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Comment by zasz | Hacker News Reader

It costs money to sequence DNA and calculate someone's ancestry. 23andMe loses money whenever it sells a kit. Are you seriously too lazy to save a nonprofit a few hundred bucks by spending 1 second to indicate your race?

Also, every time I buy something at a store, I have to give them my addresses. Including my phone number and a few extra ways to contact me in case I move, and you know, someone is dying and needs my help, sounds pretty reasonable.

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Also, every time I buy something at a store, I have to give them my addresses

Every store I've been to has been perfectly happy with only a green piece of paper with the number "20" written all over it.

Also, every time I buy something at a store, I have to give them my addresses.

At which point you can simply say "no, I don't want to" and they'll still settle for your money.

Also, every time I buy something at a store, I have to give them my addresses.

I hope you're kidding...

Many stores ask for it. Radioshack I believe is a prime example of this. I've never heard of them hassling you if you refuse however.

RadioShack only asks for your zip code. It pops up and asks when ringing something up. They can just hit escape if you don't want to tell them.

Radioshack stopped doing that a while back.

Ah, good to hear.

Thats when you give them the address: "123 Biteme Street" (pronounced Biteeem)... Or just tell them no

I meant an online store. I was too angry when I was typing my comment.

If 23andMe loses money on kits, where are they making their money?

Advertising and upsell on the website features.

I used to work there. Fuck if I know. I think they were hoping to make money off the research, and they've moved to a subscription model by charging for new discoveries about your genome.

I meant an online store.

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