I won't be ordering myself, however. The price is not bad, but the mandatory $5/month for a year subscription to a Personal Genome Service is not my cup of tea.
I am all for choice, and for people being able to choose what they want. Personally, I want a few hundred thousand SNPs without any of the trimmings.
I don't want some intermediary to provide me with Relative Finder matches until I stop paying them a fee. In fact, I'm not interested in finding relatives at all, I already know who they are. I am not interested in personalized health reports, because, frankly, the results of health information you can get from a personal genome test is tiny. I am not interested in 23andMe's ancestry analysis, because mine and that produced by other dilettantes is, frankly, more cutting edge.
So, hopefully, a company will realize that there's money to be made by people who want to get their DNA genotyped and interpret it themselves using freeware community resources and networking. Until that happens, feel free to use every available option, including the great 23andMe sale, but count me out.
22 comments:
because mine and that produced by other dilettantes
Are you a dilettante in genetics, and biology in general? No expertise?
We are all dilettantes in something. We are not Gods. Well not yet, lol.
I am one of the few people who told 23andMe to shove it where it hurts. Not a professional company, and their products and services are shoddy.
Any word on how useful this new test will be for ancestral purposes? That's my main interest..
I agree with you 100%, except unfortunately I don't know who all my close relatives are so I do want the new RF matches. I don't want to be tied into a monthly fee forever just for that. On a bigger scale, what will that do to the RF pool, if some people opt in and some opt out? They cannot force everyone to pay the monthly fee long-term, so everyone loses out. N.B. The mandatory PGS subscription also applies to the optional chip upgrade for existing customers.
Any word on how useful this new test will be for ancestral purposes? That's my main interest..
There are about 500K SNPs in common to all my sources (including the existing 23andMe platform).
There are about 132K SNPs in common to these and the FF platform which you already have. These are more than enough for ancestry analysis.
One must see what is the overlap between the new 23andMe platform and the existing datasets, but I am 99% sure that someone who has either FF or 23andMe data has almost nothing to gain for ancestry analysis from the new platform.
I've been watching the 23andMe site for a sale, and I too was disappointed by the mandatory subscription. However, this isn't a deal breaker for me, and I'd go for the $175 price, but it doesn't show up for me.
I agree with you 100%, except unfortunately I don't know who all my close relatives are so I do want the new RF matches. I don't want to be tied into a monthly fee forever just for that. On a bigger scale, what will that do to the RF pool, if some people opt in and some opt out? They cannot force everyone to pay the monthly fee long-term, so everyone loses out. N.B. The mandatory PGS subscription also applies to the optional chip upgrade for existing customers.
Methinks they want a big boost in their finances from this sale and from the stream of $60/customer over the next year. Many people will also be tempted to continue past the first year because of the low cost, so they'll have a steady cash stream.
I wonder what the cost would be for a bare-bones just-the-data operation. The fact that they can reduce the price from $499 to $99 tells me that the actual genotyping can't be that expensive, as long as you have a large number of customers.
I've been watching the 23andMe site for a sale, and I too was disappointed by the mandatory subscription. However, this isn't a deal breaker for me, and I'd go for the $175 price, but it doesn't show up for me.
Did you enter the B84YAG code?
That must have been in the forum I couldn't access. Thanks.
Dienekes --
I don't have any insider knowledge about the costs, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that venture capital is subsidizing sales like this. The price could very well be better than you could find for a stand-alone test.
Anne,
I don't know anything about the cost either.
http://dienekes.blogspot.com/2008/09/why-i-wont-be-testing-with-23andme-yet.html
As I theorized back when the test started, they might've been hoping to amortize their customer base to drive a health-related research agenda, and gain from that.
However, since then there have been developments (underwhelming performance of GWAS, and legal stuff about gene patents that I don't quite follow), so I'm guessing that right now they are repositioning themselves yet again.
Simply, would this 23 and me test give me 100,000s SNPs to use in the Dodecad?
Btw I just tried the B84YAG promo code and it tells me "invalid promo code". Perhaps it is not available in the UK?
Simply, would this 23 and me test give me 100,000s SNPs to use in the Dodecad?
I didn't look at the chip specification yet. I'm sure it would have enough though.
I'm working on including Family Finder people now, and upping the K resolution of the Dodecad ancestry analysis at the moment. When the new 23andMe chip people start making their appearance, I'll look into it.
onur, there is a little sentence "stay on topic" at the top of the comment box. The topic is the 23andMe sale. Also, if you want to tell ME something USE THE E-MAIL ADDRESS.
Thanks a lot for posting this, Dienekes. I had been waiting for a promotion like this one for quite a while.
I understand your reticence to buy such a service, but what else currently on the market would you go for?
ONUR, STOP SPAMMING, I TOLD YOU TO USE THE E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR OFF-TOPIC SUBJECT MATTER.
I've given you more opportunities than anyone else who's violated the blog rules. I spend half my moderating time cleaning up after you. Next violation = lifetime ban.
Dilettante is someone who does something for pleasure (Diletto is italian for pleasure).
This does not mean that it is less capable of a professional who does it for work (profession).
Many great discoveries were made by dilettantes in the past.
onur, it is I who decide what is on-topic and what is not, and not you, as this is my blog and not yours.
I gave you the opportunity to address your question to me, and you continued to spam the blog, and to waste my time, as you've done throughout your commenting career despite repeated warnings.
You may decide to continue to spam the blog even after your ban, but rest assured that not a single one of your comments will ever be published here again.
All I have to say is güle güle.
I am not interested in 23andMe's ancestry analysis, because mine and that produced by other dilettantes is, frankly, more cutting edge.
How easy is it for someone with a deep interest, but no indepth knowledge of the analytical tools you mention to figure out one's ancestry without 23andMe's service? (If one has his/her DNA genotyped)
I was planning on ordering the kit, (it's quite expensive for me even after the discount) but your post makes me reconsider it.
How easy is it for someone with a deep interest, but no indepth knowledge of the analytical tools you mention to figure out one's ancestry without 23andMe's service? (If one has his/her DNA genotyped)
I don't think it's easy for the average person to do it at all.
Even me I am not that curious enough in finding my relatives. But for those who are, why not?
Regards,
Joy@23andme promo code
Currently you can buy kit at $99 only. without using any 23andme discount coupons
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