> Would you allow me to send your e-mail to a few of our customers > that "don't seem to be genealogists", so that they can respond > directly to you? I'll cc to you the e-mail that I send them. Max: Will your customers want to argue that they are in fact genealogists, that knowing they are descended in an indistinct way from some general ethnic group is the equivalent of a detailed and carefully constructed pedigree? Don't obligate me to enter that debate in personal correspondence with customers who evidently* have a philosophically different understanding of genealogical research. I have explained the kind of Methods-y illustration I need in order to appreciate the genealogical value of DNA testing. You have said that numerous such success stories have resulted from your testing. I will be satisfied when you, as the representative of your process and in contact with your own satisfied customers, filter their experiences and produce a concrete illustration of a genealogical puzzle that has been solved through the use of DNA testing. Until then, I retain my original skepticism of the genealogical value of commercial DNA testing. (Candidly, the skepticism is growing stronger with every exchange, and every failure to produce a single case study.) *evident, in that (a) they have already turned to commercial DNA testing while I am still searching for its genealogical validity; and (b) their testimonials express great satisfaction for the process without providing any clue as to how the testing enabled them to trace their lineage. Ardis Parshall AEParshall@aol.com