Appendix E: List of Initial Discussion Postings

1. Go to the www.alphaplus.ca address. Click on Alphacom in the left hand column.
   
   
2. This will bring you to the Alphacom page. Go to the bottom of the page and click on register.
   
   
3. If you are registering for the first time, the website will ask you to confirm if you have the software you need to access the site. The site displays a box outlining the software requirements and then asks you if you have these. If you do, click yes. If not, the page will offer you a choice of two different downloads - either Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer.
   
   
4. Choose the type of software you need to download. On the Netscape page this will be under the heading of Netscape Browsers. Any version you pick must be 4.0 or higher.
   
   
5. At any time during this process if you click on the "X" at the bottom right hand comer to try and get to the bottom of the page, the website will return you to the Alphacom Home Page. To get back to the page where you were you will need to click on the "X" in the upper right hand comer. Otherwise you will keep returning to the Alphacom Home Page no matter what you click.
   
   
6. After you have checked whether your software specifications are what you need to take part in this discussion, click on register at the bottom of the page.
   
   
7. Fill in the box that appears with your information and invent a password. We recommend that you write down the password somewhere you can look it up - unless you always use the same password for everything. If you forget your password, Alphacom has instructions for what to do to give yourself a new one.
   
   
8. Submit your registration form by clicking on submit at the bottom of the page. Alphacom will send you an email confirmation of your registration.
   
   
9. Once Alphacom has finished processing your registration on the website, a new page will appear with your name on it. Click on "English Public" to start to access the discussion pages. The site will then ask you to give your name and password.
   
   
10. Once you have filled out and submitted this form, the "Why Gender-Based Analysis?" page will appear with the CCLOW logo. Look for the subscribe button and click on it.
    
    
11. This is a good time to go for coffee or tea as it will takes three minutes for Alphacom to bring up the discussion page the first time you visit the site. Please be patient. It gets easier each time you visit the site.
    
    
12. If for any reason you get stuck at this point and you wind up with a webpage that is blank except for the word "Name" on it, go back to the Alphacom Home Page and do the following:
    
    If you have already successfully registered go to the Alphacom discussions at the bottom of the page and click on that. A client satisfaction survey notice will appear. Click on the "My Discussions" button on the left hand side of the page and choose "Why Gender-Based Analysis?"
    
    
13. The first entry you will see on the discussion page is a tip sheet that AlphaCom provides on different ways to use and access the discussion pages. I found it quite helpful.
    
    
14. Please introduce yourself the first time you visit the site by writing a few lines to tell us about yourself, what you do and what your interest in gender-based analysis is. You can do this by clicking on the add message box in the left hand comer.
    
    
15. If you cannot find the submit buttons at the bottom of any pages when you need to submit information, it may be that you need to download a higher version of browser. If you call AlphaCom at 1-800-788-1120 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m Eastern Standard Time), they can give you instructions on how to do this after you have already registered.
    
    
16. The dialogue starts on Thursday, Feb. 15. I will kick off the discussion with my own introduction of myself and a review of some of the main issues. I will also be asking you to answer some key questions from your perspective. To encourage a free exchange of ideas and to get an idea of what your priorities are, we are planning on letting the first day's discussion flow fairly freely. I will keep tabs on the discussion throughout the day and then do a summary of responses in the evening as well as pose additional follow-up questions.
    
    
17. We will send email copies of the discussion to anyone who can only access this dialogue with an email plain text summary on the following day and will input your comments as they come in. The same system will apply to anyone who can only access the discussion by fax.