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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2011-11 > 1321011771


From: Bill <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Problems with some surname project admins
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:42:51 -0500
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In-Reply-To: <1321007892.32868.YahooMailNeo@web28207.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>


There seem to be a lot of projects that do this or something like it.

There are probably some legitimate reasons for doing this., perhaps
grounded in fears concerning releasing members YDNA data. This seems
to be the case for one surname project I've looked at, based on a
group decision of the early members when the project was newly
formed. While the YDNA data itself is available for inspection, the
genealogical information is not. That pretty much makes it
impossible for anyone other than project members to do anything
genealogical with the data. Interestingly, they'll let you join the
project (and get access to the family history) for a contribution to
their YDNA fund.

While I don't agree with the "concerned with Big Brother" philosophy
at work in that project, I suppose it is the right of those whose
YDNA is being examined to close-hold their DNA data.

But I encounter a LOT of projects where the only information provided
the public in the earliest ancestor field is the surname, and I
suspect they are not all that concerned with the privacy
considerations. Your comment 'my data, all mine', may be on target
in some cases.

Its one thing to exclude non-project members from the data, but its
another to not meet the needs of the project members. I suspect
those with the 'my data, all mine' attitude are also not meeting the
needs of the project members. They probably don't get many
complaints though, as most people wouldn't know what to expect beyond
"here's your results". Which is to say, there are probably more than
a few people who come away from YDNA studies with "well, that's a big
whoopee-do. Remind me next time not to waste money like this."

Which perversely, may be the reason FTDNA doesn't take a harder line
on this subject. They may not be getting that many complaints---just
a lot of quietly annoyed clients who don't know enough to know they
aren't getting what they should be getting.

Bill


On Nov 11, 2011, at 5:38 AM, David Stedman wrote:

> Yes but if it's anything like the Hollingsworth
> project that this person runs then joining the project won't do
> much good as
> the results are kept hidden.
>
> I think this is one of the most irksome
> habits of some project administrators.
>
>
> I can just picture this character huddled
> close to the brazier chortling 'my data, all mine'
>
>
> I wouldn't mind betting this is the sort
> of administrator that never replies to emails as well
>
>
>

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