Confessions of a former user of geni.com

I am interested in my family history. For a long time, I entered my family information in Family Tree Maker to keep track of my family. A few years ago, a family member started entering the family data on geni.com. I and others saw geni as great. It was online, so the latest family information was always available to all and it was a way that every member of the family could collaborate and enter the information he or she knew. Although the site invited people to become pro members, people who were free members could contribute a great deal. They could enter new information, they could resolve inconsistencies. People who did not know one another realized the they were related and the families grew. People entered information that they knew or data that interested them.

More information about geni can be found in the wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geni.com#cite_note-8 , however as at November 1, 2011, geni.com changed their policies without informing me and probably most other users.

To quote the wikipedia entry, "As of November 1, 2011, Geni.com instituted new profile limitations. Basic (free) members can build a tree, or be linked to trees, with up to 100 connected people, rather than the limit of 5 generations previously possible. If a basic user is linked to an existing tree of more than 100 people, the user is now blocked from entering more people. A Plus membership increases the limit to 1,000 connected people. With a Pro subscription, there are no size restrictions to the number of added or connected profiles. Only plus and pro users can access the profile search utility. Only pro members can initiate a merge of trees (linking of duplicates). A pro member of the tree to be merged has to give her/his consent to the suggested merge.If a user interrupts the pro subscription, entered data can not be exported, and it is impossible to approve any merges involving any person for which the user is the manager. Many complaints are expressed about these changes."

In summary, the rules changed, taking away the rights of free (basic) members, and in effect, making it difficult or impossible for members to collaborate. Dissatisfied members expressed themselves on http://help.geni.com/entries/20640938 I added my own comments there and started my own comment page where I wrote:

I see that Geni is not interested in me or in growing. Notwithstanding Geni's many bugs and the inability to do what I need on Geni, I have added a significant number of people to my Geni file because I felt that people cooperating to create a family tree together can create something wonderful. But Geni is not interested in me or others like me and will not allow me to do anything on the site anymore, not merge, not add people, etc. My interest in Geni is dead. Geni sends me millions of emails, but does not send an email to inform me that they are changing the rules of the game. Disturbing unconscionable behaviour. I am saddened and disappointed. There are and will be other better places to go.

Which are these "better places"? I don't know because i have not done the research. I think that one thing we should do is start a free yahoo or google group called something like "unsatisfied users of geni looking for a better place." You can probably think of a better name. We can, as basic members, still write in to geni to publicize this group which can find a better place for all of us to hang our hats or plant our tree. We can also publicize it on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, our individual blogs and IM accounts, etc.

As if in reply to my request, Larry Dantus created a facebook page for former geni.com members, http://www.facebook.com/groups/297646710279780/ .

If like me, you are disappointed and dissatisfied, join that facebook page and let us together find an alternative, one that is free, online and collaborative.