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Hey, it's summer...what are you doing at the computer? If you're in Ireland, you're probably trying to get away from the rain. Not to worry, we've a great selection of sites worth your click this month. If you know of a great Irish site we've missed, incidentally, we want to know! Send the site's full name and address to editor Sheila McDonald, and one of our reviewers will give it a whirl. Click here if you only want to view this month's list of sites.
More than 100,000 people have been given up for adoption since the founding of the Irish State, and the new Adoption Contact Register aims to bring some of these mothers and children together. Users must be over 18 to take advantage of the free search and browse facilities at the Register, where dozens of entries already make poignant reading. No names are revealed, but people entering their information will be put in touch with each other by the Adopted People's Association of Ireland. Bear with the site, by the way, if you get a server error: APA staff are working to rectify problems with the traffic load on the site.
Few things bring on a migraine quicker than the thought of entering the Irish property market, thanks to unheard-of increases in real estate values here. Many Irish property Web sites are sad affairs, too, which makes the hunt for a home more difficult again. But the sleek new PropertyAt site is a hearty gulp of fresh air. High-quality photographs show houses at their best, and smart searches let visitors view property by location and price. Northern Ireland properties make up nearly the whole inventory, but the company says it will list Dublin properties this summer.
It's not as stressful as buying a house, but finding the right new or used car for your budget can be tricky enough, and selling your old clunker is more difficult still. The new Autopoint car classifieds site puts the power in the hands of the drivers: a used autos section lets visitors search the inventory or add their own for sale. New car news and reviews are also provided courtesy of Auto Ireland magazine, and a Dealer search tool points visitors to a showroom near them. For that go-really-fast feeling, a substantial Formula 1 area profiles the teams and the cars from this season. Vrrroom!
For bullish shoppers, one of Ireland's top china shops is now online. Dublin's China Showrooms displays an impressive collection of Waterford and Galway crystal, Belleek and Wedgewood china, and other luxury items, although tight security seems to plague the site. Because each page is encrypted, instead of just the order form, browsing is extremely slow. The only descriptions of items are functional, and less than fetching: "product # gw090, Marmalade Bowl." But the range of goods listed is extensive, and powerful e-commerce features let visitors sort products by name, price and manufacturer. If it's expensive and breakable, chances are it's in this database somewhere.
E-zines may be a dime a dozen these days, but the plain-speaking offerings of Into the Net give quite a valuable insight into Web development issues. You don't have to be an expert to follow the zine's explanations of Web project management, friendly new e-commerce software, and discussions about the real worth of banner advertisements. Past issues are archived online, for your perusing pleasure.