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Most of the comments so far have focused on the issue of permissions for upgrades and additions to projects. I'd like to return to a few other issues.
"GAP Administrators shall not:
Use a DNA project to advocate a personal or political agenda."
This is worded very broadly and could create some difficulty. For example, I am "personally" very interested in focusing research on the origins of a particular surname and identifying particular lines of descent. Not all members of my project share that "agenda." Moreover, there is a "political" aspect to the research, in that it relates to competing claims to descent from titled ancestors.
I would also think that if I were an academic researcher, for example, administering a large haplogroup project, that I might have a "personal" agenda of using the research in scientific publications or in achieving tenure. The wording of this prohibition, however, is unclear as to whether that would be permitted.
"Gap administrators shall not:
Use a DNA project to promote a business or commercial interest outside of the Family Tree DNA affiliate program."
I understand the objectives of this provision, but it is unclear whether this excludes scientific and/or non-profit interests.
In our project we are exploring the possibility of testing the remains of a long-deceased member of the aristocracy. To do so will involve the participation of several academic and commercial entities. For example, we will be using multiple testing laboratories, analyzing different samples, to maximize our chances of obtaining usable results. We also hope to publish the results and if successful, they might be used as part of a promotional program for some of the academic institutions involved. Some of these institutions are public and others are private. In addition, some fundraising to support the project will be required and this might involve contributions from both commercial entities and private individuals. Clarification of how the guidelines might apply would be helpful.
"Any external website should specify that the DNA results are from Family Tree DNA. "
Because of the inadequacies of FTDNA's autosomal project support, our project has an external website, open only to project members, that integrates autosomal matches from several sources. This provision would seem to prohibit that or require that an inaccurate statement be made.
Finally, the issue of enforcement was raised upthread. As the former ethics committee chair of a non-profit professional association, I can testify that the enforcement of guidelines and the adjudication of complaints is a complex and time-consuming effort. (I might add that it is thankless!) It would be helpful to know how FTDNA plans to monitor compliance with the guidelines and what recourse administrators and project members would have in the case of a dispute. And no, I am not volunteering.
Jim
Most of the comments so far have focused on the issue of permissions for upgrades and additions to projects. I'd like to return to a few other issues.
"GAP Administrators shall not:
Use a DNA project to advocate a personal or political agenda."
This is worded very broadly and could create some difficulty. For example, I am "personally" very interested in focusing research on the origins of a particular surname and identifying particular lines of descent. Not all members of my project share that "agenda." Moreover, there is a "political" aspect to the research, in that it relates to competing claims to descent from titled ancestors.
I would also think that if I were an academic researcher, for example, administering a large haplogroup project, that I might have a "personal" agenda of using the research in scientific publications or in achieving tenure. The wording of this prohibition, however, is unclear as to whether that would be permitted.
"Gap administrators shall not:
Use a DNA project to promote a business or commercial interest outside of the Family Tree DNA affiliate program."
I understand the objectives of this provision, but it is unclear whether this excludes scientific and/or non-profit interests.
In our project we are exploring the possibility of testing the remains of a long-deceased member of the aristocracy. To do so will involve the participation of several academic and commercial entities. For example, we will be using multiple testing laboratories, analyzing different samples, to maximize our chances of obtaining usable results. We also hope to publish the results and if successful, they might be used as part of a promotional program for some of the academic institutions involved. Some of these institutions are public and others are private. In addition, some fundraising to support the project will be required and this might involve contributions from both commercial entities and private individuals. Clarification of how the guidelines might apply would be helpful.
"Any external website should specify that the DNA results are from Family Tree DNA. "
Because of the inadequacies of FTDNA's autosomal project support, our project has an external website, open only to project members, that integrates autosomal matches from several sources. This provision would seem to prohibit that or require that an inaccurate statement be made.
Finally, the issue of enforcement was raised upthread. As the former ethics committee chair of a non-profit professional association, I can testify that the enforcement of guidelines and the adjudication of complaints is a complex and time-consuming effort. (I might add that it is thankless!) It would be helpful to know how FTDNA plans to monitor compliance with the guidelines and what recourse administrators and project members would have in the case of a dispute. And no, I am not volunteering.
Jim
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