DNA results on LostCousins

I don't believe there is anywhere to put a link, but on the "My Details" page, at the bottom of the page in the "My Interests" section, you can indicate that you have taken a DNA test.

 

Provided you update your My Details page to indicate that you have taken an autosomal DNA test, as Tim has already suggested, your cousins will know. If they have already tested you can collaborate with them; if they haven't, knowing that you have tested may encourage them to do so.

 

It doesn't make any difference whether you have tested - the information is still displayed, provided your cousins have recorded it on their My Details page.

However, you don't have a Cousins section on your My Cousins page. DNA information is not shown for other contacts since it is only relevant where there is a blood relationship. If there are cousins amongst your Relatives you can almost always upgrade them to Cousins either by adding to your own My Ancestors page, or encouraging your cousins to add to theirs.

It's unusual not to have any Cousins at all as most active members have invited known cousins to join. Indeed, keeping track of whether your known cousins have tested their DNA is one of the many reasons to encourage them to join.

 

I don't think adding a ? will make much difference as there is already a heading for the DNA column, but next time I'm editing the code I'll see how easy it would be to implement. I'm not sure what the intent of your suggested Help item is - the person who sees the ? won't be the person who can edit it.

What do you mean by the member's value?

 

It's displayed on the My Cousins Tab.

 

See above.

 

I don't know who you're referring to when you talk about 'Matched people' but I'll assume you're referring to DNA matches. What I was primarily suggesting was inviting cousins you already know from previous records-based research to join LostCousins, but by all means invite your DNA cousins to join as well, provided they're keen researchers (there's no point inviting someone who tested their DNA just for a bit of fun, as many people seem to have done).

If a cousin of yours was already a LostCousins member and had completed their My Ancestors page you'd be matched to them already - so we can rule out that possibility. If they've joined LostCousins but not completed their My Ancestors page you can connect to them using the Connect to a cousin you already know link at the top right of your My Cousins page (you'll need to know their email address).

Otherwise use Refer a Relative (on your My Referrals page) to invite them to join - you don't need to know their email address. If someone is already a member it could provide the impetus they need to complete their My Ancestors page.

 

Whether or not someone has taken a DNA test is one of several fields that many members need to update, so I will handle this through a newsletter email rather than by making a change on the website (which most people won't notice, and people who haven't yet found any cousins wouldn't be able to see). I also have to bear in mind that most members haven't logged-in to their account for more than a year, so it's easier to reach them through the emails.