This is an official complaint

[Irishmommy]

When I log on to MDC, I use View New Posts. I'm getting rather tired of having to wade through so many threads from Diapering that have NOTHING to do with diapers. That's what TAO and Welcome, and all the other threads are for. I logged on the other day, after being away for 4 days, and there was something like 60 pages of new posts, and most of them were for here, and unrelated to here at that.

And yes, I am deadly serious, it's annoying, and I'm sure I'm not the only person.

[BowNessMonster]

And when IrishMommy get serious, she writes letters. This is a woman of action, people!

Hi

actually I find this annoying too, and I can't imagine how the mods feel!

[frogertgrl]

You're not alone, Irishmommy! Two of us (at least) have complained recently (for those who missed these threads):

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...threadid=64393

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...threadid=67942

And putting 'O/T' in the Subject doesn't make it any more justified putting that post in the wrong forum.

[HeatherSanders]

Irishmommy - thanks for verbalizing your complaint - it puts it 'out there.' Funny thing is that I set about moving a few threads this evening before reading yours.

I know there is a WELCOME thread here, but these mommas have also been asked to introduce themselves in PTMY. I think they just want the Diapering Mommas to know who they are. One thread is better than several - and with the amount of posts on that one thread . . . I'm definitely satisfied that it was done in that way.

A few other threads have been moved, but going back 3 or 4 pages, I think I covered the most recent.

I'll certainly keep my eye out though - and try to keep us all OT (including the moderator )

Thanks again!

[pb_and_j]

Well, for me at least, Diapering is the main place where I post. I do post on a couple different forums, but this is the forum where I feel the most welcome and where I know the most mamas. The diapering forum is it's own little "community" iykwim.

Of course this doesn't do anything to help w/ the way you're feeling... I just wanted to lyk my take on it (from a mama who pretty much only posts here). The OT posts here don't bother me at all.

[Sisyphus]

ummm... what does THIS post have to do bwith diapering??????????????

just a thought???

Lo

[HeatherSanders]

Originally posted by pb_and_j
Well, for me at least, Diapering is the main place where I post. I do post on a couple different forums, but this is the forum where I feel the most welcome and where I know the most mamas. The diapering forum is it's own little "community" iykwim.

Julie, although I completely understand this - I also know that MDC as a community has sooooo much to offer. When I first started coming here I only posted in Diapering as well, but as I had concerns in other areas, I branched out. What a delight! I found many other likeminded mommas in other forums that not only answered my questions, but taught me beyond what I was inquiring and 'expanded' me, so to speak. I also discovered that many of the cd mommas I came to know HERE are 'out there.' :LOL

This being a discussion board encompassing all subjects, the moderators are to move threads to their appropriate boards - and do so more frequently than you might realize.

Originally posted by lolov
ummm... what does THIS post have to do bwith diapering??????????????

Irishmommy wanted to address the Diapering Crowd specifically as she was trying to catch up in 'Diapering' - which is why it is specific - and very much appropriate - to this board at this time.

[pb_and_j]

Originally posted by HeatherSanders
Julie, although I completely understand this - I also know that MDC as a community has sooooo much to offer. When I first started coming here I only posted in Diapering as well, but as I had concerns in other areas, I branched out. What a delight! I found many other likeminded mommas in other forums that not only answered my questions, but taught me beyond what I was inquiring and 'expanded' me, so to speak. I also discovered that many of the cd mommas I came to know HERE are 'out there.' :LOL

Heather~ Yes, I know you understand this, but I was expressing my pov to the op. This issue doesn't seem to bother the "regular diapering" posters, only the ones who dabble in many different forums. I think a lot of the mamas here in diapering feel very close to one another, and feel more comfortable posting to this forum than to others where they don't know as many ppl.

I do understand that if you don't post here (on diapering) and read the boards using the "View New Posts" option, that this can be annoying. I'm not sure what can be done except have the mods continually move threads when they are ot.

Yes, we could all benefit from "branching out" to other forums though.

[flminivanmama]

Re: This is an official complaint

Originally posted by Irishmommy
When I log on to MDC, I use View New Posts. I'm getting rather tired of having to wade through so many threads from Diapering that have NOTHING to do with diapers. That's what TAO and Welcome, and all the other threads are for. I logged on the other day, after being away for 4 days, and there was something like 60 pages of new posts, and most of them were for here, and unrelated to here at that.

And yes, I am deadly serious, it's annoying, and I'm sure I'm not the only person.

if you are using "view new posts" what difference does it make what forum they are in? there would still be 60 pages of new posts... they'd just be in the "correct" forums. just wondering.

[Melaniee]

I understand your frustrations. Just another POV is that this is such a freakin' enormous board that I don't have time to go and 'get to know' the people who hang out in one section or another and I feel wierd just to jump in with a topic and then virtually disappear b/c I don't have time to keep up.

[sunmountain]

I think Irishmommy is feeling that if she wants views or topics about diapering, then come to this forum, or branch out. Otherwise it seems a little elitist.
Imagine how it would feel to you coming in here as a new member and wondering what all the "inside" jokes were in the diapering forum, seeing that there were OTs going on here. I would feel a little slighted, and I would wonder what the other forums were for, if all this other stuff was going on in here. Personally I would tend to stay away from a forum that was constantly being bombarded by OT discussions, simply b/c the posters who frequent that forum wanted to keep it "amongst themselves", ya know?

Just my NSHO.

