Adoption in Cyberspace

HOW
You find things on the Web

• Use a Web browser
  • Common browsers include: Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Opera (see Internet Software Recommendations)
  • Browsers available for most common computing platforms:
    MS-DOS, Win95, Win/NT, Unix, NeXT, Sun, SGI, etc.
  • This workshop presentation uses the Netscape Navigator browser.
  • A tutorial for using the Web is available on-line.
  • Go to a specific URL (i.e. RainbowKids web page).
  • Send e-mail (to a list server).
  • Participate in a chat.
• Search engine(s).
  • Access a search engine.
  • Use search engine to find 'adoption'
  • Note different results when searching for 'minnesota adoption'
  • Or how about searching for 'minnesota children adoption agency'
  • You can access other search engines from the bottom of any Yahoo results page, without re-entering search term(s).
• Newsgroups
  • A the bottom of any Yahoo results page, you can click on DejaNews to send your query to that search engine. Deja News allows you to search vast newsgroup resources.
  • Indicate newsgroups of interest (alt.adoption, alt.parenting).
  • Example news postings.
  • Commentary on content of news postings (Caveat Emptor)
  • jf: As of March 1997 the Newsgroups seem to focus largely on adoptees who are unhappy with their personal experiences, and with their adoptive parents. Reading the newsgroups is a good way to locate one's personal tender areas.
• Chat (Rooms)
  • Show example pages of chat (rooms) and topics (ParentSoup, RainbowKids and Adoptees)
  • Show example login/membership page.
  • Some pre-arranged chat sessions (i.e. with a qualified host) can be enlightening. Un-hosted chat rooms should be approached with skepticism.
  • Again, Caveat Emptor!
• List Servers
  • List servers forward all e-mail messages sent by individualsubscribers to all other subscribers.
  • Subscribe to a list by sending an e-mail to the list host,usually with the topic 'subscribe'. Unsubscribe by sending another e-mail message with topic 'unsubscribe'. Some list hosts may use variations of this approach. Adoption list volume can be incredible, and the comments can be hurtful to the unprepared.
  • Discuss subscribing to digest vs. every message.
    Digests are a summary of messages over a given time period (1 week). The best digests are manually prepared by the list host, others are compiled automatically by a computer program.
  • List servers, by nature, are generally organized by a qualified person. However, the day-to-day quality of the list server messages depend on that qualified person to moderate all messages (i.e. review and edit appropriately).

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