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23andme for only $99 today only

23andme.com

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Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#111

Post by moultano »

jacquesm wrote: post #74
neurotech1 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remember that one of the key investors is Sergey Brin, so "Don't be evil" would apply to 23andMe. Sergey is married to the co-founder of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki.

"Don't be evil" is at this point no more than a marketing slogan and I really don't see how it would apply to 23andme. Read their privacy policy first, then decide if you think that 23andme does not explicitly hold open the door to do 'evil'. edit: afterthought, in fact, any company associated with Google in that way would probably be the last party to give even more private information to, they have enough, if not t…

Out of honest curiosity, is it a matter of principle for you, or do you really feel harmed by anything companies have done with your private data? Is it a worry about future harm?

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#112

Post by dschobel »

jacquesm wrote: post #27

Think twice before you give away your DNA and pay for the privilege.

Unfortunately this isn't a paranoid position anymore.

Even if 23andme.com are responsible and take every precaution with your data, they'd still be subject to subpoenas and I sure as hell don't trust the federal government to respect data privacy when not convenient.

Thanks for taking the fun out of this Jacques... :\

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#113

Post by infinite8s »

biotech wrote: post #90

For those who are concerned about privacy, you could request that they delete your information after you have received the product. It says in their refund policy: You can, however, request deletion of your genetic data by providing us with written notice to help@23andme.com. We will delete your genetic data from our records within 30 days of receipt of such notice.

Except their product can only be accessed through their website as a webapp.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#114

Post by infinite8s »

jacquesm wrote: post #91
thirdusername wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Identical twins don't have the same DNA. Random link of Google: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/health/11real.html

I think you misread the point GP is making he is suggesting that because identical twins have the same DNA (more so than other people says the article linked) according to my logic they must be the same person, whereas it is obvious they are not. Of course they are not, but for 99.6% of humanity the rule that your DNA is (very) unique holds true, and for identical twins even if their DNA is even more similar it is no…

Clones won't have identical DNA for the same reason that twins don't.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#116

Post by ankeshk »

Seems like 23andMe doesn't ship to either India or China. They are leaving out half the world's population!

(I'm from India and would have loved to buy their $99 special - even if shipping was $99 more.)

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#117

Post by gwern »

infinite8s wrote: post #85
Aron wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is only upvote worthy if it's premise is true. For that, we need evidence.

For free, I'll tell you that you are fairly likely to get some kind of cancer.

> "What are your fees?" inquired Guyal cautiously. "I respond to three questions," stated the augur. "For twenty terces I phrase the answer in clear and actionable language; for ten I use the language of cant, which occasionally admits of ambiguity; for five, I speak a parable which you must interpret as you will; and for one terce, I babble in an unknown tongue."

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#118

Post by jacquesm »

moultano wrote: post #111
jacquesm wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Don't be evil" is at this point no more than a marketing slogan and I really don't see how it would apply to 23andme. Read their privacy policy first, then decide if you think that 23andme does not explicitly hold open the door to do 'evil'. edit: afterthought, in fact, any company associated with Google in that way would probably be the last party to give even more private information to, they have enough, if not t…

Out of honest curiosity, is it a matter of principle for you, or do you really feel harmed by anything companies have done with your private data? Is it a worry about future harm?

It's mostly about potential, not about stuff done to me.

The EU now requires fingerprints to be given with your passport application, and the Netherlands, the country where I live has added a little goodie, they're going to keep one nice big fat file with all the prints in them, in case your future self commits some crime (of course, ostensibly that's not what it is for, it is to prevent the (scary sounds) terrorists from getting passports).

Stuff like this tends to end bad, and the easiest way to avoid bad endings is to be very careful at the beginning.

I can imagine all kinds of ways in which data like this could be misused, every year there are huge breaches of the public trust with sensitive data, be it credit cards, social security numbers, 'anonymized' releases, rogue employees and so on.

It's only a matter of time before some big time problem will arise out of a DNA database and I think to caution people to not send out their data without due consideration of the possible consequences is irresponsible. What surprises me most is how the hacker community seems to be fairly gung ho about this, and rushes to take advantage of this 'bargain'.

I'm considering not renewing my passport simply because I don't want to be a 'potential suspect' in every future crime on european soil. Of course, that will make me even more of a suspect for every past crime but that's just too bad.

Sending my DNA off to some commercial third party for 'analysis' and resale (at least they're nice about that bit, they mention it in their policy) is one of the last things I would do.

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#119

Post by QNguyen »

baran wrote: post #76
QNguyen wrote: post #75

The dangerous thing about these tests is that they only show if you have a marker for a particular diseases/affliction . This doesn't mean that you'll get the disease - we're still amateurs at this technology and I don't know if I want to live my life perpetually fearful of a disease that I have a marker for, but no relevant data on what the chance that I'll actually get that disease.

I think you have to take these results with a grain of salt. Its better to know ahead of time so you can begin to take steps to ensure that you dont have problems in the future. Genetic predispositions are only a factor, environment and other epigenetic factors also play a major role in determing your phenotype.

Agreed, but it's important that companies like 23andme don't market these tools as a complete tool for knowing what you'll get in the future, since there's still plenty more research to be done on many of these markers (and they're definitely not all inclusive of the diseases we face).

Re: 23andme for only $99 today only

#120

Post by jacquesm »

infinite8s wrote: post #114
jacquesm wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you misread the point GP is making he is suggesting that because identical twins have the same DNA (more so than other people says the article linked) according to my logic they must be the same person, whereas it is obvious they are not. Of course they are not, but for 99.6% of humanity the rule that your DNA is (very) unique holds true, and for identical twins even if their DNA is even more similar it is no…

Clones won't have identical DNA for the same reason that twins don't.

You mean because of copy errors ?
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