My wife is thinking about doing this. Her family likely came to the US as slaves, but like most, she doesn't know much more. My family can be traced to a salt smuggler who fled from France to Canada during the French Revolution.
My family is Italian and Polish, but the Polish name is very atypical. Some in my family assumed that it had been shortened at some point. But, having been to Poland, to the area that we are from, I can testify that it wasn't. My unofficial research shows that it goes back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I took one of the better-known DNA tests and the results were as expected (ie: Italian and Polish), but no Austro-Hungarian representation. And, a 20% representation of UK-Irish... this was a big surprise. My theory is one or more Romans got overly friendly with the locals way back when and then returned to Italy. It's the only thing that makes sense at this point. My sister took the same test and got slightly different results (as expected), but UK-Irish was still there.
Well, I put away my foil hat long ago. The government isn't using our satellites to read our minds. You cannot live life paranoid about everything. They(government) already record every keystroke we make, and conversations we have on the cell phones and landlines. So what, I have come to grips with that, and I cannot change it. If they wanted our DNA, they could just get it from any envelope or stamp you've ever licked, or even the very IRS forms you mailed in. DNA from fingerprints. So, I choose not to be scared and paranoid about a little thing as a DNA test for Ancestry. Do some of you really thing yourselves so important that they would really want it?? What might they do, clone you for a replacement?? To all you "Conspiracy Theorists": Geeeezzzz, relax, have a drink, meditate, smoke a whatever, or do whatever it takes to take your paranoia away.
Herm, have you considered joining The 30 Day Crew? Prime requisite captured in your post. Both my parents submitted their samples and are awaiting results. With a bit of statistical stirring I'll be able to assume what my results would show. Welsh & German on dads side, Dutch & French, with a slice of Delaware Indian from mom.
I know two people that did it and were both underwhelmed. It really wasn't specific beyond Northern European. I worry about voluntarily supplying the government with my DNA. It feels a bit totalitarian to me.
Yeah, I'm sure that I'm already in more databases than I care to be in. Once it's out there, you can never take it back, and you have no control over how it's used.
I've done both ancestry.com and 23andMe and the results were wildly different. Based on what I know about my family ancestry.com was the accurate one. Also from what I've read there is no validity to dieting based on your genetics which is one of the things 23andMe pushes. In retrospect I am also concerned about what they're going to do with my genetic profile.
Well I kinda thought about doing that. But according to family on both sides, they can go back at least twenty generations each. All in the same country, so I'm satisfied with that.
I've read conflicting opinions on what effect the data, if identifiably shared, could have. Some say it would make an interesting case if, on the one hand, a service tells you their data cannot be used for a medical diagnosis (they represent only genetic possibilities, not certainties), but then a life insurance company turns you down or hikes your rates because they somehow see those results and indeed make a medical diagnosis about you that the company said can't verifiably be made. It would be interesting to see how that kind of case shook out....insurance rolling the dice on your genes when you're warned not to.
Rich your ancestry shouldn't really be all that complicated..maybe you just need to talk with some relatives..
Big brother is already in our lives enough, why give them a "gift" when if they want my spit they'll need a search warrant. I'm part of the human race, that's close enough for me.
That's interesting, Rich. Did you do any research to see if both organizations used the same test method? I've worked with some very sharp analytical chemists (they sent me out for coffee and sandwiches - everyone has a role to play), and they spent a lot of time and effort standardizing test methods in order to obtain statistically repeatable results. I assume you provided consistent samples to the two outfits. In other words, I'm giving you credit for not accidentally contaminating one of the samples with the Veg. Seriously, though, I wonder if variations in saliva composition (affected by many things) would have any impact on the results? It leaves me wondering if either outfit uses an appropriate and repeatable test method or if they even have people qualified to run the tests. It would be a shame to pay money for incorrect info and then have it entered into big brother's database...and then have it come back to bite me later. Well, I said it...there's my conspiracy theory for the day...I got that out of the way. It's just a point of interest for me. I've never given this kind of test any thought. I already know I'm a hillbilly.
@Herm2502 you must be related to the Rockefeller's. It was said they had some horse thieves in their past. Now if you said bootlegger's I would have said Kennedy's.
