It seems like this place is slowing down. When Mamapedia took over Mamasource, there were so many people on this site that I could not keep up with even a fraction of the questions. But I'm noticing lately that if I go away for several hours, I come back and only find a hand full of new questions. I know it's the weekend. But I see this all the time. I sure hope that all the recent political debates on here hasn't chased a lot of people away. Then again...maybe it's all the recent advertising. I'm sick of the ads on here and sick of the mamapedia email ads too. Does everything in life have to be about parting people from their money? This is not such a big website or that expensive or innovative.
Is it just me? Is it as busy as ever and I'm just finding more time to check in? It does seem like my house is always clean these days and my chores caught up.
If it was more than just a place to chat, I'd agree. But I know that server space for something as simple as this forumn is just not that big of a deal. There are also email discussion groups all over the net that are free, have been going on for many years, and always free with ads that are easy to ignore. :) I just think lately it's becoming kind of a drag around here. Or maybe I'm just growing away from the place. There are only a few of you here that I truly enjoy keeping up with.
It sounds like you wish a non-profit website like this one were available, with innovative ideas to make it more user-friendly. I love that idea! When are you going to build it? It shouldn't cost much! ;-D
It's just the weekend or supper time, LB. There's plenty going on during the weekdays.
Be glad for the ads. The ads are why we have a site to come to. If it weren't for the ads, they might close it down. Not enough moms will advertise their own businesses on here.
Maybe they will innovate a little more if they have more ads.
Dawn
I highly doubt it was the political debates that drove people away. How about the deleting of lots of questions/threads!
I actually hate this place, and have canceled my membership in the past. If I had the time, I would have my hubby help me start my own site, with no 'management' that deletes things. We are all grown adults here, we should be able to speak freely, and if people are offended, I say "get over it," this is life, people are offended just by other people breathing. Of course all spam and advertising would have to be deleted, but otherwise, I honestly don't understand why I can't swear! I'm almost 40. If I want to swear while drinking wine and hanging virtually with some other ladies, I should be able to.
There are so many things that turn people off about posting here. Passive aggressive stabs at the people who are blunt as if that isn't just as obvious. People who change their names and locations to, well I have no idea why they do that but it is annoying. All of the attacking back and forth though that seems to have stopped. I mean throw a dart you will hit some reason not to post here.
You can use those darts to just as easily see as many reasons to post here. Sure there are people that just complain about everything but you just avoid them. Sure there are political posts but again the people posting want to post there. See none of these are reasons not to post, they are reasons not to answer.
I vote that the holidays are coming and people are having to do family things, clean, prepare, etc. Last week was boring, not because there weren't questions there just weren't a lot of questions I had answers for.
Oh and the ads, block them!
Firefox:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/
Chrome:
http://adblockplus.org/en/chrome
If you are still using IE well there is your problem right there. :p
this past week i have.......im blaming it on the fall, its why im not inside on the computer most of the day!
Could be some of the sarcastic and nasty comments some people post...could be turning some people away...
So,,what youre saying is, YOU MISSED ME? I was busy and had barely any time to sit and read or answer questions for a couple weeks and really missed it all. Then I came back on and had a hard time concentrating and wouldnt even want to read any posts. Im a bit stressed by the packing and getting ready to move and having my daughter and grand daughter living here isnt easy. Its just hard not feeling free to get up in the night and getting online when you might wake them up. And now and then I feel like its the same old questions and I get tired of saying the same stuff, but theres always going to be new moms with the same questions, and how else are they going to learn unless us experienced moms help out. And I get the email everyday with the link to the site, and that other annoying one that tries to sell me stuff and I just delete it. Guess maybe I should ask more questions. And Grandma T, why cant you change your profile picture? I can. weird...
I agree that things have slowed down a bit on here. Personally, since Mamapedia has the search box at the top whereas Mamasource did not, I ask fewer questions because I can often find good answers to previously posted questions. I LOVE that feature but wish others used it a little more!
I think the "vibe" on here got a little uncomfortable for some recently. Perhaps some just wanted to take a break. Maybe some joined a 12 step program to help with their Mamapedia addiction! Ha!
Long live Mamapedia!!
I think the site ebbs and tides. Sometimes when I have lots of downtime and want to get on here and answer a bunch of new questions, there arent any. But on a day that I'm busy and I check this randomly there will be tons of questions.
I'm not having trouble with ads, and I don't let any mamapedia stuff go to my email box, that was overwhelming and I stopped it the first week I started on this site.
I'm just mad that we cant edit our profile pictures anymore.
NO...I don't think it has changed all that much. Some times are slower than others, that's all.
As for the emails--you can change your account to stop getting those annoying daily emails and the alerts every time someone sends you a message or answers on of your questions It's a lot better without them.
As for the ads...whatever....doesn't bother me. They're not pop ups and only activate IF you click them.
or perhaps we're all growing & maturing & not needing each other so much? :)
Yes, I have noticed things are slower...but I've also noticed that I'm simply too busy most of the time. The exception would be during naptime with my daycare.....that's pretty much my only free time anymore! & honestly, I prefer the slower pace. It allows you more answers & your question is not swept away. It also seems that more of the flamers are gone....& that's a very welcome change for me.
I was surprised to see you complain about the mamapedia email ads....I have never, ever received one! I get a daily notice from the site & that's it!
I noticed this too. I've been on here since when it was mamasource. In fact, I still type mamasource in the browser. I don't find a lot of new questions sometimes and think that maybe not a lot of people are on here. Then there will be a question that sparks a lot of interest and they get 22 comments within minutes. So there are people out there somewhere. I don't get any emails from mamasource because I turned it off. I also don't notice any ads on here. I've learned to ignore them. =) I'm just glad that they don't taylor the ads like FB does and I get creeped out when I visit a website then have an ad from that website pop up on FB. Or every ad is about all my statuses. That creeps me out.
Live:
I don't know if it's "slowing down" - the questions are still here - or that mama's are busier now with things going on at school and home. Getting ready for Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas - travel, etc.
I am sure that MANY people are sick and tired of the censorship and posts being reported and deleted.
There haven't been a lot of political debates lately - not that I have seen - but I've not been around much because I'm helping a girlfriend open her consignment shop next Friday.
I don't pay attention to the ads. They don't bother me. What bothers is the reporting and removing.
There are MANY reasons...you can point fingers and blame.. but the bottom line is that some mama's may have "outgrown" the site, realized that it's not for them, or whatever reason....people changing their name and location...people spreading lies/gossiping about other mamas via PMs...people making snotty comments in posts that have NOTHING to do with the post...people accusing others of bullying, when they themselves are doing it?
Politics and religion ARE part of raising our children. We discuss politics in our home, we discuss religion in our home. These things shape us, these subjects define who we are on many levels and to deny that is complete ignorance...so if people left the site because of politics or religion? that's their loss...the beauty of this site is you get sooo much information. The way people read and understand a question, their life experiences bring many things to light when responding to a post...
You might be more organized now the house is clean and the chores are caught up!! YOU GO GIRL!!!
I really enjoy the site and I have also noticed when I check back in, there are not as mamy new questions. I have been pretty busy myself and not checked in as much as I usually do, especially on weekends.
I will probably be here quite a while tonight since I am chaperoning the after homecoming party at my house all night!! I'll need a lot to read and catch up on to keep me awake!!
I can't believe it is 12:50 am right now and I actually still have my head up!!
I think it's probably holiday related, I know I've been busy and just havent had time to get on.
