The Dillman Family Association (DFA) blog is about to get a lot busier. Over the next several weeks we are publishing a substantial series of new articles covering the tools, technologies, and topics that matter most to serious genealogical researchers — with a particular focus on genetic genealogy and the software platforms that serious Dillman researchers use every day. Here’s a look at what’s coming and when.

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Industry News

• May 27 — MyHeritage Upgrades Ethnicity Estimates: What’s New in Version 2.5 — A look at the February 2025 overhaul that nearly doubled MyHeritage’s ethnicity categories, with specific implications for researchers with German and Swiss ancestry.
• June 3 — Genetic Genealogy Databases, Law Enforcement, and Privacy — A thorough and balanced examination of forensic genetic genealogy, which databases are being used by law enforcement and under what rules, the 23andMe bankruptcy and its data privacy implications, and where legislation is heading.

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Genetic Genealogy

• May 28 — Understanding Y-DNA Testing: STRs, SNPs, Haplogroups, and the Big Y-700 — A deep dive into Y-chromosome DNA testing for intermediate researchers, covering short tandem repeats (STRs), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), haplogroups, and FamilyTreeDNA’s flagship Big Y-700 test — with a direct connection to the Dillman surname project.
• June 4 — X-DNA: The Overlooked Chromosome That Can Focus Your Search — How X-DNA’s unique inheritance pattern can eliminate entire branches of your pedigree from consideration, and which testing companies provide useful X-DNA tools.
• June 11 — Mitochondrial DNA: Tracing Your Direct Maternal Line — What mitochondria are, how mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) inheritance works, and what dedicated full-sequence testing reveals that chip-based tests cannot.
• June 18 — Autosomal DNA Testing: A Primer for Genealogists — A clear, thorough introduction to the most widely used form of DNA testing in genealogy today — what it is, how matching works, and what each major testing company offers.
• June 25 — Autosomal DNA Testing: A Deeper Dive — For researchers ready to go further: how different companies test different parts of the genome, strategies for combining results across platforms, the Lazarus tool for approximating a deceased ancestor’s DNA, and the honest pitfalls of autosomal testing.
• July 2 — Whole Genome Sequencing: The Next Frontier — The history of whole genome sequencing from the Human Genome Project to today’s $89 consumer tests, what WGS provides that chip-based tests cannot, and what it means for genealogists right now.

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Sites and Software

• May 29 — GEDCOM: The Universal Language of Genealogy Data — What the Genealogical Data Communication (GEDCOM) format is, how to export and import it effectively, its current version landscape, and how to use it as a backup strategy.
• June 5 — Living DNA: Beyond Ethnicity Percentages — What sets Living DNA apart from other testing companies, particularly for researchers with British, Irish, or Central European ancestry.
• June 12 — Legacy Family Tree 10: Now Completely Free — A full assessment of Legacy Family Tree software, including the recent announcement that the entire program is now available at no cost.
• June 19 — RootsMagic 11: The Best All-Around Genealogy Software — A thorough look at the current version of RootsMagic, including its unique simultaneous Ancestry and FamilySearch synchronization and the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Prompt Builder.
• June 26 — GEDmatch: Cross-Platform DNA Matching for Genealogists — A complete guide to GEDmatch’s free and Tier 1 tools, its privacy model, and why it remains essential for serious genetic genealogy research.
• July 3 — Family Tree Maker: A Complete History and Assessment — From its 1989 floppy disk origins through its near-discontinuation in 2015 and its rescue by Software MacKiev, plus a full review of current capabilities in FTM 2024.
• July 10 — MyHeritage Family Tree Builder: A Free Desktop Tool — The history and current capabilities of MyHeritage’s free desktop genealogy application, including SmartMatch, Record Matching, and how it fits into the broader MyHeritage ecosystem.

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That’s thirteen new articles between now and mid-July — a mix of practical how-to content, software reviews, and deeper explorations of the science behind genetic genealogy. Whether you’re just getting started with DNA testing or you’ve been doing this for years and want to sharpen your toolkit, there’s something in this lineup for you.

All articles are written with experienced genealogists in mind and follow the DFA’s commitment to accuracy, clear sourcing, and direct connections to Dillman research where they exist. Bookmark the DFA blog and check back each week — or subscribe to receive new posts by email so you don’t miss any of the series.

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AI Disclosure: This article was researched and written with the assistance of Claude, an AI assistant developed by Anthropic. All facts have been reviewed for accuracy, but readers are encouraged to verify information independently, particularly for time-sensitive details such as pricing and software versions.