I am not sure how to think about the ICW feature. When I use it and then compare to my chromosome browser or spreadsheet, I get no matching chromosomes unless I look at 1 cm. Can that be right? It doesn't seem a large enough segment to mean anything. If I compare only larger matches I find them on a different chromosome with fewer of the ICW matches FF gives me. Same with Gedmatch. Can someone explain if these are really matches? Chris

Chris That's the problem with ICW (and FTDNA), there is no way there to compare two other people. ICW means the two people have a shared segment (I presume to be 7.7cM, or more) somewhere. ICW does not say where, so you don't know if it's on the same segment that they both share with you. Much of the time it is (I don't know what percentage), but often it is not. To verify an ICW is indeed a Triangulation with you, you need to ask them where their shared segment is. If they are both on GEDmatch it's easy. If they both also have 23andMe kits, it's easy. If neither of these two, and they won't respond to your emails, you're stuck. Even if two people share the same segment with you, you cannot be sure that it's on the same chromosome (parent's side), unless they match each other on that segment (which you can't see at FTDNA). 1cM matches don't count in Triangulation - almost any two people could have a 1cM match. Jim - Sent from my iPhone - FaceTime! On Nov 4, 2013, at 12:21 PM, Christina Hunt <chrisnina@gmail.com> wrote: > I am not sure how to think about the ICW feature. When I use it and then > compare to my chromosome browser or spreadsheet, I get no matching chromosomes > unless I look at 1 cm. > Can that be right? It doesn't seem a large enough segment to mean anything. > If I compare only larger matches I find them on a different chromosome with > fewer of the ICW matches FF gives me. Same with Gedmatch. > > Can someone explain if these are really matches? > > Chris