Here it is:
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This is - or should be - the second email you've received from LostCousins
about the extension of our unique service to the US. You may also have
read about LostCousins in Dick Eastman's newsletter.
A few weeks ago we wrote to thousands of volunteers involved with
genealogy societies and USGenWeb sites, many of whom have joined
LostCousins and passed on the news of our introductory offer to others.
The last thing we want to do is send out unwanted emails - it's wasteful,
it's
annoying, and it's discourteous. We're glad to say that only 2 people out of
thousands asked to be removed from our list after that first email.
We hope you are interested in what we're doing, but if you really don't want
to receive future emails please write to info(a)LostCousins.com with
'Unsubscribe US' as the subject. We'll remove you from this list
immediately.
Whatever you decide, do please take a look at our website first. You'll find
it at:
http://www.LostCousins.com
ARE YOU A VOLUNTEER?
Almost everyone involved in the LostCousins project is an unpaid
volunteer, and so we know how important volunteers are to genealogy.
If you're a USGenWeb county co-ordinator, an officer of a genealogy
society based in the US, or a volunteer for any of these organisations you
are entitled to a completely FREE subscription at the LostCousins site (see
below for details).
LostCousins is the only way to find living relatives automatically,
confidentially, and with virtually 100% accuracy. We've made thousands of
matches, and we're delighted to say that the members concerned were
related to each other in over 99.9% of cases.
A recent survey of LostCousins members showed that the average member
has been researching their family history for over 10 years. However the
real secret of our success is the data that members enter - it all comes
from
the census.
It's because we utilise census data that's available free to anyone with an
Internet connection that you can be certain that anyone you contact
through our site will be a relative of yours.
FREE SUBSCRIPTION
Basic membership of LostCousins is free for all members, but there are
advantages in being a subscriber. To get a free subscription that lasts
until
July 4, 2007 just enter the code JULY4 on the registration page (in the box
marked 'Codes' near the bottom).
If you're already a LostCousins member you can still take advantage of this
offer (even if you've taken advantage of an earlier offer), but you'll need
to
email us giving the offer code and your personal code, which you can find
on your My Summary page.
http://www.lostcousins.com/pages/register/
WHAT'S THE CATCH?
There's no catch. Unlike some other sites we NEVER ask for credit card
details when offering free membership, nor is there any commitment
whatsoever.
When your subscription expires you'll revert to free basic membership.
You'll still have full access to the data you've entered, and you'll still
be
able to continue corresponding with the cousins you've already found
through the site.
IS THERE AN OFFER FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN'T VOLUNTEERS?
In our earlier email we gave out the code 1776 which offers a free
subscription until April 30, 2007. You can pass this code on to anybody
with an interest in family history who lives in the US, or has US ancestry.
However we also have a scheme for genealogy societies and USGenWeb
co-ordinators. If you email us (info(a)LostCousins.com) giving the address
of your web site we'll create a custom code especially for you.
This custom code will allow your members and users the same privileges
as the JULY4 code gives to you. We'll also give you permission to use our
logo on your website should you so wish.
A LITTLE ABOUT LOSTCOUSINS....
How can we find your living relatives using information from a single
census? How is it that entering less information can produce better results?
These are questions we're often asked by new members.
Using data from just one census is like taking a snapshot of a family tree -
we compare your snapshot against all the snapshots submitted by our
other members, and when the same person appears twice, we know that
we've found two people who are related.
Because the information each member enters is taken from the same
source - the census transcript - our software can match relatives with 100%
accuracy. In other words the snapshots you provide are crystal-clear, not
out-of-focus.
Why do we have just one census for each country? Think of it this way - if
you were going to have a family reunion, would you give people a choice of
dates, or ask them all to come on the same day? You'd want them all to
come on the same day, wouldn't you?
Why did we pick 1880/81? Because these censuses can be searched free
online, which means that more people use them than any other. It's like
holding a reunion at the weekend so that relatives don't have to take a day
off work to attend.
Why do we ask you to enter all of your relatives from the census, and not
just your direct ancestors? Because this allows us to find your 'lost
cousins'
even though your common ancestor died long before the census.
ANY QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions about LostCousins we'll do our best to answer
them. Just email info(a)LostCousins.com of use the form on the Contact Us
page of our website.
We hope to see you at the LostCousins site very soon!
The LostCousins Team
info(a)LostCousins.com
http://www.LostCousins.com
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