IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ THIS ENTIRE MESSAGE

The new forum is open for your review. Just CLICK HERE to visit it. We will be permanently moving there soon, so please visit it as soon as you can so you will get the hang of it for when we go "live"! Just a few notes about the new forum site:

• This is just the testing site, it is not our actual permanent site.

• The new site is very differant from this one and is not as simple, but please bear with it. Once you get the hang of it, you really will like it so much better. Just give it some time.

• Please note that although you will need to register, that registration is for you own protection. Your personal information (email address, etc.) will not be available for everyone to see. You set up a "profile" and choose what you want people to see. This is one of the benefits of this new site. Higher security for you!

• You will also note that you will have your own "private message center". This will keep you from receiving emails you might not want. If some one from the forum wants to contact you, they will leave a message for you which will go into your private message center. You can retrieve any messages sent to you at your convenience. Again, higher security for your privacy!

• One the biggest pluses of the new forum is the "search" feature! You will finally be able to not only find references you are looking for in one forum, but if you choose, you can search in all forums that are moving with us! For instance, need a bread recipe? Do a search for "bread recipe" and choose the "in all forums" option and it will search all the forums at the same time for any bread recipes that have been posted.

• Another advanatage is that the forums themselves can enjoy higher security - no trolls! That is why registration is necessary. We can block those that violate the rules or are disruptive. We have been very fortunate in the Cooking and Crafts Forum so far, but they have not been so lucky on some of the other forums.

• The best advantage of all -- NO MORE OUTAGES! We won't have the outages like we do here on Lusenet. So if you need a recipe or crafting directions, you will have access 24/7 without finding the forum is down!

• Fianlly, one of the bonuses of moving is that it will be easy to access any of the following forums since these forums often go hand-in-hand (others may also come aboard at the time we go live):

  1. Countryside

  2. Country Families
  3. Freedom Self Reliance
  4. Dairygoats
  5. Country Singletree
  6. Cooking and Crafts
  7. Raising Rabbits for Profit

  I know it is going to take some time to get use to since it is not as simple as it is here; however, moving is absolutely necessary. Lusenet is going down at some point and will not return and downtime is getting longer and more frequent.

  This is our chance to make the move more transitional before we are under the gun to move and to do so quickly! So just go to the new site and play around. Posts some in the Cooking and Crafts Forum and get to know our new "home". I promise that in the long run, we will be VERY happy we made the move.

  I will be sure and let everyone know when the permanent move will be, in the meantime, do your "regular" posting here so we don't get things too spread out for now. We don't want to have to check posts here and there, but I do want you to post a couple times on the new site just a welcome or hi message so you know how to use it when we go live.

  As a final note, we will be moving all the past postings so everything will be together. We are working on way to effectively do so. They may not be available at the same time when we make the move to go "live"; however, they will be there shortly after that. This site will be closed for an new posting, but you will still be able to retrieve any of the previous posts.

  If you have any problems with the new site or, if there is anything you don't understand, just be sure and let me know here and I will be happy to help you. Thanks for bearing with us!
  
  -- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002

Answers

I want to tell everyone that the new forum is not that intimidating! Just take your time and explore. It won't punish you if you goof! If this grandma can use it, anyone can!

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

Karen, is there any way you can paste this to my Country Families password site? It is on Lusenet and would save me a lot of explaining. Also can I use this to send to people who are e-mailing me??? I am just worn out...

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), May 10, 2002.

Absolutely, Melissa! I just emailed you by the way. Bless your heart, I know it has been a rough week. Email me back and tell me where exactly you want me to post this and I will be happy to do so! I am not sure what time you posted this and didn't want to get crossed up.

-- Karen (mountains_mama@hotmail.com), May 10, 2002.

I registered at the new site but every time I try to log in it won't accept me. is any one else having this problem?

-- dot (dotpy@goink.com), May 11, 2002.