I would like to question Geni directly about its no longer being a free site. I have added over 1000 members to my family tree, and actually persuaded another family to come over to this site from another prominent site and add over 1000 more members of her own to the tree. We have hundred of family members who have joined Geni due to our adding them, and these family members probably wouldn't ever have joined Geni if it weren't for her and me. Did Geni consider grandfathering in members prior to a certain date, rather than simply charging everyone? There is clearly no showing of loyalty to us as supporters of the site. And it doesn't seem to matter to Geni that people are choosing to leave.
I am a business-minded individual myself, so I do understand that this decision is all about money. But I would question whether there is any possibility of Geni either going back on the decision or of possibly grandfathering in members who have been on the site for a certain period of time. It would be so hard to ask hundreds of family members to join another site, and it is sad that Geni would choose to capitalize on that so late in the game.
Thanks for the consideration.
Erica