looking for ANY info on birth parents

[keigh]

It's the "Being served a Family Tree on a silver platter" mind set that Ancestry reinforces with their "genealogy is SO EASY to do" commercials. Just put a couple of names on a tree and the Ancestry program will bring out all this other information to add to your tree. Hah!

[Faithiebee123]

I've messaged a few people but I've gotten 0 replies. Not surprised though. I've been trying to find info on my birth parents for about 10 years now. Guess it's meant to be a mystery.

[BBA64]

Hi,
You may wish to join the GAGP project here on FTDNA. There are some very good pinned posts to help with further research and testing. One resource highly recommended is dnaadoption.com. Their methods are sound and proven (as I can personally attest).

One thing about messaging in ancestry.com - the green buttons are internal messages somebody will only see if they log on. The brown one you access from the users's profiles actually sends and e-mail out ("Contact <username>"). This may help, a little.

Good luck!

[DWFlineage]

I agree

You are 100% right about this. All of the three main testing companies have a frustrating lack of replies from and trees posted by matches.

I can understand this for 23andMe, since the company until very recently has advertised itself as a place to test to learn about health traits and doesn't encourage its customers much to opt into DNA Relatives. Since both AncestryDNA and FTDNA are marketing to genealogists, it's a head scratcher why more people don't reply and don't seem to be interested in collaboration to find common ancestors.

In the case of AncestryDNA, I think that many of their customers order the test after seeing a commercial about how they'll find out their ethnic ancestry and may even have to give up their lederhosen for a kilt. I also think that many people at both AncestryDNA and FTDNA have the idea that testing their DNA will magically churn out a family tree for them. They don't realize that genealogy sometimes takes years of research and collaboration with others to make progress.

I agree with Mike. In my own case, it has been a three pronged search starting at 2004(obtaining non id info from CHS of Jacksonville, FL), ydna, family finder testing(FTDNA) together with autosomal(ancestry) and the assistance of a genealogist who has solved over 500 adoptee cases, culminating with a 2nd cousin 1x removed match at FTDNA, several 2nd cousin matches(Ancestry) and just recently a 1st cousin 1x removed match at ancestry. H.W.'s great-grandmother was my grandmother. I mentioned the non id info and I obtained the death certificate for my late grandmother and her cause of death matched word for word what my birth mom shared with the CHS of Jacksonville, FL, so I knew I had confirmed my maternal grandmother, and two of her daughters fit the age I was told for my birth mother, and I eliminated one of them, and confirming the other sister as my birth mother.

Best regards, Doug

[mollyblum]

You are 100% right about this. All of the three main testing companies have a frustrating lack of replies from and trees posted by matches.

I can understand this for 23andMe, since the company until very recently has advertised itself as a place to test to learn about health traits and doesn't encourage its customers much to opt into DNA Relatives. Since both AncestryDNA and FTDNA are marketing to genealogists, it's a head scratcher why more people don't reply and don't seem to be interested in collaboration to find common ancestors.

In the case of AncestryDNA, I think that many of their customers order the test after seeing a commercial about how they'll find out their ethnic ancestry and may even have to give up their lederhosen for a kilt. I also think that many people at both AncestryDNA and FTDNA have the idea that testing their DNA will magically churn out a family tree for them. They don't realize that genealogy sometimes takes years of research and collaboration with others to make progress.

I just tested w Ancestry and also noticed more than half of my very distant matches (the majority) have no tree and don't respond or have three people on their tree!!! Um, how is that helpful???? It is literally the tester and their parents. Lol. Very disappointed in Ancestry. I have a very detailed tree and thought I would be able to prove or link my father's suspected father somehow. Only had two somewhat close matches. Like 3rd or 4th cousin range. The rest are out there. Some are duplicates from ftdna. But I guess I will have to research every one to get a full picture. Have not tested at 23 and me and really have no plans.

[DWFlineage]

Genealogist

I just tested w Ancestry and also noticed more than half of my very distant matches (the majority) have no tree and don't respond or have three people on their tree!!! Um, how is that helpful???? It is literally the tester and their parents. Lol. Very disappointed in Ancestry. I have a very detailed tree and thought I would be able to prove or link my father's suspected father somehow. Only had two somewhat close matches. Like 3rd or 4th cousin range. The rest are out there. Some are duplicates from ftdna. But I guess I will have to research every one to get a full picture. Have not tested at 23 and me and really have no plans.

I recommend genealogist-Dave [email protected] who may be able to help you solve your brickwall. I understand you are probably not an adoptee, but he should be able to help you from a genealogy standpoint.

Best regards, Doug

[ltd-jean-pull]

In the case of AncestryDNA, I think that many of their customers order the test after seeing a commercial about how they'll find out their ethnic ancestry.

Or they've had the add pop up on Facebook about the "amazing" results of a woman in Sydney. I've only clicked on a couple and they haven't been "amazing" at all. Pretty bog standard ancestry from Europe recently, and then there'll be some daft comment which shows the tester doesn't understand that "ethnicity" isn't not usually within the last three or four generations.

[BBA64]

...Have not tested at 23 and me and really have no plans.

I would. It had a distinctly different set of matches for me. And the 2C1R match that shared tree info was the key to unlocking biological father identity. You never know.

[Nadine Kincaid]

BBA64-a question for you on how different your matches were between Ancestry and 23andMe...In two years on Ancestry, the closest paternal match I can see is a 4th cousin and I've gotten nowhere with those thus far. So, did you get closer matches with 23andMe? I've been unwilling to shell out the $$ for basically the same set of names, but if I'm reading this correctly, you are under the impression that most users will get different names due to the different database?

[CTCoons]

Different results at different places

You will get different responses at different houses.
I have a good number of matches at FTDNA because I bought tests for people there. Mom, Grandma, Uncle, siblings.
But at Ancestry, I have several close matches, but many farther matches. (Pioneer ancestry on both sides.)
23andMe, 1 first cousin match, and several 2nd cousin matches.
MyHeritage is the latest company I tested at, and the closest match there is 1C1R. (Oddly, I don't know which family is his. Must research that.)

So, yes, testing at different houses will give you different results. Some duplication is possible, but you just never know who will test where. And that brick-wall ancestor could be doing a cheek-swab, even as we speak...

[rmm0484]

I haven't been able to find many close relatives so far. Mostly 3rd 4th and 5th cousins. Are they considered close relatives? I'll check out that site you suggested!

I'm planning on doing the Family Finder test eventually. Is there really that much of a benefit to testing with different companies rather than uploading the raw data I already have? Obviously I'm new to this whole genealogy thing so forgive me for seeming like an idiot.

Third Cousins and beyond are good! They will eventually be able to help you narrow your results. You need to do autosomal sooner than later, as well. If you have raw data from another company that will be accepted by FTDNA, that is just as good...