3 ms·

People that want to know very, very useful information about themselves.

mrguyorama 3y ago
Very very useful information like "Our arbitrary data model that isn't exactly based on science says you're like 4% eastern european"
- lo_zamoyski 3y ago
  Fodder for those who claim they're 1/17 Cherokee.
keep_reading 3y ago
They were doing important Parkinson's research maybe 10 years ago. I sent in my dad's sample and mine. No idea what they got from my dad (it was a voluntary thing that didn't give you account access, just participating in their research). I didn't have any of the known genetic markers for Parkinson's at the time and requested they destory my data and sample.
maximinus_thrax 3y ago
I very much doubt the usefulness of the information you get from 23andme. I would say it's useful with a grain of salt when it comes to clinical accuracy, maybe it would enable someone to actually go to the doctor and get properly and accurately tested. But on the other hand, it can also enforce a false sense of security when the tests are clean. 'FDA approved' does not actually mean 'clinically useful'[1]. From the ancestry standpoint, I think it's only useful for a very limited set of individuals/scenarios. In my case, I'm 90% Eastern European which is... kind of basic considering I know where I was born. Yeah, I share a lot of my DNA with all the people who were born in roughly the same geographic area. Big fucking surprise? I never used 23andme and not planning to (the example is from a close friend of mine who did). I think the privacy concerns far outweigh the benefits. But I am interested in genetic testing so if anyone has any pointers for a privacy conscious, not-for-profit (maybe in academia?), non-Law Enforcement friendly entity and preferably does it anonymously, please let me know. [1]: "Why You Should Be Careful About 23andMe’s Health Test" - https://archive.ph/lpaUU https://archive.ph/lpaUU
- huytersd 3y ago
  The entire new world is very mixed. Ancestry tests are useful for people from North and South America, Southern Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand etc. those are a massive number of scenarios. There’s a lot of health information that’s useful. Propensity to alcohol dependency, propensity for fat retention, propensity for diabetes and high blood pressure etc. You can also download your SNPs and use that information on other sites that give you a lot more, less verified information.
  - tgv 3y ago
    > Ancestry tests are useful for people from North and South America, Southern Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand Not really. And they're inaccurate. Did they even publish their baselines? > Propensity to alcohol dependency, propensity for fat retention, propensity for diabetes and high blood pressure These should be between you and your GP. And I can tell you that you have a propensity to many addictions, just by assuming you're human. Don't test them. Don't rely on 23andme to validate "No propensity for gambling addication? Casinos, here I come!"

Very very useful information like "Our arbitrary data model that isn't exactly based on science says you're like 4% eastern european"

lo_zamoyski 3y ago
Fodder for those who claim they're 1/17 Cherokee.

keep_reading 3y ago

They were doing important Parkinson's research maybe 10 years ago. I sent in my dad's sample and mine. No idea what they got from my dad (it was a voluntary thing that didn't give you account access, just participating in their research). I didn't have any of the known genetic markers for Parkinson's at the time and requested they destory my data and sample.

maximinus_thrax 3y ago

I very much doubt the usefulness of the information you get from 23andme. I would say it's useful with a grain of salt when it comes to clinical accuracy, maybe it would enable someone to actually go to the doctor and get properly and accurately tested. But on the other hand, it can also enforce a false sense of security when the tests are clean. 'FDA approved' does not actually mean 'clinically useful'[1]. From the ancestry standpoint, I think it's only useful for a very limited set of individuals/scenarios. In my case, I'm 90% Eastern European which is... kind of basic considering I know where I was born. Yeah, I share a lot of my DNA with all the people who were born in roughly the same geographic area. Big fucking surprise? I never used 23andme and not planning to (the example is from a close friend of mine who did). I think the privacy concerns far outweigh the benefits. But I am interested in genetic testing so if anyone has any pointers for a privacy conscious, not-for-profit (maybe in academia?), non-Law Enforcement friendly entity and preferably does it anonymously, please let me know. [1]: "Why You Should Be Careful About 23andMe’s Health Test" - https://archive.ph/lpaUU https://archive.ph/lpaUU

huytersd 3y ago
The entire new world is very mixed. Ancestry tests are useful for people from North and South America, Southern Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand etc. those are a massive number of scenarios. There’s a lot of health information that’s useful. Propensity to alcohol dependency, propensity for fat retention, propensity for diabetes and high blood pressure etc. You can also download your SNPs and use that information on other sites that give you a lot more, less verified information.
- tgv 3y ago
  > Ancestry tests are useful for people from North and South America, Southern Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand Not really. And they're inaccurate. Did they even publish their baselines? > Propensity to alcohol dependency, propensity for fat retention, propensity for diabetes and high blood pressure These should be between you and your GP. And I can tell you that you have a propensity to many addictions, just by assuming you're human. Don't test them. Don't rely on 23andme to validate "No propensity for gambling addication? Casinos, here I come!"