minti, powered by parents Powered by Parents
First Visit?     Register     Login
 

This site gets better with user participation. Please participate... Some of the main things you can do is rate this advice, add comments to this advice, add links to and from this advice, and/or write your own advice.

  email  print
  report   
Brendan on Slide.JPG
Getting to the top may seem great, but it can make for a fast slide to the bottom if you slip!
Like this topic?
Write Advice
Add to Favorites
Advice that links to this one
ADVICE RATING
 (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) 4.68 (Highly recommend) from 172 votes (1988 Visits)

MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

Anonymous Author (January 2007)

It was brought to my attention today that a small minority of members of the Minti Community appear to have been deliberately going out of their way to drop the rankings of other members.  It seems that some people just don't get the idea of what Minti is about. 

It seems they have missed all the other advice pertaining to this, or didn't understand it, so I'll put it in my own words and see if it helps anyone else understand.  If just one more person gets the right idea from reading this, spending a night up late and suffering sleep deprovation tomorrow will be worth it for me.

It is not about rankings.

It is not about who gets the highest votes.

It is not about who writes the most articles or comments.

It is not about who writes the best articles or comments.

It is not about voting, medals and patches, the number of friends in your friends list, or any of that stuff.

If you think any of these things are even remotely important, you are seriously disillusioned.  You need to re-think your reasons for being a member of Minti, take a good look at why you think these things are so important to you, and I personally would advise you to either seek professional help from a psychologist or get a life!

YOUR  RANKING  ON  MINTI  IS  NOT  AN  INDICATION  OF  HOW  GOOD  A  PARENT  YOU  ARE!

It's just a number system that calculates your activity levels and the popularity of the things you write, on a web site where you can never know for sure exactly who you are communicating with - unless of course you know some of the members in real life - so what does it really matter?  Wow!  My writing is popular with a heap of people that I don't know and am not likely to meet anytime soon.  How exciting!  Duh!  I'm not popular, just the things I have written are, and if what I have written is the summation of me, please put me out of my misery.

Minti is about being able to access parenting advice and the opinions of other parents.

Minti is about doing what you can to be helpful to other parents, and keeping the site active and maintained at the same time.

If this is your reason for being here, good on you, you have the right idea.  So, if it's not about ranking and voting and all that superficial stuff, why have that on the site?  I don't know the exact reasons why the people that set up this site would give.  Sure, it's there to help encourage member participation, but here's how I see it:

  • If you are new to Minti and are genuinely looking for advice on a subject, you don't know anything about the members, and you don't have a world of time to browse through thousands of pages of advice, you want a way to determine what advice is the best to read.  The easiest way to do that is to have the members read the advice and vote on it.  Those with higher votes are obviously more popular and better advice, so people looking for something in a hurry will be looking at those ones first - and rightly so.
  • Ranking - which is determined by the number of high votes received for advice, comments, etc - creates a sense of credibility to the author.  Someone who has consistantly written well accepted advice, comments, etc; will be ranked higher, and thus someone looking at the site for the first time will be able to see that this person's opinions and advice is popular and worth looking at.
  • Ranking also gives new members a good idea of who is more experienced with the use of the site, so that when they want to ask someone to help them find their way around, or if they might find good advice on a particular subject that isn't necessarily coming up in a search, they have a few people they can message that can likely answer their questions.  This can save them from having to search for hours or turn to the already busy Administrators, for every little thing.  It can also save some people a lot of embarassment if they are wanting to ask something they aren't comfortable asking on a public Q&A, but would rather just ask one person that has been active around the site for a while, and has read a lot of the advice - or at least can quickly find the info needed.
  • Rankings give the members an indication as to whether they should try to improve the quality of their advice and comments, increase the amount of participation they are putting into the site, and it encourages members to do the things that are important to the general maintenance of the site - that is, read and rank the value of the articles and contribute quality comments to answer questions and fill in the gaps.

