Ancestry removing matches less than 8cM

[Flemming]

The latest LostCousins newsletter says that Ancestry plans to delete all matches less than 8cM in order to remove false ones.

And insodoing, they'll be clearing off thousands of accurate matches. Instead of tinkering with something that isn't broken, why doesn't Ancestry offer something useful like removing the 20cM cut-off or a chromosome browser? What with this, and deleting all messages and folders with their new Messaging system (you have until 31st August to download these), I'm getting a bit hacked off with Ancestry and their 'customer service'.

Peter Calver at LostCousins says there are three ways to protect matches <8cM: add them to a group, add a note to them, send them a message (which is about to be deleted by the new Messaging system so not sure how this will work).

For more info, best see the LostCousins website.

Edit Five of my common ancestors are <8cM; nearly 500 are in groups (thankfully); and more have a manual connection. Can't count the ones with notes, but there are lots. How can Ancestry say these matches are false and, therefore, worthless? I wouldn't have been able to make connections without many of them.

[Gadget]

That's ridiculous if they do that.  I have quite a few that I know the link to and , like you, some in Common Ancestors.

Maybe we should all complain to them.

Thanks for telling us 

[Gadget]

Here's the link:

https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/jul20news.htm#Disappearing

[Flemming]

Maybe we should all complain to them.

Do you think there's any point - will they take any notice?

LostCousins also says their database is now 18 million. Their aim has to be continued growth. Will not showing <8cM matches have any affect on this? I think it's only people they've already snared who it will bother, and they know they won't lose us through it. Cynical lot.

[Gadget]

It might be worth a message to them, if we all do it.

I'm starting to allocate mine to a nice purple colour group    Luckily I do have a fair number already in groups.

PS - I'm till on the 8cms - it could take a while   

[Flemming]

I'll be tied up until covid's gone if I try that. Just have to trust I've searched on all relevant names in the past and added notes to them. It's the new ones coming through we'll miss. I seem to be getting nothing but <8cM at present but some of them have had interesting leads. That will go now.

And the groupings - I've asked for more of those several times, or another way to add sub-groups. That *would* be helpful but no sign of that either. I think they're trying to appeal to the younger, phone-using, one-hit wonders to bump up their revenue and database numbers. LostCousins also says their database is now 18 million and I imagine they want to keep the growth going. Don't mind the rest of us stalwarts who they've snared already. 

[sugarfizzle]

It might be worth a message to them, if we all do it.

I'm starting to allocate mine to a nice purple colour group    Luckily I do have a fair number already in groups.

PS - I'm till on the 8cms - it could take a while   

As I see it, it's only 6 cMs - 7cMs you have to go through, though I may be wrong. Start with the 6s!!

2 of my 6cM matches have helped me to break a brick wall down, a few more are common ancestors.

I don't think they will take any notice, however many of us complain. They adamantly refuse to provide a chromosomes browser, in spite of pleas.

Going to find a nice unused colour to allocate to all of mine, will have to continue adding until the cut off date. Thank goodness for the filters, enabling us to find them all without too much trouble.

Margaret

[Gadget]

Thanks for the clarification, Margaret. I read it as 8 and below! I was doing a grocery delivery list at the time 

I chose a nice purple -magenta colour.  I'm running out of colours though as some of them are very close. Surely they could use a Pantone colour:


https://www.pantone-colours.com/


 

[weste]

They've done this before. Its not sure whether using the star will count. I think thats what i used last time. Think of all the space saving for them  and will quicken things up. I've made a few good links in the past with these low cms like to my family in 1700's. My mother has loads of matches in this range and its going to take ages to mark them and if you've got loads of kits its time consuming.