I don't agree or disagree with your blog...It is your opinion and I respect that.  I respect the fact that we are all individuals and not clones, this is what makes minti such a diverse place.  We all have individual thoughts, opinions and actions, sometimes it is just at odds with what others are but still should be respected.  We take from minti what we put into it...for some it is all the negativity that is going on because that is how they choose to govern their own lives and this is what 'may' make them happy...I like to see the positive side and the humorous side to life, but again that's an individual thing.  As for choosing sides, I don't!

Rankings only mean something if you weant them too, again that's an individual choice...its not for me to judge anyone because of their ranking or lack thereof, I could care less.  I f someone has something to say, say it....be it advice, a question or a comment...rankings do not stop anyone from doing this.

Minti is a great place to come to for support, advice and help but its up to you to choose how you want to use minti...Minti is a good place but like real life sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper to get to the good stuff!

Ranking and other similar tools to measure participation and success are part of our lives from the moment we are born. 

Minti itself is ranked and reviewed as you can see by the  links that I have added to the discussion.

It is an important way of measuring what is working well and what isn't.  It is also very common for members of website communities to receive some form of ranking... Whether it be numerical and with shields as on Minti, or just different levels.

For those who are ranked highly, it is a recognition to their contribution... For those who aren't, they can aspire to a higher rank if they choose.  For those who don't care, it's nothing.  For those who are concerned about it, why not write to admin directly?

I think Minti is what we personally want to make it for ourselves.

I want to see what people do on a day to day basis, I want help, I like to give help.. And if I see where I can be useful or at least attempt to help someone then I will do my best to try.

I personally have not gotten into what some people have said about others and so on and am fairly untouched by some of what goes on here.. But that is because I chose to stay away from it.. And in doing so still find Minti a happy place to be and a great source of information.

I don't do as much as I used to here, and I think that is probably because like most things life gets in the way.  While I still visit every day there are other things I have to do to keep my family moving.

But I have found that if I ignore the bad stuff, I don't see it, I am not effected by it... There may be on occasions where I do read something I don't like but then I just go back to the activity list and find something I do.

I don't let words of those I don't know personally bother me because of just that... They don't know me, and I don't know them.  So why should I let them upset me.

As for the minti rankings there is actually a lot of stuff on here that you could find that would help you understand it better.

 And as I think "Ignorance is bliss" and the other old saying " Ignore it and it will go away", usually works for me when it comes to the negativity that we sometimes see here.

But of the few that are negative there are tons of others that are positive.

What a stupid post. I would call THIS stirring the pot. Saying that you don't like certain people isn't very nice. Neither is bringing up things that are going to cause a debate like below.

This is not helping anything.

I suppose as admin of the group, I'd better add my bit.  Firstly, I want to remind everyone that the bulletin board is not the place to put a venting blog, that's what our homepages were for.  I will leave this one here for now though as it does seem to have attracted some healthy discussion, and given light of recent events, it needs to be seen.

Rankings aren't what minti is about.  I only look at mine to laugh at how it yo-yo's up and down.  It's ironic, as it matches my life.

I've never gotten involved with the not so pleasant side to minti and certainly have never taken sides.  I prefer to be a fence sitter (sore bum and all) and try to bring some sensibility to the place (though probably need some butt kicking too) in order to make it seen that there is no need for the nonsense.

I am not able to be here as much as I would like to be because of the way things are at home (let's just say 5 kids=double the workload of 4) and while I don't like what i often see on minti, I'm not going to stay away just because others are unable to put aside their differences and make an effort to get along.

We don't have to like everyone, but we have to respect everyone.  Noone person is right or wrong and noone member is more valuable than any other.  Here on minti, no matter our religion, gender or race etc, we are all equal.  Let's treat each other as such.

Member rankings mean nothing.  If people want to be here only for the rankings, then that is there problem.  The rest of us just need to ignore that.

well i dont have a clue what my rank is, and havn't for a really long time. as for the whole picking sides thing. it happens everywhere in life, it is a coping mechanisim used for defense, people pick sides and join those that have the better chance of success and are closest to their ideals. (this can cause people to do things that the otherwise they would simply not do just to fit in and be protected by the group) but as others have said minti, like life, is a constantly changing environment and people get out of it what they put in. myself i am happy to wander round places here that i know are safe for me and my demented paranoid brain with a few people whom i trust and have done so for a very long time. other members are social butterflies who are happy blending in with everyone commenting on blogs everywhere. each to their own.

Hey Hun

Sorry you feel this way about Minti. Yes it has changed and I myself spend less time on here. yet i have less time too these days as the girls are full on and mia doesnt sleep as much as she used to. Sometimes i leave me signed in and i forget about it. But i go into my groups, comment here and there and go. I wish our blogs were private and you have to be a member to see them thats annoying.

I hope things change and you enjoy your time on here again.

Love Kell

xoox

now I am going to I guess say something I have wanted to for a very long time.

