While I've had great success in getting cousin matches on FF DNA, I also have enormous frustration at the % of my emails that get no response. I usually write 3 times over a period of months before I give up. I have gotten some folks to eventually respond, so persistence is key. I've also had cousin matches who have languished in the data base for a very long time genuinely thrilled to be contacted. GEDCOMS, while really nice to have, may be full of errors anyway (just as a lot of Ancestry.com trees are.) Direct-line surnames with locales, to me, would certainly be better than nothing, but most people won't even do THAT. I'm guessing that the root problems are that many folks aren't computer savvy, too busy, don't know what a GEDCOM is, are adopted, their emails are not checked, or they're just lazy. I'm not sure we (or the lab) can solve these issues. It just goes with the territory of human nature. On May 13, 2012, at 10:53 AM, [email protected] wrote: > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. FF clients not uploading GEDCOMs (Diana Gale Matthiesen) > 2. Re: FF clients not uploading GEDCOMs (Larry Vick) > 3. Re: FF clients not uploading GEDCOMs (Greg Matthews) > 4. Re: FF clients not uploading GEDCOMs (Mike Colton) > 5. Re: FF clients not uploading GEDCOMs (Mike Colton) > 6. Re: FF clients not uploading GEDCOMs (Diana Gale Matthiesen) > 7. Re: FF clients not uploading GEDCOMs (Roberta Estes) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 13 May 2012 09:48:39 -0400 > From: "Diana Gale Matthiesen" <[email protected]> > Subject: [AUTOSOMAL-DNA] FF clients not uploading GEDCOMs > To: <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > I just sent the message below to the FTDNA HelpDesk. Perhaps if > enough of us press FTDNA to "remind" FF clients to upload a GEDCOM, > they might install the feature. Also... > > I'm going on a campaign to individually email all my FF matchees who > haven't uploaded GEDCOMs to please do so. Perhaps if these people get > enough requests, they will get off their butts and do it. > > Diana > > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Diana Gale Matthiesen [mailto:[email protected]] >> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2012 9:37 AM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: not uploading GEDCOMs >> >> Every time I work on my FamilyFinder Matches, I become exasperated >> at how many test subjects have not uploaded GEDCOMs to their >> accounts. What is the point of being tested if you don't share your >> ancestry?!!! >> >> Where the match is 4th cousin or closer, I have been emailing my >> matchees asking them to please upload a GEDCOM, but this is a lot of >> work, and I feel I can only do it once. I have a better solution... >> >> Please set up the FTDNA software to send an email reminder ONCE A >> MONTH to everyone who has been FF tested and not uploaded a GEDCOM. >> (The same goes for people who have not entered surnames or earliest >> ancestors.) >> >> We are spending a great deal of money on DNA testing, and it's hard >> to maintain enthusiasm for recommending it when you have to tell >> prospective clients there's a high probability your genetic matches >> won't do you any good because they're not sharing their ancestry. >> >> And there is a related issue... >> >> I had an ENORMOUS amount of trouble getting my (perfectly standard) >> GEDCOM file to upload. A less persistent person might have given >> up, but I did not. Part of the problem is that the server doesn't >> tell you that the file didn't upload, much less why it didn't. The >> page just bounces back to the client's home page, and some >> inexperienced users are not even going to realize their file didn't >> upload. PLEASE, at least return an ERROR MESSAGE, so the client >> realizes their GEDCOM didn't upload. >> >> Diana > >