I would like accurate Population Finder Results

[ojosAzules]

My Father is solidly Western European, with some British Isles, but also
German(but likely mixed w/Polish), and I suspect some Spanish.

My Mother is solidly 1/2 Polish(from area deep within Poland),
Slovak, Slovenian, and maybe even gypsy/Jewish.

and here are my results:
Europe (Western European) Orcadian 88.62 (margin of error 2.16)
Middle East Adygei, Iranian 11.38 (margin of error 2.16)

Even assuming I inherited more autosomal DNA from my Father, 88.62 percent is just too high.

From reading posts, other customer are having very similar experiences, especially very high percentages of Orcadian.
Clearly, you launched Population Finder before it was ready, and even if you tweak it, I've lost confidence in it's accuracy and canceled my plans to pay for other family members to use this service.

[gtc]

My Illumina chip PF results are crazy, however Population Finder is not a finished work. You'll note on your results page that FTDNA says:

Beta Comments

The Population Finder program is currently in the Beta phase. Please expect changes as the Bioinformatics team responds to user feedback.

... and they are copping some feedback alright!

[ojosAzules]

Hello,

I saw note about being in "beta phase", but this should have been emphasized at time of purchase since this was reason I bought it.

I would have rather waited many more months and then saw accurate results, then be given this useless information.

[gtc]

I saw note about being in "beta phase", but this should have been emphasized at time of purchase since this was reason I bought it.

I would have rather waited many more months and then saw accurate results, then be given this useless information.

Fair enough comment about being pre-warned.

However, now that you are in the database, your results should be automatically adjusted as FTDNA better "tunes" its data.

Meantime, perhaps you should give FTDNA feedback about your results.

[travers]

My Father is solidly Western European, with some British Isles, but also
German(but likely mixed w/Polish), and I suspect some Spanish.

My Mother is solidly 1/2 Polish(from area deep within Poland),
Slovak, Slovenian, and maybe even gypsy/Jewish.

and here are my results:
Europe (Western European) Orcadian 88.62 (margin of error 2.16)
Middle East Adygei, Iranian 11.38 (margin of error 2.16)

You most likely got the Middle Eastern result from your Eastern European DNA. In the faq Adygei is used as a reference population from the Europe Caucasus region. But now they are including Adygei within the Middle East group in our results and I don't know why. I sent an email on it but didn't get a response.

[ojosAzules]

FTDNA Feedback

What is best way to directly give them feedback that I'm very disappointed with PopulationFinder?

Does anyone have contact info they could please post?
thanks

[Jim Barrett]

Have you tried clicking on the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page?

[mkdexter]

What is best way to directly give them feedback that I'm very disappointed with PopulationFinder?

Does anyone have contact info they could please post?
thanks

The FEEDBACK link is at the top of your home page after you log in, near the center (last word in the list).

[ChicagoJen]

I totally agree. I'm very unhappy with FTDNA!

Hello,

I saw note about being in "beta phase", but this should have been emphasized at time of purchase since this was reason I bought it.

I would have rather waited many more months and then saw accurate results, then be given this useless information.

I too agree that I would have liked to be informed. The fact that its a BETA version and that the results may change is NOT listed in the area where you purchase the test's. You have to go looking through the site to find something you don't know to look for! Ridiculous. I too, would have liked to wait longer for a more precise result. What I'm getting is not worth $300.00. I paid Genetree several years ago to give me similar results (60% European, 30% Sub-Saharan Africa) for only $150.00

I received my initial results on 4/5/11, here is what they said:
Europe (western) French, Spanish 37.13%
Europe Orcadian, Russian, Finnish 14.48%
Africa (western) Mandenka, Yoruba 35.02%
Middle Eastern Jewish 13.37%

Then on 4/7/11 my results change to:
Europe Orcadian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Tuscan, Finnish,
French 64.73%
Africa (western) Mandenka, Yoruba 35.27%

I called to ask why my results changed and was told there was a computer glitch with the Jewish population. She (Jane) also mentioned that this is in the Beta phase and the results WILL change. Then I asked why wasn't my European split up to show Western separately, she said they couldn't do it. (HUH?)

My family finder & MtDNA test results were both due by 5/11/11. I called yesterday to see when my mtdna results might be in and was told that they had to run some tests again and it would be another week or two.

Well, now I too, have lost confidence in the test's accuracy. If they can change so dramatically, who's to say the results are correct at all?

I personally, would like 50% refund.

It also seems that they don't respond to the "Contact Us" messages I've sent. You have to call!

Jen

[gtc]

I called to ask why my results changed and was told there was a computer glitch with the Jewish population.

That's interesting to hear. Quite a few of us have suddenly become Jewish according to FTDNA, LOL!

Well, now I too, have lost confidence in the test's accuracy. If they can change so dramatically, who's to say the results are correct at all?

I would never use the word "accuracy" in relation to any of these population type analyses. They are all best guesses based on very little reference data and on algorithms that are "tuned" (for want of a better word) by the creators and operators of the software.

I consider FTDNA's Population Finder a sideshow, with Family Finder being the main event.

[ChicagoJen]

That's interesting to hear. Quite a few of us have suddenly become Jewish according to FTDNA, LOL!



I would never use the word "accuracy" in relation to any of these population type analyses. They are all best guesses based on very little reference data and on algorithms that are "tuned" (for want of a better word) by the creators and operators of the software.

I consider FTDNA's Population Finder a sideshow, with Family Finder being the main event.

Yea, well, I won't be using the word accuracy with this test anymore either. Too bad your statement wasn't listed on the page that I purchased my test from. Wasted $300.00.

[gtc]

Yea, well, I won't be using the word accuracy with this test anymore either. Too bad your statement wasn't listed on the page that I purchased my test from. Wasted $300.00.

You haven't necessarily done your dough. As I said, Family Finder is the main product and you should start to see relationship matches appear there as time goes by, if there aren't some already.

As with all of these genetic genealogical products where your results go into a matching database, you bait your hook as it were and keep checking if you've caught anything. It's a long term thing.

[ChicagoJen]

You haven't necessarily done your dough. As I said, Family Finder is the main product and you should start to see relationship matches appear there as time goes by, if there aren't some already.

As with all of these genetic genealogical products where your results go into a matching database, you bait your hook as it were and keep checking if you've caught anything. It's a long term thing.

Matches, aren't my main concern (knowing the ancestral origins from both mother & father is). I was just disappointed that my results changed so dramatically in just 2 days, supposedly from a computer glitch. We shall see how this goes. I already own it so, nothing to do but wait and see.

[gtc]

Matches, aren't my main concern (knowing the ancestral origins from both mother & father is).

The two things are connected inasmuch as via the matching function you may find a hitherto unknown relative who has either researched your parents' line(s) or may have information/clues that will point you in the right direction.

[Ann Turner]

Matches, aren't my main concern (knowing the ancestral origins from both mother & father is). I was just disappointed that my results changed so dramatically in just 2 days, supposedly from a computer glitch. We shall see how this goes. I already own it so, nothing to do but wait and see.

It wasn't really a computer glitch, but an intentional change. They revised the method for selecting representative populations. It seems to be working better for some people and not so well for other people. That would be true for any new method they implement as well -- it's hard to find a technique that works well for all the possibilities out there in the real world.