For most genealogical problems, how helpful is DNA actually? In my opinion, not very. While I admit there are times where DNA analysis can be helpful, in the vast majority of cases DNA does not provide the type of relationship precision we need. Knowing that two people are related "somehow" "somewhere" "an unknown number of generations back" is typically not the kind of information genealogists need.
And I don't need to know where my ancestors were from 100,000 years ago. How that helps me with 18th century research is beyond me. Frankly, I'm tired of all the hype.
Instead of money and effort devoted to DNA genealogy research, we need to be concentrating on digitizing and permanently preserving the unmicrofilmed records of NARA and many county courthouses. Those records tell us stories that DNA never will be able to.
Those are the stories I want to hear. That is what I want to learn.
I do not give one iota about where my ancestors were 100,000 years ago.
