Ancestry DNA

[Anonymous]

I did it and it was very helpful with research. I figured out a lot by looking at the trees of different third, fourth, etc., cousins. A lot more family branches found, including a great grandmother’s family that I could not figure out. There are many fascinating aspects to it such as finding living relatives in another country, seeing that I have DNA shared with others who have a common ancestor with me from the 17th century, etc. I don’t know that it’s interesting if you don’t pursue genealogy. It’s been a hobby of mine for a long time. I don’t know that just getting the test would be that interesting and quite a lot of people find unknown siblings, etc. I have not had that experience. You have to use the DNA as a piece of research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did it and it was very helpful with research. I figured out a lot by looking at the trees of different third, fourth, etc., cousins. A lot more family branches found, including a great grandmother’s family that I could not figure out. There are many fascinating aspects to it such as finding living relatives in another country, seeing that I have DNA shared with others who have a common ancestor with me from the 17th century, etc. I don’t know that it’s interesting if you don’t pursue genealogy. It’s been a hobby of mine for a long time. I don’t know that just getting the test would be that interesting and quite a lot of people find unknown siblings, etc. I have not had that experience. You have to use the DNA as a piece of research.

Same here. I wasn’t interested it doing it but then received the kit as a gift and sort of felt obligated. It turned out to be a huge help in my genealogy research.

[Anonymous]

Despite the security concerns, it was helpful for spouse to figure out ancestry since one direct relative was adopted.

However, it also opens up a can of worms, as he found several illegitimate members of family which was unaware of their existence before, and one close relative found out their parent had an affair and their birth father was someone that they knew (not the spouse of the parent whom they thought was their father). Too late to confront as those people all gone now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I considered this a couple of years ago. I asked about it here and the responses convinced me not to.

I don't want my information out there.
My brother and I know of one half sibling who is the result of an affair. I don't want to know if there are more.

Oh, don't worry-even if you never get a DNA test, a sibling will find you. (Ask me how I know.) Found all my siblings, none had taken a test. I just started with a DNA cousin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did it, looking for a specific relative - my Dh's birth father. What we found was a huge number of distant relatives, many of whom were also looking for an elusive dad, grandmother, sister. No one could help us in our search and we could not help them. It was kind of tragic. Also a total waste of time.

If you found distant relatives, you can find the birth father. You just have to know how. Go to Search Angels or another genealogy Facebook group and people will help you. If not, just wait and more people will test.

[Anonymous]

The risk is your DNA privacy. If these firms get sold, the data goes with them and privacy agreements don't necessarily hold. DNA info is commercially useful. It alerts insurers to potentially costly subscribers, etc.

[Anonymous]

I did and have no regrets. Leaned some interesting and sad information from census reports and that I’m related -2nd cousins to a well-known musician in the classical world.

My oldest daughter found 2 first cousins from her father’s side. Apparently her god-fearing holier than thou uncle fathered two sons with two different women. Never paid a dime in child support. He now knows about the first son and has met him. The second son wants nothing to do with him.

[Anonymous]

We were able to use the raw data file to finally diagnose my daughter with a rare metabolic disorder which has caused IBS symptoms her entire life.

Totally worth it for us.

[Anonymous]

23andMe has sold DNA data to Big Pharma
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/07/big-pharma-dna/566240/

From the article:
23andMe has always planned to sell access to its customers’ DNA—a fact it has not exactly kept secret.

When the company’s DNA-testing service launched in 2007, Wired touted its quest to amass a “treasure trove of data ... to drive research forward” as a “key part of the 23andMe business plan.” Co-founders Anne Wojcicki and Linda Avey outright told the San Francisco Chronicle that selling kits was only the first step. “The long game here is not to make money selling kits, although the kits are essential to get the base level data,” a 23andMe board member said to Fast Company in 2013. “Once you have the data, [the company] does actually become the Google of personalized health care.”

[Anonymous]

It's a way to entice people into giving up their DNA voluntarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were able to use the raw data file to finally diagnose my daughter with a rare metabolic disorder which has caused IBS symptoms her entire life.

Totally worth it for us.

Can you share more about this? Did your doc take the raw data file and or did you run it somewhere yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I considered this a couple of years ago. I asked about it here and the responses convinced me not to.

I don't want my information out there.
My brother and I know of one half sibling who is the result of an affair. I don't want to know if there are more.

Oh, don't worry-even if you never get a DNA test, a sibling will find you. (Ask me how I know.) Found all my siblings, none had taken a test. I just started with a DNA cousin.

My brother and I are both over 50, so far there is the one we've known about for years.

We do question the possibility of another. Knowing wouldn't change anything which is why I don't bother testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did it, looking for a specific relative - my Dh's birth father. What we found was a huge number of distant relatives, many of whom were also looking for an elusive dad, grandmother, sister. No one could help us in our search and we could not help them. It was kind of tragic. Also a total waste of time.

If you found distant relatives, you can find the birth father. You just have to know how. Go to Search Angels or another genealogy Facebook group and people will help you. If not, just wait and more people will test.

Also, if you do both ancestry and 23and me, you will find more relatives. Look for names in common and cross -check info against what the adoption agency provided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did it, looking for a specific relative - my Dh's birth father. What we found was a huge number of distant relatives, many of whom were also looking for an elusive dad, grandmother, sister. No one could help us in our search and we could not help them. It was kind of tragic. Also a total waste of time.

PP again. Are you looking for Old Country (European) people? If so, port your results to MyHeritage. You can also try the Search Angel community.

And, there are more and more results aggregating yearly.

We ARE European (born) and we used Myheritage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did it, looking for a specific relative - my Dh's birth father. What we found was a huge number of distant relatives, many of whom were also looking for an elusive dad, grandmother, sister. No one could help us in our search and we could not help them. It was kind of tragic. Also a total waste of time.

If you found distant relatives, you can find the birth father. You just have to know how. Go to Search Angels or another genealogy Facebook group and people will help you. If not, just wait and more people will test.

Also, if you do both ancestry and 23and me, you will find more relatives. Look for names in common and cross -check info against what the adoption agency provided.

The birth certificate says "unknown"