Is it okay to post your DNA results on Facebook?

[Intevel]

Would it be weird to share it with family and friends who are on your Facebook? Would it be TOO Personal? Would it look like you're too obsessed with race and your family tree?

I don't wanna come across as weird. And I could have some family that doesn't want to focus on family trees. Would it look like I'm sharing too much personal info if I posted my results on Facebook and how many cousins i have?

I don't wanna offend anyone. I don't think it would. But some people get really emotional when they think of their past and family. I don't want people to think I'm too into this.

[Germanica]

Plenty of people share their ethnicity report on Facebook, I don't see why that would bother anyone. There's nothing wrong with exploring your ethnic background.

I am not sure what the purpose of sharing how many cousin matches you have would be, everyone has hundreds or thousands of them, but I can't see how it would be offensive. Certainly, I would not post details about those cousins.

I think perhaps you need to not worry so much about what other people will think of you.

[MoberlyDrake]

I don't use Facebook, but if I want to talk about what DNA matches descended from a distant common ancestor share on a Rootsweb list, I replace their names with letters, such as match A and match B, both descendants of X share 15 cM on chromosome 3. That way, you can discuss DNA without any violation of privacy.

[Carpathian]

Would it be weird to share it with family and friends who are on your Facebook? Would it be TOO Personal? Would it look like you're too obsessed with race and your family tree?

weird. And I could have some family that doesn't want to focus on family trees. Would it look like I'm sharing too much personal info if I posted my results on Facebook and how many cousins i have?

I don't wanna offend anyone. I don't think it would. But some people get really emotional when they think of their past and family. I don't want people to think I'm too into this.

"I don't wanna come across as..."

"I don't wanna offend anyone."

"I don't want people to think..."

Me neither. Statements such as these demonstrate why I'm not participating on Facebook.

People in this forum tend to think first, before responding to their peers. That's why this forum is not Facebook.

[Intevel]

I don't want family to think I'm TOO obsessed with the family tree. Then cousins that I know but aren't close with me might be (that I want to try to reconnect with) might think that I'm only trying to get together with them because I'm trying to use them for genealogy. Don't wanna scare them away.

[ltd-jean-pull]

I probably wouldn't post ethnicity results because sometime in the future they'll be updated.

[dna]

Share with the family? Yes!

Share on Facebook? Absolutely no!

The above has nothing to do with sharing, and all with Facebook.

Actually it would be the same for any other so called social platform that earns their living from collecting information and selling collected information to anybody who wants to pay. Moreover, some can get that information for free.

Then there is the DNA angle. Your mtDNA is shared, possibly with only trivial mutations, by dozens or hundreds of your family members that might not want to have their mtDNA publicly available. Publishing Y DNA results would have less impact. Etc.


Mr. W.


P.S.
True genealogical research is extremely invasive! So its result should not be broadcasted publicly. At least that is my experience when looking around. (I am not doing that, but I had seen many behaving exactly like I am describing below.)

Yes, initially it looks like an innocent look into the past. Let's say your grandfather was John Smith. And you start writing down basics of his life story (supplementing with photographs if they are available)

• born
• baptized
• graduated
• married
• lived at, moved
• worked as/at
• died
• buried

For all of the above, you get the supporting documentation as a copy (a certified one or from Internet) or you ask the family whether you could be the keeper of the originals. You would collect newspaper clips about him. So far innocent?

What is missing? Children! Would you only list his children that have already passed away? I doubt it. Most family researches I had encountered would have files and collect such information (as described above) about their living aunts and uncles. Would you delay creating a file until after someone dies? Then there are your cousins... They would additionally have their phone numbers, websites and e-mails included in your file, not because of anything else but your convenience being able to reach them. If one of them is a good girl or a good boy of the family, you may subconsciously track down her or his activities even more: check their Facebook page, perform extensive searches on Internet etc. It is all innocent, as that is just some information to be shared during the next family reunion...

