Hosted Web Sites

[Pat Geary]

It was only a matter of time

Hosted websites will become read-only beginning in early 2024. At that time, all logins will be disabled, but hosted sites will remain on RootsWeb as static content. Website owners wishing to maintain their sites must migrate to a different hosting provider before 2024.

Retiring and Migrating Portions of RootsWeb

Pat Geary

[Charlie Towne]

Well, rats.

--
Charlie Towne
ceto...@gmail.com

--
Website FAQs: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily/rootsweb-hosted-web-sites.html
FTP FAQs: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily/publishing-your-sites.html
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[Sue Kottwitz]

I figured this was coming.  So if I download my site from Rootsweb, does this remove it from Rootsweb?  Or will they continue to have it online as static content? 

[jake...@aol.com]

Sue Kottwitz -  

How do you download site?  

--

Website FAQs: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily/rootsweb-hosted-web-sites.html
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.

[Brian Sutton]

It's a shame to see Rootsweb's hosting go. I've used it for years. I guess this was the last piece to take down. Good memories of the early years on the computer using Rootsweb.

I'm hoping the next topic will share some alternatives to consider.

Brian

---

From: rw-webs...@googlegroups.com <rw-webs...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Charlie Towne <ceto...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2023 10:44 AM
To: rw-webs...@googlegroups.com <rw-webs...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [RW-Website-Help] Hosted Web Sites

 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/CAO9nUDDvLwyDQjbg7O4HnvOdc-QOEzQaHJdVeBRFj-7ByQHOkQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Susan Kottwitz]

Pat gave the link to the instructions, but here it is again.  You need to use FTP . Scroll down below the announcements and you'll see the instructions. https://support.rootsweb.com/s/article/Retiring-and-Migrating-Portions-of-RootsWeb

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/784468814.287642.1677257608859%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Timothy Stowell]

It was interesting to  see though in the update that list archives are being migrated elsewhere with a link to be put on the Rootsweb page.

Tim Stowell

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/PAXP191MB191985ECE0A154C35DC0A608A1A89%40PAXP191MB1919.EURP191.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM.

[Timothy Stowell]

Thanks Pat for alerting us.  Lots of work to be done - as there are still many county sites hosted there and some state sites too.  I'll be busy the remainder of the year working on this.

Tim Stowell

--

[Timothy Stowell]

Per instructions on the page mentioned:

How do I download my RootsWeb-hosted website?

1. Open an FTP client (like FileZilla) and connect to:
   • Host: sftp://sitesuser.rootsweb.com
   • Port: 22
2. Enter your username and password and log in. Your username is the website name and can be found at the end of the URL (example: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~username/). For help with your password, click here or contact us.
3. Use your FTP client to download your website’s files. See instructions for some popular FTP clients here.

and for Sue and others:  Downloading a site to your computer only does that - ie it copies the contents of the files to your 

computer.  The site would still be visible.  After you make sure you have all the files, simply go back into the account and delete all the files.

That leaves a blank slate.  If you move the files to another hosting service, please be aware that Rootsweb / Ancestry has added code 

to your individual webpages, that would need to be removed - so that at a new location you don't have broken links and/or a 

bunch of advertisements.

Tim Stowell

[Sue Kottwitz]

Thanks, Tim.  That's what I thought.  When I began my Rootsweb hosted site (20 years ago or so) I used FrontPage and have continued to use that for updating.  I've never simply signed in and worked online.  Always FTP the updates.  So I have the original content already with no need to download.  Just need to get moved and then I want to delete from Rootsweb.

[Charlie Towne]

Instead of deleting from Rootsweb, I intend to leave a note explaining the situation - that the Rootsweb site is now static and can no longer be updated - and including the address of the new site, where I end up moving to (probably John Cardinal's Family History Hosting). That way people who have bookmarked the Rootsweb site won't be left out in the cold.

--
Charlie Towne
ceto...@gmail.com

--

Website FAQs: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily/rootsweb-hosted-web-sites.html
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[Yvonne Bowers]

I’ve been on Rootsweb since its inception in 1996 (moving all my mailing lists from Maiser) and along with 5 or 6 “family files” (Reunion-based navigable family trees) I have 7 multi-page “Most Wanted” surname lists.  These were all free to me via homepages as I was a listmom, boardmom and webmom.  I use Filezilla Pro to upload (and download) Rootsweb files.  Leaving the pages up and having them be static isn’t the end of the world but I’d to move them.  My problem is not going to be downloading the content (I already have it in Dropbox anyway and use DreamWeaver to maintain the web pages) but is finding a new host location for all the pages.  My 2¢

Yvonne Bowers

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[jecr...@gmail.com]

This is sad news!  The genealogy information on my site traces my ancestors and some of their collateral descendants genealogy correcting numerous genealogical myths with links to them from Ancestry records comments, FamilySearch Sources tab sources, Geni, Geneanet, WeRelate & WikiTree among those that come to mind.  I’ve updated the pages as new information has come to light so the pages aren’t static and I hesitate to leave them on Rootsweb as static content.  What a quandary this raises!

