA.

As we strive to provide our customers with the best experience possible, we are constantly evaluating our services and product offerings. True to this focus, we’ve taken a hard look at the declining desktop software market and the impact this has on being able to continue to provide new content, product enhancements and support that our users need. With that, we’ve made the tough decision to stop selling Family Tree Maker as of December 31, 2015.

We will continue to support existing Family Tree Maker owners at least through January 1, 2017. During this time, all features of the software, including TreeSync™ will continue to work. Our Member Services team will also remain available to assist with questions or issues you may have.

These changes are never easy. But by focusing our efforts, we can concentrate on continuing to build great products for our loyal Ancestry community.

You can find additional details about the retirement of Family Tree Maker on our blog.

They have obviously, once again, taken on more than they can handle and/or what they have isn't making a big enough profit.

Disgusting!

Emily

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NOTE: If you are not certain there is a DNA project for your surname or if you are only testing your mtDNA (female line), put the name of an area such as CAMPANIA in the search field or wait until you receive your results and locate your haplogroup. The Campania area project is not one of my projects, but I will find you an appropriate project when your results arrive.
..........You want to join through a project to get the cheapest rates.

...........Email me if you have questions before you order your test.

Presentations

.....Presentations for both the Genetic Genealogy and for the writing sessions are normally two hours, but can be adapted. I prefer an computer projector for with a screen and a table for displaying my DNA book and/or writing booklet.
.....Your group can photocopy the handouts or I will do so for $.05 per side. If speaking within the general area of Portland, Oregon I do not charge for mileage or travel expenses. Outside of the general Portland area, I do require the IRS amount of $.56 per mile. If I need to stay over night, a motel room or staying with a non-smoking female will be necessary.
.....Although, as a member of the International Society of Genetic Genealogists (ISOGG), I cannot ask for a speaker's fee for the Genetic Genealogy presentations, but I can accept an honorarium. This is not the case with the writing classes. $75 is the standard.
Email: aulicino@hevanet.com

Recommendations and Compliments

Genetic Genealogy

"Emily Aulicino is one of the most dynamic people I know. Her energy and enthusiasm has helped make Oregon the largest member per capita region in all of ISOGG. Emily’s educator background is apparent and complimentary to her speaking engagements which create a presentation that is easy-to-understand for any novice. Her reputation has made her an immensely popular speaker throughout the Pacific Northwest which has resulted in nationwide requests. Emily is a proven leader who welcomes a challenge. She manages many people and projects with skill and ability that can only be innate. I have the utmost confidence that Emily will excel at any task presented to her and I look forward to many more years working with her."
-------Katherine Borges, Director of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG)

Unsolicited Comments:

Barbara in Washington wrote:
I just wanted to touch base with you and tell you how impressed I was with your lectures today. They were fun and up, and you were able to explain the DNA process to me in terms that I could understand.

"Memoing" My Memories - Unsolicited Testimony

Rhonda in Oregon writes:
The writing tip you gave us Thursday is great! I went right to my stash of journals (I have trouble journaling, but love the books!), and made a page for every year since my birth year.
I’m very excited to start writing my memories down. Thanks again for a fantastic tip!!

Anne in Michigan writes:
"So many times I have sat down and tried to write out my life's story. I got so bored with myself that I never got more than a few pages done. This method has totally changed my outlook and has renewed my lifelong interest to write about my life so that my children will have something to remember me by.
I am psyched, pumped and ready to go now!”

Beth in Texas writes:
“I am finding the topics very helpful in writing about things I would have never thought about before. These topics give me an opportunity not to dwell on the unhappy times in my life, and remember some of the less important, but memorable topics that I'd like to pass on to my children. I'll still write about unhappy times, but they will be sprinkled in with other memories.”

Jan in Kentucky writes:
“Emily, you do so very much for so many, and it is so appreciated! You also have broken my writing block, and I appreciate that...if not for you, I don't know that I would have had the heart to return to it. You truly are doing a lot of good with that list of yours and the effects will be known for years and generations for so many. I think sometimes we just need to tell you that.”

Bob in Sherwood, Oregon writes:
THANKS to you I started writing my "story" last Friday. If it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't have started it. It's all your fault...You, You, "Inspirator", You! Telling us
to write in "pictures". If I started it prior to your presentation it would have begun... "I was born on October 29, 1944 in Jamestown, New York". Needless to say you had a GREAT impact on my writing.

Bill in New Jersey writes:
Just a short note to says thanks to you, Emily, for the prompts. I especially like the way in which you write the suggestions to go along with the prompts.

Books About Childhood Memories and Family Stories

As most of you know I seldom read fiction, and as a result, I am interested in books that are historical in nature and/or tell the stories of people's lives. The following list is some books that I have read which are by people I know, people who are related to me, people I have met, and people with whom I've corresponded for a time. Proudly, I have each author's autograph, and I'm beginning to think of this as a new collection/hobby of mine! .

Each of these stories have great struggles and challenges. Some are of childhood while others occurred when the author was an adult. I hope that you will find them interesting as I have. They are truly a slice of our American Life!