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A New Name for MDC

post #1 of 223
9/18/08 at 5:49pm
Thread Starter 
We have found that a large number of MDC visitors are unaware of Mothering the magazine, despite the "Mothering's Natural Family Living Community" beneath the motheringdotcommune header. This may be for a variety of reasons such as reaching MDC through search results or through links elsewhere. Whatever the reason, we'd like to make a change that will link MDC to Mothering more clearly.

Mothering is undergoing a lot of development and redesigning and MDC will be a part of that. So we are looking at a new name for our community forum but at the same time we're attached to "MDC" and would like to keep it. Do you have any ideas for us that would let us keep MDC but give us a clearer name that connects to Mothering magazine? Please share your ideas with us.

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post #2 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:09pm
MDC--the Magazine in 3D!

Too long?
post #3 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SheBear View Post
MDC--the Magazine in 3D!

Too long?
I actually really like that!
post #4 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SheBear View Post
MDC--the Magazine in 3D!

Too long?
That is cute! Or maybe something like "MDC: The Community Behind the Magazine"

Whatever it's named, can I just say the big giant red rectangle that popped up with this announcement is *really* bright. I didn't quite expect that when I logged in. :
post #5 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:23pm


I thought, oh, great, I broke something again :
post #6 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:23pm
Building on that...

Mothering 3D Community (MDC)
post #7 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:26pm
What about a more prominent placement of "Mothering Magazine" on the site? So when someone finds MDC through google, they'll know exactly where they've landed.
post #8 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:26pm
How about Mothering's Digital Community? Or Mothering Magazine's Digital Community?

But, I have to say, it sounds like it's less of a name issue and more of a magazine visibility issue. Can I ask what the concern is that visitor's aren't always aware of MDC's connection to Mothering magazine? Is it an issue of trying to increase subscribership? Or is it more an issue of protecting the core values of the community by making visitor's more aware of where they are? Or... is it something I haven't thought of?
post #9 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:27pm
Or Mothering Magazine Community
post #10 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chinese Pistache View Post
What about a more prominent placement of "Mothering Magazine" on the site? So when someone finds MDC through google, they'll know exactly where they've landed.
Having been a member for so long, I don't even know what happens when a visitor follows a link from google to MDC-- does it go right to the thread, or is there an intro screen? Something like a semi-opaque overlay to the thread that says something like-- "Welcome to Mothering Dot Commune, the community behind Mothering Magazine." And have "Mothering Magazine" be a link to the main Mothering Magazine home page. Then have maybe three buttons below that labeled: Click here to read more about our core values. Click here to join/ sign in. Click here to go to the thread you requested.

ETA I'm only suggesting this for people who are A) not signed in and B) coming to MDC from a search engine.
post #11 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:31pm
What about just adding the word Magzine...So it says Mothering Magazine's Natural Family Living Community at the top
post #12 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:33pm
why not just add magazine to it?
"mothering magazine's natural family living community"
post #13 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:48pm
What about keeping the same banner and top navigation that is on the Mothering Mag homepage consistent with the MDC forum? This would tie the two together and when you go between the mag site and the forums one would feel like they are still on Mothering.com rather than a different site.
post #14 of 223
9/18/08 at 6:54pm
I also think y'all should keep MDC. Seems to me like it's mostly a visibility issue. Adding the word Magazine to the tag line should help. Why not also have the link to Mothering read Mothering Magazine? Why not add a picture of the current issue at the top of the page like on the Magazine homepage? Also a Subscribe to Mothering Magazine link from MDC, as mentioned.
post #15 of 223
9/18/08 at 7:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mischievium View Post
Having been a member for so long, I don't even know what happens when a visitor follows a link from google to MDC-- does it go right to the thread, or is there an intro screen? Something like a semi-opaque overlay to the thread that says something like-- "Welcome to Mothering Dot Commune, the community behind Mothering Magazine." And have "Mothering Magazine" be a link to the main Mothering Magazine home page. Then have maybe three buttons below that labeled: Click here to read more about our core values. Click here to join/ sign in. Click here to go to the thread you requested.
i love this idea.
post #16 of 223
9/18/08 at 7:12pm
when you google, you just kinda land on a thread. This is how i found MDC. Despite being a reader and subscriber to the magazine, it took me about 6 months to make the connection between the two.

I think adding magazine to the title or i also liked the suggestion of MDC- mothering magazine's online community.
post #17 of 223
9/18/08 at 7:14pm
Yeah... There's really no clear way (maybe no way at all?) to get BACK to mothering.com from teh discussions, so if you find a thread on Google, there is no connection BACK to Mothering. You can get to the boards from mothering.com through the discussions, but not back...

I also agree putting "magazine" under the motheringdotcommune title would be helpful to you. Mothering is in italics, but unless you know it is a magazine....

I second about putting maybe a clickable icon of the current issue next to the purple motheringdotcommune that could take you to mothering.com (which is about the magazine).

Also, there is a forum to discuss the current issue of Mothering, but it's pretty limited and it seems more like a feedback tool than an actual discussion of things in Mothering mag. If you opened that up- where people might be able to post and discuss their favorite (or not so favorite?) articles in Mothering (not just the current issue, either), you might get more exposure. Part of that also might be people linking back to it from other forums.

Mothering runs articles on all the stuff that gets talked about here a lot. If there was a way for people to easily search on-line articles and resources published in Mothering, it might be really good for everyone. Maybe a button of "Search Mothering Magazine articles for ______" at the top of each page?
post #18 of 223
9/18/08 at 7:22pm
I was one of those 'had no idea' folks.

Like the other commenters, i agree the simplest way to make this more clear - would be to add the MAGAZINE in the title.
post #19 of 223
9/18/08 at 7:38pm
The header should say Motheringdotcommune - Mothering MAGAZINE'S Natural Family Living Community

I didn't catch on for a while either

I thought it was mothering in general, not like the magazine. Duh.

Also, a PROMINENT LINK back to mothering.com would help advertise the magazine.
post #20 of 223
9/18/08 at 7:58pm
I think Mothering is fortunate to have one of the most brilliant names for an on line community "Motheringdotcommune" Who else can use the word commune and really mean it, only Mothering.

I've been reading and subscribing to the magazine since 1985 so I came looking for you online years ago!



I like what the op Serenyd suggested :

Motheringdotcommune
Mothering MAGAZINE'S Natural Family Living Community



You can Put a link to the magazine in the Mothering Magazine part of the title.

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