Genealogy anyone?

ReenieHJ
ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
in Chit-Chat
Is anyone here involved in tracking down your ancestry? Do you have favorite sites you use? I've always wanted to join Ancestry for a year but haven't been able to part with that much money yet. :) What free sites are there available? I've checked out the LDS site but have found some mistakes there. They're probably on every site but....
Also, can you please share any experiences with DNA testing sites you've tried, such as 23andme? My sister did that one and she said she keeps getting emails from people saying they're related. But my sister(being even MORE tech challenged than I am) cannot get back into her account and doesn't have the time now anyways. :/ But I'd love to do it and also have my brother do it too. I've heard in order to gain more information from your father's side, you need a male's DNA? What about using my ds's DNA; would that be too diffused for accuracy?

I know very little about all of this but wish I had kept at it years ago when I started doing the research. :(

Thanks for any insight!!!

Replies

  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,492 Member
    I took a '23 & Me' DNA test.

    The results:

    100% Hillbilly
    + some monkey


    What a waste of time; $100 to confirm what I already knew.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    edited June 2020
    It's kinda neat, but I don't like that these companies amass information about individuals and sell it, and the lack of privacy that leads to the "we are related" emails you mentioned. Tere is no way for you to opt out of the data sharing. I also have concerns about data security, its hard enough to protect your identity without your DNA being out there for someone to hack. It may not be overly useful today, but it might be one day.

    I also don't feel the data we have about genetic markers they claim they can identify is reliable enough to be worth the worry they cause. Think long and hard about if you really want to know you are predisposed to certain diseases before you welcome that information into your life.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,492 Member
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »


    I also don't feel the data we have about genetic markers they claim they can identify is reliable enough to be worth the worry they cause. Think long and hard about if you really want to know you are predisposed to certain diseases before you welcome that information into your life.

    my grandfather lived to be 103, other relatives also into the triple digits.... I'm a sucker bet.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,365 Member
    There is a Canadian show Marketplace that investigated those DNA tests and I think the results were pretty sketchy. For the show they had identical twins do the tests and the results were far from identical. Oops.

    My mum did her side of the family from memory for me, back four generations, about six months before she died. I keep meaning to ask my dad to do his.

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