matches disappeared

[Táltos]

The Pollyannas should understand that having some customers lose all matches whereas others lose only some are related issues. Losing all matches is not like marbles falling out of a pan. There is some serious problem with the FT-DNA database such that it does not see the data of some significant fraction of Family Finder customers. If you are like me and your matches are gone, then none of your matches can see your data. It is not because you were a low-quality match. It is because the dark blinds everyone.

I have no doubt that some fraction of Family Finder matches disappeared due to new and revised matching criteria. However, some is not all. When and if FT-DNA gets its act together, many lost matches will be restored.

This is exactly what I'm talking about.

[Táltos]

Amy,

I wasn't yelling at you about it being a hobby. I was just pointing out that although it is a hobby, it is an expensive hobby and still should warrant good customer service.

As for the lost matches... I am not quite sure what to believe. Like you I just don't have much faith in whether or not these matches are correct. Seeing as I am having matches pop up in my list with old dates (my total numbers increase and then a match from 2012 suddenly appears??) and with people having parents and known 1st and 2nd cousins drop off. It just doesn't make sense.

Plus I am finding Jewish matches that say 5th cousin or more that actually DO match me as a 3rd or 4th cousin. I understand Build 37 was working to fix the problem with jewish matches seeming to be closer than they actually are but now are they the opposite?

I am just not convinced that this is real. And it has nothing to do with not being able to accept science. I am perfectly able to accept new scientific models and that some matches may drop off, etc. What I don't accept is all of these issues. It just is not logical.

That's all.

I am glad they are hiring more people and I am glad they are answering your questions- sort of.

I hope your matches are resolved and I really wish the raw data was available.

No worries Amybeth
I just wanted to explain again why people may be so upset with losing their matches. If it's a hobby, it is something fun, and now FTDNA has made it not so fun. It becomes like one more aggravation that real life likes to throw people. And yes this is a business, and FTDNA might think how to handle things a little better. Paying customer+not getting service=Ticked off customer who might call the BBB. Not saying that I would, or promote that anyone should do that. Who knows someone might over this. Just sayin.

I also want to point out this is not a hobby for everyone. Some people are in this to find their biological family. So I want to apologize for not acknowledging that in the first place.

[vinnie]

I also want to point out this is not a hobby for everyone. Some people are in this to find their biological family.

Yes, my father's 23 match is our newly found adopted cousin, so FTDNA has come through for us on our most important matching concern as of now.

[1_mke]

1_mke - I lost ALL of my matches. All of them.

Understood, and I covered that at the end of my post.

I find it totally baffling that it is taking FTDNA so long to fix that problem. As I've said many times before they clearly have some very serious issues in their approach to IT.

I'm reasonably confident they are doing fine on the science side of things but that doesn't really help when that science isn't getting translated into results that customers can rely on.

[T E Peterman]

I know that every time they run the database, the hope is that the latest batch of fixes will eliminate the problems. I think there are two types of match losses to consider:

1. if all of them are gone, even close relatives, then it is an IT/ algorithm type of issue, where shared centimorgans are being expressed in negative numbers, or something. I think they somes have to detach matches when they re-run the database.

2. if some are gone, it depends on how many shared centomorgans the lost matches actually had. If 1/3 of them were hovering near the low end of the previous threshhold, they may be gone for good.

All of the kits I manage still have matches, but I won't download any of the match data until they are done with this process.

Timothy Peterman

[boi568]

All of the kits I manage still have matches, but I won't download any of the match data until they are done with this process.

Timothy Peterman

I think that is good advice. I had built up a couple of massive chromosome browser spreadsheets integrating my matches and my mother's matches, as well as y-DNA and (to much less effect, given the haplotype) mtDNA connections. I also had placed ancestral names, where available, alongside 10cM+ matches. I have suggested to FTDNA that they expedite the lifting of the 5 match chromosome browser limit, and themselves place the ancestral names in that data set. No answer, of course, but I dread having to recreate spreadsheets of those sizes, since I am Ashkenazi.

[Lincoln]

1_mke - I read your post. I thought the last line was directed at others.

[1_mke]

Fair enough. Really the first part was directed at everyone as was the last part. Sorry for the confusion.

[Lincoln]

Ok, I just assumed when you put my name in your response, it was directed toward me.

[1_mke]

Well, to be accurate your post triggered the thoughts I was expressing.

I'll admit to getting confused when people talk about "missing matches". We have several variants of that problem right now.

On that general topic I too would like to see the ability to manually set matching thresholds. Being able to do that on gedmatch is very useful.

[mollyblum]

Yes. I am one of them. My father is adopted and I am trying to find his birth father.

Plus I am Jewish and many family members perished in the holocaust and family members were very secretive of our origins and I know next to nothing about my family history. So I am trying to find out that info as well which is why I am so frustrated with this Build 37 debacle. I don't know if this information is legitimate. When you have nothing else to go on it is difficult trusting a system that is not consistent and repeatedly contradicts itself and doesn't seem to be displaying correct data.

AB

No worries Amybeth
I just wanted to explain again why people may be so upset with losing their matches. If it's a hobby, it is something fun, and now FTDNA has made it not so fun. It becomes like one more aggravation that real life likes to throw people. And yes this is a business, and FTDNA might think how to handle things a little better. Paying customer+not getting service=Ticked off customer who might call the BBB. Not saying that I would, or promote that anyone should do that. Who knows someone might over this. Just sayin.

I also want to point out this is not a hobby for everyone. Some people are in this to find their biological family. So I want to apologize for not acknowledging that in the first place.

[maplegirl]

I gather from reading previous posts no one has any idea when this will be resolved? This must be one serious glitch. What is going on? What's taking so long? Yes, I lost every one of my matches. Now I'm getting very annoyed to say the least.

[Lincoln]

Last week, I read an email someone posted that said by today (March 20). Today, I read an email someone posted in one of these threads it would be March 27.

[MFWare]

Last week, I read an email someone posted that said by today (March 20). Today, I read an email someone posted in one of these threads it would be March 27.

Today, March 22, 2013, I received the following message from FT-DNA's Help Desk:

==========================
Dear Dr. Ware,

Our IT department is working diligently to correct the issues with the Family Finder database. We are expecting this will be complete by the end of next week. Once your Family Finder results are available, your brother (kit •••••) should show as a match under the Family Find tab. Please let us know if you have further questions and thank you for your patience in this matter.

Best Regards,

Michelle F
Information Specialist
Family Tree DNA
==========================

[Lincoln]

Thanks MFWare. They sent me one too, but it is slightly different, and less detailed. I didn't find mine very comforting. More like brush-off. I received it 11 days after I sent very cordial informational email:

Hello Lincoln,

Thank you for letting us know that you are not currently showing any matches for your Family Finder. We are aware of the problem with the database and we are expecting it to be resolved by the end of next week. Thank you for your patience in the matter.

Best Regards,

Michelle F
Information Specialist
Family Tree DNA