Just did a little survey - 1/3 of my matches have no trees!

[melba_schmelba]

IgorStrav.

You can attach a private tree to your DNA results if you want to, but it isn't particularly helpful to any of your matches. Make it searchable, so that others can at least others see surnames and places

I would rather keep mine private, so have made my main tree both private and unsearchable.

I have attached a direct ancestor only tree to my DNA results - no attached records or sources.

As I am the one who makes contact with others, this works well for me, but it doesn't work all that well for other matches looking at my tree, but it's the best I can do.

Regards Margaret

Hi Margaret

My tree is Private but searchable.  I can see no way of 'attaching' it to my DNA results without making it Public.

When I first received my DNA results, I made the tree Public for a period to see if I would be included in any DNA circles.  This did not happen, and so after 3 months I made it Private again.  During that time I was not contacted by any DNA matches.

I have a number of DNA matches who have Public Trees, some with many people on them.  There are a great number of matches where I can see no connection, despite the number of names on their tree.

So I've concluded that anyone interested in contacting me will probably do so, with or without a Public Tree.
I've had no approaches from any DNA matches since my results were available last year - all the contacts have been via me approaching other people.

And some of them I've done quite extensive trees for.

Not complaining - it is as it is.

Yes it is perfectly possible to attach a private tree to your results so you are correctly linked to other people and you should then get many common ancestor matches. Go to your main DNA page. Click settings in the top right. Scroll down - there should be a heading 'Family Tree linking'. You should then be able to select a tree from there that is either on your account on another account that you have full access to. You also select who you, or the person whose DNA you are managing is in that tree.

[Craclyn]

You must have made the attachment at some stage. Probably when you activated your kit. It asks you if you want to connect your result. You select the tree then select the profile in the tree.

[IgorStrav]

Well, there you go - thanks very much for all the advice.

Melba_schmelba I can see that I indeed have linked my Private Tree to my DNA results.
I am also getting Thru-Lines and Common Ancestors.

I've also done a lot of work on my matches using common matches to sort into groups although many of the groups remain very mysterious!

Not at all sure that making the tree Public would produce any more results (or replies!)

[Craclyn]

Not at all sure that making the tree Public would produce any more results (or replies!)

I doubt if you will ever know the answer to that.
My personal approach is that I prioritise follow up of matches that have public trees. If a match has a private tree they get bumped to the bottom of my follow up list and when I do follow them up then I will attempt to do it myself without making contact. I talk to the low hanging fruits first.

[sugarfizzle]

Not at all sure that making the tree Public would produce any more results (or replies!)

As Craclyn says, you will never know, but you can guess.

When I first got my DNA results back my tree was private. I soon realised the limitations of private trees for other researchers, so made my tree public.

After a while I realised that my tree was being copied word for word by all and sundry. I don't mind sharing my research, because they aren't just my ancestors, but everyones. But none of them had made any efforts to back up my research.  No attached records or sources, just the names and dates copied over, sometimes to the right person in their tree, sometimes not.

I then changed to a direct ancestor only tree, keeping my very much bigger tree private. I will give access to anybody who contacts me with a reason for access.

During all three different phases I have still only been contacted first by one person at Ancestry. I must have contacted well over 100 matches, if not many more, in that time.

I think that my tree is of interest to the greater genealogical community, who sometimes/often use it irresponsibly and indiscriminately, but of little interest to the majority of my DNA matches.

But other peoples trees are of interest to me as a DNA match and also for clues as a non DNA match (not as proof of anything).

Regards Margaret

[IgorStrav]

But other peoples trees are of interest to me as a DNA match and also for clues as a non DNA match (not as proof of anything).

Regards Margaret

Yes, I agree, Margaret.

Given the lack of response from the DNA matches I've contacted, I've also been trying other measures.

If I'm given an 'Ancestry tree hint', allegedly for one of my ancestors, I check the DNA status of the tree owner just to see whether they are, indeed, a connection.

So far most of them are 'either not a DNA match, or have not taken a DNA test'

Whilst I am of course careful of other people's privacy, and I know that someone may not be a DNA match but still a remote relative, it would be really helpful to know if they've not taken a DNA test!

[Craclyn]

If you have your DNA result connected to a tree with only direct ancestors then you are missing out on most of the powerful functionality in Common Ancestors as you do not have many hooks for the system to pick up in its attempts build a chain from you to your match.

[sugarfizzle]

If you have your DNA result connected to a tree with only direct ancestors then you are missing out on most of the powerful functionality in Common Ancestors as you do not have many hooks for the system to pick up in its attempts build a chain from you to your match.

You may be right, though I don't think so. I currently have 65 common ancestor hints. They are mostly correct or likely to be correct - I have only found two that are ludicrous, others need confirming, many I found before this new beta mode.

Common ancestor hints are cobbled together from lots of different trees, some public, some private, they don't just depend on your tree.

I might try an experiment, attach a fuller tree, but not quite as full as my main tree, which covers all my grandaughter's ancestors. See if I get different common ancestor hints.

There are pros and cons to any tree attached to DNA results, but at least I've got a tree attached.

Regards Margaret

[IgorStrav]

Just one other thing re DNA matches' trees.

I've just been looking at one which has - apparently - nearly 5000 people in it.
I have a low cM match of 21, so evidently this would be a relatively remote cousin

DNA painter says

58.00%
6C 6C1R 5C 6C2R 4C1R 5C1R 7C Half 3C2R 4C2R 5C2R 7C1R 3C3R 4C3R 5C3R 8C or more distant

But with that many people, probably worth a shot and even more so as there are a number of shared matches with this person so it may lead me somewhere else too.

So I look at the tree, evidently some work gone into it.
And the sources?

No sources.