GedMatch

[Talacharn]

Those uploading to GedMatch seem to be shrinking. April 2024 I had four new matches in the top ten, which I assume were from Christmas presents having been processed. There were also regular relatives added albeit distant. By April 2025 there was nothing, and hardly any new matches before or since. From the scare stories I can understand why fewer test kits as bought as presents, but many are still being tested, yet they do not seem to be uploading to GedMatch.

Is this just my family, or are others finding the same?

[LizzieL]

I tested with Ancestry some years ago and uploaded to Gedmatch not long afterwards. While I am getting a steady trickle of new matches on Ancestry, (with a burst 6 - 8 weeks after Christmas and when a big discount is offered), I too have noticed that very few upload to Gedmatch. Perhaps it is the stories about hacking or use by law enforcement that puts people off, or that the existence of Gedmatch is not well publicised. I also think a couple of my top matches have deleted their GM accounts. Not sure but a few matches seem higher up my list than they used to be.

[Biggles50]

10 in the last 365 days.

Of those 10 there have been 4 in the last two weeks.

In all the years I have been with Gedmatch I have added Zero new DNA Cousins to my tree because of them being on the website.

I keep hoping that Ancestry buys them out so that all the tools then become available in Ancestry.

[Talacharn]

I am aware of the hack, just the basics, and changes GedMatch made regarding emails and you can decline police access, but I do not know how secure that now makes the site. Like with most hacks it is too late when the company should have been proactive, and sorry seems insufficient, so I can understand why some have closed their accounts. I am not with Ancestry and not paying for the GedMatch tools. Although I have had a few 2nd or 3rd cousin matches from the 2024 burst that I can place in my tree, when there is so little activity I have seen no point in adding to the free service.

[SouthseaSteel]

Never had anything or anybody remotely useful appear over 10 years for multiple kits so I cant comment on any perceived temporal decline!! 

That said, I just checked as a result of this post and there is a recent kit there that shares 39 cM in total that was processed 8 days ago from an Ancestry upload.  Trouble is that I cant find that match in my Ancestry matches which is surprising.  Although using her full name on GedMatch I have to presume she is using a different handle on Ancestry from a submission some time ago.   

[Talacharn]

Thanks for your comments. I find the use of alias frustrating and having opened the GEDCOMs many have three generations and all are HIDDEN. My reason for asking was the general apathy regarding a lack of numbers and the small percentage who respond once contacted. I am still undecided if I should leave my DNA on GedMatch, or delete, but looking more to delete.

[Zaphod99]

Leave it.  Why not?

Zaph