| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
| about the book |
| The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Homeschooling Basics Which Online Homeschool Group Should I Join? by Julie Shepherd Knapp, copyright 2006 You will find that every online homeschool group has its own personality and its own mix of people that have come together to discuss the "hows and whys" of homeschooling. Some groups are very "chatty" and people feel free to discuss all sorts of topics. Some groups discourage anything but questions that are directly related to homeschool issues. Some groups are happy to get recipe suggestions, jokes, prayer requests, movie reviews, "for sale" notices, etc. Other groups will have firm rules about what can and can't be posted. A group's description on their home page will let you know the basic rules, but it is always best to read a few group posts to get a feel for how much open discussion there is on any particular group. It is always considered polite to ask the group moderator for permission before you post any type of advertisement or "for sale" notice -- otherwise, you may be thought of as a "spammer" and promptly deleted from the membership! If all you want to do is post to a group about a homeschool product or service that you have to offer... then it is best to e-mail the group owner directly, and send them the information or advertisement (rather than joining the group). If they think your product or service would be of interest to their group, they will pass it along. :-) You will probably want to join more than one e-group, because you will get different kinds of helpful info from each group you join. Local groups are great for finding out about local events, and making local contacts, but may be small, and members may not do much online "sharing". Larger regional groups may discuss some topics and events you have no interest in... but may have a lot of parents willing to chat about their homeschool experiences. Since there is no charge for joining most online groups, you can "Join" as many as you'd like... then simply "Leave" the ones that turn out to be "not what you were looking for". Before you know it, you will have an online support network that provides you with the level of advice, resource suggestions, and friendly chat that you, personally, find helpful. |