There's a mistake in "..contrasting it with FTDNA's data base, which doesn't provide detailed search capability - that function being delegated to its Y-Search facility, which contains a subset of persons tested." The mistake is the implication that FTDNA clients & project admins can not search the FTDNA database of ~100,000 Y-STR result sets for matches; they can. Any FTDNA client (whether or not a project participant) who's agreed to share information can search FTDNA's database, as can any project administrator on behalf of participants who've agreed to share. The "matchees" must have consented to this release of information; most FTDNA clients consent (else, they'd be unable to search). Clients & admins need Y-search only to find matches with those tested by other providers; FTDNA-hosted Y-search is to allow FTDNA clients (& others) to find matches with both those who are & those who are NOT in the FTDNA database. (Or, the unusual case in which a FTDNA client has not agreed to FTDNA sharing, but has input into Y-search.) For an individual client, it's simple to find matches in the FTDNA database: Log on to www.familytreedna.com with kit number & password and click the "Matches" link on the "My FTDNA" page. A list of matches to the client meeting specific criteria will appear. The matches list will be divided by (1) Number of markers compared and (2) Genetic distance. The list gives the name and e-mail address of the matchee with a link to FTDNATiP (a TMRCA calculator) and a GEDCOM if uploaded. {BTW, I like the new GEDCOM display.} Depending on the client's personal settings & test level, the list might not include certain comparison levels (e.g., 12-marker matches). If the client has chosen to see only matches with own surname, that restriction will be applied to the search. If the client has chosen to see matches with any surname, the list include all surnames with matches. {Note: This surname restriction bit is the biggest problem I see with the searches. Some of our participants don't realize implications & thus miss significant matches. OOTH, some aren't interested in NPEs.} For a project admin, it's necessary -- after logging onto the GAP page -- to navigate to the participant's "My FTDNA" page, then do the search as if the participant. In either case, the entire FTDNA database of consenting client results is searched, subject only to consents & restrictions the client (or admin) imposes. Hopefully, this sets the record straight on FTDNA database searching. -ralpht_/)

> -----Original Message----- > From: y-dna-projects-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:y-dna-projects- > bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Ralph Taylor > Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2010 5:24 PM > To: y-dna-projects@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [Y-DNA-projects] Y-DNA-PROJECTS join authorization > > There's a mistake in "..contrasting it with FTDNA's data base, which doesn't provide > detailed search capability - that function being delegated to its Y-Search facility, which > contains a subset of persons tested." > > The mistake is the implication that FTDNA clients & project admins can not search the > FTDNA database of ~100,000 Y-STR result sets for matches; they can. Any FTDNA client > (whether or not a project participant) who's agreed to share information can search > FTDNA's database, as can any project administrator on behalf of participants who've > agreed to share. The "matchees" must have consented to this release of information; > most FTDNA clients consent (else, they'd be unable to search). The "matching" supplied to the member at FTDNA is not the equivalent of being able to "search" the database. The member is only supplied "hits" for their own results, and all they get is a list of names and email addresses, not the test results or the Kit#, which is the key piece of information for finding their test results and earliest ancestor in the project's results table. If your matchee doesn't reply to your email, you don't find out anything. No one, outside of FTDNA employees, can sit down and "explore" (search/browse) the FTDNA database. > Clients & admins need Y-search only to find matches with those tested by other > providers; FTDNA-hosted Y-search is to allow FTDNA clients (& others) to find matches > with both those who are & those who are NOT in the FTDNA database. (Or, the unusual > case in which a FTDNA client has not agreed to FTDNA sharing, but has input into Y- > search.) Even if you're an FTDNA member, you still need to upload to Ysearch to *see the results* of other FTDNA members. > For an individual client, it's simple to find matches in the FTDNA database: > Log on to www.familytreedna.com with kit number & password and click the "Matches" > link on the "My FTDNA" page. A list of matches to the client meeting specific criteria will > appear. A real search of the database would return the results and Kit numbers, not just the names and email addresses, and there is NOWHERE you can go to do a search for something other than your own results. Guess what? I'm female. I have no Y-DNA results. If I want to check the matches of key relatives, I either have to find a cousin and pay for his test or talk someone into giving my their password -- which I don't do because I don't want the responsibility of having someone else's password. I have found cousins to test my near male lines, but what am I supposed to do about lines where I can't find male cousins? If the FTDNA database were truly "searchable," I could search for my other male lines in it. <snip> > > In either case, the entire FTDNA database of consenting client results is searched, > subject only to consents & restrictions the client (or admin) imposes. Hopefully, this sets > the record straight on FTDNA database searching. It's not a "search" in any conventional meaning of "searching a database." The search does not return results, only an option to contact someone, who may optionally not respond. I'm not arguing that the FTDNA database should be searchable by the public. I agree that it shouldn't be -- that's what Ysearch is for. But I think it's misleading to say the FTDNA database is "searchable." All you're getting is a automated list of contact names -- no results, no kit numbers, and no earliest ancestors, which are the fields any researcher would want returned with any conventional "search" of the database. Diana > > -ralpht_/) > >