WikiTree for Genetic Genealogy, Part 2

Over on WikiTree, I shared a link to Part 1 of this series and asked for feedback. One bit of feedback I received (Thanks, Kay!) was a reminder that there are some links in the DNA Connections section that I didn't cover.

In my previous post, I showed you how, once someone has included test information on their profile, that test information is also listed on the profiles of everyone with whom they might share a genetic connection. Depending on whether the profile is for the person who was tested, or was for someone connected to them, that section will be titled DNA Tested or DNA Connections, but the information found in that section is the same.

Figure 1: DNA Tested section on My Profile on WikiTree

I'd like to give you a closer look at the information and links in the DNA Tested or DNA Connections section, but before I do that, I need to point out that, so far, all my examples have focused on autosomal testing results. The reason for that is that I have only taken an autosomal test.

How Dna Results Are Listed on Profiles

Let's take a quick glance at what you'll see about DNA on profiles with different types of DNA testing.

If someone has had no DNA testing (or at least, no testing supported by WikiTree) and no one with whom they are likely to share DNA has had such a test, their profile will say so:

Figure 2: DNA — No Tests

Someone who has had yDNA, mtDNA, and autosomal tests, or who shares DNA with relatives who have had these tests will have all of these listed:

Figure 3: DNA — All DNA Test Types

WikiTree uses a set of symbols to help distinguish the type of test noted on a profile.

• For yDNA, also written as Y-DNA, the symbol is: 
• For mitochondrial DNA, also written as mtDNA, the symbol is:
• For autosomal DNA, also written as atDNA or auDNA, the symbol is:

Understanding Links in the DNA Section

The links in the DNA Tested or DNA Connections section on a profile may be to a profile or function within WikiTree, or may take you outside of WikiTree.

Figure 4: Links in DNA Connections

1. To open the profile of the test taker, just click their underlined name.
   Note: Some test taker's prefer to keep their profiles anonymous. See the section on anonymous profiles.
2. To see the relationship between the person whose profile you are on and the test taker named in the DNA Connections list, click the double arrows: 
3. To go to the Family Tree DNA website (FTDNA), click the Family Tree DNA link.
4. To see the tests and a link of all people who might share the test taker's DNA, click the test details link. (See Figure 5, which shows my dad's results.)
   
   Note: The test details link is only available to those logged in to WikiTree.

Figure 5: Family Tree DNA Family Finder Test Details & Connections

The Test Details & Connections page will be covered in greater detail in a later post.

Anonymous Profiles

WikiTree offers it's members various levels of privacy for themselves and the profiles they manage. Some members choose to keep specific profiles, especially those for living people, private, while others will choose to have a public biography, a public family tree, or both. (For a more complete description of WikiTree's privacy rules, see Help: Privacy and Help: Living People.)

You will, as you are exploring your DNA connections on WikiTree, almost certainly encounter folks who have profiles on WikiTree and have entered their DNA tests, but who keep their profiles or family trees private. If that's the case, you may see a message telling you that the results are privacy protected:

Figure 6: Test Details & Connections Privacy Protected

When this happens, you can contact the profile manager to introduce yourself and open a discussion about your connection. Often, a profile manager will agree to make their family tree public, even if they prefer to keep their profile private.

You can find the profile manager in the yellow and green box beneath the vitals section.

I hope this helps you get started in understanding how to use WikiTree to enhance your genetic genealogy. Any thoughts on what you'd like to see for Part 3 will be welcome.

ETA: Added Figure 6, along with intro text. Sorry it wasn't available in the first draft, but I was having a hard time finding anyone with  privacy protected DNA test details and connections. That's a good thing!