I need help understanding DNA Testing for Ancestry!

[jettejjane]

Just have a look at the other threads on this subject, such has this one,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=719058.0

Thanks. I am glad those people are happy with their results. I did read some of the posts but was not convinced. Fair play to the believers.

I have read the latest replies with interest. It is very expensive! I still remain a skeptic and do not think it is for me. Like Weste said sometimes you have to do these things.  Perhaps if the price was dropped to £20 I might consider having a punt just to see what I would get. My expectations would be low.

Lemur. My OH says I would be a fool to part with any money no matter how little! He is probably right.

If the price were lowered it may mean lots more names in the pot which could make it work better- I now sound like I am trying to convince myself of its worth! No I am, not just a random observation.

[lemur41]

Hi ruskie,

yes agree with your price, I went for the double though. Knew they did offers at different times, but I had to strike whilst my husband was in agreement with my doing it.

So anyone thinking of doing it, wait for an offer if you can. I have stated the amount I paid on 19th July, don't think there were any offers around then.

And weste forgot to add that I'm not on Facebook, have spent years telling family and friends I have no wish to be so. But if I do have problems, will take notice of your  suggestion, thank you.

[JAGER]

I think the problem is that people have unreal expectations, a lot of it because of advertising hype used by some companies.
If you don't try then you will not know. The more people who do, the bigger the data base,

[DavidG02]

I do agree with that observation Jane. The lower the price the more the uptake. But I guess there needs to be a profit for someone

I do have my doubts, and I expressed them on another thread. Will someone look at the name on my spitjar/return envelope - head to Rootschat  ask for info on Gibbins family and send me the results back. Or will they actually test the spit?

But ultimately I will treat DNA analysis as another family search TOOL . Like waiting for records to be released I am prepared to wait for DNA to get a bigger pool.

[lemur41]

jettejjane & Jager,

I think over the last few months I have read everybody's postings on Rootschat on this subject. My mind agrees with all of you , somewhere in your arguments- for and against.

I had to do some study  work on DNA in a course I did, and found it fascinating. And I really need to try and solve one or two FT queries.

I've paid my money now, and will answer truthfully any question about  what I  discover or not ,as the case may be..

[jettejjane]

I think the problem is that people have unreal expectations, a lot of it because of advertising hype used by some companies.
If you don't try then you will not know. The more people who do, the bigger the data base,

That is true.

I read back my last reply. Put comma in wrong place in last sentence! Should be after "not".

Lemur good luck hope you get good results. If you don't would never say told you so. Just put it down to experience. As is said about  the lottery "you have to be in it to win it".

[lemur41]

Thanks for that jettejjane. My glass is half full, most of the time.

Cheers

lemur

[shellyesq]

As I said on another thread, I am an adoptee.  I found my deceased biological father's family through Ancestry DNA, and the DNA test of his twin confirmed what we suspected.  I am definitely glad I did it.  My original birth certificate did not have his name on it, and the surviving family didn't know I existed, so DNA was the only possible solution.  More people in the databases means that more of my sort of mysteries will be solved.  One of my biological cousins said that being involved in me trying to figure this out was like being on "Who Do You Think You Are."   

I can't speak to doing testing purely for genealogical purposes, but I was thinking of encouraging my husband to do it.  He has a great-grandfather who left his great-grandmother and started up a second family, and I believe he kept the first family a secret from them, so there may be relatives who would be surprised his branch existed. 

[davidft]

1. Thanks. I am glad those people are happy with their results. I did read some of the posts but was not convinced. Fair play to the believers.

2. I have read the latest replies with interest. It is very expensive! I still remain a skeptic and do not think it is for me. Like Weste said sometimes you have to do these things.  Perhaps if the price was dropped to £20 I might consider having a punt just to see what I would get. My expectations would be low.

3. Lemur. My OH says I would be a fool to part with any money no matter how little! He is probably right.

4. If the price were lowered it may mean lots more names in the pot which could make it work better- I now sound like I am trying to convince myself of its worth! No I am, not just a random observation.

Re

1.  Rather derogatory comment in my opinion. People have found matches and proved connections and so are dismissed as "believers", well what else are they when the facts prove to be confirmed "gullible fools" ?

2. Well it depends what you think the fee charged is for. Yes to analyse a swab its expensive but that is not all you are paying for you are contributing to their further research - remember this is a very new science - and if no one pays for the research none will be done.

3. Hardly foolish to part with money to fund research (which in essence is what you are doing) if you believe in that research, surely ?

4. Well of course the cheaper it is the more uptake there would be, we could even make it free and subsidise it from the Government - and that us not as ludicrous as it may sound as people have suggested that in the past re GRO certificates