Ancestry DNA service

**northernladyuk** · 30 April 2019, 10:34

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

After the distress and upset of finding out, via a rather blunt and straight to the point post, that they are not my parents and they are not my kids...

I've been wondering what this DNA service is like from Ancestry.com. Anyone tried it? I see they've changed the algorithms as more people take it which has quite drastically altered the results so wondering if it's really worth it. Is it a bit of fun or does it actually come back with a load of useful information?

Anyone actually managed to get a decent family tree off there or can you generally just go as far back as your living relatives can recall and that's about it?

You are descended from a long line of Wigan toilet traders.

That will be £500.

**filthy1980** · 30 April 2019, 10:36

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

After the distress and upset of finding out, via a rather blunt and straight to the point post, that they are not my parents and they are not my kids...

I've been wondering what this DNA service is like from Ancestry.com. Anyone tried it? I see they've changed the algorithms as more people take it which has quite drastically altered the results so wondering if it's really worth it. Is it a bit of fun or does it actually come back with a load of useful information?

Anyone actually managed to get a decent family tree off there or can you generally just go as far back as your living relatives can recall and that's about it?

not tried any of the services

but was listening to a podcast recently about how most of these companies are using the (selling) the data

they may not like be able to derive much harm now but imagine in 30 years time when the top 5 companies / governments in the world have access to the DNA of 50% of the worlds population

**northernladuk** · 30 April 2019, 10:43

Originally posted by filthy1980 View Post

not tried any of the services

but was listening to a podcast recently about how most of these companies are using the (selling) the data

they may not like be able to derive much harm now but imagine in 30 years time when the top 5 companies / governments in the world have access to the DNA of 50% of the worlds population

Yep, 23andme sell it to GSK, not sure if Ancestry are selling it yet but on both sites you can opt out of this. I must admit I'm not really that fussed about it.

30 years to have DNA of 50% of the worlds population? I'm thinking more like 10. Top 5 companies having access to it? What does Sinopec Oil and Gas want with my DNA? Tin foil hat suits you.

**filthy1980** · 30 April 2019, 10:50

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

Yep, 23andme sell it to GSK, not sure if Ancestry are selling it yet but on both sites you can opt out of this. I must admit I'm not really that fussed about it.

30 years to have DNA of 50% of the worlds population? I'm thinking more like 10. Top 5 companies having access to it? What does Sinopec Oil and Gas want with my DNA? Tin foil hat suits you.

at least they won't be able to read my mind

**meridian** · 30 April 2019, 11:01

Ancestry DNA service

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

After the distress and upset of finding out, via a rather blunt and straight to the point post, that they are not my parents and they are not my kids...

I've been wondering what this DNA service is like from Ancestry.com. Anyone tried it? I see they've changed the algorithms as more people take it which has quite drastically altered the results so wondering if it's really worth it. Is it a bit of fun or does it actually come back with a load of useful information?

Anyone actually managed to get a decent family tree off there or can you generally just go as far back as your living relatives can recall and that's about it?

I’ve done 23andMe, it comes back with a genetics report (eg your disposition to baldness, or musical ear, or cancer, etc). Take it with a grain of salt, there’s nothing in there that shouldn’t be obvious to either yourself or your physician.

23andMe also do a “genetic relative” thing, but I’ve never found anyone even remotely close through that.

I also have an Ancestry membership. Once you get back past your living relatives to, say, 1900 or earlier it becomes a bit easier due to available Census information, etc. There’s a lot you can do for free, I’ve got the paid one due to having a lot of relatives overseas.

Some branches of the tree can go back to the 1500’s if they were landed and have a lineage, most peter out in the late 1700’s. Scottish ones can be trickier, and Irish ones are almost impossible without going back to the church records.

**Paddy** · 30 April 2019, 11:52

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

After the distress and upset of finding out, via a rather blunt and straight to the point post, that they are not my parents and they are not my kids...

I've been wondering what this DNA service is like from Ancestry.com. Anyone tried it? I see they've changed the algorithms as more people take it which has quite drastically altered the results so wondering if it's really worth it. Is it a bit of fun or does it actually come back with a load of useful information?

Anyone actually managed to get a decent family tree off there or can you generally just go as far back as your living relatives can recall and that's about it?

Didn't you notice

**Yorkie62** · 30 April 2019, 12:57

I have actually done the Ancestry DNA test, although it was after I had assembled quite a large family tree (on the maternal side), the paternal side is proving to be more difficult as my Great Grandfather was German (born Stuttgart) and came to this country around 1890(ish).

The results just confirmed what I already knew. My maternal side is largely from Lincolnshire and my Paternal Side is Germanic with a bit of East Yorkshire thrown in.

About the only thing it did highlight that I didn't know was a few distant relatives in Oz and New Zealand.

Treat it for what it is...a bit of fun and some spit in a small test tube, and look for the cheap deals on groupon etc.

**northernladuk** · 30 April 2019, 13:04

Originally posted by Paddy View Post

Didn't you notice

To be fair I didn't notice. I was just relieved when they started crying and not barking...

**northernladuk** · 30 April 2019, 13:04

Originally posted by Yorkie62 View Post

I have actually done the Ancestry DNA test, although it was after I had assembled quite a large family tree (on the maternal side), the paternal side is proving to be more difficult as my Great Grandfather was German (born Stuttgart) and came to this country around 1890(ish).

The results just confirmed what I already knew. My maternal side is largely from Lincolnshire and my Paternal Side is Germanic with a bit of East Yorkshire thrown in.

About the only thing it did highlight that I didn't know was a few distant relatives in Oz and New Zealand.
.

You got any West Yorkshire in you?

Treat it for what it is...a bit of fun and some spit in a small test tube, and look for the cheap deals on groupon etc

Groupon appear to have a sale on of Ancestry products which oddly look like the same prices as the main site. Says 'Sale' and 'Discount verified' but the price is the same as Ancestry. Says 31 people have been conned in to buying it. Hate groupon.

Ancestry DNA service