Hi folks,
I am new to this resource and I'd like to know what actions/queries should be accessible at all, if any, for my free account. Presently, when I try to click a person that was found via surname search, Geni site proposes me to get paid Pro account - that is not my desire so far. Is such a behavior by design? If yes, what is the usefulness of Geni site for anyone who has no paid account?
BR, Mikhail
You can only use the search screen to find profiles you and your collaborators manage. You can use an external search engine like Google to search for public profiles on Geni (if you use Google add site:geni.com to your search string)
So if you do not want to become a Pro user collaborate with others users that are active in the same part of the tree and you will be able to use the search screen without hitting the pay-wall every time.
See also https://help.geni.com/hc/en-us/articles/229706367-What-are-the-benefits-of-a-Geni-Pro-membership-
There is some help info available on Geni. You can find some links on this project https://www.geni.com/projects/Nederlandse-handleiding-GENI-voor-Dummies/13048 (English version bottom of the page)
Thank you Job! However, the explanation doesn't seem exact... Or maybe I am not trained in distinguishing the sorts of profiles, or even I use term "profile" incorrectly in this discussion.
I mean, I am able to use the search screen. And Geni does display persons (I assume person is the same as profile) found by my search - and these profiles aren't managed by me or my collaborators because I have no ones. These profiles are public. But, without any obvious reason, Geni displays a profile not every time I click on it. Most times I see the paywall. Maybe this occurs after some count of displayed profiles is expired, or maybe the expired is time I spent in current login session - I cannot guess.
I should add that if I am logged OFF, public profiles are displayed OK (with a "VIEW FULL PROFILE" teaser button). Such a display would satisfy me - but why in the earth I see the paywall instead when i am logged ON ???
Geni does display the profile overview on the search screen, but only allows you to go to the profile screen for profiles you or a collaborator manages without hitting the pay wall.
Like you discovered you can also use 2 sessions, one where you logged on and one where not. There are very few things you cannot do as a basic user and Geni does want to earn some money to keep running and this is a way to get people motivated to become Pro users.
But like I stated above you can work around it by collaborating with other users.