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A Primer for new members
Topic Started: Dec 22 2007, 11:18 AM (346 Views)
monkalup
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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I thought I would list a few specifics about this message board and what we do here. Perhaps it might help some of you!

We try to compile as much information on any given case as we can. This information is added to the individual case threads as and when found.
Cases are listed according to the year someone went missing, or the year an unidentified decedent was found.
Missing persons and unidentified persons are in different forums, listed by year.
For missing persons, the cases are listed alphabetically under each year's forum. The title of the thread will in most cases include the date of missing.

Unidentified persons are listed also under the year in which they were found. In order to keep cases somewhat organized, we have numbered them using the following system...There is a two or three digit state or country code, example. CA for California or CAN for Canada, TX for Texas, ENG for England, SCT for Scotland, etc. then A letter designating Male, Female or Unknown, Then a two digit year, two digit month and two digit date. Thus ENGM040806 Is a male found in England on August 6 2004.

What many members like to do is start by reading some cases, and finding one that "speaks" to them. Starting with unidentified persons is usually the best to start with if you want to try to make matches. Begin with the unidentified case and then look for missing persons cases in the same time frame or area. Our porchlight USA board, and all other satellite porchlight boards use the same criteria for cases but also has them separated by state, so searching the missing persons cases there can be helpful when looking for a case geographically close to the uid's place of discovery. Check dates, stats like age weight are often in a range, so do not rule out cases that don't seem like perfect matches.
If you found a match you like, you can post it under case discussions if you want someone's opinion on it. Also, check the ruled out and potential match databases (under potential match database forum) to0 make sure no one else has made this match already. If you feel it is worth a shot, call it in to the LE listed, either for the missing persons or for the unidentified. Calling or emailing both is even better. If you are reluctant to call LE for any reason, just ask on the board or in pm and someone else wil take care of it for you. There is a potential match database forum where we like to list any matches called in. There are separate forums for ruled out matches, etc. there as well. If you title your post with the number for the uid in the first space and the missing persons name in the second slot, it is easier for people to check for updates, or just to check to make sure a match has not already been called in.

We welcome any and all research so please feel free to post questions, articles, other website links and info and feel free to add to any case you like. YOu will notice that most cases will be linked to another porchlight board. PorchlightCanada, PorchlightAustralia, PorchlightEurope, PorchlightUSA, etc. This is done primarily since searching on this board is done by date while on all other boards searching is done by region, area, province, state or country. This is done to ensure a back up for all information and to provide an additional way to find data.

We really have few rules here, except for the Golden Rule. Members of any group are welcome to join us here, and are also welcome to share case information with any other groups they may belong to. I firmly believe every pair of eyes searching is another beacon of hope for the lost, so I applaud you all for shining your light.
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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monkalup
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
[ *  *  * ]
For those of you not familiar with this kind of message board, there are some helpful little options here you might find useful. First and foremost is probably the private message option. On the top of the page is an underline option called inbox If you have a private message from another member there will be a number after the inbox. Just click on the word inbox and your message list will appear. You can private message anyone at any time by simply clicking on their name anywhere on the board. An option page will open and on the right will be "send private message". Just click on that and the message box will open up, already addressed to the member.

The search option, located right above the inbox option, is there but does not do the best searching. Sometimes you might not find the way things are organized here to be helpful so I encourage you to check the other Porchlight board appropriate for the case. You might find, as I do, it useful to use both boards together.

You can reply or make a whole new topic anywhere you wish, although we do try to keep the offtopic chatter on the forum called The Cabinet. This is where we relax, have a little fun, share stories, etc. Please feel free to participate at whatever level you feel comfortable. Unlike some message boards, we do not require our members to post or do anything else to remain a member. Some members may well simply use us as a resource, others may wish to help do research, make matches, do updates.

I hope this helps!
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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