There have been incidents recently where people have posted advice that is not advice at all, has been plagiarized, or has been posted incomplete where the person is actually using it to fish for information provided by other members in order to have their "advice" on-line.  Of course, the more advice that is posted by a member, the more advice they have that can gain votes, and thus put them up ranks.  This is not what Minti is about.  So what if someone has more advice posted?  That does not automatically mean it is of good quality and worth reading.  If these people aren't careful, it could easily back fire on them, as any ranking they have gained could easily be lost, as their articles get severely voted down, or even reported.

There have also been incidents where people have flashed through a heap of advice pages and made votes, often targetting those belonging to certain people.  Sorry folks, I don't care how good someone is at reading or how fast their computer operates, no one can read through 20 different advice articles of varying lengths and absorb the information well enough to make an informed decision about whether or not the article is worth voting on at all, let alone worth the mark given, all within 20 minutes.  It is especially obvious when every one of those votes are anonymous and voted as Poor.  This is nothing short of a cheap method to raise their ranking by bringing down the rankings of others, rather than doing the mature and civilised thing of trying to just improve their own writing quality and their site participation.

Another voting issue is in regards to comments.  If the comment is good quality, provides some more substance to the article (and this can include a valid and well constructed disagreement to the view point of the author of the subject they are commenting on), adds a little extra information, or generally improves the quality of the topic concerned, then by all means get to it and vote on it.  But if the comment is exactly that, a mere comment, such as a simple, "good onya mate", "I agree, couldn't have said it better myself", "well written, good advice" etc; don't destroy someone's ranking by voting on it poorly.  It's obviously just that person's way of expressing themselves, they don't want any vote for it, so just leave it alone.

Also, some people are voting down articles just because it doesn't apply specifically to them.  For example, parents with teenage children may vote down articles about breastfeeding because they don't need that information anymore.  That is not why the voting system is exists, is not how it is supposed to be used, and if an advice is not relevant to you, ignore it, don't vote or comment at all, and go find something that is relevant to you.

The people that are deliberately going around and damaging the rankings of others are making a big mistake.  Not only are they making themselves look bad to everyone else but, it is possible to look at the Recent Activity pages, which go back a very long way, to see who has done what.  With a bit of searching, I - and anyone else on the site - can find out what anyone was doing on Minti 2 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 7 hours and 36 minutes ago, or at any other time - if I so desired.  Although a lot of stuff comes up as anonymous and the majority of the members can't see past that, the Administrators can still access that information and see what people have really been up to.

When people start behaving in such a pathetic manner as to put themselves up by putting others down, the members that are doing the right thing will get annoyed at it.  They will report those sad members to the Administrators, who will investigate, and they do have the power to drop members' rankings, or in worst case scenarios, abolish and ban these people from the site altogether.

Lastly, if anyone wants to drop my ranking by voting this down, go ahead!  I don't give a <<insert expletive here>> because I'm not writing any advice for the purpose of votes, rankings, or popularity.  I'm significantly important enough to those I love in the real world, and that's all that matters to me.  I don't need a high rank, medal or patch to prove I'm good.

"Ego?  I don't need an ego!  I'm good enough without one."  

L. Pascoe, 1997. (No, he's not famous, he's just an old mate of mine, but he said it and I'm stealing it, so I have to give the credit where it is due.)

Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of Minti.com Pty Ltd. If you are searching for health related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Terms of Service for more details.
ADVICE RATING
 (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) 4.68 (Highly recommend) from 172 votes
Report
ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
GoodGoodGoodGoodGood
AverageAverageAverageAverageAverage
PoorPoorPoorPoorPoor
Very PoorVery PoorVery PoorVery PoorVery Poor

Voting help


 
Add a comment on this article.

 

sezza11
May 23rd | sezza11
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

money is definaltey a strong contender in how much advice people write and is frustrating to read advice clearly written to obtain extra moolah, there would be thousands of people just racking their brains as to what they could write about next, it would be nice if they considered the thousands of confused new mothers on advice that is not nearly as relevant as advice you would recieve from a public health professional. deriving from personal experience is great to share but not always considered text book, be careful. websites are used by millions, guard your family and seek professional advice when you are not sure.



