Connected DNA and Shelly Crawford.

Shelly Crawford is a speaker at next months DNA Down Under and I'm so looking forward to hearing her speak. Shelly runs ConnectedDNA and having used this, to connect my DNA links, I'm now going to use it to help find how my top Ancestry DNA connection and I are connected. So watch this space, as I'm going to blog about how I'm going.

Below is an interview I did, with Shelly, earlier this year and she explains ConnectedDNA better than I can.

Hi Shelley, thank you for agreeing to chat with me. Tell me a bit about Shelley Crawford and your interest in DNA.

Hi Lilian, I’m Australian living in the nation’s capital city. I’m married with two children (10 and 13) and have been researching my family tree for nearly 30 years – ever since I could drive myself to the library!

When I bought my first DNA test in 2010 I was curious to see what DNA could do for my research. Since then I’ve tested with or uploaded my files to each of the major companies. DNA evidence has supported my existing paper research, connected me with more cousins, and given me new clues to follow up on.

How did Connected DNA come about?

I started using network graphs to plot my AncestryDNA shared matches in mid‑2016 with great results. A year later I posted a series of tutorials on my personal genealogy blog to share what I had learned. The tutorials took off and people started asking me if I took clients. The idea stuck and I launched Connected DNA in December last year.

On your home page of Connected DNA, you state this, ‘What if, instead of working through lists, you could see your DNA matches and their connections laid out in a picture?’  Can you explain what this means?

DNA match lists are generally just that - a list of names. While you can usually navigate to see a list of shared matches on company website, that’s a lot of clicking between pages. Even with a spreadsheet it’s hard to hold that many names in your mind at once, let alone all the connections between them.

When the connections are laid out visually it’s like having a map. With the right layout, you can see at once groups of people who may share a common ancestor. You can also spot strange connections that need more investigation.

Without revealing names, is there one moment when a client has gone, ‘Wow, so that is my connection!’  Or don’t you hear back from them?

I often get excited messages from clients when they first see their graphs. Usually they can identify a few of the groups straight away, but others are more mysterious.

With FamilyTreeDNA and Ancestry being the biggest DNA companies, do you have any plans to expand and offer this service to the smaller companies, in the future?

Yes, I do plan to expand to other companies in time when suitable data is available.

You have a great website,  Connected DNA, https://www.connecteddna.com/  and a Facebook page   https://www.facebook.com/ConnectedDNA/  Do you have any other online pages?

My personal genealogy page is at http://twigsofyore.blogspot.com/.

So at the end of the day, how do you relax?

I spend time with my family, read books, and take dance lessons. If I’m still alert at the end of the day I also try to progress my own family history research!

Thank you Shelley, for you time and I wish you continued success with Connected DNA.