New Things at Mothering!

[Cynthia Mosher]

As we work to improve our services and features at Mothering we also want to simplify and enhance a few things here on the forums. Here's what we're doing to bring you a more enjoyable community experience:

1. A simplified User Agreement. Our previous user agreement had become unwieldy and overly complicated in wording and details. So we offer this very simple and straightforward version, which reflects the trust we want to extend to our members to keep things in line and hold fruitful discussions without strict restrictions. We'll be updating the forum descriptions to carry specific rules over and keep more specific details about our terms of use in that document. 
2. A clean slate. To launch this new simplified UA we are removing all infractions (alerts & warnings) that have been issued to members in the past. Everyone will start again as if they are new members with no alerts or warnings.
3. Free Trading Post threads for sellers. Previously members could post to a thread but only paying members could post a new thread. We have opened the Trading Post up so that it is now free for everyone. The only exception is the WAHM Market which is for Supporter Business Advertisers.
4. New private forums. We are offering some new private forums to give members a meeting place to discuss more personal issues. These are entirely member-run and organized and each has its own membership requirements. We have already opened the Single Parenting Lounge and have a few more private forums planned in the near future. 
5. Over the next week we will open up celebrity gossip discussion in the Media forum, expand News & Current Events, and launch a new Intactivist forum. 

If you have questions or suggestions about these changes and new features please post to this thread. Thanks! 

[HollyBearsMom]

celebrity gossip???  Oh my!!  i call that  WINNING!!! 

[clutterbug]

This is more of a technical comment but I was hoping the list would include something about speed of the site.  Ever since the new format, I have found it slow...I mean, not like dial up or anything, but noticeably slower compared to everything else I do online. 

[GardenStream]

I'm very happy to see the response to our requests for less restrictions on discussion topics, thank you.

Winning...

[WildKingdom]

Does this mean that old threads that have been pulled will be returning?

[Galatea]

Wow - thanks for making all these changes that I wanted so much!

[flower01]

This is what I was hoping to see as well.  As much as I am sad to see Mothering mag go, and I have gotten a lot from this forum, it has become too difficult for me and I have started looking for other forums to find community and get the info and support I need. I WANT to stay here...but it's just TOO SLOW. I have a 3 and 1 year old...i only get short spurts of internet time. Every second wasted is...well, a second wasted.

[Ornery]

As I posted on another thread, I feel like this really changes the fact that Mothering is supposed to be a supportive environment.  How is it supportive if people are talking about other people?  How does gossip fit in with Attachment Parenting values?

And when is the new User Agreement going to be unveiled?  I would like to see what exactly the new agreement specifies.

ETA:  Speed is also a huge concern for me.  Why is attention being put on all these new features when the actual functionality of the site is so poor?

[sunnysandiegan]

I'd like to know when usability is going to be improved. Speed on my laptop is okay, but this site won't even come up on my phone since the makeover. The white background is still very hard on the eyes and I can only stay on the site for short spurts. Navigating any one forum is an exercise in patience with all the back and forth in and out of the forum list and each individual thread. I give up before reading most of the info. The "next thread" and "previous thread" links made all the difference in the old format. I like change when it is progress and maintains functionality. At this point, MDC seems to be more about glitz and glamour (surface-level shine) and less about core issues.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

celebrity gossip???  Oh my!!  i call that  WINNING!!! 

Celebrity gossip may not technically fit with AP discussion, but it is nice to discuss non-AP things with like-minded people.  And heck, sometimes we all need a break from the every day type stuff and want to have a little fun. 

I agree that there are some other issues on the site, but it's nice to see that things are slowly, but surely, being taken care of.  We could all say that different things need to be a priority over something else, but it seems that in the end the issues will be resolved.

[dubfam]

Sounds good. I might even start posting more often now lol! Before I was always afraid I was somehow violating the UA and gave up trying and moved to other boards. Thanks for working hard to improve MDC!!