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Website FAQs: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily/rootsweb-hosted-web-sites.html
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[jake...@aol.com]

Thank you!

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/CABqq7Nrv_qjh1qgT6Vx7f4_hRL3ux6FDZBqsdahrguZOMb377w%40mail.gmail.com.

[June Byrne]

So what is everyone else planning.  Is there another free site which would host it?  

 

It is just so frustrating.  I don't mind it staying there but I really have to update it off and on. I have a massive set of pages for several family groups and one name studies.  

 

I started this 15 years ago with the thought that I wanted my research to be there for others.  I hated for it to just go in the trash when I  pass on.   So many times that does happen. And I am no longer publishing books. I don't find a market for them.  

 

I feel very frustrated with this now. If anyone has ideas or suggestions on where to put my pages, please do post.  

 

june

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Website FAQs: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily/rootsweb-hosted-web-sites.html
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[Charles Dobie]

June,

Losing our hard-won research is a problem we all face as age overtakes us. I'm sure there would be an interest in running a free site, but there has to be an incentive for someone to do that. The only real-world incentive is the ability to make a living out of it, so it can't really be "free" because nothing is free in our world, even when it pretends to be.

Can you imagine what the bandwidth and infrastruxcture costs were (and still are) for Rootsweb? They had to recover costs by putting advertisements on the pages, and they were losing money, so they did the only thing they could to prevent bankruptcy -- they pulled the plug on the "free" stuff.

What is needed is someone who has lots of money AND brains, who can fund a system which is truly free. About the only thing which approaches it is Facebook, but I see they're considering charging for a "Pro" version of it -- the backlash against that may not be good for them. The downside of posting anything on FB is that once it's posted, it's very hard to find again (at least for me).

Charlie Dobie.

[Gina Heffernan]

The only way to guarantee that your work will be available forever is to print it, bind it and put it in a real, hands-on library - make that TWO libraries in case one burns. Paper and binders are fairly inexpensive - look on the school supplies aisle at WalMart or Target.

There are still "free" places to park a website but the problem is that nothing can be guaranteed forever. Kidding aside, you can look into freeservers and WordPress - both offer some free space with ads.

Another alternative is for all of you to get together and rent server space. I rent two spaces and pay about $22 a month each. Spread over 5-10 people (or 50), that's easily affordable. Before you set up the space, create a mail list, come up with a domain name that is agreeable to everyone and then each person will get a folder on the domain to put their stuff. It's possible to set up a PayPal account to pay for the space and each person who signs on can give as much or as little as they like or you can set a specific fee. Perhaps you all will become the next Rootsweb.

Gina Heffernan
Rusk County, Texas

Since you can be anything ... be kind.

--

Website FAQs: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily/rootsweb-hosted-web-sites.html
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[Ruth Mather]

I have a website at Simply Hosting https://www.simplyhosting.net which costs me $49 a year and I'm allowed five separate domains.  The domain names will cost anywhere from $10 to $16 or $17 a year.  No ads. 
Ruth Mather
www.matherclan.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/CA%2B2q1SRewvk0CRrSa5qmi5pFkhKmUkXhHkzzvAnSGCe6pSpk1w%40mail.gmail.com.

[Wayne Setzer]

I have a duplicate of my https://sites.rootsweb.com/~wlsetzer/fam_setzer/ website using the FREE hosting services of https://atwebpages.com/get-free-hosting.html.

The url of this free duplicate website is http://wlsetzer.atwebpages.com/fam_setzer/ .

I created this backup back when rootsweb was down for almost a year.

Biggest drawbacks are: limited to 1GB disk space, does not support https and not the fastest.

Some might fine this OK for them to use.

Wayne Setzer

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/4ddac7f1-828c-7a30-cdde-b67bb93cf0ab%40matherclan.com.

[beth.dj...@gmail.com]

I’m probably going to move my sites to https://www.familyhistoryhosting.com/, founded by John Cardinal. The cheapest plan is $80/year; they do not provide domain registration services.

