ancestryDNA​ new (at least, to me) features

[Gadget]

I've only ever searched for surnames at the grandparent or earlier level, which is totally dependent on whether they have trees or not. Many of my US matches haven't got back to their UK ancestors so it's left to me to do the links myself, if it looks relevant. I mostly rely on shared marches of shared marches of shared matches ..... and build up groups that way. Usually some of them do have trees so I can work on those. The notes on each of them with definite or possible surname links.

I also redo many of the trees to check on accuracy.

[Gadget]

The thread that I linked to does mention all the latest changes.  I put up the info about cMs and the compare button yesterday.

Gadget

[jillruss]

4-5 close matches a week!! Really? I'm lucky if I get 3 matches a month (and certainly not this last month).

Must admit, I haven't really bothered much with the distant ones unless they come up via a closer match or if the username contains a relevant surname. Must admit also, that I've only just twigged that they are added to without me being informed. How far down the pecking order of matches do Ancestry go I hit the shared matches button? Do they include every single match?

Thanks, Gadget, I've used the match surname search but its no use for matches that don't use the surname or confound it by mysterious digits and hieroglyphics.

[Gadget]

If you hit shared with close matches, they usually only come up with other close matches but if you manage to get some shared matches when you hit the distant ones, you often get some closer shared ones!  Ancestry is a mystery.

I've got a little group, which is growing, that I can't link to me so far and all their trees seem to have lots in Liverpool.

I'm surprised that you and I don't match somewhere with our Shropshire ancestors.

Gadget

[Ruskie]

4-5 close matches a week!! Really? I'm lucky if I get 3 matches a month (and certainly not this last month).

I'm lucky if I get 4 or 5 second to fourth cousin matches a year! (I didn't test with Ancestry though). 

[Janethepain]

Thanks Gadget! So I wasn't going mad, the compare button had just appeared!

just read thru the other post - re the compare button.  At the top it does display a comparison of ethnicity between you and the match concerned, but further down the page it also summarises your joint matches, and allows you to push thru' to a list of all your joint matches - very helpful in gauging where the match might fit into your tree.

[TinaRoyal]

One of the shortcomings of Ancestry DNA is that it does not readily give you chromosomes which you share with other matches.  In order to achieve this you have to download the raw data and upload it again onto something like “GedMatch”.

If Ancestry showed the matching chromosomes, which they obviously have, this would enable you to better identify who were the common Ancestors.

I have manage to persuade one, and only one person out of all of my matches, to upload his data onto GedMatch.

[Gadget]

I've not found Gedmatch all that helpful. My matches there are low level Ancestry matches.  It's really the luck of the 'draw'. I suppose.

See:

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=801507.0

Of  sites other than Ancestry, I've found My Heritage most useful and it does have chromosome analysis.

Gadget 

[mgeneas]

I find the the chromosone matching on My Heritage easier to use.