[MamaMonica]

For threads not having to do with diapers- do you mean ones that don't mention diapers at all or are not strictly about technical details of diapers?

[*~*SewHappyNow*~*]

I used to use the "view new posts" and it didn't really make any difference to me what forum a particular subject was in. The only time it matters to me is if I am looking for specific information about someting, like diapering, vaccination, pregnancy, honmeschooling, vax etc.. In that case I will do a "search" within that particular forum.

I am not really interested in going through how many posts per day in 40 some forums, utilized by, what roughly 1000s of user per day to find out soandso is PG or this mama I know needs a because her baby is sick. If I am PG half the mamas in diapering will never see the announcement.

Seems the community is becoming a little large. I do not know what to do about that. Its nice that I feel I have some close mamas I feel a strong conection to. Not that I don't feel I can not associate with many mamas, but it gets to be overwhelming. No one can know all ~200 members logged in a any one time.

Perhaps its time diapering mamas strike out on their own and get their own communinity if we are such an annoyance to the rest of the MDC community. I do not like this idea. What other solutions are there?

[flminivanmama]

I just looked through about 5 or 6 pages of posts and I only found about 5 OT posts 2 of which had been moved - 1 of those was started by a moderator ("what's your access") - and 2 of which were introductions - only one of the 5 was still on this board (the one about SandraDee's DH's job offer) and it was about 5 or 6 pages back.

[mlia]

I personally don't have time to post in a variety of forums so I post in the one that matters most to me right now - diaping cause I have so little support IRL. I have noticed a few OT posts but really not that many. I am a message board owner on another site that gets bombarded by things such at this and to me this board's OT topics are minimal. I did post the intro thread but I actually I thought it made sense in this forum. Plus since I know I don't get around to every forum I thought it would make sense that not everyone else would get to the intro forum as well. Honestly I think that would be a lot to expect in a community this large. It makes sense that "sub groups" would get close in specific forums. Thus some personal comments would be made, etc. Isn't that what building a community is about?

I think it actually helps to say hi in a forum you frequent and get to know each other and was actually glad there was such a positive response. Cause sometimes it can be really hard to feel like you fit in on a busy board when you're new.

Anyway - I know I am new but that's my .02. I only received 4 responses to my hi post in the "main place" so if this forum hadn't been so friendly and open I doubt I would have stayed.

**I edited my message to clarify my wrongly worded thoughts!

[sunmountain]

Lea, you can always start your own community of like-minded mamas and still frequent here. A lot of members do this, and there is nothing wrong with that. Maybe this "annoyance factor" is exactly the sign that some of you mamas need to form your own community outside of Mothering.

A smaller board can prove to be more cohesive and intimate, and may serve some of your needs better.

I tend to come here for general advice or to give it, other than that my day-to-day stuff stays on a private MUCH smaller board that I belong to

[Brayg]

I know I'm a newbie here, but I spend the bulk of my time in the diapering area. It's all too overwhelming otherwise.

[mamamoo]

I think the inside joke thing is happening in most forums. I have felt very uncomfortable in other forums, and finally found one that I felt I fit in. I do post in other places too, just not near as much. I know that when diapering is done in my home I will be frequenting other forums...I don't know. I'm sorry that it bothers other mamas though.

[*~*SewHappyNow*~*]

Originally posted by mamamoo
I think the inside joke thing is happening in most forums. I have felt very uncomfortable in other forums, and finally found one that I felt I fit in.

I agree! I stay far far away from activism for this very reason. There's a number of people who post there regularly who don't give you that warm fuzzy if you know what I mean so I avoid them. Sometimes I feel I am not part of the 'in crowd' in TAO. I feel very comfrotable with most of the diapering mamas and we are almost always a very welcoming forum and I rarely see anyone getting a cold shoulder here. A very friendly bunch of mamas sepnd a large portion of time here in this forum.

[Sisyphus]

IMHO The "OT" threads are part of what makes this feel like a community to me. I am a newbie (at least I considre myself a newbie still!) and the "ot' posts never bothered me a bit, but instead, made me realize that the women (and men) here are really a community in every sense of the word... it didn't make me feel "left out".... because I made the effort to keep coming back and get to know these people.

If all you want is a place to get information and not "give back" then maybe a bb is NOT the place for you???

I'm not trying to be antagonistic, but it just seems that people who don't participate here on a regular basis are attempting to make those who participate on a daily basis fit THEIR idea of this board instead of what the people who come here often want the board to be. If you don't care about the friday SOS stalking, don't read the posts... if you don't want to know anything but laundering info, then don't read any other posts.

Ifyou just want general cd info, go to the many info pages (i.e. punkinbutt, darshani.com, etc.) and don't come here to get info. If you have a ?? post it... I've posted ?? that I know have been posted many times before and I ALWAYS get a respectful and enthusiastic response. If I wasn't willing to post a ?? I wouldn't get po'd about not getting answers to my ?? KWIM??

I know I'm a newbie, but this whole topic smacks of censorship and beauracracy...

if the "senior" members here who know so much and who are such close online friends started their own community somewhere, I know I'd be bummed and would stop coming here. Those are the women who answer newbie questions with sensitivity and grace... those are the women whose posts I read, JUST BECAUSE their name is on the "started by" .... because I know that 9 times out of 10 I'm going to learn something and the other time, I'm going to laugh so, if you don't like to read OT threads, then you have just as much of an option to not come here if it is so irritating to you IMHO.


Lo