Matches and "family side"

[PhilGee]

In the latest newsletter is the statement:

"If you look at the match above mine, you’ll notice that there’s a question posed: Do you recognize them?. If you click Yes you’ll be asked Do you know which side of XXX’s family YYY is on?"

However, I get "Do you know which side of your family XXX is on?"

Knowing which side of "your" family is far more useful than "their" family, as it is a pointer designed to aid your search for a link to shared matches.

My immediate thoughts are that knowing direct ancestor surnames is more useful than knowing the "side" their link is on and even that is very limited.

 

[peter]

I think you're forgetting that in the example in the newsletter I was looking at the matches of a cousin whose DNA test I manage.

 

[PhilGee]

True - but I plead "confusion" as I still do not understand the point. Is it that Ancestry have determined the family side and added it in or that you have answered the question (as manager)? The former would be newsworthy, the latter better as a comment in a description useful to all having an Ancestry DNA test.

 

[peter]

True - but I plead "confusion" as I still do not understand the point. Is it that Ancestry have determined the family side and added it in or that you have answered the question (as manager)? The former would be newsworthy, the latter better as a comment in a description useful to all having an Ancestry DNA test.

Perhaps now that your initial confusion has been resolved you need to read the newsletter article again?

 

[JaneF]

Surely the only reason that an accurate relationship is displayed is because you have entered the information yourself? So why would anybody be confused?

 

[PhilGee]

From the newsletter: "But how do Ancestry know that the match is on that side of my cousin’s tree? Not, as you might have supposed, because they’d figured it out themselves using SideViewTM – no, they used a much simpler approach, one based on a much older technology."

As worded, there is a clear implication that Ancestry determined the relationship and not that they provided a facility for the "manager" to add that information.

It is conceivable that Ancestry might add a "system" where they flag "shared" matches based on user entered "side" data added to the person with whom they are shared.

 

[peter]

From the newsletter: "But how do Ancestry know that the match is on that side of my cousin’s tree? Not, as you might have supposed, because they’d figured it out themselves using SideViewTM – no, they used a much simpler approach, one based on a much older technology."

As worded, there is a clear implication that Ancestry determined the relationship and not that they provided a facility for the "manager" to add that information.

You're right, someone who stops reading the article at that point might well go away with the wrong impression. But surely anyone as inquisitive as a family historian will want to know what this 'technology' is?

It is conceivable that Ancestry might add a "system" where they flag "shared" matches based on user entered "side" data added to the person with whom they are shared.

Indeed, which is why it is important to make it clear that they're not doing this at the moment. See the paragraph which begins Does it matter that some users will make an incorrect assumption?.

 

[jorghes]

Since I am lucky enough to be been able to test my parents and a grandparent, my results have always had both "Father's side" or "Mother's Side". My father's results are lucky enough to have an automatic "Mother's side" - makes sorting the results so much easier and of course the new system allows me to add "Father's side" to those who had been previously unmarked.

There is also a third option, "both sides". These appear when you have children or grandchildren (and interestedly, a grandnephew) of a DNA result. Ironically though, my father's results have myself (and siblings) and his sister listed as "mother's side" rather than "both sides" because her results are already in the system; my mother's results have her children listed as "both sides" as unfortunately both of her parents have long since passed away.

 

[peter]

my father's results have myself (and siblings) and his sister listed as "mother's side" rather than "both sides" because her results are already in the system

You and your siblings are related to your father on both sides of his tree.

If Ancestry are showing you as only related on his mother's side then there is something seriously wrong!

 

[jorghes]

You and your siblings are related to your father on both sides of his tree.

If Ancestry are showing you as only related on his mother's side then there is something seriously wrong!

Oh I know - I think it's occurring because while his mother's DNA results are present for Ancestry to refer to, his father's are not and Ancestry is having difficult reconciling it.

 

[peter]

Oh I know - I think it's occurring because while his mother's DNA results are present for Ancestry to refer to, his father's are not and Ancestry is having difficult reconciling it.

Have you contacted Ancestry about this? With SideView coming in the last thing anyone needs is an issue like this muddying the waters.

 

[jorghes]

Have you contacted Ancestry about this? With SideView coming in the last thing anyone needs is an issue like this muddying the waters.

No, I have not. I will investigate!

EDIT: colour me disgusted and a touch annoyed. They suggested that I had assigned that at some point, when it had automatically updated (not sure they actually realise that there is a problem with that type of automatic update.)

However, this can be manually changed in the same manner as you now can assign a specific relationship to a more distant cousin. I think that since Ancestry's algorithm can tell if a result is a full sibling, child or parent, that they should be able to automate a "both sides" call without me needing to manually input those relationships.

 

[KimL]

I am lucky enough to be the only child of my parents yet I have several half siblings. This has enabled me to reconcile matches as my mum's or dad's side for a while. There are still many matches that I can't be sure of when I look at matches in common and I have always thought this is related to the different shared DNA we each inherit from each generational split. It will be interesting to see how close ancestry is to what I know, especially as my parents are from different countries.