Only 140,000 people in FTDNAs database?

[Cliff43J]

I have tested with 23andMe (I uploaded to FTDNA), and my 3 closest matches there don't reply to messages so I can't find out where we match. They are just ignoring me, but I've also had several requests to compare genomes declined. I have fewer matches on FTDNA but at least I can compare them in the chromosome browser.

My experiences run close to yours.

FF testees are a pathetic lot for replying, IMO. I have not had that much success with them. To me they are just wasting their money if they don't join in on our research, IMO.


Good hunting,

Cliff.

[keigh]

For sheer size of a data base on strictly the Autosomal testing, Ancestry has the largest base. Over there, I have almost 50,000 cousin matches while here I have almost 4,000. I find that the number of matches is going up far quicker over at Ancestry, especially after a sale. The FTDNA match list is increasing but at a slower rate.

Many of my matches here I also see over at Ancestry. They transferred from there to here. I find doing a tree is much easier with the Ancestry program, though I do keep a bare bones pedigree tree here.

[jova99]

302,468 37-marker records in the database

https://www.familytreedna.com/why-ftdna.aspx

FTDNA has 642,351 Y-DNA records in the database

over 300,000 in the 37-marker Y database and 281,589 mtDNA records in their database...

[susan_dakin]

You have a chromosome browser at 23andMe, though it works a little differently.

The point is that if people on 23andMe won't share their data, you can't compare them in the chromosome browser. And in my experience, many people on 23andMe don't share, and it's very hard to get a response from matches. Very frustrating!

[wombat]

The point is that if people on 23andMe won't share their data, you can't compare them in the chromosome browser. And in my experience, many people on 23andMe don't share, and it's very hard to get a response from matches. Very frustrating!

A lot of people are open sharing now at least over there. And you can see their ancestry comp, something you can't even do here at all.

I thought people would be better at responding here and that more people would put up or link trees and so on, but to be honest, I don't find any of that stuff any better here than at 23.

[Jim Barrett]

How many "Anonymous" matches do you have at 23andMe? How many do you have at FTDNA? How many of your matches at 23andMe provide their email address? How many of your matches at FTDNA provide their email address? How many of your matches at 23andMe have a tree on line? How many of your matches at FTDNA have a tree on line?

I have more in each of these groups at FTDNA than I do at 23andMe. I wish all of my matches at both places provided GOOD trees, GOOD surname list and a GOOD email address. I know 23andMe doesn't share email address, which I think is a very poor decision, but the customers at 23andMe can include their email address in their personal information.

[Tenn4ever]

The point is that if people on 23andMe won't share their data, you can't compare them in the chromosome browser. And in my experience, many people on 23andMe don't share, and it's very hard to get a response from matches. Very frustrating!

I totally agree. Their website is also difficult to work with. If you want health info upload your DNA to Promethease.

[MoberlyDrake]

Do you know how to find your "Anonymous" matches at FTDNA using the advanced matching tool? What can you do with them? You can't even attempt to contact them. You can at 23andMe. And you can also see what matches you have in common with them. Here you might see their last name and haplogroup.

I abandoned 23andMe totally after they introduced the new experience, or whatever it was called, but I went back to it several months ago and decided I like it. I get more responses there than I do here. A few years ago almost everyone who tested here would reply to my email. Now the response rate here is almost zero, as bad or worse than Ancestry.com. And few people list surnames or have trees, but that's the case everywhere now.

But the worst thing (and it's not FTDNA's fault) is that it seems like if anyone is anywhere near closely related to me, they test anywhere but here. I get pages and pages of 5th to remote cousins! And I have to wait weeks to get 2 or 3 new ones.

I tested my mother at all 3 companies and she now has 13 matches descended from her great-grandfather, but only 2 of them tested here, and I paid for the test for one of them. The other I persuaded to test in 2011. 3 are at 23andMe, the rest at Ancestry. Dozens of Harprings at Ancestry, one here, etc.

If Ancestry had a chromosome browser, it would be the best company of all. Some brick walls might have come down by now if Ancestry had a chromosome browser.

[Carpathian]

I abandoned 23andMe totally after they introduced the new experience, or whatever it was called, but I went back to it several months ago and decided I like it. I get more responses there than I do here. A few years ago almost everyone who tested here would reply to my email. Now the response rate here is almost zero, as bad or worse than Ancestry.com. And few people list surnames or have trees, but that's the case everywhere now.

The "new experience" was a disaster, but to their credit they finally got things working, although it took several years to rectify the problems. As for the response rate here being low, I suspect it is due to the recent influx of free transfers. Few list any surnames and locations, and that shows a lack of interest in genealogy and determining how you are related to your matches.

