GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives
Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2005-05 > 1115078256
From: "Glen Todd" <>
Subject: RE: [DNA] Newbie: National Geographic, Relative Genetics, DNA Heritage,Family...
Date: Mon, 2 May 2005 17:57:36 -0600
In-Reply-To: <ee.12662f11.2fa81054@aol.com>
> In a message dated 5/2/2005 7:07:32 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
> writes:
>
> With all these options and avenues available as of today, what would you
> advise a Newbie to do?
>
>
>
> Robert:
>
That's far too open-ended a question. It depends on what the newbie wants.
I came from a background of 'traditional' paper trail genealogy. I
originally got into doing genetics through the Todd Surname Project, so we
were doing Y chromosome stuff. Later, somebody on another list asked about
mtDNA (maternal), so I've ordered that. I've also got a secondary
interest in the prehistoric migration studies that are going on, so I'm
paying attention to that. I'm basically as pure Northern European as
you're likely to find in the States these days, so I'm not 'looking for' any
Jewish, African, Native American, or similar 'fashionable' ancestry. (And
in fact would be surprised if any showed up, as there is no hint of any in
the rather extensive paper trail.)
From an engineer's standpoint (that's what I do), you don't start by listing
your tools and what they're capable of. You start by defining the
'business purpose; your non-technical objective. THEN you look at your
resources to see how they can best be deployed to accomplish that objective.
It may even be that your objective cannot be achieved with the tools
currently available. In any case, though, asking; "What's in the
toolbox?" accomplishes nothing.
Glen
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