http://www.familytreedna.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=287 Originally posted by JohnSanford > Are you quite sure that this test result with the "guy from the Greek > Island", proves that he is actually related to you? And do you believe that "but > surnames are not so important"? > > What do you mean by the statement, "but the prize is a tree that grows > sideways"? I have to believe that you are referring to a "family Tree" since we > are discussing genealogy, and evaluating DNA testing. Sincerely, John Sanford, > how many cousins do you have in the tree you are doing? in just my dennings i have 3500. why because i formed clans in chelsea ma. then as i did the city, these clans connected . it is like adding twenty brances on your tree at the middle. the idea that haveing the surname makes you a relative is wrong lets say 600 years ago james of damascus syria had 12 sons because of the migration of the people they were part of they migrated over the mountains. two brothers stayed in bellorussia they moved on and one stayed in whats hungry another drifted south to greece one of the twins. as the tribe moved on3 stayed in mackelburg germany with another one drifting west to france. meanwhile the last four including the other twin cross the channel to england. two stay in england the other two with twin go north to Scotland. the twin again moves to Ireland . generations come and go kings have taken census for taxes they needed to identify each citizen.last names were required the frenchman took plant the hungarian regal the scot stedham , the germans cole elder axe senger. the bellorussians meyerson and Seitz the english were lancaster and Joseph. the irish twin denning and the greek christoeu some how in this mess some other names popped up mariam,Restea, Creeger, levine now can you imagine doing the paperwork and the computor tree that would be needed lets just say each son had 6 sons each generations. how many cousins would you have before you get back to james of damascus [remember him] how would you ever get that paper? how wide would your compuitor screen be? maybe you could do it on a theater screen? now isnt that the goal of all genealogists its mine now understand james was one of a tribe of 1,000,000 people__________________ Jim Denning Jim Denning Chelsea,Ma.-Woburn,Ma.-denning-dennen-danin-dinan-dinihey-denningston-dinning- carlon-carroll-dever-cogan-malone-heslin-piscopo-mazzola-martini-farrell-mchug h-farley-grimes-lynch-doherty-SanDanto,Ita-Adargh,longford-Revere,Ma-Wintrop,M a.-sprague- and ever growing list