But the worst thing (and it's not FTDNA's fault) is that it seems like if anyone is anywhere near closely related to me, they test anywhere but here. I get pages and pages of 5th to remote cousins! And I have to wait weeks to get 2 or 3 new ones.

With such a relatively small base of customers at FTDNA, who can blame them? I have tested my family members, first at 23 then some at Ancestry, then did the free transfer here. I too get pages of remote cousins, and there is no way to ever determine how we are related - especially if they have no interest in genealogy. It is a sad reality that FTDNA is trying to play catch-up to the other sites. Even the offer of free transfers isn't attracting those who are primarily interested in genealogy.

If Ancestry had a chromosome browser, it would be the best company of all. Some brick walls might have come down by now if Ancestry had a chromosome browser.

Ancestry has a very clever and profitable marketing strategy. The separation of the DNA testing section and their perpetual subscription fees for access to the section containing records lures people in and provides an endless income stream. Actually I dislike Ancestry most, because it is geared toward attracting those for whom genealogy is a passing curiosity at best. The use of code names to protect a member's "privacy" and provide anonymity at any of these sites doesn't promote communication or mutual trust, either.

[Tenn4ever]

Ancestry has a very clever and profitable marketing strategy. The separation of the DNA testing section and their perpetual subscription fees for access to the section containing records lures people in and provides an endless income stream. Actually I dislike Ancestry most, because it is geared toward attracting those for whom genealogy is a passing curiosity at best. The use of code names to protect a member's "privacy" and provide anonymity at any of these sites doesn't promote communication or mutual trust, either.

I tested with Ancestry, FTDNA and 23&Me. When I tested with Ancestry it was Beta and offered to long-time members for $10 to build their data base . It was only ethnicity at that point, I think. That was many years ago


One reason Ancestry sells so many kits is they are a by-word for ancestry research. When someone decides to be tested who hasn't been involved with much genealogy research they will automatically think of Ancestry. Think of it like this. When someone first wants to buy auto insurance where do their thoughts first go to? Allstate, Geico, State Farm?

Another reason they sell so many kits goes along with what you said...their very large research base and those who have paid for subscriptions on Ancestry for years. They want the matching there first and then they will transfer to FTDNA and upload to Gedmatch. It's a no brainer.

However, your remark that Ancestry is for those who have a passing interest in genealogy at best is quite ridiculous. I don't think their huge base of people paying almost $400 a year for many years would be people with a passing interest or curiosity.

Also, I have several kits on FT and they all have code names

I love FTDNA but sad to say if Ancestry had a chromosome browser they would probably leave FT in the dust.

[KATM]

However, your remark that Ancestry is for those who have a passing interest in genealogy at best is quite ridiculous. I don't think their huge base of people paying almost $400 a year for many years would be people with a passing interest or curiosity.

But not all of Ancestry's DNA testers have subscriptions. Newbies who are non-subscribers, see the ads that tell them they can find out their ethnicities, and do the test. I would bet that a majority of Ancestry's DNA testers are not subscribers, or if they initially do subscribe, they cancel their subscriptions at the end of the subscribed period, after trying it. Who counts on needing an ongoing subscription, just to make good use of DNA matches? You don't need to do that at 23andMe and FTDNA, at least. Here's one user's experience.

Although, I could be wrong, because it is tough to make use of your DNA match list at Ancestry, without having a subscription so you could view their trees. I have heard that customers can call and ask for a limited subscription (called Ancestry Insights, I believe), that would allow viewing the trees of, and communicating with, their DNA matches, seeing the hints and circles, for a yearly cost of $49 - but missing the ability to search Ancestry's record databases. Apparently this is available as a one time deal; to get it again, you may have to have a gap in service, and re-subscribe after a time. So Ancestry's model for DNA is a continual drip drip drip of subscribing costs, or suffer crippled functionality for DNA matches (unless your match is one of the rare ones who puts an email address so you can contact them outside of Ancestry's very unreliable message system).

I have a lot of matches at Ancestry who show as having not logged in for a long time (which could be because they no longer subscribe, or just that they never log out), many who do not have trees (either public, or otherwise shown in their profiles), and many who do not reply to messages, even when apparently active.

23andMe is also not great for matches; again, they only offer their messaging system for contact, not email addresses, and the New Experience has been disappointing, removing features users liked and depended on. Many of the matches never respond, or fill out useful profiles, and since 23andMe discontinued trees a few years ago (other than teaming up with MyHeritage for trees), overall it's less than optimal.

I think we have to realize that many of our matches just are not into genealogy, but perhaps might be one fine day. It's still worth trying to contact them.