[flower01]

Originally Posted by dubfam 

Sounds good. I might even start posting more often now lol! Before I was always afraid I was somehow violating the UA and gave up trying and moved to other boards. Thanks for working hard to improve MDC!!

I don't know. I left here to go to other boards for awhile because of the opposite fear. I used to come hear for support and like-minded conversation and I started to see so much name-calling and arguements it was really frustrating.  I don't need to go online for drama. I am looking for people to affirm parenting decisions and help me. I just hope that these changes won't allow for more negativity.

[zinemama]

I appreciate the move toward improving the board, but imo, the addition of celebrity gossip is not a win. "Winning" would mean bringing back the Politics and Current Events forums and allowing members to discuss those things - and everything else on the board - the way we used to (i.e. like grown-ups). And reverting to a readable format.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by flower01 

I don't know. I left here to go to other boards for awhile because of the opposite fear. I used to come hear for support and like-minded conversation and I started to see so much name-calling and arguements it was really frustrating.  I don't need to go online for drama. I am looking for people to affirm parenting decisions and help me. I just hope that these changes won't allow for more negativity.

I just looked at the new UA, and it certainly doesn't look as though name-calling is going to be any more acceptable under the new one than it was under the old one.
 

[Faliciagayle]

If Mothering is supportive of a natural family lifestyle and attachment parenting principals, what happened to the clause about not hosing discussion about pro CIO, elective c-sec, harsh discipline, etc.

This used to be a safe haven for AP types.  I don't have an account on Babycenter for a reason.

Boo, MDC.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by Faliciagayle 

If Mothering is supportive of a natural family lifestyle and attachment parenting principals, what happened to the clause about not hosing discussion about pro CIO, elective c-sec, harsh discipline, etc.

Maybe it's covered here? 

From the new User Agreement

post or delete content with the intention of disrupting discussions or violating the guidelines above.

As long as it's still known that MDC's values don't include advocating CIO, spanking, etc., I would guess that those posts will continue to not be allowed. 

[dubfam]

Originally Posted by zinemama 

I appreciate the move toward improving the board, but imo, the addition of celebrity gossip is not a win. "Winning" would mean bringing back the Politics and Current Events forums and allowing members to discuss those things - and everything else on the board - the way we used to (i.e. like grown-ups). And reverting to a readable format.

I agree but I feel like this is at least a step in the right direction. I don't care about celeb gossip but hopefully we get some of the other forums back eventually. I would love for N&CE to come back too!!!

[WinterPrego]

Maybe I'm the only one, but I hate the reply/email boxes! It won't apply bold,italics, etc...when I try, and does not show a blinker thing(not sure what you call it),so it's difficult to see where I left off(like if I were editing somewhere). Also, I can't leave the page and come back to finish my message, because then it puts me back at the beginning, so that I'm typing onto the beginning of the message. Does that make sense? And it won't let me fix it. So sometimes I've had to clear my whole message, and start over. Am I the only one who experiences this? I would love to see this reply/email box improved. I also have to agree that the site is a bit slow.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife 

Maybe it's covered here? 

From the new User Agreement

As long as it's still known that MDC's values don't include advocating CIO, spanking, etc., I would guess that those posts will continue to not be allowed. 

I'm concerned.  The UA doesn't say anything about AP or natural family living or anything.... so I'm concerned, is this just going to be one more parenting board? 

I haven't had the technical issues others have, but I come here less because my impression is that the population of users is shifting away from AP/NFL and toward mainstream.  I could go elsewhere to get mainstream answers, I want creative problem-solving help from an AP/NFL perspective, and I am much more hesitant to share an opinion when the next responses may be, "That's irresponsible, you need to go to a doctor now!" 

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by dubfam 

I agree but I feel like this is at least a step in the right direction. I don't care about celeb gossip but hopefully we get some of the other forums back eventually. I would love for N&CE to come back too!!!

I agree. If we're going to have Celeb GOSSIP I vote that we allow all members to discuss valid issues and news as well.