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[patj]

I have subscribed to Footnote since it began. Just about the time I swear I will not renew, I find something wonderful there.  So, I go for it again, even though finding things there is a test of my patience.  I just don't understand how such brilliant and talented people can not find a simple solution to searching their database.  It is not impossible to find things there, but it takes time to figure out their logic.  I just hope the name you are searching for is not "John Smith".

I know --- this is a common complaint of all search engines, but this one seems especially cumbersome.  But to finally find that muster roll that contains your ancestor's record in the American Revolution is well worth the effort.  So it looks like I will be a subscriber for quite some time to come.  I shouldn't expect to have things handed to me on a silver platter, should I?

Please, no lessons on searching there.

You might want to check your local Family History Center to see if it is available there free of charge.  My local one offers it, but few staff are familiar enought to help you use it.  Footnote is one of the free databases offered after the full Ancestry.com departed the Family History Centers.

patj

[bobby]

patj, i find the same with Ancestry.com - at times its a mishmashed maze and results are not what you asked for. In one scenario - they make you sift through a page or 2 of names before getting to what should of been on page 1.

I tend to avoid ancestry, and actually, most/all paid-for databases - they're often full of nonsense.

[Betty]

Twice - at least - I've watched while Beau Sharbrough demonstrated Footnote and it looked so very easy while he did it.  And then I came home and found it was not all that easy for me!

For those who live near a branch of the National Archives, Footnote is available free on their computers, too.  Most of the assistants and volunteers there have had at least a little training in is use, and should be able to help.

[chris_1]

Hello everyone
Foote Note is a great website yes you are correct if your not looking for common names however if you use last name only and have patience with it and yourself you just might find something. I have use Foote note and find it is very nice program. they are always updateing it I use it in the Local FHC were I volenteer my time to help people in thier quest and hunger for finding their Ancestors.

[Dick_Eastman]

One thing to remember is that the search engine on Footnote was revamped extensively some months ago. If you used Footnote a year ago, you easily missed information because the search engine in use at that time was too simplistic. That has now changed. Not only does it now do a better job of searching, you can also focus in on specific record sets, such as searching ONLY the Civil War records or ONLY the 1860 census records or ONLY the Bureau of Investigation records.

I find that I obtain the best results when I conduct several different searches, changing the search parameters a bit each time.