Will our FamilySearch source links be affected by their new Sign In requirement?

Question

FamilySearch will soon require you to sign in to use their site.  You will need to establish a free account.

Will this new step in accessing their information affect how our links to their source information work?  WikiTree does not required a login to use see our profiles.  If someone, clicks on a FS link on a profile, will they be taken to FS and have to log in before seeing the results?

Read about their change here:

https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/familysearch-signin-benefits/

Comments

Here is the specific notice:

Searching and viewing historical records will soon require you to be logged in with a free FamilySearch Account. Create your free account now. Learn more.

There is no indication in the notice that the links for FamilySearch records will change, so any currently working link should still work. Anyone wanting to view records in their repository will have to have a FamilySearch account and be logged in to it.

Since their notice uses the word "records" and not "images," my presumption is that even transcription pages will require login to view.

Answer 1

I would "think" that any link posted would go straight to the source and not require a login. My logic on that is that Family Search is not a pay site, for example in most instances clicking on a Fold3 link will bring you to a login/signup page because its a pay site..

 

Hope I'm correct anyway

Comments

Alas, William, the notice clearly states that searching and viewing will require login!

But cheer up - all you need is a free (hopefully, that won't change anytime soon!) FamilySearch account!!

Answer 2

Corollary:  Will WikiTree X need to be updated to work with the login requirment?

Comments

WikiTree X should still work.

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I had never thought about this until now, I have always been logged into FS when using WikiTree X.  I guess you have be logged in to FS to even use WikiTree X.  So I see how that should still work the same.

Answer 3

I suspect it will affect the links, but not in a direct manner. I suspect it will require a login to view the information, at which point (hopefully) after a login it will take you where you were going in the first place. They've made it fairly clear that you will be required to be logged in to view the information from December 13 forward.

Comments

Scott and all, this is what I believe will happen as well.  Chis W. has posted that we get a very large group of non-wikitreer's who access our site.   This change appears to force anyone, WikiTreer or not to register to see the information.  Maybe this is not a big deal but definitely another obstacle.

I have experienced this elsewhere, where you will be required to login and then the login does not take you to the actual link, then you have to go back an reclick the link after you have logged in.

We may have to wait and see how it actually works.