Reply Reply Report
inquisitive-creatures
January 2009 | inquisitive-creatures
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

Spot on!! I liked this!!



Reply Reply Report
griz
November 2008 | griz
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

I think that people need to keep it real when voting on advice. I've actually only written a few and I was very surprised to have 5 star votes, as I didnt  really think I did that  great a job. Pretty much sat and typed on the spot, then edited a bit. I was actually a bit relieved when the rating dropped a bit as I felt it was a bit more realistic.

I think we need to encourage people who are less skilled or obviously have low verbal skills. Sometimes I see some really fantastic advice which just isn't presented well at all. I am very reluctant to give this a low vote. I don't want this person, who obviously struggles with writing, to just not bother, when in fact they have given some really great imput. This may well give them the confidence to improve. On the other hand we dont want to encourage people to take little thought and care and  present something to still get a high vote, when the ycould have done better.

As far as other members voting down others, who really cares. threre will always be that type in all of life's situations. So just enjoy the site and dont worry. Even if they ever do make it to the top (which is unlikely),  how will they gain satisfaction.

I do find this article to be somewhat contradicting itself. Who's got time to go ''stalking'' somebodies recent activites?



Reply Reply Report
bronxmom25
5.00 (Excellent) | March 2008 | bronxmom25
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

right on!!!!!!!!!



Reply Reply Report
vlooi
5.00 (Excellent) | February 2008 | vlooi
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

Asyou so rightly said, people need to think what is important here and giving and getting advice is what this is all about, not about saying things that are popular (sometimes advice isn't popular!) or getting plenty of high votes. Well done.



Reply Reply Report
whome
February 2008 | whome
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

i can agree with this,,, its something iv noticed as well,, i do like to vote and look at pics,, but not for my gain,, great article well donexxxshar



Reply Reply Report
dorypanda
February 2008 | dorypanda
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

It's good that you've put this here, it's just a shame there are people about who think it's all about the ranking etc. I'm here to help, which is why I've not done much here as I only tend to ask and answer if I know what I'm talking about. Well written, very concise, I hope people read this and understand what Minti's all about.



Reply Reply Report
bughug1983
5.00 (Excellent) | January 2008 | bughug1983
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

hi

I have useing miti since jan and cant seem to get more award and cant seem to fine the voting since jan i am still crawling but my other halp it up to pranteing i dont under stand it

 



Reply Reply Report
whome
5.00 (Excellent) | January 2008 | whome
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

I agree this site is not about ranking, but if people like getting votes thats fine by me, some people are different to others and getting votes makes them feel better, so why not? up to them, but  see what your getting at. the people on here are good parents, thats why they give advice and ask for advice, because they care.



Reply Reply Report
veejay
5.00 (Excellent) | January 2008 | veejay
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
very good article I to have only been on here a short while and found this site fantastic


Reply Reply Report
littleangels
January 2008 | littleangels
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
thank you, great advice and we are all here to help each other not for rankings


Reply Reply Report
emmie
January 2008 | emmie
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

great article

cheers



Reply Reply Report
pavementcracks70
5.00 (Excellent) | December 2007 | pavementcracks70
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

geez  isnt this really about giving kids a great start in life by becoming wiser parents? isnt that why were here?

interesting article hopefully the game players here make up a tiny percent

the spottlight should be on the kids not people seeking fame......

rue



Reply Reply Report
Anonymous Member
 
This Comment has been deleted
boredmum
5.00 (Excellent) | October 2007 | boredmum
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

Great advice.



Reply Reply Report
etcircus
5.00 (Excellent) | October 2007 | etcircus
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

Do people really rate other people badly for those reasons? I hope they are the minority. Im new to Minti, but most people on here have really good advice and it's fantastic to have a place to share ideas. The guidance and support provided through articles such as this one have made me feel welcome to the site as well as taught me (well Im still learning) the correct way to use the site. So BIG THANKS for writing it :)

I have to admit I have gone on a bit of a reading frenzy, but that is because I have never seen a site with so much information that is relevant to my work (and study). I have already found a couple of authors that I really connect with an so have read and ranked all of their articles as I genuinely agree with what they have written. I am also on a bit of a 'have my two cents' frenzy haha because I love discussion :) I am a speed reader, so I do read advice very quickly.  I have also submitted a lot of work that I had lying around that hadn't been published. I have really been valuing the comments and feedback.

