dark emotions are a part of life for alot of us... if i was to be only positive online it would be false. a facade that would only be part of who i am. blogging is useful for letting these emotions out and off ones chest so to speak. regardless if it is a problem with another member an idea or something more personal sometimes it just has to be let out. it is so great that minti provides both private and public means for this, i personally have blogged about all three and found it insightful to have an external opinion on my thoughts. it gives clarification and perspective. if minti has these features and they are only to be used in a positive light how will bottling the unspoken negativity up help elieviate that pressure inside ones mind and thoughts? if this fredom of opinion is only half exposed to the eyes of members how can we say this is an honest and helpful place to be. for light to be defined shadows do still need to be seen. thank you for your intelegent post Izzy, from Becca!

Izzy, I hear what you're saying and agree even - for the most anyway.

I am one of those members that don't feel the magic on minti anymore.

I am far from as active as I once was. Some of its because I'm too busy with uni and 'cause of  typical life stuff but its also because I don’t particularly feel that ‘minti magic’ anymore...

When I do log in, I log in to say hi to a few ppl and every now and again I look for a particular article...that’s it! I hardly blog anymore, I don't lounge jump like I once did and I rarely comment.

Yes this is my choice - and my choice for many valid and varied reasons...

Every now and again, like tonight, I decide to have a little surf 'round minti and see what’s going on. Most times I wish I hadn't bothered. 'Cause despite where you go, who you avoid and how careful you are not to get sucked into the negative vibe that is generated in here at times....it can be hard to miss. I can bring up countless posts which have been purposely written in an underhanded way to stir trouble, spot light members and cause unrest for others. It is tiresome and boring. Its old and dragged out and to be honest – it is dam right petty, childish and transparent. Above all – it drains people, myself included, and we end up logging off, wishing we hadn’t bothered logging in and we miss out on the posts, comments and advice that is worthy of our (MY) reading time.

Some contribute to this negativity and in a blatant and outright manner and then there are those who are a little better at it, who do it with ease and because they're better at wording the insults, accusations and stirring comments.

One of the biggest problems on minti is that too many people concentrate on too many things that have nothing to do with them and too many people get hooked up in the bitching, backstabbing and general nastiness that too often gets dragged up in here – and for what reason? Because they can - and in the name of private groups, blogs, lounges and emails....problem is, there is no such thing as private anymore!

A lot of the negativity that is generated on minti, is created by the people that take it upon themselves to copy and past conversations, negative conversations, and then email them out to others, or the through the likes of such mediums as MSN - something that has been going of since I've been a member here. Something I vented about a number of times over the years too...I know what I have been sent in the last 6 months – some of what has left me totally speechless and for two reasons. 1. For what was said and 2. for the fact someone sent it to me.

The thing is – I may not act, speak up or react to what I have seen and read...but I sure don’t forget it either. Then, when I do drop in here, its hard to remain positive to such awful, hidden negativity. Eventually, and regardless of whether this neg vibe is in private groups or outside of minti’s walls, it eventually spills out into the community and mainly because we are all human with human emotions and reactions...

Yup, Minti is a community – and like all communities there are those who rule, those who think they rule, those who lead by example, those who follow by example and then there are those who just follow....

I'll say it here too.  "Ignorance is bliss!"  As for the ranking system,  if you ignore it then it won't affect you either.  Why look at your rank if it demotivates you!  Write good articles because you want to or feel that others will benefit from it,  not because it will increase your ranking!

Do you know what made me lose my "love" for minti, the ranking system..

I can overlook the bitching and all that but i dont feel motivated to write advice anymore, the last one i wrote didnt effect my rank at all, it stinks. You say you want to reward positive behavour but the ranking system doent do that!

I hope the bitching stops, I know Im probably one of the people involved in it all so ill try keep it out of minti.

xoxo

 Completely true Izzy, well said!!!

This is really good advice, and I found it works in Real Life as well as online.

Cheers Queenie xoxoxox