canadianbeth
LostCousins Star
Ok, I just want to confirm that downloading my results does not delete them because that is listed right underneath the part about downloading.
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What next after Ancestry?
- Thread starter palfamily
- Start date
I suppose I should respond since I am quoted. I had concerns about the main MyHeritage site when I joined a few years ago. I stopped using it and had difficulty in getting my account deleted.
Moving forward a few years, and after positive references following their implementation of new security and privacy controls I ventured back for the DNA upload. The functionality was attractive because I wanted to see matches and shared matches that weren't available on Ancestry; and I thought it was useful to see the county of residence of my matches. I have found useful information.
The recent data breach was the loss of e-mail addresses and hashed passwords.
Deleting your results is a completely separate option - no need to worry.
Bob Spiers
LostCousins Superstar
Yes I can understand why you would use consider MH in this instance and agree with your other comments, particularly about Yahoo
canadianbeth
LostCousins Star
I uploaded the DNA to GEDMatch and am trying to also upload my tree but cannot figure out how. I Googled instructions and they do not work. I keep getting an error stating I need a name, a dot, followed by GED, but I have saved the file three times and each time it does not work. Instructions state save as, but I do not get that option.
Bear in mind that your GEDmatch tree will be completely public - it won't just be available to your genetic cousins. There is no need to upload a tree - most people don't - and little or no benefit if you do, which is why I deleted my tree.
canadianbeth
LostCousins Star
Ok, thanks. I thought I needed to upload it so the DNA upload would work. I will not bother if it is not necessary.
jorghes
LostCousins Superstar
Yes - I saw that. It doesn't seem to be working well yet. It looks as if most people haven't given a location.
But how helpful is it? I live hundreds of miles from where my ancestors lived.
It depends on how you plan to use the information. For me knowing that one of my cousins lives close to a records office that I can't get to very easily will be useful; in other cases it will be nice to know that one of my genetic cousins lives just down the road.
In my experience one of the first questions a new cousin asks is "where do you live", so it clearly matters to some people. And just knowing the country where someone lives will help to prioritise our matches - emigration to Australia and New Zealand is mostly in the last 6 generations, and emigration to Canada even more recent - whereas many of my genetic cousins in the US have to go back 8 or 10 generations to find ancestors born in Britain.
Of course, there will always be exceptions but when you have tens of thousands of matches even an approximate filter can be useful.
As Peter says, it is an additional filter. It can be really useful if your relatives emigrated in the 1800s and the list of shared matches is identified by location. It doesn't matter if some people on the list have moved.
I suppose it would be even more useful if you have relatively recent immigrant ancestors.
jorghes
LostCousins Superstar
The only problem with that is for people like me (and any of my matches)...
My place of birth would be both useless and confusing for any research matches looking for me; particularly since my parents were born on two different continents in two different countries, and I just happened to born on a different continent and in a different country to both of them, and a country which has nothing to do with my ancestry. My place of current residence is much more pertinent.
Put down the place you think will be most helpful to other people. Alternatively leave it blank.
Bob Spiers
LostCousins Superstar
Quite fascinating jorghes, indeed if you could go on to say your children (sorry if presumptuous or irrelevant) were also born on a yet different continent (still one or two remaining) and a different country to the birthplace of any of their ancestors, I am sure that would qualify for the Guinness Book of Records. But even as given pretty unique by any standard.
jorghes
LostCousins Superstar
Quite fascinating jorghes, indeed if you could go on to say your children (sorry if presumptuous or irrelevant) were also born on a yet different continent (still one or two remaining) and a different country to the birthplace of any of their ancestors, I am sure that would qualify for the Guinness Book of Records. But even as given pretty unique by any standard.
At this point that is unlikely, lol, though it would be fun to try.
My parents were involved in work in Asia when I was born, my mother was born in Wales and emigrated and my father's family has been in Australia since 1840. Three continents, three countries.
I've just uploaded my Ancestry DNA to MyHeritage. I've identified one person common to both and the different results are interesting. Ancestry, shared DNA 32cM in 4 segments, 4-6 cousin. MyHeritage 47.8cM in 4 segments, longest segment 18.6cM, 3-5 cousin. I haven't found the relationship yet, which is a shame.
There will be differences between Ancestry and other sites - as I mentioned recently Ancestry downgrade certain segments as part of their Timber algorithm. As you've not yet found the relationship it's unlikely that you're 3rd cousins.
That is an good link with an interesting discussion. I’m amazed at how people get so angry about having their cousins downgraded. I’m glad that for me that it’s more of an interesting hobby than a crusade.