Genealogy Freelancers Announces New Partnership with Tpstry.com.

Today our new partnership with Tpstry.com begins and we couldn’t be more excited to share what Tpstry has to offer with our members.  We believe that the first step to any genealogy journey is the desire to know more and for Tpstry.com users that’s exactly where they’re headed.

Tpstry.com is an innovative concept that brings families together in a fun, safe and unique way.  It starts with the curiosity about family members that have passed away.  Family users enter questions about them and other family members answer with details that paint a picture of who those loved ones were, what they did for a living, their physical features, their likes and dislikes, etc.  Tpstry allows for a place to organize the details of history in a manner that is comprehensible, warm and fun.  It goes beyond social networking, because those that share their stories there do so with a more personal goal to further enrich the lives of those families they wish to connect with.  They are able to share and learn about those people that have made them who they are.  It’s a place where honoring both the deceased and living is accomplished with entire families in on the act.  These stories are then handed down to future generations who add as life goes on.

Partnering with Tpstry was an easy decision for us in that we believe that once any soul shows a desire to learn more of the past they begin the journey in earnest and we know that those Tpstry.com users will find Genealogy Freelancers to be a great source to help build those bridges through time.  Our specialists have the capability and the desire to see that the data necessary to create a true history for the family is compiled and sourced for accuracy.  They will now have the ability to go to Tpstry.com to collect the information that is crucial to starting any case and once Tpstry.com has its gedcom feature in place they’ll also be able to upload and/or download the data they will either retrieve or provide to their client.

We encourage all of our users, both seeker and specialist alike to make use of this wonderful service and to support our endeavors to grow together.  

Both Genealogy Freelancers and Tpstry began their services with the intention of making a positive impact for those who come through their doors and we believe that when two companies have the same initial reason for their beginnings then a partnership can only promote that purity.

So here’s to the future based on the historical past!

Genealogy Freelancers Press Release

Genealogy Freelancers Rolls Out the Welcome Mat for Transitioning Ancestry.com Expert Connect Providers

 

In response to the recent announcement that Ancestry.com would be ending their Expert Connect service, Genealogy Freelancers has been welcoming many of those providers affected by the move to transition into their existing similar service.

Genealogy Freelancers has been established since 2008 and, because of their comparable platform of projects for bid, the shift has proved an easy one for the transitioning providers from Expert Connect as they are accustomed to the premise and workings of this type of system.

The founders of Genealogy Freelancers who all have a background in the genealogy profession, maintain that their reasons for starting their service was to provide an easy and friendly method for the client and provider of genealogy services to connect to one another. When asked how the recent influx of EC providers would affect business operations Elaine Bostwick, Chief of Operations had this to say: “It’s been an unexpected week for everyone, but this is a service that we’ve been involved in for three years now and although the week has been a little unusual our site has always been geared for this service and no matter what takes place around us, our core goal of being able to help both sides will remain the same”. In response to the question of challenges for the providers making the change to GF, Ms. Bostwick says “There are some differences to our system, but on the whole the basic premise is one that the transitioning providers and the clients can recognize and use quickly. There will also be some changes as suggestions come in since it’s been our experience that the users know best what works for them and we take those suggestions seriously.”

Genealogy Freelancers has a large pool of international genealogy Specialists who are able to provide their services from a simple lookup to a full, custom research project. In addition to these services there are those providers who specialize in document translations, village and/or cemetery photography, publishing and related categories. These providers live throughout the world and are able to perform their specialties within the countries necessary to complete the posted project. Profiles of genealogy researchers and other family history experts showcase an array of expertise through education and/or verified memberships to genealogical related international associations, societies and organizations. This feature was created in order to assist the client with the Specialist selection process.

The system is a three-step process that starts when the client posts their project. Once this step has taken place, the Specialists that are a match to the specific categories and locations necessary for service are notified. If the project is one that is of interest then the Specialist will make an appropriate offer. The final step is the selection of the Specialist that is the best fit to the particular case. At that point, the client, along with their genealogy professional embark on a journey to uncover the past and build a family tree or simply add a few new branches.

Irbo Inc., owners of Genealogy Freelancers, continues to provide a welcoming platform that benefits those in search of their personal family history as well as for quality experts who are capable of providing assistance. For more information, visit the website at http://www.genealogyfreelancers.com.

So What Do We Think About The Expert Connect Hoopla You Ask - Hmmm?

If you’re in the genealogy community you would have had to be on the moon or stranded in the rain forest not to have heard the news about Expert Connect’s closing their doors. Since that time we’ve been asked consistently how we feel about it and our answer has been consistent as well – we sympathize for all those impacted by the act. The why’s and what for’s of Ancestry’s decision just couldn’t compare to our immediate question of what can we do right at this minute to help those many who have chosen to join us now at Genealogy Freelancers.

I have no problem admitting that when Expert Connect opened their doors we were at first shocked and then deflated, but we picked ourselves up and got off the pity pot. Our reasons for having started GF had nothing to do with who wears the bigger shoes. It was and still is about genealogy. It was and is about presenting a platform for both client and specialist to connect. That didn’t change when EC opened nor will it change now that they have decided to end that aspect of their services. We are who we are and those who offer services on a similar platform are who they are. I commend them all for their uniqueness. It makes no sense to alienate and better sense to recognize them for a job well done.

So back to the what can we do question. Well to be honest, we’ve never been a massive entity. We never had or claimed to have the deep pockets of a mega-company. Our idea had been to grow and throw all proceeds back into the premise, but then, well you all know who came into the picture. A setback sure, but we made a decision then and there that we would stay put and continue to provide what we believed in. What we still have is tenacity and now with this sudden situation at hand we have been networking around the clock to try and help all of you in some way to continue with what you love and do best. We promise not to promise a miracle, but we do promise to continue to try all we can to find a way to make you and we a team that we can all be proud of.

If tomorrow our boards were filled to the brim with project requests could we handle it? Yes, the site is already setup for full service. We’re set for simple searches to custom projects along with a host of other specialties. We have specialists in almost every country so the international capability is there as well. We have been evolving from the start, but soon you’ll be seeing big changes to the site design and function based on yours and some other recent suggestions. We realize there can always be room for improvement, but we’re at a place now where the changes can be made through a seamless transition. Would it be scary if tomorrow our project board was filled to the brim? Oh yes, shaking knees scary, but it would be absolutely wonderful to make it happen for you and so incredible to be even a tiny part of your process … just awesome! If tomorrow we stand as we have been then we again will give it all we can. We'll continue to respond to enquiries with the same customer care we pride ourselves on and we'll continue to find a way to grow and improve. We’re all genealogists here on staff so being dogged is something we know you all understand.

We want to thank those who have been tirelessly spreading the word about us. That was such an unexpected and incredible joy to wake up to. For those who have made a transition to our site after the recent news, we appreciate the support more than you know. To our long-time members we say thanks for sticking with us and for believing in what we would like to do. Hopefully we can soon make it all worth your while. Our hearts are most definitely in this for the long haul.

Whatever happens out of this hoopla we want you to know that we're on your side. Keep your heads held high and ALWAYS keep the faith that the profession you've chosen is one of the most beautiful there is. We’re in this together so keep on spreading the word.