Also, I have several kits on FT and they all have code names

I love FTDNA but sad to say if Ancestry had a chromosome browser they would probably leave FT in the dust.

I've tested at 23andMe, transferred to FTDNA, and most recently gave in and tested at Ancestry, where, yes, I have subscribed for 6 months, but will cancel and not go beyond that - I can use the library or a Family History Center to get access to their records, as I've done in the past. Ancestry does not have a lot of databases for a good portion of my ancestry. Cancelling will hobble my DNA match use, unfortunately.

For all of the above companies, I have matches with code names. I use aliases for the accounts I manage that I've uploaded to GEdmatch, but for most of the kits I manage at FTDNA, the testers themselves chose to use their real names, or a first initial and last name.

Sadly, you might be right about Ancestry if they ever relent and get a chromosome browser. We can hope that FTDNA is working on some features and improvements that will keep them competitive in this field. And I have to think that the subscription costs of Ancestry eventually would discourage and turn off people who can't afford it, just to deal with their DNA matches. If Ancestry did add a chromosome browser and other helpful tools for DNA matches, what do you bet they would only be available with a subscription? FTDNA does have an advantage there.

[Carpathian]

[QU

OTE=Tenn4ever;447369]

One reason Ancestry sells so many kits is they are a by-word for ancestry research. When someone decides to be tested who hasn't been involved with much genealogy research they will automatically think of Ancestry. Think of it like this. When someone first wants to buy auto insurance where do their thoughts first go to? Allstate, Geico, State Farm?

Where does an elephant sit? Anywhere it wants to. Ancestry dominates the field due to their business plan.

However, your remark that Ancestry is for those who have a passing interest in genealogy at best is quite ridiculous. I don't think their huge base of people paying almost $400 a year for many years would be people with a passing interest or curiosity.

I will rephrase it in that most who subscribe to Ancestry have no prior experience in genealogy. It isn't that they are uninterested, it is that they lack any research skills. So they subscribe, then post "their" tree with one or two names and expect others on the site to provide them with information which they can't find or do not know. Then the tree information of others gets 'cut and pasted', as many other trees have that, but nothing more than that. The information found, posted and re-posted becomes a dead end.

I love FTDNA but sad to say if Ancestry had a chromosome browser they would probably leave FT in the dust.

Why should they do that? Ancestry is highly profitable enterprise without it. Desire and longing are the basis of marketing. When and if the longing becomes satisfied, the income stream evaporates. Instilling and promoting hopes and dreams is a very profitable business.

[KATM]

I will rephrase it in that most who subscribe to Ancestry have no prior experience in genealogy. It isn't that they are uninterested, it is that they lack any research skills. So they subscribe, then post "their" tree with one or two names and expect others on the site to provide them with information which they can't find or do not know. Then the tree information of others gets 'cut and pasted', as many other trees have that, but nothing more than that. The information found, posted and re-posted becomes a dead end.

There's a tree at Ancestry which has my father's paternal grandparents and their children on it. The information is very obviously taken from the 1920 U.S. Census, which had several of the family members' first names recorded incorrectly (other details for that census entry are correct, and I know it is the right family, except for the names). On top of that, the only way the family is connected to the tree is by showing my great grandmother (born in the 1860s) as being married to a man in the tree who was born in the 1600s.

Supposedly she had 4 children with him, and one with my great-grandfather. What a time traveler! Who knew? But in the actual profile page for my great-grandmother, it shows the opposite: 1 child with Mr. 1600s, and 4 with her real husband. I've pointed out the impossibility of the relationship to the tree owner, and am waiting to see what the reply, if any, will be.

[Biblioteque]

And just a caveat to all adoptees who test at Ancestry.

Just because you have a close dna match with someone who has a big tree, please do not get excited and run with that without first confirming the tree is actually representative of the dna.

E.g., I recently had a 525 cMs match and her big tree had nothing to do with my well-documented tree, so I knew something was wrong somewhere. I messaged the administator and she said the tree was hers, but the dna was that of her son-in-law.

What!

[Tenn4ever]

And just a caveat to all adoptees who test at Ancestry.

Just because you have a close dna match with someone who has a big tree, please do not get excited and run with that without first confirming the tree is actually representative of the dna.

E.g., I recently had a 525 cMs match and her big tree had nothing to do with my well-documented tree, so I knew something was wrong somewhere. I messaged the administator and she said the tree was hers, but the dna was that of her son-in-law.

What!

Yes, when you get a match on Ancestry click on the user name at the top of the page. This will take you to their profile page. If you match to them it will show that. If they have tested someone else it will show that down below.