Oanbuddy who comes into this "game" expecting to get the absolute optimum in terms of search engines and available indexes for the absolutely optimum cost is, I'm afraid, living in a dream world.
GROS, intially with ScotsOrigins, and latterly with ScotlandonLine (i.e. ScotlandsPeople) went down a certain route ........ seen as the best/optimum at the time.
One can agree or disagree with the decisions taken, but those decisions are the reality.
Incidentally, the format of the on-line BMD indexes was "fixed" in 1854, with major alterations only in 1929 and 1974
To re-do the earlier indexes in line with the post-1928 and post-1974 indexes is a truly massive task, although the UserGroup have suggested on several occasions that GROS might lke to consider the use of volunteers.......
In addition, it's not generally realised that it is a complicated, time-consuming, legislative task for GROS to change any detail of the costs, access time, etc., in relation to ScotlandsPeople.
Don't blame GROS, - go talk to the Scottish Executive in relation to the powers delegated to GROS
Of course SP could be "better", but just what is "better", - very often, I'd argue, a matter of opinion.
Since the original launch of ScotsOrigins, there have been many major improvements in the on-line access to Scottish records; and it truly pains me to see proper lack of recognition of such improvements.
And there's more to come; go read the latest ScotlandsPeople UserGroup minutes at
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/conte ... utes13.pdf.
Had GROS initiated their census indexes as recently as those of Ancestry, then I'm sure that the resulting indexes would have been as good as those on Ancestry, - but they didn't, - they were there some years previously, in which succeeding period the technology involved has greatly improved, and indexing and digitisiation costs have decreased ........
Yes, I and other UserGroup members are very open to arguments that other sytems in relation to the cost of access should perhaps be given priority, but the UG has no power to instruct GROS, only to persuade, and it's quite interesting how such an initial suggestion can often eventually lead to the originally suggested improvement; witness the pending release of the "modern indexes" on-line.
Please note that I am no apologist for GROS, as they are well aware, witness the minutes of the UG meetings; and many unpublished, private emails
David
Very recently arrived in Dalry following our house move, like 8 hours ago, so no longer an honest Man, but now a "Chinaman"
![[5 cups]](./images/smilies/sm-5cups.gif "[5 cups]")
dww
(I know that because I reprinted all my viewed images a while ago when I was attempting to reorganize everything and that alone cost a wee bundle in ink, but, in my defense, I viewed a lot when I was new to SP and didn't know what I was doing, and I've no will power and can't resist "just checking". Add to that a deluxe sub to Ancestry and others, MI books, searches by others here and there, etc., etc. I don't think I want to know how much I've spent 
![[alien]](./images/smilies/alien.gif "[alien]"){kind=small}
