Mothering to Go Web-Only - Page 9

[Girlonthegrove]

Oh, I am SO disappointed! If I didn't love Mothering so much, I'd just cancel my subscription. There is no comparison to sitting down with my brand new Mothering and having to browse it on the internet. Really...I'm horribly disappointed in this news. 

[georgia]

I believe that the Pregnancy newsletter is entirely separate from the subscriber database, just like MDC's database is a completely different entity. I wish that we had the finances to have a single streamlined system! Again, I'm sincerely sorry that the email didn't reach you and for any upset this has caused. If you'd like to discuss this further, you're welcome to PM me or contact Sarah. 

[Think of Winter]

Hi Amy,

I'm sorry you are in this difficult position.  You've been there for us for years, and I appreciate all you do very much.  And I am so grateful that MDC will continue.  Hang in there.

I also appreciate the fact that you've changed this board from moderated.  (oops, didn't realize that only the op in a thread on the Q&S board had to have mod. approval.)  It's nice that we can all be heard.

I am a magazine subscriber, and I get daily messages (which have random content about my thread subscriptions).  I received a message in January regarding the availability of the Jan digital issue, but I did not get a message about Mothering going web-only.  I've searched my inbox, deleted mail, and even my spam.  Just wanted you to know, not all of us got it.

Thank you:)

[Sfcmama]

Originally Posted by Think of Winter 

Hi Amy,

I'm sorry you are in this difficult position.  You've been there for us for years, and I appreciate all you do very much.  And I am so grateful that MDC will continue.  Hang in there.

I also appreciate the fact that you've changed this board from moderated.  It's nice that we can all be heard.

I am a magazine subscriber, and I get daily messages (which have random content about my thread subscriptions).  I received a message in January regarding the availability of the Jan digital issue, but I did not get a message about Mothering going web-only.  I've searched my inbox, deleted mail, and even my spam.  Just wanted you to know, not all of us got it.

Thank you:)

Similar for me. I got the Jan digital edition with absolutely no explanation about the change or the termination of services. (it was actually called my "complimentary digital editin" as those it was a special treat!) If I wasn't on mdc, I'd have no idea what happened and would've had to call or email to find out. In fact, this is exactly what happened to another mama I know so clearly there was a mistake made in notification. Not to mention the oddity of how sudden this happened...
Hoping more answers will be given so that I can continue supporting and participating in mdc.

[iamelated]

I don't believe there was an email sent explaining the change.  Just the online message.

[HappyMommy2]

.

[tea_time]

Originally Posted by iamelated 

I don't believe there was an email sent explaining the change.  Just the online message.

I agree.  Not to be difficult but I have only ever had one email address with Mothering, so it's not like they could have gotten it wrong.

[youngspiritmom]

Originally Posted by tea_time 

I agree.  Not to be difficult but I have only ever had one email address with Mothering, so it's not like they could have gotten it wrong.

I didn't get an e-mail from them regarding this issue. I get ALL kinds of emails from mothering, all the time. I don't think one was sent out. I want answers!!
 

[youngspiritmom]

Originally Posted by tea_time 

I agree.  Not to be difficult but I have only ever had one email address with Mothering, so it's not like they could have gotten it wrong.

I didn't get an e-mail from them regarding this issue. I get ALL kinds of emails from mothering, all the time. I don't think one was sent out. I want answers!!
 

[JMJ]

I got a message about my digital copy of the Jan/Feb edition, and the only other e-mail (other than forum and Peggy's kitchen subscriptions) was a newsletter encouraging me to buy reprints that did not mention anything about Mothering going digital only.

[mamatowill]

I also did not receive an email about this change. I found out through a link on Facebook. I know mine is on file since I receive a digital copy of the magazine. I am curious why there was a groupon coupon for a free year of digital Mothering magazine when it folded within a couple of weeks.

[Cynthia Mosher]

This is the email that went out to those on the Mothering Subscribers list prior to the public announcement. If you did not receive this email it may be that your email address is not on the list it was sent to but is on one or more of several other email lists, such as Mothering Shop and any or all of the Newsletters. There is also the issue of delivery problems that arise from time to time when we send out an email to a large list. Some emails do get returned as undeliverable for a multitude of reasons. So really all we can say is that an email was sent out to subscribers. We cannot explain why some did not receive it. 

Dear Mothering Subscriber,

Thank you so much for your support of Mothering. After 35 years of publication, Mothering is not able to continue publishing the magazine. November/December 2010 was our last print issue. January/February and the upcoming March/April 2011 issues will be sent as digital publications.

We are very sorry that we did not tell you this sooner. It only became evident to us in the last two weeks and we could not tell you until we had made arrangements for as smooth a transition as possible.

While this is a big change for us and all of our long-time and very loyal subscribers, we look forward to continuing to bring you the information and support you have come to love on Mothering.com and in the Mothering community online forums.

Please do join us on MDC, our online forums, if you haven’t already. We would like to offer you an MDC buddy, one of our member ambassadors who will help you get acquainted with MDC. Please let me know if you are interested and I will get you set up!

Your current subscription with Mothering will be fulfilled by Natural Life Magazine http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/

Natural Life Magazine is owned by Rolf and Wendy Preistnitz. They purchased Mothering from founder Addie Eavenson in 1980, but the deal fell through and Peggy O’ Mara and John McMahon bought it instead. Natural Life is the most compatible magazine we could find to fulfill the Mothering subscriptions. They are a quarterly magazine and you will receive as many issues of Natural Life as you have left of Mothering. Your new subscription with them will begin with their May/June issue.

