BURMANET: BURMANET ARCHIVE CAN NOW

[strider@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Received: (from strider) by igc4.igc.apc.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) id MAA24551; Sat, 11 May 1996 12:08:17 -0700 (PDT)
Date: Sat, 11 May 1996 12:08:17 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: BURMANET: BURMANET ARCHIVE CAN NOW BE SEARCHED

BURMANET: BURMANET ARCHIVE CAN BE SEARCHED BY GOPHER

The address is:

  gopher://gopher.igc.apc.org:70/11/orgs/freeburma

  Eventually, you will be able to search this using email and WWW, but 
for now, it is just gopher.  By the way, for those of you with Web 
pages, feel free to make links to BurmaNet's gopher.  Just let me know 
that you've done it so we can let others know.

  Also, if you could drop me a note the first time you use it, I would 
appreciate it.  This is especially so if you find any problems with it 
or have suggestions for improvements.

  Regards,

      Strider



*************************************

Some Hints for Using BurmaNet's gopher

The search engine on BurmaNet's gopher uses simple boolean logic.  In 
plain English, that means you can't use plain English questions.  For 
example, if you searched on this:

 "Why does Mi Mi Myint Phu support doing business in Burma?"

the results would be something of a mess.  Instead, try:

  "Myint and Phu and business and Burma"

The result of this search won't be a plain English answer (e.g. 
"Because her new Chinese lover is a business man with investments in Burma).
Instead, gopher would show you every message where "myint" and 
"phu" and "business" and "Burma" showed up.

In this case, you wouldn't use word fragments (like Mi Mi) because your 
search would return every message with a word starting with mi 
(MIlitary, MIllion, etc.).

Be careful of variations in spelling.  For example, in an article 
on a conference at Harvard last year at which Ms. Myint Phu spoke, 
her name was spelled differently so if in doubt, try variations:
"myintphu or myint phu or myintphun."


-----

You should find this to be an extremely useful tool which will allow you
to make connections between pieces of information and lead you on to
entirely new questions.  For example--

 why is Ms. Myint Phu such a strong advocate on UNDP's controversial
 program in Burma?  

 Why would the Harvard Institute of International Development (HIID)
 hire her as a consultant and why do they want to go into Burma?  

 Why is UNDP helping HIID set up its operation in Burma? 

 Is UNDP really contracting with the Harvard Institute to serve as 
 "nuetral outside evaluators" of UNDP's program in Burma?

 How nuetral can HIID be when their access into Burma is through the 
 agency they supposedly are monitoring?

 Isn't that a conflict of interest?

------
If you come up with answers to these questions, please let us know.

  Regards,

       Strider