Yes, most bioinformatics tools are the result of research projects.
However, the most common bioinformatics file formats have actually been devised by excellent software engineers (e.g. SAM/BAM, VCF, BED).
I think it is just very convenient to have text-based formats as you don't need any special libraries to read/modify the files and can reach for basic Unix text-processing tools instead. Such modifications are often needed in a research context.
Also, space-efficient file formats (e.g. CRAM) are often within reach once disk space becomes a pressing issue. Now you only need to convince the team to use them. :)
Unfortunately the line between 2 and 3 is very blurry. Like paper mill output submitted to legimate medium-to-low impact journals. Some of it gets inevitably published, others just puts a strain on peer reviewers.
I have no 23&Me profile, and I prefer to keep my genome private. However, IF you are NOT in the personal-data risk-averse camp, there is a point in rather giving your genome data than giving your online activity profiles. The former can at least be used for biology research/treatment development and thus clearly has higher upside for humanity.
I generally enjoyed the article. Maybe it's because the classical functional categorization/cataloging approaches in molecular biology are rarely sufficient to explain experimental data unless you are an expert and know all the exceptions and special cases. So the Predictive Biology approach seems a promising path, particularly since a lot of data for ML training is available.
That said, the formulation "machine learning is the native language of biology" seems odd.
I agree with the low demand for more expensive personal WGS. I think you can mostly get what you want with ySeq: currently 400$ for 90 GigaBases WGS sequencing, with the data sent to you via SD card. You can request immediate data deletion. Only genealogical analysis is included, everything else is DIY.
I think there is some sort of middle ground here. Although 99% of consumers don't care about privacy, it's an org risk as we saw with 23&Me. A consumer focused, privacy heavy but cloud based platform will emerge in the wake of 23&Me.
Gemini says a reasonable cost estimate from saliva to SNPs is $163.84 - $211.84 using Ultima $80 for sequencing (funny that sequencing is no longer the bottleneck on cost).
I find that the Airbnb fees are too high for what you get, which often boils down to the contact information of the renter. For some regions in Europe, I actually prefer again local vacation rental agencies, which have similar fees but much more service. Of course, their websites are often not great, but describing your requirements via phone or email gives great options.
