Does anyone do ancestry.com?

[Buzz Rules]

Great! By databases do you mean that you can't get any "hints"-those little green leaves? Like today, they sent me to "potential father"?

Oh, yes, I know! And names suddenly change. It's an interesting way to learn a little history-some small European countries change "ownership", depending on the latest war.
And I really appreciate the library tip about Ancestry. I'll definitely look into that!

Barnes and Noble has books on how to get the most out of Ancestry.

 

[Deb]

Is that an annual charge or a one time charge?

the dna test is a one time fee.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Great! By databases do you mean that you can't get any "hints"-those little green leaves? Like today, they sent me to "potential father"?

Oh, yes, I know! And names suddenly change. It's an interesting way to learn a little history-some small European countries change "ownership", depending on the latest war.
And I really appreciate the library tip about Ancestry. I'll definitely look into that!

Yes you can’t search the records without a subscription.
If using library subscription you can search records but if you create a tree it will be wide open for every other library patron to see. Also I could be wrong but I think it’s in library use only not accessible remotely from home. At least it use to be.

 

[loves to dive]

There are a few utube channels that deal with how to navigate it. I've been on it for years, just have the US one and it's on auto-renew. I did the DNA test because there were some relatives I wanted to find. I've found 2 first cousins, my Daddy's brother was a bit of a cad and spread his seed all over the place. I've also found out some interesting things about distant relatives and even things I thought I knew about my great-grandparents that I knew wrong.

You do have to be very careful, if you add someone and then go from there and find out you were wrong, you have delete each individual person. I don't put anyone on my tree unless I can find at least 2 documents other than other trees supporting them.

 

[Dan Murphy]

the dna test is a one time fee.

Thanks, Deb. I've already done the DNA. I'm wondering if the other component of Ancestry is one time or annual.

 

[Southernmiss]

Thanks, Deb. I've already done the DNA. I'm wondering if the other component of Ancestry is one time or annual.

Dan, the other charges are annual or biannual, not one time.

I have been doing our family genealogy online for about 20 years.

Love it. But for about a year, I've been at a point where I am not adding much info.

I've debated letting my ancestry subscription go for a while. Just when I think I will not renew, a family member asks questions.

Recently, some young college age kids have taken an interest in our family tree. I've been happy to share my tree and print out information for them.

So far, my 4 are only casually interested. All 6 of us have done our DNA which confirmed a lot of ancestors for us. And now, none of us can commit any crimes because our DNA is out there in the interwebs lol!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Dan, the other charges are annual or biannual, not one time.

I have been doing our family genealogy online for about 20 years.

Love it. But for about a year, I've been at a point where I am not adding much info.

I've debated letting my ancestry subscription go for a while. Just when I think I will not renew, a family member asks questions.

Recently, some young college age kids have taken an interest in our family tree. I've been happy to share my tree and print out information for them.

So far, my 4 are only casually interested. All 6 of us have done our DNA which confirmed a lot of ancestors for us. And now, none of us can commit any crimes because our DNA is out there in the interwebs lol!

Thank you very much, Southermiss, great explanation.

 

[Deb]

Thanks, Deb. I've already done the DNA. I'm wondering if the other component of Ancestry is one time or annual.

occasionally there are deals to be had. For instance you can call and get a AARP discount if you qualify, but just once

 

[trip]

I've done ancestry for years. If you do a DNA test try to get your oldest relatives to do it also. I wish my parents had done it before they died. It could have provided more family information. If they don't care about the results you can manage that account.

 

[SueM in MN]

Word of caution with Ancestry: do your own research, don't trust anyone else's tree. Consider the info as clues then look for the documentation. I've seen lots of bad info....children born years after the mother died, etc. Verify, verify, verify.

Totally agree.
Before my mom died, we liked to go on Ancestry together. She had a great memory and knew members of both her family and my dad’s family.
We found one man who had a whole lot of things wrong. My mom knew exactly who his family was and exactly where his errors were. He had an extra younger sibling listed for my mom (it was actually her cousin ) and he had listed my uncle as having died 5 years before - he was actually alive at the time. He had my uncle’s correct parents, wife and child. But, there was another relative with the same first and last name who had died on the date the guy assigned to my uncle.

