YFT strikes again .....

[Liz Turner]

Further to Anne's thought about an on-line mag - it must be possible given the expertise and knowledge of folk on this site to come up with some ideas.

However, as someone else said, this site does accomplish something very similar, what with the Hints and Tips section and all the other advice. Maybe we need to publicise this site more widely. I have to admit (again) that I'd been registered with Sp for 3 months before I noticed the link to this site and then it took me another wee while to work up the courage to join!

I, too, find these FH mags very frustrating with their concentration on non-Scottish matters - I know we're relatively small in number in comparison, but still ... and what about that well known "British" data company where it's very hard to find anything not English ....

Liz

[Anne H]

Here’s my tuppence worth on the subject of Genealogy magazines and the like.

Whilst I certainly agree with the opinions aired in that it’s extremely frustrating at the lack of information about Scotland to be had in these magazines (by the way, I’ve only bought a couple through the years simply because there wasn’t much reference to Scotland), the so called experts writing the articles certainly haven’t done their homework and shouldn’t assume that everything in England must be the same in Scotland…and please don’t all hit me at once…but can we as Scots justify our complaints when the Scots themselves aren’t doing anything to rectify the situation?

How about the DG making a suggestion to SP to contribute towards setting up a genealogy magazine for and about Scotland? True…you can’t beat SP for the price, and the records are brilliant, but we need to be honest and acknowledge that the programme is set up in such a way that it eats up your money faster than most of us earn it, so why not earmark a little of the revenue to promote SP and give us a decent magazine into the bargain. Then let SP approach the Scottish Tourist Industry to promote it.

TalkingScot most certainly has replaced much of my frustration by the valuable information and time given so willingly from so many of you, and I thank all of you for that, but…what is Scotland doing to promote Scotland – whether it’s genealogy, tourism, history, television, etc., etc?

I’m getting off the subject a bit, but although I’ve lived in the USA for many years, Scotland is still my home. I depend on television, mainly PBS (Public Broadcasting Stations) to bring me a little bit of home and am further frustrated because everything we get over here from the BBC is English programming! I’ve been watching the same little sit-coms, documentaries, etc., for over thirty years and love them…but would dearly love to see something from BBC Scotland about my own country and folks. I live in a “tourist” area of Florida where I have the English all around me, pubs, shops, the lot, and I’m not complaining, but again, not much that puts Scotland on the map in this little corner of the world.

Sorry for being so long winded, but again, what’s Scotland doing to promote Scotland? It’s not coming over this way!

Regards,
Anne H

[Davie]

Again all

but would dearly love to see something from BBC Scotland about my own country and folks. I live in a “tourist” area of Florida where I have the English all around me, pubs, shops, the lot, and I’m not complaining, but again, not much that puts Scotland on the map in this little corner of the world.

I have to disagree with you Anne H, on this.
I have BBC Scotland as my "Home Page" and think they do a pretty good job on it.
You can download programmes from Radio Scotland and play them in yer caur etc. any time you like.
The BBC also have DVDs for sale for most topics.
I have over 50 DVDs on Scotland, from the battles of Stirling, Bannockburn and Culloden through to "Still Game", several of them BBC productions.

On the subject of genealogy mags, I find them of no great interest now.
However, when I first started doing family research, I must have bought most on display in local bookstores.
Still have four books on the subject on my shelves here.
Like most of us on here, I find the cost of going onto SP a tad expensive.
Though still a lot cheaper and more fun, when in yer ain midden,wey anither few faimily members alangside the computer, than trailing through the Record Offices in Edinburgh.
I did hear a wee rumour, that they were going to relocate to Glasgow and access would be free.
I wish.
The best site by far is the one we are on.
And being Scotch, oor favourite price.
FREE
If ah don't know the answer tae yer queery oan TS, then we ken somewan that diz.
Davie

[Anne H]

I have to disagree with you Anne H, on this.
I have BBC Scotland as my "Home Page" and think they do a pretty good job on it.
You can download programmes from Radio Scotland and play them in yer caur etc. any time you like.
The BBC also have DVDs for sale for most topics.
I have over 50 DVDs on Scotland, from the battles of Stirling, Bannockburn and Culloden through to "Still Game", several of them BBC productions.

Aye, Davie…ah ken ye get a’ that, and it’s great…but it isnae the same as been able tae sit doon and relax wi’ yer feet up wi’ a cup o’ tea in yer hand and watch a wee bit on the telly…and I want the whole of America to see it…not just me…ah don’t think they’ll want tae watch wee clips on the computer, and CD's/DVD's are too expensive...besides SP taking my money, I still have a mortgage to pay - I've nothing left! . Am fed up tellin’ everybody that Scotland isn’t in England…I tell no lie when I say that there are many people who have never heard of Scotland over here…but they’ve all heard of England…even some of the English think we’re English! Now then, I love my “cousins” down south, and I love my programmes, be they English or not, but, a wee bit from Scotland once in a while on the telly would be even better and very much appreciated.

Like most of us on here, I find the cost of going onto SP a tad expensive.
Though still a lot cheaper and more fun, when in yer ain midden,wey anither few faimily members alangside the computer, than trailing through the Record Offices in Edinburgh.
I did hear a wee rumour, that they were going to relocate to Glasgow and access would be free.

Ye had me goin’ there for a minute - but, oh how I"d love to get into Edinburgh and get stuck into all those records!

The best site by far is the one we are on.
And being Scotch, oor favourite price.
FREE
If ah don't know the answer tae yer queery oan TS, then we ken somewan that diz.

I think we’re all in agreement TS is the best!

Regards,
Anne H

[mallog]

I have to agree with you Anne in most respects.

I don't understand the complaints about the cost of SP. Granted we would all like it cheaper and some way of narrowing down our search of common names but as far as I am concerned for the most part we get what we ask for with SP and all from the comfort of our own home. I don't like this trawling through so called search results from the indexes on English sites and then having to send for the certificate or is it something I am not doing right?

Mallog

[Anne H]

Hi Mallog,

I don’t think I was complaining about the cost of SP, on the contrary, I usually applaud SP, and as you can see from my original post quoted below, I did say that “you can’t beat SP for the price…..”

How about the DG making a suggestion to SP to contribute towards setting up a genealogy magazine for and about Scotland? True…you can’t beat SP for the price, and the records are brilliant, but we need to be honest and acknowledge that the programme is set up in such a way that it eats up your money faster than most of us earn it, so why not earmark a little of the revenue to promote SP and give us a decent magazine into the bargain. Then let SP approach the Scottish Tourist Industry to promote it.

…it’s as you mention, we would all like it cheaper if there was a way to narrow down the search of common names, etc. As an example, in my previous searches I have 49 pages/1203 records…I’ve viewed 43 pages/1,053 records – I’ve clicked on an awful lot of “wrong” images. Also, like many others, because there isn’t a good way to “find” a particular record, I’ve paid that 1 credit over and over again only to come up with the same pages I’ve paid for many times before. Probably, if the truth were to be told, I could be more careful but my little finger is stuck to that wee mouse and it just can’t resist clicking on one more name! As for the English sites…I know nothing about them, and don’t understand them – just as well I don’t have many ancestors down south of the border.

What I was really getting at was that if we want a magazine about Scottish Genealogy we need to do it ourselves. Since it costs money, and most of us don’t have it, then who better to approach than none other than SP and the Scottish Tourist Industry, to put us on the map…personally, I think it’s a brilliant idea…but then, what do I know, I know nothing about marketing…it’s just my “tuppence” worth!

Regards,
Anne H