Great site. I hope everyone uses it the powers of good instead of evil :)



Reply Reply Report
injenuity
5.00 (Excellent) | August 2007 | injenuity
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
Thank you for posting this.  As a new member, it was quite helpful for me to read this post right away.  I agree with your opinion.  I appreciate that I was able to quickly locate authentic members based on the ranking system.  Hopefully it isn't skewed do to false voting.  Thanks!
Jen


Reply Reply Report
giftid3
5.00 (Excellent) | July 2007 | giftid3
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
Cheers to you. You are so right. I guess we all need to be mindful of the fact that everyone does not think or see things the way we may do.  Therefore, others opinions and views are theirs and should be treated as such.  If we are meant to be upright, good standing citizens, then we shouldn't be judging or condemning another because their view is not agreeable to us.  For me Minti is a site for parents who just want to share their experiences with others and well as receive from others any guidance or direction in certain matters.  Overall, for me it is a site of encouragement, support, and uplfiting, where one's views are read and commented on if one desires or not.  If of course, we take offense of someone's views, then maybe we need to search within ourselves to see why.  Maybe it has nothing to do with the person but to do more with our own upbringing and view of life and the world.  Who knows?  Not me anyway.  I just know I enjoy reading the articles and the encouraging comments received.  I also enjoy the group sessions and the chance to express or share my views and experiences with others, not because I know better but because it may help someone else.  At the end of the day, that is what matters.  Helping others to remain strong and steadfast on their journey as parents giving guidance and direction to our future leaders.


Reply Reply Report
llmunchkin
5.00 (Excellent) | July 2007 | llmunchkin
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
I read this piece of advice quite often - some of it is good - however some of it is really quite negative, and you need to take into account that the author is now anonymous - and what connotations that holds.  That being said, the explanation in regard to rankings, and why there are rankings is spot on.

Please don't think that if you are voted down that people are victimising you... Sometimes people just don't like your advice - or the comment you have to say, or the way you have said it.  Think, 'what can I change to improve it?'  Not that you are being picked on, it really doesn't happen very often, and remember people are entitled to their own opinion - you don't get a gold star for just rocking up. 

Also, on the rare occasion that you may be subject to bad behaviour by the odd member - it is the group that decides in the end, and if your advice or comments are worthy - they will eventually be voted up.  The idea is to post information and comments that will help others, and that in itself is the main reward.


Reply Reply Report
      mumof2b
5.00 (Excellent) | July 2007 | mumof2b
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
The author is now anonymous because they are no longer on Minti. 


Reply Reply Report
           DarkenedAngel
November 2008 | DarkenedAngel
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.

I am so still here! LOL I just had to ditch my old avatar because my life was under threat at the time and I had to vanish, but I'm not being stalked and no longer have a bullet with my name on it anymore so I can safely come out of hiding again. Besides, he wouldn't find me through minti anyway, the worst that can happen is he'll join up to send me a nasty message... that's so scary! LOL



Reply Reply Report
           llmunchkin
5.00 (Excellent) | July 2007 | llmunchkin
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
I know... I just wanted people to be aware of that by working it out for themselves without me saying it...


Reply Reply Report
Anonymous Member
 
This Comment has been deleted
      llmunchkin
5.00 (Excellent) | July 2007 | llmunchkin
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
Now if you hadn't written that - it is exactly what I would have written!  We already have the ultimate reward, and we can see the reflection of our parenting in their little smiles...


Reply Reply Report
Tanya-Kyana
5.00 (Excellent) | July 2007 | Tanya-Kyana
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
Amen to that! Thank you for this post!


