Registries, Bulletin Boards, Message Boards, Guestbooks Definitions: Registry is a searchable website. The information online is usually enough to determine if there is a possible match. The owner of the registry will have, in private files, more detailed information regarding the person who is searching. The person has actually "registered" with the registry owner and provided more information to help in making an eventual match. Warehouse Registry is a registry that is a collection of search posts that may have been stored at this site in an effort to keep such posts and listings from getting lost. Although it is a great service, a warehouse registry may not have all of the information needed in which to facilitate a match. Guestbooks, Bulletin Boards, Mailing Lists and Message Boards are very similiar to each other. A Guestbook is usually used to post sweet messages to the registry owners but can sometimes be used to post adoption information and then it is at times called a registry. Since the owner of the site does not have anymore information than that in the guestbook entry these entries usually do not have enough information in which to facilitate a match. It is usually discouraged to place personal indentifying information in a guestbook because there are some people who patrol thses types of "registries" and people put themselves at risk if they do. There are some Bulletin Boards which are for adoption related issues. People who belong to a bulletin board can talk about any adoption related information and to even mention their search criteria. Even though most bulletin boards are archived it is not advisable to post personal identifying information because of the people who patrol the boards looking for victims. Because of this there is usually not enough information to make a match. For people who do post more information, they put themselves at risk from the people who patrol the boards. Mailing Lists are very simular to bulletin boards although there are now technologies to make the lists restricted so people who patrol bulletin boards cannot get access to the people on the lists but it is not fail-proof. Because of this, mailing lists that are restricted do not allow just anyone get on the list so you post will not necessarily be seen by the lost loved one although they are safe for search ideas and other related adoption issues. The ones that are not restricted have the same problems as the bulletin boards. Message Boards are also very simular to bulletin boards. The one difference is that you need to apply for them and this does offer people who post there a little more security. Most message boards are specific about requirements to join which also gives them the same problems as mailing lists and message boards. While available to the public at large, these are NOT registries. Many use these for posting search listings. The e-mail address should be easy to find and one can directly contact the person who posted the message. The owner of the guestbook, Bulletin Board, mailing lists or message board will usually not have any additional information regarding the listing. There is no way to search this as one would a database. Back to the SOAR Handbook Index