How the forum is set up

[Admin]

Currently, this forum is publicly online. Eventually, a Google search will bring it up (though right now it's so new that you probably won't find it that way). You must register to see any of the posts except those in the welcome area, and you must be registered to add a post. We ask some information about you when you register and you have to access a message in your email before you are fully registered. However no "live" person reviews your registration immediately, there is a delay of a day or so before the moderators read the registration info.

We've also made some suggestions about how individuals can protect their privacy in the Getting Started forum.

What do you think? Is this enough for you to feel comfortable using this forum? If not, what other measures would you like to have in place?

Please comment here on in a new topic! Thanks!

[skip]

At one time we talked about requiring that a new member be 'referred' by another member to ensure that each forum member was a legitimate person. This would require a lot more overhead and at the same time create more privacy for posters.

This is a challenging issue balancing privacy concerns with wanting people to find us.

Once we decide on the method of registering members I think it is crucial that the method be public information so that we can each make informed choices of the information we put on the list.
-v

[beanbabe]

I don't mind an entirely public site, as long as it's made REALLY clear to everyone.

I've found all sorts of forums via google searches unintentionally. I don't think this is bad necessarily, because it's a good way to get info if you're new to a subject and browsing. I've stumbled upon a really useful national homeschool forum debating math curriculums, for example. (and had to look up all sorts of acronyms afterwards, like DH.) And a Berkeley mom's forum comes up in a lot of my searches about tips for what to do with kids in the bay area. But I wouldn't want someone to think this is some sweet private forum and post a lot of personal info.
Just my two cents.

Thanks for putting all this together! Looks like a lot of work... congrats!

[talbertfam5]

When you research "homeschoolers in Santa Cruz" we pop up third on the first page in Yahoo search. Unfortunately, we are on the third page almost at the bottom with google. Let's hope we move up.

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