How do they generate project suggestions on my page?

[penguin]

I'm not sure if this is a gripe yet or not - depends on the answer.

I went to look up a specific project to join at the request of a friend. When I went to the join-a-project tab, it gave me about 4 suggestions for projects. One was especially curious: It was of a relatively uncommon surname that is indeed connected to me - but is nowhere in my profile or distant ancestor name, or anything else i entered in my profile. The question is where on earth did they get that from? they're not going back to the person that bought that kit for me, are they?? (who used real name with their credit card)

(another suggestion for project made no sense to me - was on France, when france not in my ancestry, or genes from what I know. I don't remember the other two. but i care more about the ones that DID make sense)

[MoberlyDrake]

The suggested projects for my family members don't make a bit of sense. It appears they could be picking up on the surname "Mobley" perhaps which my mother uses as a middle name in her ID and on Mobley as the surname used in the ID of her nephew. However, they suggest the same projects for a niece, who does not use the name in her ID and did not purchase under that name. None of us are Mobleys anyway! And we had no ancestors who lived in Georgia to the best of my knowledge, so why in the world do they suggest Georgia DNA projects for us?

[lgmayka]

The suggested projects for my family members don't make a bit of sense.

My understanding is that the list of suggested projects is based solely on the surname list for each project (which is manually maintained). In other words, if I add Schmoe to my project's surname list, then anyone surnamed Schmoe will see my project as a suggestion.

[gerlyons]

When I look at the results pages for all of the suggested projects from FTDNA, my last name is in the list of surnames that the project covers or there are members in the project with my last name.

[Auslander]

For me the suggested surname project was (and is) based on my last name. I joined it when I ordered my Y-111 test. Results indicated an NPE two generations back which I was able to confirm from available records. Dropped out of that surname project giving the reason and joined the one for my newly discovered surname. If I go to the Join a Project page I still have that non-applicable surname listed as a project I should join. Looks to me like the recommendation is based solely on the surname we use to register the kit.

[penguin]

So surname used to register kit - regardless of changes made after AND, , based on mobleys post,, relatives who list name even if you dont? I dont remember which name was used to register kit. I do think it was once something else then changed but i realky dont remember that surname ever appearing except on credit card used to purchase kit. Will see if old email can be found on initial registration - but dont know if a name will be on there

So its almost a gripe. We should be allowed to delete suggrested projects. And i sure hope they are not keeping info they should not be abd otherwise stalking

[rivergirl]

I checked my brothers kit for suggested projects.
He had 42 listed.
Of the ones I check all had his surname listed as either a participant or variant or some conection to that project.
Some were regional, surname, and haplogroup project, some had only a few members other hundreds.