A New Name for MDC - Page 2

I like that one! Or maybe Mothering's Digital Commune.

I agree with all of this....adding "magazine" to the subtitle on the page, and also the feeling that "dot commune" is brilliant & special and it would be a shame to lose it. I type MDC but say Mothering dot commune, and that's cool!

The magazine image (cover) should appear alongside the top banner. The link back to Mothering.com is there but small - should be prominent.

I also don't want to lost the motheringdotcommune name!

On the very top of this page and all pages on the MDC there is a link.
Look on the left hand side it says the word "mothering " very small link to the magazine.
It should be a more prominent link.

How about motheringmagdotcommune

I agree about just adding a bit more embellishment on Magazine in thelinks/titles.

1 request tho, for the love of all that is good PLEASE don't add annoying pop ups bugging to sign in or subscribe to the magazine like *ahem* another magazine that shall remain nameless, I hate trying to read an article and having pop ups constantly, my anti-spam doesnt seem to filter them out.

You could offer supporting member subscriptions to people who put a Mother Magazine Advertisement in their signature space.

But seriously, I like the idea of just more prominently mentioning the magazine in the header, homepage, with a picture and link and not just the word "mothering" up in the corner. And add a banner ad for the mag. as part of the rotation.

I have to agree with some other PP's about it more a visibilaty issue... there is no clear linking back to the main site which is about the magazine.. I stumbled upon it the one day... not sure how... but originally I found the forums through a google search that took me directly to a thread in the Blended Family forum.


I suggest an integrated web system that ties the boards and main site together... there are several open source type programs on the web available... the trick however is to find someone savvy enough in php and what not to integrate it all, because it will need tweaking.

One site that is very large (a Wheel of Time book club) that has integrated both their main site and forums with some web coding is tarvalon.net... if you go to their forums pages (tarvalonforums.net) there are links down the left hand side that direct you back to parts of their main site.


The biggest down fall to this sort of suggestion is it would be like a clean slate, because you would likely need to upgrade or change the message board system you currently use... but with the advancement in technology and wanting to expand, it can't hurt to review it. There are a few different portal messageboards systems that offer the main site incorporation into the forums... I am particuarly fond of phpBB3, which I know does have a portal system now too.

((Note: You could always add an archive forum that links back to this board... with phpBB3 particularly you can have a forum that is just a link... comes in handy))

If you'd like some more examples of this, I'd be happy to help. I haven't built any phpBB3 portal sites myself, but have built 2 phpBB3 message board communities and am familiar with many of the functions of that system.


I honestly wouldn't change the name, coming from a marketing background, and web background... you have been around for several years... it would cause too much confusion and you have too large a base that knows the community as MDC, motheringdotcommune... From a standpoint of marketing and web design, I strongly recomend looking into a more integrated/upgraded portal system to house/showcase both the forums and magazine site.

On another forum I go to, a forum for a webcomic, we always had people coming to the forum knowing NOTHING about the comic. Wouldn't be a problem, except people thought the forum was about something it wasn't and it was a bit disruptive. So now in the registration they have to answer a question about the comic before it can be finished. Would something like that be appropriate. Even something simple as "Were you aware that MDC is a community for Mothering Magazine?" and a simple yes or no answer. ???

I too don't want to lose the mdc aspect.

I apparently am an oddball - I found about about mdc and Mothering magazine at the same time in a mainstream type location. So I knew they were connected; I lurked here at MDC before I ordered a subscription for Mothering, so I could get a feel for what the magazine is like (not available in any of the stores around me).

I think it's possible to make the emphasis change without losing MDC .... changing headers or links, for instance?

This is an interesting suggestion. Good thinking!

I think this is fantastic. I also found MDC before I had ever heard of the magazine, and only coincidentally connected the two. Making the magazine more prominent is a great idea, but I think the concept of the "dot commune" is brilliant .... I hope you can do both.

Yup, I think so too. I think its not so much in the MDC part of it but putting the word "magazine" more places on the forums.

But I don't think MDC wants to exclude parents (or parents to be) who haven't yet read Mothering Magazine- unlike the fanbase for a specific comic, anybody who wants to talk about parenting can "fit in" here, whether or not they'd previously heard of the magazine.

I knew about the Mother Mag/MDC connection because I specifically sought out Mothering Magazine's website when I was getting harrassed for nursing my 3yo at my prior "online home". But in general I see the two as rather distinct entities.

Mothering Magazine seems to focus on infant and toddler issues- yeah, there's the occasional article about homeschooling but mostly it seems to be about birth, breastfeeding, diapering, cosleeping, babywearing, etc. I found that the magazine stopped being relevent to me when my kids were 4yo or so; I can see posting on MDC when I have grandchildren.

So is this new focus mainly on getting new MDC members, with kids under 4, to move from the website to the magazine? Because, quite honestly, I don't think you're going to get anybody with older kids to subscribe unless they work with birthing women.

I wasn't suggesting excluding them. But by asking the question it would bring attention to the site. Maybe include a link, if possible, next to the question?

I agree with the visibility being the issue. I just scrolled to the top of the page and had to hunt for a minute to figure out where the link was back to the main site. Please don't lose the dotcommune/MDC, it's innovative and unique!

Great suggestions so far--including "magazine" below motheringdotcommune would be a good step, as would a link to the current issue along with pic of current cover. Please no pop ups like that site that shall remain nameless!

Ruthla, I have little ones so I had never thought of the relevance factor before, but I think you bring up a valid point.

my thought exactly.

I like something more like this too. I never call it "MDC" unless I am talking to someone I know is on it. To everyone else (a lot of everyone elses) I call it "the Mothering board." I have always known MDC and the mag are connected and lots of people who either read or know about the influence of the magazine know the board exists, but people don't know it is called "MDC" if they aren't here. People ask me to assess how big an issue has become by whether people are talking about it here - but they say "has it hit the Mothering board."

Lots of people here don't appear to read the magazine - I am not sure why that is. Maybe a more prominent link would help.