 

From: 'Ruth Mather' via RootsWeb-Website-Help <rw-webs...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2023 4:56 PM
To: rw-webs...@googlegroups.com; Gina Heffernan <gina.he...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [RW-Website-Help] Hosted Web Sites

 

I have a website at Simply Hosting https://www.simplyhosting.net which costs me $49 a year and I'm allowed five separate domains.  The domain names will cost anywhere from $10 to $16 or $17 a year.  No ads. 
Ruth Mather
www.matherclan.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/4ddac7f1-828c-7a30-cdde-b67bb93cf0ab%40matherclan.com.

[Bruce]

I have been following this discussion about the elimination of WorldConnect very closely.  I think I have a different problem that has not been addresses so far.  I have my own website which my wife has assured me she will continue to pay for (I am 80 years old) and I have a nephew (age 50) who will continue to pay for the website after both my wife and I are gone.  Thus, my website will be up and running for some time after I and gone.  There currently is a link on this website to my family tree on WorldConnect.

My concern is about free access to my family history database which I currently have posted on WorldConnect and to which there is a link on my website.  I have been researching my family history for almost 40 years now.  Some years ago, I started a project of trying to trace as many descendants as possible from each of the earliest known and proven ancestor in each of my family lines.  Currently, my family tree (posted on WorldConnect) has almost 50,000 people (99% fully documented and "evidence and notes" for the remaining 1%) in my family tree.  I think I have the most extensive and comprehensive family tree of the early families of Maryland (my ancestors were among the first group of colonists who founded the colony of Maryland).

I cannot print all of it out since (and I have checked) it will take over 250,000 pages (with all the notes, citations, sources, etc.) and, of course, will not be indexed.

MY FIRST QUESTION IS:  SINCE I WILL HAVE A WEBSITE (CURRENTLY WITH A LINK TO MY TREE ON WORLDCONNECT TO SEE AND SEARCH THE ENTIRE TREE) UP FOR SOME TIME EVEN AFTER I AM GONE, HOW CAN I UPLOAD A GEDCOM FILE AND POST MY TREE SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE IT FOR FREE?

A SECOND QUESTION.  Originally, I had created my family WEBSITE on Yahoo Small Business years ago and have not changed it for many years (only updated the info in WorldConnect before that was prohibited to which there is a link on my website).  But now my website hosting has been acquired by Infinite.  No reply from Infinite after several messages about how to edit my website and change the link to whatever Ancestry will use for the migrated WorldConnect family trees or even to family trees directly posted to Ancestry.  ARE THERE COMPANIES THAT CAN EDIT MY WEBSITE TO CHANGE THE LINK TO THE FAMILY TREE REGARDLESS OF THE WEB HOSTING COMPANY?

I JUST WANT MY WEBSITE TO HAVE A LINK TO A SITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN VIEW THE ENTIRE 50,000 PERSON TREE FOR FREE!  OR, AS A LAST RESORT, VIEW IT IF THEY JOIN ANCESTRY BUT I WILL NEED TO CHANGE THE LINK ON MY WEBSITE WHICH I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DO!

ANY SUGGESTIONS?

One other thing!  Will I see this post on line or, as with some similar sites, will it NOT be sent to me?

Bruce

Bruce L. Nicholson, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus
Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences
University of Maine
Orono, Maine

Retired and now living in sunny Gold Canyon, Arizona

Personal family history web site: www.brucenicholson.net

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/CA%2B2q1SRewvk0CRrSa5qmi5pFkhKmUkXhHkzzvAnSGCe6pSpk1w%40mail.gmail.com.

[Alice Gedge]

Dear Bruce,

I believe that FamilySearch is still accepting gedcom files.  https://www.familysearch.org/search/genealogies

 

 

Then your database can be accessed, just as you send it.  It won’t be changed.

 

Alice Gedge

 

Sent from Mail for Windows

 

From: Bruce
Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2023 12:08 AM
To: rw-webs...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [RW-Website-Help] Hosted Web Sites

 

I have been following this discussion about the elimination of WorldConnect very closely.  I think I have a different problem that has not been addresses so far.  I have my own website which my wife has assured me she will continue to pay for (I am 80 years old) and I have a nephew (age 50) who will continue to pay for the website after both my wife and I are gone.  Thus, my website will be up and running for some time after I and gone.  There currently is a link on this website to my family tree on WorldConnect.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/2edac391-863c-ccf1-f128-98236fc12ee3%40maine.edu.