We contacted the man and tried to nicely explain the errors - like that my uncle was actually alive and that the ‘sibling’ was actually a cousin (and who her parents really were).
He was really rude and said my mom was probably wrong about the sibling - he said his mom had Alzheimer’s, so my mom must too.
He also said I must be mistaken about my uncle being dead because he was a good researcher.

So, anyone who used his records as truth would have a lot wrong

 

[DeeBee3]

Just thought it may be helpful to have some of you look into the recent news about these services and giving your DNA. I've never done for just these fears, but it looks like governments are doing more research into this risk.

 

[Deb]

Just thought it may be helpful to have some of you look into the recent news about these services and giving your DNA. I've never done for just these fears, but it looks like governments are doing more research into this risk.

risk of?
a criminal being caught?
your data being used a part of an unidentifiable batch for medical research?
???

 

[disykat]

I don't know how relevant this is because I've never personally been on the website. However I thought I'd share an experience we have had. When my parents first moved into senior living, they had dinner one night with another resident. He came over a few days later with notebooks for both of them. Apparently he's really into it and pretty much researches everyone that moves in. Those little folders pretty accurately portrayed all the knowledge we have about our family that has been left by other relatives. We're cleaning out mom and dad's place and can't keep everything, so we're keeping those notebooks made by a random stranger at their facility!

 

[DeeBee3]

risk of?
a criminal being caught?
your data being used a part of an unidentifiable batch for medical research?
???

The U.S. military has told service members not to engage in the DNA consumer sites. All they have said is it could open up to risks as these companies can sell the data to anyone and it is unregulated. They mentioned the development of bioweapons that target certain types of people and the increasing use of AI in the future.

 

[Deb]

The U.S. military has told service members not to engage in the DNA consumer sites. All they have said is it could open up to risks as these companies can sell the data to anyone and it is unregulated. They mentioned the development of bioweapons that target certain types of people and the increasing use of AI in the future.

I hadn't heard this previously, so I googled it. It appears that their concern is with the health data you can choose to get in addition to ancestral data. The health data is always an extra fee and not included with your genealogical data.

 

[_19disnA]

Providing your DNA to any company searching for your ancestors is a bad idea. You have NO idea who else may end up with that information. It isn't something I would ever give to any 3rd party who isn't my doctor.

 

[Deb]

Providing your DNA to any company searching for your ancestors is a bad idea. You have NO idea who else may end up with that information. It isn't something I would ever give to any 3rd party who isn't my doctor.

yet million and millions of people have without the world blowing up

 

[_19disnA]

They can do whatever they like. Some things make a take a few years for people to realize there is an issue. I would not recommend it to anyone who asks since that seemed to be the point of this thread.

Some people post vacation pictures on social media while on vacation and then wonder why their home became a target for burglars.

A little common sense goes a long way.

 

[Buzz Rules]

They can do whatever they like. Some things make a take a few years for people to realize there is an issue. I would not recommend it to anyone who asks since that seemed to be the point of this thread.

Some people post vacation pictures on social media while on vacation and then wonder why their home became a target for burglars.

A little common sense goes a long way.

100 years from now, countries will find a way to get their citizens’ DNA if they really want it. I believe everyone in Germany has to register many things with the government including DNA (someone correct me if I’m wrong).

 

[RUDisney]

I agree about common sense, BUT when you're adopted, you have very limited knowledge of your background. My DD did the DNA test and found first cousins who were also adopted into the US. She and my DS talk to their bio cousins all the time because of her DNA test. They hope that one day, one of their siblings will take the test and contact them. They knew 5 of their siblings, but not the 2 who were born after them. We don't know if there were any others after them.

If everyone was too worried to take the test, my kids wouldn't have any connections to their bio relatives.