Who do you think you are?

[Pontius Navigator]

Has anyone bought and used a DNA kit?

Having watched lots of crime programmes I know how they match a villains DNA to the crime scene or trace parentage, but how is it used in ancestry?

I am not really interested in my ethnicity apart from curiosity but how can you be matched to another complete stranger to you?

Do we think there is some gnome somewhere running your DNA though 90 million records, pulling out a few dozen or even hundreds of matches and sending you names and addresses or even just names for you to blind call?

That is clearly a breech of privacy and GDPR rules. Has it worked for anyone or is it a scam for the gullible?

[OFSO]

Yes, SWMBO was given a DNA test as a present. Results were interesting and fairly obviously not a scam. Would I do it? No. Prefer to spend money on something else.

[Pontius Navigator]

Thank you. That's more or less my view. Looks like Ancestry does not include maternal information which is more difficult to track through census etc.

I have read that people matching is through the heritage sites themselves which is more selective, reply or ignore as one wishes.

[EA01]

Hmm, don't know much about this but an Aunt who loves trawling family history has revealed some very interesting stuff indeed!, one branch of the family always thought to be from the UK, tracked back to Germany, one side always known to be German in origin had a brief foray into what became the United States before settling (interestingly) in England. Dunno about the DNA esting though.??

[OFSO]

One of my previous wives - came from that big snowey country bordering the US - had a racist father, "string 'em all up from the nearest tree" variety. When photos were found implying strong NR involvement in his ancestry they were hurridly destroyed. Rather like the rule of which young lawyers are reminded - "never ask a question to which you do not already know the answer" - going in blind one never knows what a DNA test will uncover.

After all, one cannot travel back in time and eliminate undesirable - say French - ancestors. Once discovered they are, like a dog turd on the sole of ones shoe - there forever.

[Pontius Navigator]

OFSO, at least my dad was home 9 months before I was born

[OFSO]

Waving a milk bottle in front of the chubby hands of a newborn baby is as good a paternity test as anything.