I have noticed an interesting phenomenon among genealogists. Some of them tend to ignore the large online genealogy database and family tree websites either collectively or selectively. The most common manifestation of this is when a person has a subscription to one of the "Big Four" websites and does not subscribe or even view the other websites because of a belief that the other websites "all have the same records." Now there are likely some reasons why one or more of the websites may be ignored such as the fact that they may not have any records from the area of the world the genealogist is searching but without a careful examination of the records in each of the large websites which, by the way, are changing and increasing constantly. you really have no idea what records are on which website.
We should all be aware of the huge number of records that are still locked up on paper sitting in archives, libraries, and other repositories around the world but the number of records online is truly phenomenal. As I have written several times, numbers of records don't mean much if the record you are looking for is not yet available online, however, the huge number of online records clearly mandates that a "reasonably exhaustive search" includes online record sources.
I have been going through a few genealogy reference books lately. Of course, the ones written before the internet make no mention of digitized records but surprisingly some books written quite recently talk about genealogical research methodology and never seem to get around to mentioning online genealogy records or any of the large online websites. I suspect that the authors are either unfamiliar with online resources or intentionally omit references to online resources to protect their "exclusivity." After all, in the world of professional genealogy, if the average amateur genealogist can find an extensive source-supported pedigree in a few minutes online, the demand for professional services is diminished. I saw the same, although not so prominent, issue in the law profession when online legal self-help websites became available. For example, some attorneys were making a good living drafting wills for their clients. Then along came do-it-yourself will writing programs such as legalzoom.com and other such websites advertising that they have successfully created over a million and a half personalized wills with fees starting under $100. These will-writing websites have severely impacted the revenue of the so-called "estate planning" attorneys. Another good example of the impact of online resources is the tax filing software TurboTax. The effect of this software alone has forced the professional accountants and tax filing companies to change the way they do business and in some cases, such as H&R Block, the companies have had to issue their own software. Couple tax preparation software with the marketing power of Costco and you can easily see the impact that can have on the professionals.
Professional genealogists who consciously or unconsciously feel threatened by the online genealogy companies or are overly distrustful of online family trees are also feeling the impact of "do-it-yourself" genealogy. Now the attorneys and accountants are not going out of business but what about the genealogists? Genealogical research can be just as complex if not more complex than either law or accountancy but if, as is commonly advertised, the large online genealogy websites implement automated and artificial intelligence supported programming that can help the average person compile a pedigree, what is left for the professionals?
How should the professionals react? Should they stick their collective heads in the sand and pretend that online genealogy does not exist? This does seem to be the reaction of some professionals. Should they write journal articles and establish professional standards that exclude the casual computer-based genealogist? How long to do you think the estate attorneys, tax attorneys, and accountants can ignore tax and estate software online?
One thing I can say. My own methodology of doing genealogical research is rapidly evolving and for the most part, it does not include many of the trappings of traditional genealogical research. One area of genealogy that is feeling the impact of the online resources is the need for local Family History Centers. One on one assistance with computers and genealogy is never going to disappear. But the advantage of having an expensive-to-maintain facility with computers absent the ability to provide that same one-on-one training has been greatly diminished. The first of the do-it-yourself genealogy websites is The Family History Guide. I don't think anyone yet feels threatened by this website but if you think about the impact of TurboTax, you can see a future where this type of instructional website becomes a major factor in how people interact with professionals. Those professionals who ignore this trend do so at the risk of losing any of their advantages.
This past week, I got a call from a programmer who is developing the next step in instructional software. All I can say about it is that when these products mature, there will be a significant impact on the professional side of genealogy. Look to the future folks.
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