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23andMe lays off 100 people as DNA test sales decline

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Re: 23andMe lays off 100 people as DNA test sales decline

#381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The solution to that is to abolish or neuter your insurance companies like the us in the rest of the world did. The fact that a private for-profit company decides if you live or die is absurd.

Last I checked, medical and life insurance is a thing everywhere else in the world as well. While a public healthcare system will pay for your treatment, it will not pay for the loss of earnings/business during your stay in the hospital and convalescence, nor will it pay you if you end up with a permanent disability (social security may cover a pittance of the latter).

it will not pay for the loss of earnings/business during your stay in the hospital and convalescence

I can't speak for other countries in Europe. But in Switzerland you have mandatory coverage from your employer.

The employer will pay your salary for a certain amount of time. After that insurance will kick in and pay (usually) 80% for up to a couple of years.

After that invalidity insurance kicks in. That's usually about 60% of your salary until retirement. You can buy added coverage to raise those percentages.

Bankrupcy for medical reasons is pretty much unheard of herearound.

Re: 23andMe lays off 100 people as DNA test sales decline

#382
Are there any similar tests but focused on privacy ? No online database entry, just your plain raw data. Use your own software or local statical models to look for pre-conditions, etc. No looking for family members, unless I want to upload my data to some website, and then be able to have it removed at any time.

Re: 23andMe lays off 100 people as DNA test sales decline

#384

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies could stop retaining data that governments would be interested in. I'd love to get my genome sequenced, but I never want that data to be retained by anyone but me.

Until they get ordered to retain that data.

But they aren't now. The only reason for keeping data is for their own benefit.

Re: 23andMe lays off 100 people as DNA test sales decline

#386
post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, I would also say that a partial reason why these would've dropped is that everyone who can do it has done it. You only need these kinds of results once because your DNA doesn't change. I knew people who were giving or had gotten these as gifts, but those are one-off purchases. And if you've heard of people doing it then you'll do it too but that's also a one-off. I don't think I'd personally benefit because…

I did it 6/7 years ago because the novelty, and enthusiastically recommended it to family and friends. Now I regret doing it considering how Google and Facebook has abused consumer data. I definitely would not submit my kids to the same fate.

Not to worry, it’s a bit doubtful submitting DNA samples isn’t going to be obligatory at some point in the future. You can easily solve a lot of crimes with that.

Re: 23andMe lays off 100 people as DNA test sales decline

#387

That’s what happens when bad press about your company comes out, and you’re too clueless to recognize it. Why do I really care about other people with similar genetics to me? This seems to be a greater risk for me, if I put myself into that database. And if someone else has a similar genetic as mine, and they commit a crime, then I’m automatically roped in as well. Do I really want the police knocking down my door, a…

And if someone kills every memeber of your family, and they leave DNA behind, but police are not allowed to use DNA databases which WOULD find the person that commited the crime and they don't have a match otherwise (since we're already making assumptions that something will definitely happen)? I mean this goes both ways. One thing I don't understand about this whole hate for DNA databases and matching relative's DNA…

> why?

Because MY DNA is MY DATA. MINE! I own it, so I can do whatever I want with it, including not giving it to some weird company or whoever. Is that so hard to understand?

It's not me who needs a very, very good justification (and no, hypothetical criminal-catching doesn't cut it, because you'd have to prove me being a criminal first) to keep that data to myself, it's anyone else who wants to make use of it who needs a very good justification for that, ideally one that doesn't just depend on brute external force to "convince" me of consenting to someone else utilizing that data.

Re: 23andMe lays off 100 people as DNA test sales decline

#388
post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Your exome changes all the time. I work in DNA analysis (not for 23andme). Citation needed. > Your gut biome changes all the time. Your gut biome isn't being tested by a genetics company collecting your saliva or epithelial cells.

How complete are theses tests? If I wait another 10, 15 years to get sequenced, would I get more accurate, reliable information? Can advances in sequencing technology make it worth people to get resampled? Or is it just an issue of better analysis?

Couple of professor's and top researchers are stated that the tests are accurate as a horoscope.

I also did a "highly respected testing using thousands of studies" 650$ testing which, well... I can guess the same stuff by looking at someone or two seconds.

Re: 23andMe lays off 100 people as DNA test sales decline

#389

That’s what happens when bad press about your company comes out, and you’re too clueless to recognize it. Why do I really care about other people with similar genetics to me? This seems to be a greater risk for me, if I put myself into that database. And if someone else has a similar genetic as mine, and they commit a crime, then I’m automatically roped in as well. Do I really want the police knocking down my door, a…

And if someone kills every memeber of your family, and they leave DNA behind, but police are not allowed to use DNA databases which WOULD find the person that commited the crime and they don't have a match otherwise (since we're already making assumptions that something will definitely happen)? I mean this goes both ways. One thing I don't understand about this whole hate for DNA databases and matching relative's DNA…

I want policing via consent. A police force that through diligent investigation comes to suspect someone of a crime and then acts on it. Let scene of crime DNA assist in showing a relation, or that the suspect may be male etc.

Yet a DNA database to trawl is the wrong answer. DNA is not a 100% unique match, it might not even be unique among everyone alive right now. It can degrade, techniques for amplifying very small samples are highly delicate and easily corrupted. DNA evidence at trial achieves that same undeserved halo effect as polygraph as the non-mathematical public and jurors don't understand any percentage confidences. It is far, far more influential than it deserves to be, even though unlike polygraph it has a real factual basis.

It should be one of multiple sources of evidence sought at trial, and should be barred from being sole grounds to convict.

A DNA and fingerprint database of convicted felons, accessible only to police and ports seems a reasonable compromise. A database of the innocent and not yet proven guilty? Fuck right off.

Re: 23andMe lays off 100 people as DNA test sales decline

#390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you naive is if you put any smidegeon of hope into the fact that insurance companies will not hesitate to buy and abuse such data to fuck you over left, right and central then you really are beyond help. If you want to risk that, fine. But you're also screwing all your relatives in the same swell process. And that's not only naive and dumb, that's totally reckless.

The solution to that is to abolish or neuter your insurance companies like the us in the rest of the world did. The fact that a private for-profit company decides if you live or die is absurd.

>>The fact that a private for-profit company decides if you live or die is absurd.

Yes it is much better when corupt government bureaucrats do that ::Rolleyes::

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