What is point of projects?

[GST]

Gail, are the new FMS step matches still being incorrectly calculated?

They were still incorrect the last time I checked a couple days ago. It would be nice if we can get a notice from FTDNA when the problem with the FMS step match is fixed.

[travers]

Another project that has an administrator MIA is the mtdna Haplogroup A Project. Administrator isn't active and doesn't answer emails. I would make a suggestion too although I rarely do as it seems FTDNA usually is not all that responsive to suggestions. But I think it would be good if there was a section in the Projects tab that shows projects in need of an administrator (or co-administrator). It would be good for the project members to have an active administrator, it would be good for the project administrator who needs help or can no longer serve and can't find a suitable replacement and it would be good for FTDNA. Strong projects leads to more sales. Maybe even post these projects in need of an administrator at the annual conference.

[GST]

Another project that has an administrator MIA is the mtdna Haplogroup A Project. Administrator isn't active and doesn't answer emails. I would make a suggestion too although I rarely do as it seems FTDNA usually is not all that responsive to suggestions. But I think it would be good if there was a section in the Projects tab that shows projects in need of an administrator (or co-administrator). It would be good for the project members to have an active administrator, it would be good for the project administrator who needs help or can no longer serve and can't find a suitable replacement and it would be good for FTDNA. Strong projects leads to more sales. Maybe even post these projects in need of an administrator at the annual conference.

Excellent suggestions. And mtDNA matches are still not working - I just saw new results for a mother-child pair who have identical FMS results but are not shown as HVR1 matches, and are shown as 1-step FMS matches.

[B52]

I joined 2 but it was pointless.

I think they are rather pointless unless you're interested in starting an informal chat club or hobby club based on the members.

As the administration and members are not professional geneticists the relevant contributions from each will be minimal.

I first did an FTDNA way back in 2003 I don't even think they were a year old yet and had been a member of a project for many years.

I didn't receive any communication about the project I joined until once when the administrator mistaken CC'ed private communication to all group members so I complained to them and got a nasty email in return.

And it's just as well, the project has only 6 members and one of them is in the wrong haplogroup (I'm not going to break that participant's heart though :-(

Myself, I have 3 exact or 1 step 67 matches with 4 more that would match if they tested to that level and none of them have my last name but since both families were neighbors of my family in 1760s North Carolina they did get their hearts somewhat broken but as that was over 200 years ago not too badly.

I have yet to match anyone with my last name.

That another poster stated that it seems some of the project administrators may have passed on and people often change email addresses anyway I think their are more productive ways to have fun with your hobby.

Personally, I like old National Geographics about different cultures as the Internet can be a bit catty. The results are the results and not of much interest once you know them except in searching for NatGeo articles when you can map the results well enough.

[AndrewS]

Footprints,

Some projects have pages on other sites - worldfamilies, yahoo etc. - where communications between members is possible.

Does anyone know whether it is possible to compare my FamilyTreeDNA results on other sites?

[vinnie]

YSearch for YDNA, mitosearch for mtDNA HVR results, mtdnacommunity for Full Mitochondrial Sequence, and Gedmatch for FF results, but this site can't take uploads until August.

[PDHOTLEN]

I, just today, "joined" the Austria-Hungary project. But there is nothing there; no email address or access to the project. Since my maternal grandfather was born in Austria before the First World War, that would make me (my tree) eligible, I would think.

[vinnie]

I, just today, "joined" the Austria-Hungary project. But there is nothing there; no email address or access to the project. Since my maternal grandfather was born in Austria before the First World War, that would make me (my tree) eligible, I would think.

You may want to call the office to see if the project's been abandoned. If not, the administrator is supposed to provide an e-mail address. If it needs an administrator, you may want to consider volunteering.

[PDHOTLEN]

You may want to call the office to see if the project's been abandoned. If not, the administrator is supposed to provide an e-mail address. If it needs an administrator, you may want to consider volunteering.

I've gone deaf; haven't answered my phone in many years. I'm really not up on computers, and am limited in that regard. I don't have enough social status and respect to be a project administrator, along with being old and having one foot in the grave.

[vinnie]

I've gone deaf; haven't answered my phone in many years.

I've been an administrator for a few years now and the only people I've ever spoken to are folks in the FTDNA office, and that's only because I'm too impatient to wait for e-mail responses.

I'm really not up on computers, and am limited in that regard.

if you're able to navigate through your own accounts and projects, you've got all the computer experience you need.

I don't have enough social status and respect to be a project administrator, along with being old and having one foot in the grave.

Social status & respect have nothing to do with it. (I doubt mine have increased around here...) Your posts have proven that you're quite a competent researcher. Give yourself some credit! It's only when both feet are in the grave that you won't be able to be an administrator.

[Zaru]

Conversely....

My project is filled with unresponsive participants. I send updates often, presented them with my published ground breaking research regarding their family, and I never hear anything. Not one response. Most of them have not logged in in over a year, it's really disconcerting- because the project has some real potential to substantiate genetic findings with paper histories.

I have even offered, as a perk, to research any lineages on their behalf, gratis- but not one response. I actually had a co-admin, but I had to delete her because she mined all of the personal information then became unresponsive to my communications.

I will continue to fight the good fight.

[vinnie]

I actually had a co-admin, but I had to delete her because she mined all of the personal information then became unresponsive to my communications..

I hope you let the office know about that.

Otherwise, people's interests change, so don't be discouraged. It sounds like you've been a great administrator.

[PDHOTLEN]

I received a very belated response to an earlier request to join the Danish Demes project. I thought my old eyes saw an exact HVR1 match in Denmark (since seen to be in error). They said I need more than just a haplogroup; I need an address of ancestors (or something like that). Ha ha! Well it looks like Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, King of Denmark and all the Vikings, is attached to my maternal tree via a couple of his children. It is not, apparently, a direct maternal line (via his Swedish wife). I don't know Harald's address offhand, but anyone can Google it easily enough.

[Rebekah Canada]

"Social Status"

Social status & respect have nothing to do with it. (I doubt mine have increased around here...) Your posts have proven that you're quite a competent researcher. Give yourself some credit! It's only when both feet are in the grave that you won't be able to be an administrator.

What Vinnie says is true. There is no social status at Family Tree DNA. One of the best and most needed traits in a project admin is the knowledge that they do not know everything.

[PDHOTLEN]

Getting away from the subject of project administrator, I see the person who posted the above ^ message is named Thorn. My U5b2b2 HVR1+HVR2 is very rare, up to this point. One tree I put together based on that match, ages ago, on Ancestry has a Thorn in it; in Canada. I'll have to take a peek again. I presume a common maternal ancestress with my line back in merry ole England, before the Pilgrims came over. One line in that tree moved to Canada from Massachusetts around the 1812 War era, I think it was.