Problem with "common ancestors" function

[barbara lee]

I'm looking more seriously at my DNA matches since I had the test a few years ago. It seems that my "common ancestors" function isn't working. Under many people listed on the match list it says "common ancestors", but when I click on it, it gives me the message on the left "sorry, we can't find any common ancestors". This happens even with easy-peasy first cousins, all with public trees. I have a public tree too.
Is this happening to anyone else? Is it to do with the update that is coming soon, and they have turned some things off temporarily to make processing room?
The other thing it might be is that I changed my display name to my real name a while ago after an known distant cousin couldn't find me under my "account name" in his list of matches. Could that have disrupted the link? The settings information still says my tree is linked.

[Jomot1]

I can't answer the second bit of your question, but I've just clicked on a couple of mine with Common Ancestors & its working fine (common ancestors info shown to the left).

[barbara lee]

Thanks Jomot1. Not turned off, then.
I fear I must have broken the link.

[christanel]

Working fine for me too Barbara. Will restoring your previous display name solve the problem?
Christina

[barbara lee]

I have just had a text-type "chat" with someone from Ancestry. He said when you click on a "common ancestor" link you see a left-to-right tree, with some people's names in green showing who the common ancestors are. I can see that, but I was expecting a drop-down tree, which I remember seeing several years ago when I first did the test. But there is still a box on the left saying "How are you and XX related? Common Ancestors. We can't find any common ancestors for you and XX .... "
I also seem to think that surnames highlighted in green on trees are just shared surnames, not actual common ancestors.
What do others see?

[Jomot1]

I have two types of DNA matches, those with "Common Ancestor" (noted under the 3rd column, just under the info about whether or not they have a public/private tree), and those that make no reference at all to "Common Ancestors".

If they DO have a Common Ancestor, then clicking on that link brings up the name(s) of the CA on the left, and I can either 'view relationship' (via the left hand column) or click on the linked tree.

If they DON'T have a CA then the 3rd column tells me whether or not they have a linked tree, and clicking on that brings up a message on the left as you have described - ie we can't find any common ancestors for you and XX

Surnames in Green are just shared surnames, not actual common ancestors.

[tony vines]

When I get new matches I first click on their name, then on "Shared Matches". Most of the low cM matches don't have any shared matches with me so I ignore them. When someone does share matches with me I look for a tree and if they have one I click on the tree to see what I can find.You probably know to use the expand tree function to open it up as much as possible. More often than not I don't find names I recognise which might mean having to see whether I can expand their tree with my own research to look for the link to me or to give up and move onto another match. If I find surnames I share in someone else's tree it might be someone from our common ancestry who has passed DNA down to us both, or simply a coincidence. So you are correct to be wary about names until you have done the usual work to prove the ancestral connection.

Tony

[barbara lee]

Thank you both. That is all as I understand it. I see the "common ancestors" link but it goes to "can't find".
The fellow from Ancestry who I was discussing it with was talking down to me a bit, like I was a beginner. He swore the names in green were common ancestors, but you have confirmed my suspicion that they are just shared surnames, which may or may not mean anything.
As for changing the username and the name that people see, I have put this back to the username, I have logged out, logged back in again, and not a ha'porth of difference. I think that is is such an easy thing to do, a facility provided in the account, just click her or click there, that Ancestry can't lose the link because of that.
Any suggestions?

[barbara lee]

I have just cleared cookies for all Ancestry sites, but that didn't work either.
I am most keen to see the common ancestor info for people with private trees, because it cuts through that and gives you a clue. One third or fourth cousin (who I know, and I know our link) has a private linked tree and the note "common ancestor". I know what Ancestry should be telling me, but it still just says "can't find".
Grrrr !

[barbara lee]

Just logged into Ancestry as if I was my first cousin (she has given me her password) and it's all working for her! I see all the names of the common ancestors and can click through to a drop-down tree showing the two lines descending to my cousin and to her distant match. It even shows all the names in between from the match's private tree. That's what I thought it would do. (Double)Grrrrr!