For more information we encourage you to read Peggy’s story on her blog at mothering.com here: http://mothering.com/peggyomara/qpeditorials/how-we-became-a-web-company

If you have any further questions I will be happy to help in any way I can.

Sincerely,

Sarah Patamia

Mothering Magazine

Po Box 1690

Santa Fe, NM 87504

1-800-984-8116

This FAQ page should answer any questions you have regarding the closure of the magazine or your subscription.

[jessjgh1]

I already deleted all my emails, but I will have to say I am absolutely positively sure I did not receive any official notice as a  'subscriber' notice before the Facebook notice  and MDC notices were posted.  I personally was a little surprised that paid subscribers seemed to end up lowest on the order of things, but ended up just feeling that this was obviously an extremely busy, emotional and difficult time for everyone involved.  

Jessica

[Agatha_Ann]

I didn't get an email about that either, but I get other emails daily from Mothering. I foundout through facebook.

[oiseau]

I also never got the email. I got the link for the Jan/Feb digital issue awhile back, but I haven't gotten any emails since then. A close friend of mine recently subscribed to the digital edition (in Jan. sometime) and she also hadn't gotten any emails. She's not an MDC member and had no idea about the news until I told her.

[NettleTea]

I can't believe this. There was no email announcement sent out about this. I rarely visit facebook but I, unfortunately, received the news from there today (through much backtracking after seeing a hint about it on someone's "wall"). I cried for at least 15 minutes and still continue to off and on. This is so heartbreaking to me. I need the boost of support Mothering gives me - not so much online, but mainly offline, in REAL life through the print magazine.

I will still follow the forums as much as I ever have. And I will hope and wish for the day that possibly, just maybe Mothering Magazine might return? (just maybe?)

[railyuh]

I never received that email either. I got an email asking me to renew on Jan 11th, but nothing in my inbox or spam folder from mothering about the end of the magazine, not before or after the announcement on facebook. I also received an email about the digital Jan/Feb issue since I used that coupon code for a free sub to the digital edition a while back just to check it out even though I already had a print sub. I also checked my spam folder and there was nothing from mothering there. I wonder how many people actually received that email since it seems like a lot of us didn't?

Mothering might want to consider sending out an announcement like this to their subscribers through email again. I think there are probably a lot of people who still don't know the magazine is over if they aren't active on facebook or here at MDC.

[Sfcmama]

Originally Posted by Cynthia Mosher 

This is the email that went out to those on the Mothering Subscribers list prior to the public announcement. If you did not receive this email it may be that your email address is not on the list it was sent to but is on one or more of several other email lists, such as Mothering Shop and any or all of the Newsletters. There is also the issue of delivery problems that arise from time to time when we send out an email to a large list. Some emails do get returned as undeliverable for a multitude of reasons. So really all we can say is that an email was sent out to subscribers. We cannot explain why some did not receive it. 

This FAQ page should answer any questions you have regarding the closure of the magazine or your subscription.

You know, I have to say that I'm disappointed by this response. For one, it doesn't make sense - how would so many subscribers (who were emailed digital editions) not included?!

Second, I find there to be an overall lack of accountability and sensivity to all of the faithful customers who are so strongly impacted by this change and being given so little information. What is beig given has a tone of "tuff stuff, it is what it is." I have no doubt that this is a difficult time for mothering staff but am surprised by the lack of care that has been taken for our feelings. Ironic, given the tie of peaceful, respectful, compassionate parenting that bonds us all. Just saying...

I'm not sure how/if this comment will be moderated but am running out of patience as I still await response from customer service...

[NettleTea]

After having a day to stew and brew over this I have come to the conclusion that I find all of this to be very odd and perhaps even suspicious. In late January I called in to Mothering's offices and put in an order for a 2 year subscription. They told me my first issue would be the Jan/Feb issue. I asked them to bill me for it as I have before. Everything seemed perfectly normal and business as usual. And then less than two weeks later they call it quits? Really? It pains me to say it, but I smell a rat. Something isn't adding up.

If there was an email sent out about this why did I not receive it? I receive all of the other emails that have been sent out from Mothering, but not one about this drastic change? And no, it didn't get caught by a spam filter.

You could cut out all of the fancy graphics, get rid of the color, cut back on the pages, raise the subscriptions rates, go back to quarterly...and I STILL would subscribe. I am having a difficult time believing that there was absolutely no way to make changes to keep getting this magazine out there and in the hands of people who so desperately need it. For me, it's been a life line through this rather isolating time of my life.

It's not about being in the information "business" or the magazine "business". I think this is about meeting people where they are, in the trenches of being a parent in this 'synthetic, cheap substitute' society and giving them that helping hand, that extra boost, that support and encouragement that screams, "you're not crazy! this is normal and natural!"....for some people that is online, for some people that is offline.

I am not into Facebook, Twitter and Podcasts. I cherish the printed word. I am not on this modern-day, information technology boat as it appears some are. Cutting out the print magazine all together is segregating a huge portion of Mothering's followers. Including me.

[penquinmom]

Originally Posted by Sfcmama 

 

Similar for me. I got the Jan digital edition with absolutely no explanation about the change or the termination of services. (it was actually called my "complimentary digital editin" as those it was a special treat!) If I wasn't on mdc, I'd have no idea what happened and would've had to call or email to find out.

This is me too. And I too have only had one email address-ever.