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Thoughts on this? I know 23andMe is broke.

Pros, cons, thoughts?

The only reason I can think of to have my DNA tested is for concerns about inherited medical conditions. I see there's a possible use for legal reasons too but those commercial companies aren't used for that.

I think those DNA testing companies are profiting off of people who feel a need to identify with someone or some culture in order to feel less like a number or anonymous non-person. If I'm a disciple of Jesus then the only thing that matters is who I am now. How am I living out my discipleship now? Not what my ancestors did or what culture or ethnic group or whoever they were.

I have thought about it, but didn't because of the cost. I volunteered for a Plautdietsch genealogy research project, but they already had enough respondents from my surnames. I would have on my own, except for the costs involved. It would possibly answer some questions I have about my family background up to and around the time of the "baptism-minded" movement in The Netherlands, and maybe suggest some answers regarding my ancestor who was found as an infant, abandoned under a bush in the colony in what is now Ukraine.

I sent mine in years ago to the National Geographic genealogy project that was working out migration patterns. I later sent in to Ancestry.com because my daughter was doing a lot of genealogical research about our history. Turns out I am from one of the lost tribes of Israel. I had ~2% Middle East heritage so I just claimed that to my daughter.

Because of the tracing she did, both my two daughters and a couple of nieces are working on dual citizenship with the USA and Italy. This will give them EU citizenship and they can travel anywhere in the EU easily.

I don't know how they get the money to travel, but they have made one trip to Italy already. My youngest daughter plans on living in Italy 6 months out of the year. She is some corporate finance big shot and can do that.

Not ever.

Potential misuse of handing this information to what is essentially an amoral corporation. In a bankruptcy process, it is the companies most valuable asset, and all promises are likely null and void.

Neto wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 7:07 am I have thought about it, but didn't because of the cost.

I volunteered for a Plautdietsch genealogy research project, but they already had enough respondents from my surnames. I would have on my own, except for the costs involved. It would possibly answer some questions I have about my family background up to and around the time of the "baptism-minded" movement in The Netherlands, and maybe suggest some answers regarding my ancestor who was found as an infant, abandoned under a bush in the colony in what is now Ukraine.

There are sales this weekend, including Monday. i think 23+me has a sale, too. About this time every year.
https://www.ancestry.com/c/dna/

i have a free Ancestry membership. The paid memberships have become expensive.
i mostly use a free membership with www.FamilySearch.com, a Latter Day Saints site.

Judas Maccabeus wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 11:03 am Not ever.

Potential misuse of handing this information to what is essentially an amoral corporation. In a bankruptcy process, it is the companies most valuable asset, and all promises are likely null and void.

Ugh. part of me fears this. my son is mistrusting of it. i hope i don’t regret participating.
If i recall, Josh did more than one test, he had quite a lot to say about them. Probably on MD.

i have a couple of deceased relatives i’d like to locate, i haven’t pursued the DNA route.

I'm a little sceptical of the way dna is sometimes used to form identity. It seems vaguely fascist to me. For example, according to my parents DNA I have ancestors from West Africa and sub Saharan Africa as well, but it would be farcical for me to claim to be Black or African. I have also observed that most euro-americans who pay those ancestry places turn out to be descendants of Kings.

barnhart wrote: ↑Sat Nov 30, 2024 5:51 pm I'm a little sceptical of the way dna is sometimes used to form identity. It seems vaguely fascist to me. For example, according to my parents DNA I have ancestors from West Africa and sub Saharan Africa as well, but it would be farcical for me to claim to be Black or African. I have also observed that most euro-americans who pay those ancestry places turn out to be descendants of Kings.

i’ve found it interesting how DNA has proven so many former observations correct, example:

There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his.
Helen Keller: The Story of My Life

i doubt the pattern HKeller describes is limited to euro-americans, i wouldn’t guess that for one moment.
not all the world’s kings were/are european! i’m pretty sure kings are fully represented on every continent, in big ways, as well in remote tribal ways.

having earthly kings is a human condition.

no matter where, they exerted power+privilege, frequently that included lots of progeny, shall we say?
as well, they would be most likely to be remembered in recorded history, oral history, have monuments, etc.

a concern to me is how DNA has been used in criminal science. to identify and convict perpetrators.
of course there’s a positive to this. but .. ?? could it be abused? it’s kind of unnerving to think about.

Not unless I am being accused of something and need to clear my name!

(Too much Law & Order )