Didn't This Site Used to Be Busier?

Just a bit of information concerning the use of cell phones on this site. I have exclusively used my cell phone for 2-3 years. I find the new format easier to use.

I also like the way the new administration responds to complaints. Jake responds in a professional way to give information when someone asks a question or makes a complaint. He also responds more quickly and more often than previous moderators.

I expect that with time we will have more people involved. Even if that doesn't happen, it's OK with me. I spend too much time on the sight. I am definitely addicted.

No you are not imaging things. The site has had a few changes of ownership and a few issues with monitors giving out personal info and it being wrong to a Facebook page. After issue many people changed names and moved. Some of the regulars have children that are probably older now and they don't need the site as much. Others have come on and have been trolls which caused many other issues. So I hope that we do get back to being active again and helping new moms/dads with their problems.

It was a nice place to visit and I really enjoyed the questions then.

I hope they get some of the glitches fixed that are going on now.

Have a great weekend.

the other S.

Some interesting responses below....

Like anything, the popularity of this site can wax and wane. Sometimes I don't answer because I see ten other people have given the same advice I might have offered. Sometimes the question seems trollish or absurd. The Facebook debacle (and people's misunderstandings around how this site and FB are linked -- or rather-- separated) didn't help. And sometimes there are some really interesting 'food for thought' questions too.... it's not static.

and yeah, there are those who get peeved if we all aren't singing kumbaya and one happy family. I think there are people on this site who have vastly differing ideas of what 'being supportive' means. Sometimes being supportive means getting angry and speaking a little truth. Sometimes being supportive is offering up our good thoughts and encouragement. In my life, the people who have been the *most* supportive have confronted me on my mistakes and have risked offending me to help me see what I refused to deal with. Those are my best friends-- they are the ones willing to get me upset in order to help me when they saw me making mistakes or going down the wrong path. I keep that in mind when I see something which challenges me or my thinking. I've learned a lot from the women here, even the ones I don't necessarily agree with.

Although the current moderators will tell us that membership is up, quite a few of those are the spammers ("My step-aunt makes $70 an hour....") that appear as answers to so many questions. Same message, multiple account names, and they can't be stopped, apparently. And maybe not all the "real" new members are posting questions.

The new managers also have said that the format changes were implemented so many more people could access from their smart phones, which people requested. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think people are going to write thoughtful responses of any length on a phone. I think we are seeing a greater number of way-too-short questions - just not enough info for responders to go on. So you see a few "huh" or "we need more info" answers - and that means fewer people are going to repeat those answers.

I maintain that there's a level of nastiness that continues with some responders, and a whole lot of "this is our site and how dare you criticize Member X who has been here for years." There are also a lot of "I'm calling troll" answers (probably made worse by exceedingly brief questions posted by cell phone). So new people who ARE legit are scared off by the judgmental attitudes they encounter. I think new people who are just reading a few questions and answers, who have not yet posted anything, may be scared off by that and figure that Mamapedia has nothing to offer them but petty BS and sniping. If I were checking this site out for the first time, I'd have a very different opinion than I had some years ago when I first joined. I doubt I'd come back for a second look.

And of course there has been a lot of discussion of technical issues, a lot of badmouthing of people who aren't as computer savvy by those who think they are experts, and it just looks like a nasty mess instead of a supportive community.

Where have all the fun trolls gone?

ETA: I have to add to this - I dropped off of here for several months because it got dull - you can't have conversations! You can't respond to comments, you can't interact, and if you edit your answer (like I'm doing now) there is no guarantee anyone will even see it! There is no way really to do a give and take in communication here. And while there have been some aesthetic changes in how the page looks, there have been no improvements in how it functions at all. The "edit my answer" link still doesn't work, the search function stinks, there are no filters for spam bots, still no responses if you report (I remember when they would personally email you and discuss the issue). I initially found this page years ago when googling a question. But honestly, I think there are more user friendly sites that are more inviting. And if you're just searching for parenting pages, the blogs and articles here, which should draw folks in, are horrible! Terrible quality writing, whiney women who just have an attitude or opinion they think everyone should know about without any actual writing talent or insights.