 

[Ann (Jobe) Brown]

I’ve been putting as many of mine on wikitree as much as possible.  It is similar to Family Search as goal is to connect to one tree.  Others can also edit and since I’m almost 72, and have researched for 55 years now, I know how things can change with new sources become available.

 

Help:GEDCOMpare (wikitree.com)

 

When you firs firstt look at wikitree, you don’t see all the things that they do offer and what can be done with them. 

 

This is what one of my cousins (one who descends from an enslaved ancestor to a plantation owner.  I descend from the Plantation owner and his wife.  Howeer he descends from the plantation owner and one of the slaves.

 

 

Hezekiah Bussey Sr. - WikiTree Profile

 

Elizabeth (Bussey) Edwards - WikiTree Profile

 

My cousin has a lot of patience and knowledge, but it shows what can be done if you take the time and effort.

 

And this is the Andrew Job Jr that I worked on (not nearly as detailed as my cousins Bussey pages are) as I’m older, and also trying to get as many of my 15 gedcoms up as soon as possible.

 

Andrew Job Jr - WikiTree Profile

 

And my own profile

 

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Jobe-211

 

Many are adding notes on what to do with profile they administer should they are unable to answer in a certain amount of time –usually 6 months or a year.  I haven’t added this as of yet, but do intend to.

 

 

Ann (Jobe) Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ann (Jobe) Brown

 

Sent from Mail for Windows

 

[Bill Walsh]

At least on Wikitree you are consulted and can make an informed decision as to whether or no any changes are correct.

> Then your database can be accessed, just as you send it.  It won’t be changed.
>
> Alice Gedge
>
> Sent from Mail for Windows
>
>

> --
> Website FAQs: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily/rootsweb-hosted-web-sites.html
> FTP FAQs: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily/publishing-your-sites.html
> To contact the owners of this group, write to rw-website-...@googlegroups.com
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> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RootsWeb-Website-Help" group.
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> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/c2fcc972289adcf3710e9737433c6e01%40csp02.eastlink.ca.

--
"The dog is a gentleman. I hope to go to his heaven, not man's."

Mark Twain

[Ruth Mather]

You might try https://tngsitebuilding.com/.  You have to buy the program, download it, and pay for a hosting place where you would upload and install it, but it's very comprehensive.
Ruth

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/2edac391-863c-ccf1-f128-98236fc12ee3%40maine.edu.

[Bruce]

I lost the thread of the conversation that followed from the post below and other posts.

So please excuse me if my question has been answered already.

I have a personal family history website with links to my WorldConnect tree of over 49,00 relatives which I believe to be the largest, most comprehensive database of the early settlers of Maryland and their descendants.

My first question is: "Does anyone know whether the new site for the WorldConnect trees on Ancestry still will be free even if static with no ability to update?  Or will it become a site that only Ancestry subscribers can see?

As I said, I have a personal family history website with links to my WorldConnect family tree.  My second question is: Are there any downsides to changing the links in my website (after the demise of WorldConnect) to Ancestry and the new site for the WorldConnect trees and to posting my tree on Ancestry with a new link in my web site, realizing that people will have to subscribe to Ancestry to view it but at least it will be there.  I am 80 years old and have been doing genealogy for the last 35 years.  I just want all my work to survive on the Internet after I am gone!

My last question is this:  Are there any websites where we cannot upload a Gedcom file which people can access for free once WorldConnect is gone?

Bruce

Bruce L. Nicholson, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus
Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences
University of Maine
Orono, Maine

Retired and now living in sunny Gold Canyon, Arizona

Personal family history web site: www.brucenicholson.net

--

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[Stan Follis]

Bruce,

Check to see if your websites are already on the Wayback Machine. https://archive.org/web/  If not add it using the "Save Page Now" button and then the links to the Wayback Machine "should" remain the same forever!

I see www.brucenicholson.net is already there with various save dates back to 2009: https://web.archive.org/web/20230000000000*/www.brucenicholson.net 

Stan 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/5ebea99c-cae9-fcbe-588b-50b1ab055b12%40maine.edu.

--

Stan Follis

[Timothy Stowell]

Bruce,

Answering what I can for you:

According to the blurb shown on Rootsweb - 

WorldConnect family trees (last updated on 9 August 2021) will be retired on 15 April 2023 and migrated to Ancestry as a new free-access collection later in the year. For help removing a tree or its content, contact us.

Tim Stowell

On Wed, Mar 15, 2023 at 2:28 AM Bruce <bru...@maine.edu> wrote:

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rw-website-help/5ebea99c-cae9-fcbe-588b-50b1ab055b12%40maine.edu.