Monday, April 1, 2013
Ancestry.com
Philip and I presented on Ancestry.com in class. This technology allows for a user to search through their family lineage by entering information of relatives like birthday and place of birth. Ancestry.com then checks this information with their very large databases that can encompass information from all over the world. Ancestry.com also checks family trees made between one another as to connect the information input together.
There are a few very good pros about this technology and about Ancestry.com specifically. I have personally had to use online family tree makers in order to make a family tree for a study. It was much easier than starting from scratch in paint or word. The databases that Ancestry.com have the ability to cross check are also a major pro for this website in particular.
The cons about this technology is the fact that it charges money for information that is public record. Even if a person would opt for the free trial, the first question asked is the person's credit card number.
This technology can connect to two of the texts. Parallels can be drawn to compare Ancestry.com to Chapter 8 of "The Shallows" by Carr. In this chapter, Carr discusses the development and power the search engine Google. This technology can also be compared to Turkle's key point in "Alone Together." As we look to technology for more and more information, we isolate ourselves from other people. This technology, in my mind, stops conversations between parents and children about nationality and family lineage. Now, the children just need to search the internet and no conversation is needed or, in most cases, wanted.
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I really like this website, but honestly would never pay $35 to access information, when I could easily call my grandparents or relatives to find the same information. Because of this, I feel like this technology is promoting isolation. I also feel like it gives you a false sense of community. If someone pays $35 to research their family history, they miss out on a conversation or story with a relative. They would feel linked to their family through documents and online networks, not through communication. I think that Turkle would definitely disapprove of this website because it promotes a lack of communication.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else think that this kind of service takes the fun out of building a family tree? Members of Ancestry.com have all the records put onscreen before them; they no longer have the pleasure of traveling to libraries across the state to search the archives nor do they have the pleasure of digging up stories about the relatives from family members who hold other types of family documents.
ReplyDeleteIt's convenient, yes, but where's the adventure?
Like I said in class, this site is really the death of the family reunion. As Hayden addresses above, the discovery of history was where the adventure was and that is certainly lost in this manner. I also feel that this website was a waste of money as census information, which is in my opinion the most relevant, is public record and having to pay for it seems ridiculous to me. I also really don't like the user-based portion of the website as I would like to construct my family based on fact.
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ReplyDeleteI think most people voiced their opinion that they feel they are missing an experience by using this website, but I disagree. I think that this website can be used in so many different ways and is a great source of knowledge for someone looking to learn their heritage. I see this as a tool I could use with my grandparents to confirm information about their family trees and to connect to other family members we may not have known about. In my opinion, using this website would give me more to talk about with my family and is a great source of information. But I do agree with Reid that this should not be so expensive when this is public records, and it should be a tool available to everyone.
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