I walk on thin ice with this, but I am sharing a thread of
correspondence and my personal concerns about a DNA Spam letter I
have received twice now. The spammer got the addresses right from
the Rootsweb HOLL surname mailing list! I complained to Rootsweb and
their reply is here. Then I noticed something very interesting on
the
Ancestry.com Home page - DNA testing advertisements! I have
serious concerns on both the ethics a selling/using the surname
board e-mail lists, AND the DNA business! Your DNA is your very
personal identity and private information, and it is VERY valuable
to many companies both good and bad. There is nothing in either the
spam letter or the Ancestry Page saying who does these tests; who
has access to the results (are they quietly sold, traded to other
concerns once they have the results and sent them to you??). We are
seriously cautioned not to give out our Social Security numbers
indiscriminately, nor our credit card numbers. Would you hand over
your bank account numbers and stock portfolio? So why give your most
personal of data to strangers?? And where do they get our ancestors'
DNA info. to link to, robbing graves?? Carpe Deim (seize the day?),
my foot - I say Caveat Emptor (buyer be ware)! Rita - CC Oconto
ROOTSWEB'S REPLY
A response to your Help Desk message, "SPAM & Gateway," of Friday,
29 March
2002, at 9:26 a.m. follows:
Please revisit the form located at
http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/help.cgi
if you wish to respond.
Thank You!!
The message reads as follows:
-------------------------
Hi,
Send a copy to:
abuse(a)rootsweb.com
However, this guy probably changes the email address to match the
list.
The list admin can add that specific address to their reject list to
prevent
him from doing it again.
Email:
HOLL-admin(a)rootsweb.com
D.
ORIGINAL SPAM LETTER
Subject:{not a subscriber} DNA SURNAME STUDY
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 07:05:34 -0700
From: azjrh(a)msn.com
To: HOLL-L(a)rootsweb.com
This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing
list.
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg//Hcj.2ACIB/56
Message Board Post:
ARE YOU RESEARCHING YOUR HOLL/HOHL/HULL FAMILY ROOTS?
Wouldn't you like to know what the shortest route is to knowing
where to research YOUR surname
family? I emphasize YOUR! Family history buffs and genealogists
can trace lines of ancestry
which can be proven through original records- but are the records
true? DNA testing can help
determine whether a proven family tree really is accurate or not.
This genetic sampling may
prove your relation to other families with the same surname. YOUR
genes wonât give you the
given name of the ancestor you have in common. This is where the
family historian or
genealogists can step in and unearth the names, places and
occupations of the forebears who
gave you your genes. Why waste time and money wandering when you
have a short cut? The
shortest distance between YOUR knowing and not knowing is a DNA
Surname Test. It's only $99 -
pretty cheap for knowledge. I currently have family sponsors who
will support the cost for
qualified volunteers. Read about the possibilities at: http!
://www.hullsurnamednastudy.com and then contact me by e-mail to
discuss YOUR research. Carpe Deim!