I came back because there are regulars I really like and kinda missed (awww), so I was curious what everyone was up to. But again, this is one of the least user friendly parenting sites out there. Sorry, Jake…. (although your commenting back and attention is one of the few real improvements). I don't think the loss of traffic has anything to do with how the site looks or whether you can use it on your phone. The only thing that keeps me here is a handful of witty regulars (a lot of whom also seem to engage less frequently…..)

yeah, i think it's quieter than it used to be. i doubt there's one reason. there are now a lot MORE venues than there used to be, there was the dearth of moderation for a long time, the trolls, the FB brouhaha, yada yada yada.
the new folks are doing a good job with it, and i'm hopeful that it will perk up again.
i'm mostly here for the gals i've come to know and respect over the years. and i find the 'make $100 an hour working from home' easier to ignore than the 758th 'am i pregnant?'
:) khairete
S.

I suspect their Facebook page might be getting more traffic.

Ebbs and flows is my impression, same as all of life.

:)

I actually liked how it was set up before. I am getting used to the change. I can only assume others are, too. It became a little more difficult to navigate and I didn't have time to try and figure it out. I still don't know where the things are that I saved.mwwaaa

The page is not the same. The vibe of the whole thing is very different. There is a number of reasons for this, many have already been touched on in other answers.
There are also a whole lot more websites with easy to find information with a simple Google search then when I first started coming on here when my kids were really little. I rarely ask a question here anymore (though I have never been a hugely active question asker anyway) because it takes me 2 seconds to go on Google and find my answer. I would never in a million years post something super personal to a bunch of anonymous strangers on a public website either! I have met a number of women from here in personal life (though sadly not in person yet) and I truly value those friendships so my time here has certainly not been for naught.
I do my best to answer the questions that do get posted when I can but some of them either make absolutely no sense at all or sounds far too trollish to take seriously. One could use the argument that on one's going to type up a novel on their phone, and I get that, but there is a point where there is so little that there is no way at all to figure out what the question is or what advice to offer and 9 times out of 10 these people don't come back with any clarification or take the request as an attack and flounce which tends to make me question the validity of the question in the first place.
This question gets asked on a regular basis and I still can't give one definitive answer as to why it's changed.

Seems like as the country becomes more offended with everything people willing to post here gets less and less. No matter what you say someone is offended and there is a growing group that seems to think that allows personal attacks. No thank you

Right Diane because you shouldn't feel at all bad that your post directly drove a member to leave...and come back under a really odd user name. I am sure you were the person who gave Pam a flower.

I think it's because there are so many more places to go chat these days that this one has sort of faded out. But I still check in now and then to see whats up.

I'm still here. I rarely answer a question but I check in every day. While a Google search can be helpful, it cannot provide the advice that moms can give. I value that tremendously and have relied on the advice given on this site many times.

All the hoopla with the FB mamapedia page made some people flee like crazy. There aren't that many people on here any more. But we're still here!

HI there!

No, you're remembering right. Used to be the site worked, it didn't hose my computer, it didn't make my computer run slow or crash, and they didn't use so many of our questions for FB fodder. Those are some of my reasons to not use it much. I also think it's uglier, in the name of being mobile friendly - which I don't care about.

I tried to respond to this question earlier but like others have mentioned, I couldn't type - oh ihapping again. Drives me nuts so that I don'tfeellikcoming on.

It's the new setup/lay out. I hate it so I rarely log on anymore. It's sad. I loved this site.
It just looks awful & is no longer easy to navigate. I don't use it on my phone. Use it on my laptop.
I dont like coming her anymore. :(

Yes, it used to be much busier. Most days the number of questions would take up more than one page. Now it seems we're lucky to get as many as 5 questions in one day. Also, most questions would get at least 15 to 20 responses. It wasn't unheard of to get 50 or more responses. Now most questions get less than 20.

I think it's sad.

It's not what it used to be.
I hate the new format.
You wouldn't think it would be s hard....