Yes there were 2 groups but as I was informed on my few days away that 2 of those ppl involved with the whole devision have gone and yes they were my friends but before all the S*** I was friends with alot of people and I respected a lot as well. sadly a lot of people were made to chose a side and it was hard. TBH I wish I had more of a backbone then and told everyone to get stuffed and if they like me then good. I am me and not my friends or ppl I talk to and its a great friend of mine that has taught me this.

I really hope that minti will come back to being what it was when I first came on here and the whole division goes away.

Technically it's a group blog... As you can see, this has been discussed over and over again in the past as well.  Everything has a time and a moment; sometimes your time only lasts a moment.  You are a different person to whom you were when you joined as an expectant mother.  The community of Minti changes with new members joining, old members leaving etc.  Nothing stays the same in life, which is healthy, for how would we all learn and grow as a species, let alone individuals.

The vibe of Minti is controlled by each individual member, the actions they take, the contribution they make and their personality.  If more people were to reflect the type of Minti they like by being the piece of Minti they like instead of looking outward for answers and changes, more people would enjoy it.  The answer to all your concerns lies within yourself and the same applies to each and every one of us.

You're right, Minti is not the place it used to be. I cant stand it here anymore, I only come on to check my mail and one of my groups that I run. Usually I dont even bother commenting on peoples blogs, but I agree with you, Minti sux now.

Now it is full of bitching everywhere you look. And bitching is my pet hate.
So is backstabbing come to think of it. Something this site knows all too much about.

Smarten up your act Minti, you're losing some really good members.

Great Article..Its alot better on here than what it was before you joined it was really bad and i was involved aswell. Now i just come on have a look at a few things then get off. I am glad they took advice scoring/ranking away best thing minti ever did i guess they need to do it with the ranking thing i was like below a hundred and had a few weeks off and went back to 500+ and cant get back to where i was god no's how it works.

Rankings to me is just a bragging right !!!!

I understand where Matthew is coming from, but what about doing away with the numbers? Just have gold, silver and bronze.

When I first joined minti, I had no idea about ranking. I don't think any of us did. Lets remember why we joined in the first place. Advice and  friendship.

Cath xxoo

 Rankings are awarded for activities other than just articles, it is also something we constantly try to improve and we are currently working on expanding the basis for rank rewards.

Although rankings can be negative due to their inherently competitive nature they are important to this site because we need to have some basis for establishing "trust" so that all members can feel more confident that those minti-members who reach rank 5 and participate in admin style decisions (such as deletion of articles or accounts) have some basis for their more senior involvement - ie they are not some anonymous free-email account created just to cause problems to the site.

I think that Minti has a great role to play helping people out but like all things it is best taken in moderation - not in saturation - and having a bit of time-out from Minti now and then is a very heathy thing to do.

I havent looked at the rankings for a long long time Dannii, so I havent a clue where you or I stand. That's not what Minti is about for me. For me it's sharing my joys and sorrows with people who are happy to discuss kids all day (plenty of my offline friends passed the nappy stage years ago, so I cant rave on about Minki nappies to them without looking WEIRD but at least somebody on Minti will appreciate where I'm coming from LOL!) and seeking to support other parents on here with either sharing how I found it so they dont feel so odd or sharing how I beat it in case their child is wired the same way one of mine is.

Rankings dont matter to me. Integrity does, and if you're on here a while, you get to know who has that, and sadly who doesnt.

Hi Danni, I think minti is a bit different too.I used to spend hours on here and some days didn't even get any housework done!! It was a standing joke in our house-is it cos you've been on minti??? I stopped for a bit because I got fed up of the tike thing.I logged on the other day and got emails from members as regards an apology. I don't know what for and I don't want to know.I totally agree that parents should be able to come on here for advice and to make friends.I would imagine that for a lot of mums minti is their only way of making friends.

I hope minti gets back on par soon-other parenting sites are a bit naff. And yes-the rankings are a bit daft.

I'm sure some will think its alright for me to comment on ranking but the truth is it honestly doesn't bother me where I am.....just ask my Mum !!!!

To be honest I see being part of the top ranking more as a burden, because some may think I am this genius which I am most definitely NOT LOL !!!........again ask Mum LOL

The way I look at it, I have a lot further to fall too !!!!! Plus I am only there because there are a lot of great people holding me up and supporting me !!!!

As for Minti itself, I haven't been on too much lately myself, I tend to look at the Activity list and if there is any sign of trouble I don't bother logging in, I don't like any confrontation.

xxx

i dont give a crap about ranking but a will stand up if i think something is wrong so i spose im seen as a troublemaker for that by some and i dont honestly care.if you disagree with me thats ok im still going to stand up and do what i think is right.

i think a few changes have come about which gives everyone the chance to have a fresh start for minti to make a turn around.

if bitching can be fueled by one person who says it cant be changed by one person?why not try to write positive things and do positive things and see if that helps change the mood?

 I wholeheartly agree with winnie. We are here to give help when we can, be there for our friends and brighten up someones day when they need a little cheer....and welcome all new comers with a hand of friendship.

Cheers Janice

I dont care about rankings at all..honestly i dont even know how they work.. I came here for advice.. found it and some friends along the way..

