One more genie out of the bottle....or I'm getting old....

Why in the world is this such a 'thing'??? Seems a bit crazy to me. I never had a desire to get mine tested in the earlier days of it...now, less so every day. Total forfeiture of privacy should be enough of a reason for any one. But news last year of more than a couple people arrested because their relatives had tests done is also enough.

Now, I read that people are getting named relatives back from their tests. Wth? I really don't want someone knocking on my door saying that I was half responsible for their conception 40 years ago. I guess some people would welcome such news, but what about those that don't? No rights for us, I suppose. What about the fathers that come to find out that their kids actually belonged to the mailman from 15 years ago? All just seems a bit creepy to me...or I'm just getting old.

yeah

Never tried them, but on an accuracy note have heard one person saying they did the same one twice and got two different results as far as ancestry.

Had one done... 97% neaderthal, 3% "queer"... Whatever that means....


Person I know had one done about 6 months ago... Long story short, his DNA went into the big database deal and he found out his super strict military dad had fathered 2 children that even pops didn't know about...

I've had extended family do it. I haven't, don't think my dad will any time soon.

There are some .... concerns I have with it, and I frankly don't think the information provided is worth the concerns at this time. That may change in the future.

First off, the information provided is not really accurate as it's advertised. The services don't have a pool of ancient DNA to compare to, all they have is current DNA (hey, submitted by you and other people like you!). So what they're doing is comparing your markers against people living in regions presently, and hoping that migration was limited enough that this is a ballpark estimate of where you came from. I think that's probably close enough for government work at the high percentages. But really, when you're looking at "5% from Ghana" (or whatever) .... they're probably just picking up the Europeans who moved there in more recent times....

That being said, the item that is of interest, which opel hints at, can be finding relatives you don't know you had.... that's also the feature which the police can use to find any of your relatives who may be criminals... There was one case already where the police submitted DNA evidence to one of these private companies, pretending to be the person (or this is how I recall the news story went, I could be wrong), and when the company came back with "You have a cousin in XXX named Dstieger", they went and reached out to him... asked him if he had any cousins he knew of in whatever city the crimes occurred in.... and he fingered his cousin (.... not that way.... or maybe that way... no judgement).

Then, finally, is the irritating part that you are part of the product. Just like Facebook... but with facebook you aren't paying to be part of the product. With these DNA sites, they couldn't exist or work without your DNA submissions. Your information becomes part of the database they compare people to. But you aren't getting compensated for being a product. In fact, you're paying for the privilege of being the product. I know intellectually that there is more to it, they have created an infrastructure into which your information can be searched and matched etc etc... but I'm not thrilled to pay someone to allow them to then use my DNA to make more money, while opening the door to entities searching my DNA... who knows what other companies may choose to do this....

So I'm a meh

My cousins husband was an orphan and did it. Found out he had four additional half brothers and sisters out there.
He found satisfaction with his experience.
My cousin then did it and the database kicked out a women that was (forgive me I don't know the % numbers) percentage wise a close enough match to be related.
She got my half-brother (mother) to do it and it turns out I now have a half-sister!
Mom had four kids.....well there was a war on...we had no clue, but glad I am no longer the middle child!
My brother recently met our new sister and found it funny that he claims she had some of our moms traits? Movements? Is that possible that some of a persons behaviors are inherited and not learned?

Me I have no interest but as my cousin-in-law explains it, being he was adopted he found solace in knowing who else was out there, a connection.
As to the doorbell ringing at my brothers? He has been getting a lot of emails from the firm....he deletes them!

Imagine if you might for a moment, a less than scrupulous insurance company... (so... what I'm saying, is all of them have probably thought finding a way to do this)...

What happens if they're able to use this system to see if you're related to anyone in their system who happened to have a highly inheritable and costly disease?

fear the database.

Pretty sure it’s stuff like this that gave us inter dimensional vampires. 😟

Meh, if some odd relative shows up you can just say, "No thanks."

Privacy is a bugger, but DNA is continuously evolving and can be used to screen you for possible health risks. I foresee a time when babies are not just foot printed but DNA sampled for identity control and to screen for possible health risks.

Insurance companies could use the information, but so can test laboratories that routine handle blood samples. I know some hospitals treating at risk patients routinely test for hepatitis and AIDS to protect their staff as much as diagnose a patient.

No doubt some fear finding out they are a baby daddy from past dalliance.

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What are you supposed to actually learn from this? Your ancestors are from Europe, Africa and the Moon. What the hell am I supposed to actually DO with that info? Not to mention that the Gubmint now has you in the database.

so you can brag about being a 10th cousin of George Washington.... or Bonaparte is in your family tree?

The gubment and anyone else with a hint of hacking ability already has you in their database. You are a product baby.

Maybe but at least they had to earn it. I didn't pay for the f*ckin privilege.

DNA TESTING BRINGS NOTHING BUT....

T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

&
**** that want SOME OF YOUR INHIERETENCE...
IT OPENS ESTATES UP FOR LAWSUITS AND GRIFTERS...

NO WAY would I do it...
But I'm sure the SSG ALREADY DID...
F.U.C.K. THE S.S.G.

Recently completed a logo design for a new start-up that will provide a personalized diet and nutrition plan based on your DNA test. It's quickly becoming the new diet fad.. The company guarantees complete privacy and disposal of all genetic material once the test is complete.

umm when they say "disposal of all genetic material" what does that actually mean. Does that mean they just threw the sample cup o spooge in the trash or does that mean they threw it along with all record material/data/paperwork/wiped all harddrives/magnatized all the email servers they sent the info through etc..... you get where I am going with this.

Poor Henrietta Lacks, if she only knew. 😲

Hah! I was listening to a couple podcasts on her recently.... I actually used the HeLa cell line in grad school with no idea...

When I was going through A&P I got to check out a sample. It was then that I was edumacated about her. It was pretty interesting. I still enjoyed the cadavers more though. Good thing a dead girl cant talk. 😲

You wouldn't happen to have the links to the cast would you?

https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/audio.wnyc.org/rl_extra/rl_extra17henriettalacks.mp3 

Here's the radiolab podcast on her.

I know I heard a second podcast that mentioned her specifically but can't remember which one it was.... May not have been a focus on her.