Views on FTDNA project groups

[Flemming]

Just wonder if any chatters have joined a FTDNA project group, either for a specific name or geographic area, and how they've found it. In particular, whether you can access tools through being a project member, or if there are any additional costs for doing this.

Many thanks, Flemming.

[Janethepain]

Good Questions ! I have been swithering about whether to ask my Dad to do a YDNA test, and join the Allison name group, but cant make up my mind! - Decisiveness was never my strong point!!

I swither between, it's expensive but I can afford it, and, its money down a deep dark well, thats dried up, and think of the 3 or 5 people I could pay for having an autosomal test, for the same money!

Jane

[Flemming]

There are also the autosomal groups where you can upload DNA from other sites. FTDNA seems to be the one that's captured the projects, even if the overall database size is small. Some of the project managers say they have up to 500 members which wouldn't be a bad start if you've got a few brickwalls to sort.

[Ruskie]

My OH took a Y-dna test with FTDNA several years ago.

He only had a handful of matches and none who shared his very common surname.

We joined the surname group. He has no matches there either (the project admin called him a "singleton"). I haven't bothered with it much since I paid for the autosomal "Family Finder" test. That seems to be where all the matches are. Raw data also uploaded to My Heritage. I'm not aware of any tools or other benefits of being a member of a project. I didn't pay any money to join - luckily.

Just having a brief look again now at the "activity page" and all contributors are Americans. Overall quite underwhelming. I've got nothing from the test or the project. I'm sure others have better luck.

[Janethepain]

Well, that was sort of my main thought, lots of money, for very little gain (possibly) which might be better spent on a few well positioned autosomal tests.

On top of that, I am pretty much 100% irish in origin, and because my ancestors came to Scotland 200 or more years ago, in some cases, and at least 150 years ago in all cases, I have access to excellent scottish records giving evidence of back in many cases to close to or past 1800 ( especially with Scottish civil death certificates giving both parents details, including maiden names, where known by the informant), and anyone with peasant catholic Irish antecedents knows there is little chance to find written records in Ireland to back up/prove relationships as civil registration began there about 1864 I think (for catholics that is). So I am realistic that I am unlikely to get back much further than I have got. Other than somewhat speculative postulations based on DNA, which absolutely are better than nothing.  Lets wish for a miracle, though I cant imagine which direction it is going to come from! DNA i suspect, but other than that i have no idea!

By which I mean, I dont have any real brick walls, other than the great China Wall one we have with irish genealogy!

[manukarik]

I've just upgraded to Big-Y on FTDNA and have joined several projects. I have one close-ish match in the US. The only person with my terminal Y-DNA group. When I looked into it further the link is probably 20 generations ago with the branch being formed about 490 years ago, around 1500 CE.

There is definitely a US bias, but I understand that over time, I can expect more DNA matches. I've come to realise that the Y-DNA aspect is much more to do with origins rather than genealogy. You can upload your autosomal DNA to the site. Some groups also raise funds and may sponsor someone to get tested. Gedmatch is another site you can upload autosomal DNA to.

I guess you really need to think about what you hope to get from joining a project on FTDNA. There are many Facebook Genealogy groups you could also consider joining whether for a Y-DNA or mtDNA group or for a family name.

[clayton bradley]

I joined a project on FTDNA for my husband's surname, which is not productive as it's too common and one for his haplogroup, much better. I can't afford Big-Y but the moderators have been great in reading the STRs and suggesting individual SNPs that I can buy. For my brother I joined a country project, not much help and one for his haplogroup, where, again, the moderator is very helpful and I have made some progress.

[Ruskie]

I've just upgraded to Big-Y on FTDNA and have joined several projects. I have one close-ish match in the US. The only person with my terminal Y-DNA group. When I looked into it further the link is probably 20 generations ago with the branch being formed about 490 years ago, around 1500 CE.

There is definitely a US bias, but I understand that over time, I can expect more DNA matches. I've come to realise that the Y-DNA aspect is much more to do with origins rather than genealogy. You can upload your autosomal DNA to the site. Some groups also raise funds and may sponsor someone to get tested. Gedmatch is another site you can upload autosomal DNA to.

I guess you really need to think about what you hope to get from joining a project on FTDNA. There are many Facebook Genealogy groups you could also consider joining whether for a Y-DNA or mtDNA group or for a family name.

I think the fact that any matches could be that far back in time, before written records, means that the YDnA test is of limited use to most family historians. It could be used to prove lineage for living males, but an autosomal test can also determine likely relationships.

It would be nice to think that there will be more matches in the future, but I am not sure if that will be the case, especially with the popularity and relative affordability of autosomal DNA tests, and Ancestry being the most popular, and they don’t have a YDnA test (yet, anyway, and probably never will).

I have heard of people who have success with their YDnA tests, but I think they may be in the minority. 

[JACK GEE]

hi All,
I am on several groups and to take it to its limits you will need deep pockets. The feedback is defined by the size of the sample group poll - ie big numbers means the possibilities of plenty of matches, small numbers patchy results.
FTDNA will accept results from other providers.
The subgroup depends a lot on the administration of service.
The only real critisism is the lack of depth of information in the sub groups for the average punter looking for a name or a lead.
Still when your research stops at all the brickwalls what other options have you got - to get your DNA tested and see what is 'out there'.

The biggest difficulty is trying to match the Paper trail to the DNA tree.
But it all adds to the reason we are doing this genie caper.
Good luck on your journey.

cheers
Jack Gee