GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives

Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2002-12 > 1040356265


From: "Mark and Gary" <>
Subject: [DNA] Why have test privacy
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 19:55:36 -0800


Bill,
Respectfully, I can't believe that web sites are keeping DNA tests private
because somebody, somewhere out there is adopted and we are all trying to
keep their little secret.

The web sites could list DNA results and the ancestor they link to such as
"John Smith of Charlotte County, VA, b. 1850 son of William Smith, b.1815"
or whatever ancestor is both provable and distant enough in the past to have
multiple lineages now doing genealogical research
Gary

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bailey" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2002 6:47 PM
Subject: RE: [DNA] Why have test privacy


Gary...

Years ago my wife called a Stephens cousin on the phone....This lady
had no knowledge that her grandmother was a Stephens as the grandmother
had been adopted out at 2-3 years of age in eastern Kansas... My wife
thought her parents had told her about her Stephens heritage...so
imagine the lady's consternation at my wife's phone call.... When she
learned the truth, then they visited back and forth... Note that Kansas
still has these adoptions records locked up after almost 100 years and
tell us only a judge can open these records......

Many times, it is wise to keep DNA results private in cases of adoption
until that person has seen the results and understands that their
DNA is different because of an parent or grandparent adoption....

Bill

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark and Gary [mailto:]
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2002 8:26 PM
To:
Subject: [DNA] Why have test privacy


Nameless DNA test results are posted on many web sites without saying how
that DNA links to certain ancestors.

Why do people want privacy? What is the downside? Why keep DNA tested
families private. Isn't the purpose of DNA is to see who links to whom.
Why the charade on so many web sites.

I can see why some companies might want to control the DNA test so they can
become a fee-for-looking database, but why should we, who are tested, care
to keep our DNA tests private?

Gary

This thread: