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A New Name for MDC - Page 3

post #41 of 223
9/19/08 at 1:01am
i agree with just adding magazine to the link at the top, and in the left hand corner

just throw the word magazine around alot
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post #42 of 223
9/19/08 at 1:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cynthia Mosher View Post
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.

I don't know how much more clear you could make it. Between the threads about the monthly issues, the "copyright 2006 Mothering Magazine" at the bottom, and the fact that www.mothering.com takes a reader right to a page that is all about your magazine, I'm not sure how someone could MISS the fact that these are the online forums for Mothering Magazine.
post #43 of 223
9/19/08 at 1:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mischievium View Post
How about Mothering's Digital Community? Or Mothering Magazine's Digital Community?
I like these!
post #44 of 223
9/19/08 at 1:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by janasmama View Post
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.
Yes, very good. Important to have a consistent look/feel.
post #45 of 223
9/19/08 at 1:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by homeschoolingmama View Post
Or Mothering Magazine Community
I like that a lot!
post #46 of 223
9/19/08 at 1:37am
Mothering's Dynamic Community
Mothering's Digital Community
post #47 of 223
9/19/08 at 1:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mosesface View Post
why not just add magazine to it?
"mothering magazine's natural family living community"
Maybe make it linkable
post #48 of 223
9/19/08 at 1:50am
It would be good to get rid of the 'commune' part since MDC is really nothing like a commune :

I personally have no ideas right now that aren't really simple like "Mothering Magazine Discussion Forums". I'm guessing you're looking for more creativity. I do like simple though.
post #49 of 223
9/19/08 at 2:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cynthia Mosher View Post
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.
I wouldn't change the name. The name itself is easy to remember. Mothering Dot Com. If I want to go to your web site, it is no problem remembering it. I might think, "What was that mothering web site called? Oh yeah! Mothering.com"

As far as the magazine goes, there is no clear information that you're associated with the magazine at all. It looks like you're associated with a banner design company right now (the ad at the top), and a lot of ads on the left side.

If you're associated with the magazine, it needs to be clear. Having articles related to each category then starting a discussion in that category would help draw interest every month.

Don't change the things that are working (such as the name). Add new ideas to solve the problem.
post #50 of 223
9/19/08 at 9:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamajama View Post
It would be good to get rid of the 'commune' part since MDC is really nothing like a commune :
I like the commune, were more then a community, were a commune.

I think that if people don't know that MDC started as a mag, they dumb. Maybe we should make it our mission as members to be sure the n00bs know about the mag? I know that every new TTC member knows about TCOYF. You think we could find time to talk about the mag too!

I like the name but I also fear change.: When the tribal areas were closed for reorg I almost had a stroke.
post #51 of 223
9/19/08 at 9:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamajama View Post
It would be good to get rid of the 'commune' part since MDC is really nothing like a commune :.
Oh my!
I could not disagree more, most of my adult life I have been reading Mothering Magazine and that is a vital appeal to the magazine and these forums. Mothering is unlike any other magazine and they created a parenting forum to reflect the Magazine.

I hope Mothering is not considering redesigning away it's uniqueness to be more mainstream and catch more advertisers.

For me the word commune is at the core of what differentiates you immediately from all that mainstream parenting stuff flooding the internet.

Here are couple of the definitions for the word commune.

Communicate intimately with; be in a state of heightened, intimate receptivity.

A body of people or families living together and sharing everything

The word commune is both a noun and a verb!
I like that.
post #52 of 223
9/19/08 at 9:59am
I think adding Magazine to the second line (Mothering Magazine's Natural Family Living Community) and a picture of the current Mothering issue that you can click on should make it plain and clear that it's related to the magazine.
post #53 of 223
9/19/08 at 10:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by llamalluv View Post
I don't know how much more clear you could make it. Between the threads about the monthly issues, the "copyright 2006 Mothering Magazine" at the bottom, and the fact that www.mothering.com takes a reader right to a page that is all about your magazine, I'm not sure how someone could MISS the fact that these are the online forums for Mothering Magazine.
:
I found the website first but realized immediately it was connected to the magazine - which I had never heard of prior to finding the website. I've bought a few issues of the magazine but never subscribed feeling, like Ruthla, it was more relevant for pregnant mothers and those with babies or very young children. I wish I w/h found the site and magazine years ago.
post #54 of 223
9/19/08 at 11:03am
I think commune should be removed as well. I believe that most people think of communes as a place where decisions are made by consensus, and the organization is egalitarian.