I do see where your coming from tho .. But I must say i seem to catch the tail end of everything going on here so i dont know what backstabbing ect thats been going on here.. i just hope I wasnt on the recieving end of any of it... 

no caring here for the ranking, I am not at all any good at writting articles either but that doesnt worry me. I missed out all the B/S thank goodness. Hope i miss it all the time.

nicky

Well said, Dannii & Winnie - I agree with you entirely.  Somehow I seem to avoid most (not all) of the crap that goes on - but then I don't want to be a part of it so that is ok.  There are some fabulous people on here and they far outweigh the people who want to be nasty.  I have learned from Minti and met some great people (not all mums!) and I would never regret that.

I don't really get the ranking system - I can understand that it helps newbies distinguish how well respected someone is within the system so that they can weigh up advice they receive etc...  But your own instinct should tell you whether something they say gels with your own values or not.  And a number can't tell you how sensible and practical someone is - it can only tell you that they have written lots of blogs.  That as far as I can see is where the ranking comes from as there are people who are highly ranked who are never on here, but have RSS feeds from their own blog elsewhere.  And other members who contribute a lot but  have never written a blog and they are way down.

Sadly the numbers do matter to a lot of us as it is recognition of good work and respect, and it can hurt when we don't receive that.  For a lot of people - whether good or bad - Minti is their lifeline and world - some members struggle in the real world and some don't have a lot of support, so Minti is "it" for them - what keeps them going.  That is why some people get so intense over it - because it matters to them - and so it is even more important that it stays helpful for the people that need it.

Hmm Dannii, ranking!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whats that!!!!!!!!!! What does it really tell someone? Nothing, Nadda, Diddly. It does not tell another person who or what you are as a person. It does not give one the first hint to personality, honesty or integrity.

Ranking is purely a status symbol in my view, whether one wishes to tap into that status or forget about its existance is immaterial to how we treat each other.

Does publishing advice in the bucket load, give one a high rank? No. Does publishing one or two articles give one a low rank. No.

What really, really matters is being respectful, honest and showing integrity in all activity on and off Minti with each other. Fail to do that, then the community will feel, hurt, sad and insome cases anger.

Most flair ups happen, because of disrespect, dishonesty or lack of integrity.

So if all the above are adhered to, then ranking should not be an issue. If a person feels a little better in themselves on a particular day because they are a shield up from yesterday, then way to go, enjoy.

If someone feels superior because they moved up, then watch out, because the ranking has pushed out the integrity one once had. It is not the ranking that causes that, in my view, it is the personality themselves.

Just my thoughts.

Luv Winnie.xxxx

Hay Dannii,

I dont care about the rank so much but I did email Izzy and ask about admin fuctions.

I'm not on minti as much now I spend more time on facebook and a lot of minti mums are on there.

people just need to pull out what ever is stuck up there butts and get on with life!!!!!!!!!

enjoy minti if you can love...

Anita xxx

I don't think Minti has changed at all.  I think if it consumes you then you need to take a step back and have a break. You probably find that with a new baby you don't have as much time for Minti as you used to anyway.   I just take the good with the bad....no big deal.  There are some fabulous people on here and they are worth it.

I guess there are some who care about the rankings, but ultimately it means zilch as to who a person is, sometimes the quiet ones are the real gems...

i am 500+ in the rankings and i dont care! LOL...The only thing i have asked about is the fact i dont have the admin like others as i only have the one stripe on my silver badge. I never know whats been reported so dont know whats going on most of the time other than reading ppls blogs, and to tell you the truth, i dont think i wanna know whats going on, im here to meet other great mums and their kiddies. I love the ppl i have met on here and value their friendships. Ive had heaps of support and i am very thankful for that.

take care dannii.....

na xoxo

Nope i dont care about ranking they have caused so many arguements in the past . I dont care what rank i am i could be 500+ it doesenty bother me i have some awesome friendshere . the support ive had os fantastic ranking is just a numbrer to me . I hope you are well hgun xxxxx

Rankings i dont give a shit about! i could be 500 plus and ill do the same as i do now lol...most days ill come on minti and just read and others i will comment ect.

There isnt any benefit of being higher in rank well i dont think so anyway.

hugs Tee

Hi Dannii,

I've been on Minti for nearly 2 years and I too once loved it and was on here all the time. I've made some amazing friends and even found my bestfriend on here, I wouldn't take a second of it back because I wouldn't be the same person without Minti, but I'm also very sad to say it has changed immensly from what it used to be and it won't ever be the same. Everyone commented on blogs and articles regardless of who wrote them and of course there were always some heated arguments but they were quickly gotten over and people moved on. Somewhere along the track some members decided to get caught up, and even enjoyed arguing. I think what sticks out for me is that some very selected members made the choice not to learn from or acknowledge when they did or said something that they shouldn't have.......and it's still happening.

I actually very lucky to have been a part of Minti when I was. But I'm also sad for the members that weren't.

No-one is better than anyone eles although some like to think they are.

I just hope the newer members try and get as much as possible out of Minti.

Amanda xxxx