Family Tree DNA's Weekend Sale (Through Dec. 3rd)

[Cheri Mello]

(Cross posted to Azores, Madeira, and Island Routes lists)

In America, we just had Thanksgiving yesterday (Thursday). Many employers do give their employees the following day off. Many people took the opportunity to begin their holiday shopping, so many retailers had their "Day After Thanksgiving Sales." It was, in fact, such a successful shopping holiday that may retailers pulled themselves out of the red (debt) and got their business back into the black, so the name evolved into Black Friday. Along comes the Internet and people are sneaking in a little shopping at work, so Cyber Monday was born. So in honor of this interesting American tradition, Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) has a sale going on through Tuesday, December 3rd, at 11:59 pm PST. It is for anyone, anywhere in the world.

ALL shipping and handling ($12.95 USD) is FREE!

Here are the prices in USD (regular price is lined out):

FMS = Full Mitochondrial Sequence test. Family Finder is the same product that Ancestry, My Heritage, and 23 and Me sells. Y is Y-DNA testing (it needs to be a male taking that test).

mtDNA (basic) and mtPlus are the older mtDNA tests. To have any hope of a match within a genealogy time frame, one needs to upgrade to the Full Mitochondrial Sequence (FMS).

Any questions, please ask.

Cheri Mello, Family Tree DNA Administrator (volunteer)

[Marilyn Thompson]

I am planning on buying another test or two, but can't get through to the website.

I guess I will wait a day or two 

Marilyn

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[Cheri Mello]

I just got on. Try www.ftdna.com  Copy and paste it.

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/CAJyL4eimxNKWntPRgGjFPMLr%3Dc8iO%2BKpeFsyQGRdLHdUsFA7mQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Cheri Mello]

LAST DAY (for this sale. Will there be another? I don't know).

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

[Cheri Mello]

Repost for Manny Amaral,  mfamaral002 at gmail.com

<<Cheri,

Thanks for the reminder on the sale.   I've very slowly been working on my family tree and trying to learn more about how best to go about it.  I find the DNA testing intriguing but wondering how much I'll get from it and further confused by all the various testing types they offer.  I'll also admit I'm a bit paranoid about having my DNA out there and potentially searchable from a privacy standpoint.  Can you help me understand the benefits of the various tests and which one(s) might make most sense?  Thanks!

Regards, 

Manny>>

RESPONSE: Hi Manny, If you are a bit paranoid about having your DNA out there, then don't DNA test. NONE of the DNA companies can prevent law enforcement from searching their database. NONE. They can try, but once they are served with a search warrant, they have to comply. You can opt out of law enforcement matching on FTDNA, however, if they receive a search warrant for their entire database (both those that have opted in and opted out), they are going to comply with the law. (Note: Law enforcement searches the genealogy databases only in violent cases - murder, rape, etc. Not for simple burglary or shoplifting. Law enforcement must show to the court that they have tried every reasonable avenue first, before turning to our genealogy databases. That is why the cases you are hearing about are cold cases that are many years old).

If you are OK with the above, DNA is another tool that you can use. You can help yourself as well as other genealogists. If you are just getting into DNA, you would want to order the Family Finder test for $59 USD (+$12.95 S&H). This covers ALL your lines, back 200 years from your birth. So if you were born in 1950, for example, you have DNA in you back to 1750. If you have a parent alive that was born in 1930 (for example), test that parent first, because that DNA goes back to 1730!

FTDNA also has Y-DNA tests. This traces one strict line only: Your father's father's father's line, all the way back in time. It would be your Amaral line (if they kept that surname). FTDNA has Y-DNA 37 or Y-DNA 111 markers. Because this is a single line test, you most likely won't get lots of matches right of the bat. I need one male descendant from each male family head that ever lived in the Azores. So we are building this part of the Project. A few people are starting to get matches, so we are moving in the right direction.

Then there's the mitochondrial test. This also traces one strict line only: Your mother's mother's mother's line, all the way back in time. There is now only 1 mtDNA test: The Full Mitochondrial Sequence test. Again, because this is a single line test, you most likely won't get lots of matches right of the bat. I need one female descendant from each female family head that ever lived in the Azores. So we are building this part of the Project. A few people are starting to get matches, so we are moving in the right direction.

Big Y: This test places you on the tree of mankind - out of Africa theory. As more and more men test, they hope to reach beyond the paper trail. Right now, I know of no success stories with this test - yet. We have had several men take this test. It's definitely in a census mode, sampling men from this island or that island. They find out that they share an common ancestor with a man from Spain, say, 2000 years ago, for example.

NOTE: For those who have been around awhile, yes, Y-DNA 67 has been discontinued along with the lower level mtDNA test.

Hope this helps. Cheri Mello, Family Tree DNA Admin (volunteer)

[Manny Amaral]

Cheri,

Thanks so much for the feedback, its both helpful and appreciated!

Regards,
Manny

[Cheri Mello]

Sorry, typo above. Family Finder is $49 USD (+$12.95 S&H).

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

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