DNA - not sure what's going on

[jillruss]

I just logged on to the Ancestry DNA website to see if there was any indication of progress with my test. Instead of going to the usual screen, its given me 3 'squares': one titled DNA Story; one DNA Matches; one DNA Circles (whatever they are!).

Does this mean my results are in? I thought I was supposed to get an email informing me of this and explaining what to do with the info? I haven't had anything from them, email-wise.

A quick glance at my ethnicity: 51% Gt Britain, 20% Ireland, Scotland, Wales, 9% 6 other regions. When I clicked on the Ireland etc section, it says centred on Northern England and the Midlands! It also says that for the Gt Britain section! My dad came from Bucks!!

Its all very confusing without an explanation. Is this par for the course? I thought others had got an email to explain things? Plus, others have mentioned being able to search the matches by place - I can't seem to find this facility. Do I have to be an Ancestry subscriber to access this?

[diplodicus]

Hopefully, your DNA results are now available for you to view? No, you don't have to be a subscriber to view your results, or the matches or "shared matches" but when you try to investigate a match, you will be unable to view their tree (if they have linked their results to a tree at all).

If you read a few more posts, you will soon discover that your ethnicity estimate is of little value and too vague an estimate on which to base any firm conclusions.

Your results can be useful (sometimes) for finding close relatives but I have found that in only a handful of cases have we ever identified a known progenitor.  Sometimes I can find a common village. Perhaps I had a rather randy forefather or foremother?

[jillruss]

Thanks, diplodicus (did that username sneak through the stringent censor team on here??? )

I've calmed down a bit now - it was all a bit overwhelming at first and I should have taken time out to breathe!!

I'm about to take advantage of the 50% offer via the DNA site to join Ancestry as most of my 'matches' are 4th cousins or more and it gives me no way of knowing which surnames are involved without access to their trees.

I followed the really helpful article in the Lost Ancestors newsletter - MASTERCLASS - What to do with your autosomal DNA results by Peter Calver. Its a step by step guide to searching for us DNA learners. I hadn't appreciated that clicking on a match with an Ancestry tree will also give you a list of shared surnames - if you have an Ancestry sub.

I get it about the ethnicity thing and am much more interested in the matches.

I've got 115 4th cousins or further back but only one 2nd cousin and one 3rd cousin. Is this unusual? I've already identified those latter two and will be emailing them, though I think I've already been in touch with one of them on other sites.

Once I've paid my sub, I'm going to add more siblings etc to my tree.

With more and more people taking the test, I'm wondering how Ancestry deal with any new matches to my results which might come along in the future. Do they email me to let me know or do I just have to keep checking my own DNA results for new additions? If so, are these new matches highlighted as such?

Jill

[diplodicus]

I would have preferred "diplodocus" but that domain name was already taken.

No, Ancestry don't flag any additional shared matches that emerge after your original list is created. New matches are inserted into your list and the "new" blue dot will identify them. However,be careful because once you view a match, their software removes the blue dot when you exit the screen. You can retain it but you have to click it once to remove it and then click it again. The software will then keep it as "new" until you next view it. This may not seem a big deal until you are on page 5 in your "good" matches 5th to 8th cousins (maybe).

Many people find it disappointing that:

(a) a lot of tests have no linked tree. You can overcome some of these as the test does have a tree but it isn't linked. Ancestry will display this and you can delve into it once your subscription is active. However, for the majority of "no tree" tests I suspect that this is because the individuals have been seduced by Ancestry's advertising of the almost useless ethnicity results it promotes; and,

(b) in my experience, at least half the people I have tried to contact through the results pages have failed to respond. Other Rootschatters seem to find it irritating but I prefer to dwell on the other 50%. Life is too short.

Whilst I am on the keyboard, I strongly recommend you keep a separate record of any correspondence you initiate over your results. I find the ancestry message modules really difficult to manage, especially when I click the green "Send Message" button on the individual results page.

There is a also the "gold star" user flag that you can use to mark records to which you wish to return.

 

[jillruss]

Thanks for those pointers - much appreciated.

Ancestry is so hard to navigate at the best of times - just been looking for an Almondbury, Yorkshire marriage which I know took place in the DecQ of 1867. I wanted to see the digital image - for some reason that year's stops mid year - so no good to me!!

Oh well, stop complaining - at least I haven't got a really long neck and extinct into the bargain!!! 

ADDED: lots of blue dotted people today. Glad you told me or I'd have probably not noticed.

[diplodicus]

Oh and one more thing (I promise)...

In shared matches, Ancestry only shows matches for fourth cousins and better. So, don't be puzzled if your 5th to 8th match Fred shows a 'share' with a 4th to 6th match Jennifer but Jennifer doesn't show Fred as a shared match.

You might be tempted to explore your 5th to 8th layer (I did) but I recommend not delving below those described as "good".  The "moderates" are very tentative indeed and you would be very lucky to ever find a connection without working with Gedmatch.com and/or FTDNA.com

Finished ... promise.

p.s. A long neck, a huge bottom and extinct. Two out of three for me.

[zannette]

Hi, You might want to join this site and upload your dna results https://www.gedmatch.com
I found it very useful.
best wishes

[familydar]

Jill don't feel pressured into taking the 50% off ancestry sub immediately, do it when it suits you.  Mine stayed for a couple of weeks at least and when it suited me to do it and it had disappeared I rang them up and it was reinstated.

Jane :-)

[jillruss]

Jill don't feel pressured into taking the 50% off ancestry sub immediately, do it when it suits you.  Mine stayed for a couple of weeks at least and when it suited me to do it and it had disappeared I rang them up and it was reinstated.

Jane :-)

Thanks, Jane, but I've been and gone and done it!!! No pressure, though - just thought it was the sensible thing to do after the DNA results.

I can start dipping into the West Yorkshire PRs again as well.