[Carpathian]

I don't want family to think I'm TOO obsessed with the family tree. Then cousins that I know but aren't close with me might be (that I want to try to reconnect with) might think that I'm only trying to get together with them because I'm trying to use them for genealogy. Don't wanna scare them away.

What is it that makes anybody care what other people think? (It's an actual question, not a rhetorical one.) People have all sorts of irrational thoughts. Do you fear rejection or loss of the goodwill of others?

What makes you think you can scare anyone away? If they are scared of you, assuming there is no foundation for fear, there is nothing you can do to change them. But if you are scared that they will be scared...(draw your own conclusions.)

[MoberlyDrake]

If you are a dedicated genealogist, you probably are obsessed with genealogy! Who cares who knows it?

If you collect antique cars, you are probably obsessed with antique cars. So what!

I collect very little information on living relatives. I am only interested in our common ancestors. I don't bother about the current family bush! I'm a senior citizen though. My mother is still living, but for any relative other than my siblings, our common ancestors are dead. I never publish info about living relatives. I do have some some in my genealogy program though, with only basic info. I store email addresses and phone numbers elsewhere.

[Intevel]

Seems like there are mixed opinions on this topic. A poster above says that I shouldn't post because it's Facebook and too personal. Then other say it doesn't matter.

I'm split over this. I read someone had 2 friends unfriend them after she posted her results. Some people don't like racial profiling.

[dna]

Seems like there are mixed opinions on this topic. A poster above says that I shouldn't post because it's Facebook and too personal. Then other say it doesn't matter.

I'm split over this. I read someone had 2 friends unfriend them after she posted her results. Some people don't like racial profiling.

So you got

• No.
• It does not matter.

But you did not get

• Yes.

Mr. W.

[sspeters41]

Reporting DNA results

It's your property. You can report when and where you desire. I haven't posted any results on facebook, but I have given my ethnic %'s to other family researchers via e-mail. If you want to share, go ahead.

[Germanica]

I don't want family to think I'm TOO obsessed with the family tree. Then cousins that I know but aren't close with me might be (that I want to try to reconnect with) might think that I'm only trying to get together with them because I'm trying to use them for genealogy. Don't wanna scare them away.

Lol, everyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with genealogy. I don't care. It's a hobby, and I never do my hobbies by halves. It's called passion. Nothing to be ashamed of. Some people are obsessed with quilting, some people are obsessed with football, some people are obsessed with genealogy. When my cousin posts about football on Facebook, I don't get offended, nor do I care that she (yes, she) is obsessed with Football. When my friend posts photos of her latest quilt on Facebook, I don't get offended. You're majorly overthinking this.

I'm split over this. I read someone had 2 friends unfriend them after she posted her results. Some people don't like racial profiling.

That's not what racial profiling is. At all. Racial profiling is making assumptions about someone based on their race. A DNA ethnicity report merely tells you what race/ethnicity portions of your DNA most closely match. Acknowledging different ethnicities exist is nowhere near the same thing as making assumptions about someone based on those ethnicities, and anyone who thinks it is is clearly a fool and you're better off without them in your life.

A poster above says that I shouldn't post because it's Facebook and too personal.

I don't understand that argument unless your Facebook profile/activity is 100% public. Only my Facebook friends (people I've approved of) can see what I post on Facebook. Therefore, it's very private and personal and therefore my personal DNA reports are entirely appropriate for it, if I choose.

[Germanica]

So you got

• No.
• It does not matter.

But you did not get

• Yes.

Mr. W.

I say yes, if he wants to. I'm not going to tell him what to do, but if he wants to, then yes, he should do it. There is nothing offensive about a DNA ethnicity report, therefore anyone offended by it is being completely unreasonable and no one should live in fear of such people.

[Tenn4ever]

Maybe, Maybe Not

I think it's okay to post your ethnicity results but not any matching results to others.