Ancestry.com has just launched a new feature that I guarantee I’ll use a lot. Ancestry.com subscribers can now share records and documents found on Ancestry.com with non-subscribers through Facebook, Twitter & Email.
Once I “Share This Record” by clicking on the link on the right-hand column under “Page Tools,” (and choosing either Facebook, Twitter, or Email a friend), friends and family can click-through to Ancestry to view the digital document itself without having to register.
According to Eric Shoup, VP Product at Ancestry.com:
We have implemented this capability in a limited way on the site to gauge interest. You are only able to share historical records and only from the Record page itself. If the response is positive, we will extend this same capability to more places on the site and to more types of media (such as photos and stories).
I think this was a brilliant move on the part of Ancestry.com. My bet is that millions of folks who’ve never looked at a document on Ancestry.com will now do so, and a percentage of those folks will subscribe. Not only is this subscriber and genealogist friendly, it’s a smart economic move for Ancestry.
Earlier today, I blogged about finding a Honolulu Passenger List that included Bonnie Claussen. I wanted to share that document with my friends and relatives on Facebook. Boy – was that ever simple. I chose to post to Facebook, but just as easily I could have posted to Twitter or sent an Email.
A few keystrokes, as I mentioned above and it was posted. I do love this feature! Following are a couple screen shot to illustrate the process:
At the Record Page (note you don’t have to have the original document itself open – although that’s what your relative will get), I clicked on “Share this record, ” then chose Facebook from the drop-down menu.
I was offered a message box where I could edit the message or leave it as it was. The following message was already written in: “I just found an interesting historical document about Bonnie A Claussen. Check it out.” That sounded fine to me, so I hit “Publish.”
And the link to the document, along with my Facebook message, was printed to Facebook for all my FB Friends to see. Cool.
Thanks for the heads up Leland – more and more genealogy vendors – in fact all types of vendors – are adding social networking hooks into their sites. This is great news.
This sounds very much like the “Share This” program itself – you can download a little button for your toolbar and share any web page to any of several options – Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Digg, and dozens more. Sounds great if Ancestry is linking it right into their images. (I’d still recommend the separate ShareThis download though)
Good comment, Tami. The “Share This” program is new to me. I’ve got to try that out. And yes – Ancestry is allowing direct access to the documents themselves.