Mothering has chosen to run this forum in a way that is counter to the way that most people define "commune." Mothering can run the forum however they want - that's fine, it's totally their board, their choice. But I think the commune label is inaccurate.
post #55 of 223
9/19/08 at 11:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thyme View Post
I think commune should be removed as well. I believe that most people think of communes as a place where decisions are made by consensus, and the organization is egalitarian.

Mothering has chosen to run this forum in a way that is counter to the way that most people define "commune." Mothering can run the forum however they want - that's fine, it's totally their board, their choice. But I think the commune label is inaccurate.
I am a new member who came to the site through looking up the magazine online after a friend suggested it. I do find it difficult or rather cumbersome to toggle between forums and articles. If that is fixed I am sure there will be more subscribers to the magazine. I plan on subscribing as soon as I can.

As a new member I was drawn to the name Mothering dot commune. It's clever and denotes a collective subversion of consumer culture. At least that's what I thought when I read it and so far I have not been disappointed.

Thanks for your time!
Esperanza
post #56 of 223
9/19/08 at 11:18am
I have to say that i am one of the people who didnt connect the name to the magazine. And it wasn't because i had never heard of the magazine. my husband spent the first years of his life going to work with my MIL at Mothering and I still never made the connection! I always came in through a google search and didnt see the connection until i joined which was quite a while later. I agree in the name change or rather name refreshing since i do love MDC.
post #57 of 223
9/19/08 at 11:25am
Sad to admit I have never read the magazine and find the home page difficult to navigate.

I found MDC first, through links provided by friends on the 'net. As I always do with any new website, I poked around and figured out you were connected to Mothering Magazine, found the main page and tried to poke around there for a bit, gave up and came back to the boards. Read around a bit and decided I *liked* this place, even if I wasn't as crunchy as others. I think the "commune" part of the message board name is very fitting and helps draw in the crunchy bunch.

Really, I'd just add "Magazine" to the Mothering link in the upper left nav bar, and put the word "magazine" in the tag line.

And please, don't mess with MDC too much. The tan background reminds you you're among friends, it's earthy, and it's different than any other site, parenting related or not. I like being reminded, when switching to other sites, that I'm "elsewhere." It's sort of a visual jolt to the system to remind you you're back out in the mainstream!
post #58 of 223
9/19/08 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dewi View Post
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.
I agree with all of this.

I also like the idea of having an actual picture of the current magazine somewhere on top. It should also be a link to the magazine.
post #59 of 223
9/19/08 at 12:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockportmama View Post
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.
That's my vote too! You don't want to change the name so many of us know and I am always telling people about the site and how easy to remember it. I tell them go to mothering.com and click on disscussion ;0) so it get's them to both sites Plus think of all those people others have told and they just may not have visited the site yet and if things ae changed they may never find us on MDC ever. Just a thought.
post #60 of 223
9/19/08 at 12:57pm
I think it would be an interesting thing to start discussion threads, within individual forums, related to the articles in the magazine. I spend lots of time going directly to my subscribed forums, bypassing the main page, but having some sort of notice that there is a pertinent article in the magazine would be really great. That might be some extra work, but I think that, if you did that, people might say, "Wow, that article sounds interesting, I think I'll subscribe to see what else they have to say." Also, it might be a good touchstone, editorially, to see what issues are attracting people who are already (plus potentially) your readers. It would make the two entities more married, and the "pathways" between them more seamless.

Finally, it's pretty important to me that you maintain the "commune" idea. It's kind of a big deal and is, in my experience on the boards, quite true. I have been talked down, encouraged, chided, etc. etc. by what has become a sort of family on the two main boards of which I'm a member. If that's not commune, then I (who actually grew up in a IRL commune) don't know what one is.