Forum Changes under Consideration

[Anonymous]

Then I'll do my best to be nice!

I've visited the Older Kids forum, and I agree that the traffic is pretty slow. I even posted a college-related question there a while back, but I only got a few answers and some of those effectively said "I don't know" (although much more politely than people in the private school forum answering the same type of question).

So possibly a re-purposed Older Kids/Teens/College forum could work. It might also help to move it to the school section -- if other people are like me, they tend to assume that the top section is mostly for general parenting issues (moms, dads, pregnancies, nannies ...) and they skip on down to the schools section. This might look like the college issues were taking over the Older Kids forum, but on the other hand people weren't using it much before.

[jsteele]

I've started implementing many of the proposals. I'll probably be refining things over the next few days. Keep the input coming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I thought preschool was just a childcare option, I wouldn't be paying for both a nanny and preschool.

I think they are the same, too. Neither forum has a lot of traffic. You can basically check it out once a week and all the new posts are visible without having to go to the next page. Or, you can create a couple forums; Glorified daycare and Unglorified daycare.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What would work better? Whining, or being really nice?

If you whine, I'll confuse you with my kids and give you a time out.

We have the "older kids" forum that doesn't get used much. What if it is expanded to also contain teenager and college posts?

I think that would be wonderful!

[Anonymous]

I like the new fora!

[Anonymous]

i hadn't seen this post until now. i would have voted to keep the Dads forum. My husband used it quite a bit.

Also, please don't get rid of the Adoption forum. We plan to start the adoption process next year and while yes, I know that is a ways off, I would really appreciate it if DCUM still had it up and running for feedback.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:i hadn't seen this post until now. i would have voted to keep the Dads forum. My husband used it quite a bit.

Also, please don't get rid of the Adoption forum. We plan to start the adoption process next year and while yes, I know that is a ways off, I would really appreciate it if DCUM still had it up and running for feedback.

Your husband is welcome to post in any of the existing forums. Based on what we saw in the Dad's forum, the same group of moms will be happy to respond to him.

As noted in my original post, I do not plan to remove the adoption forum. I was explicit about that in order to avoid suggestions that it be removed. So, do not fear for that forum.

[Anonymous]

Jeff, please move the "college" topic closer to the top of the list in its category. It's lost down there below playgroups and daycare.

[jsteele]

Ok.

[Anonymous]

Just my two cents here, but I feel like things are getting a little too specific with topics. I used to only have to check three topcis: general parenting, off-topic, and daycare. I now have to check five or six to see the same number of posts. To me, it just gets combersome.

And if we are going to have so many topics, what does "off-topic" really mean any more? off *which* topic?

[jsteele]

Getting the correct number of forums is more of an art than a science so it will probably never be done exactly right. Hopefully, it will be less wrong than it was before the latest changes.

"Off-Topic" is basically for things that don't fit in one of the more specific forums.

The way users interact with forums such as DCUM is very personal and each individual has his/her own methods and practices. As such, it's impossible to please everyone. A great many people only want to read about one topic and nothing more. More specific forums are a good thing for them. Others are like you. My suggestion is, if reading multiple forums is cumbersome, try using the Recent Posts listing which lists recent posts from all the forums (minus the Nanny search and "for sale" forums).

[Anonymous]

I like all of these ideas except combining daycare with preschools.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I like all of these ideas except combining daycare with preschools.

That one I haven't done yet. I'm still thinking about doing it, but letting things go as they are for a while.

[Anonymous]

PP who suggested too many topics.

I never noticed the functionality to view "Recent postings." That is clearly the perfect solution for me. Consider my comment withdrawn!

[Anonymous]

I just saw this thread as well after searching in vain for the DC Dads forum... sad but despite being a proponent of its creation I had ceased visiting due to all of the sex questions. I would have voted for the purging of the explicit posts to the new forum.

My question is what happened to the useful dad-centric postings? Are they gone or were they moved into general parenting?

Sigh, off to find a dad resource.