Reply Reply Report
Mystique
5.00 (Excellent) | July 2007 | Mystique
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
I agree QuietlyConnected. I'm still only new here but have seen whats mentioned above happening around me. Good luck to those who do that but I agree also....seriously disillusioned!

Get over it!!


Reply Reply Report
QuietlyConnected
5.00 (Excellent) | June 2007 | QuietlyConnected
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
Excellent, well written article... Shame it wasn't compulsory reading BEFORE being allowed to sign up to Minti!


Reply Reply Report
thehardyards
5.00 (Excellent) | June 2007 | thehardyards
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
The best article I have seen on here!

I believe that I have been a victim of this just today, and now understand why.

Thanks.


Reply Reply Report
ZenNerd
5.00 (Excellent) | June 2007 | ZenNerd
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
I've been a member all of 5 minutes and this is the first thing I've read.  I really liked it and am glad to be on this site as I'm just looking for parenting ideas.  Thanks for sharing!


Reply Reply Report
sluxton
5.00 (Excellent) | June 2007 | sluxton
Re: MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
great article and how do we politely ask those that are getting upset about what votes they receive to chill out and not worry about what votes they get? 


Reply Reply Report
Deborahsc2203
5.00 (Excellent) | May 2007 | Deborahsc2203
minti

this is simple and straight forward in plain english for anyone to understand ,

, Im not great at putting all my info together to write articles so i dont ,,, .its totally unfair to judge people on some of the articles and comments just cause they have a chip on their shoulder , what may not work for one person dosent mean it wont work for another its a little catty.....im not into voteing anyone down i think thats a little immiture

most advice and commments are from personal experience and that is what makes it important .and real ,and also helpful ,,lots  of things in life is all about trial and error ,its great to read things from all ages from male and female as we all go through things differntly and have tried many ways to get through it ,,, thats what i like about minti also all walks of life are on here and i love it ....

we have all got a story and we have all been though something in our lifes dosent matter if its big or small its all personal experience that  may  help another ..



Reply Reply Report
mrs-connell
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | mrs-connell
I came across minti

When I was desperate for some toilet training advice. I don't normally join anything on the internet because you just never know who you are talking to but when I found minti I thought I would give it a try because i got a good vibe about it & it was the best thing I ever did. I have been able to get some fantastic advice & give some advice.

I hope the reason other minti members have joined as I know it's the only reason I have is it to get, give, write & read advice about parenting. Not to have a competition with other parents as to who is the better parent.

 



Reply Reply Report
KyAquarius
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | KyAquarius
Minti is a great experience

I joined Minti about a week ago and am really enjoying it here so far! This article has opened up my eyes a little into what else can happen on this site and what other people can see it for, which is interesting. I was so excited about find an online parenting community, that I’ve spent a lot of time here over the past week! I’ve really enjoyed reading people’s advice and vote for them highly if I think their article is worth it. Then I got all excited and thought I’d write a few articles of my own, not realising that when people voted my rank went up. I just saw it as a way to share my experiences with others and hopefully they’d get something out of it, as I would theirs. So I’d like to say that I’m here on Minti for the experience and support, and I’m finding it valuable so far! I hope people who are here for other reasons re-evaluate why they’re a member and realise the true benefits of being a part of this community.

Kylie *



Reply Reply Report
blackwidowkate
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | blackwidowkate
I still am
Hi
I still think i am dillusional. 
Just can't help myself
Luv Deb


Reply Reply Report
      bughug1983
February 2008 | bughug1983
Re: I still am

hi

do u like spiders coz every time i see it i have to scroll down faster i hate them but good pic so my boyfriend says...

 



Reply Reply Report
mumof10
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | mumof10
MINTI IS GREAT!!
I TOTALLY AND UTTERLY AGREE. I JOINED MINTI DUE TO THE FACT THERE IS ALOT OF GREAT PEOPLE ON HERE THAT I DO NOT EVEN KNOW. THESE PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN ME ADVICE AND I HAVE TRIED TO GIVE THE BEST ADVICE I CAN TO OTHERS. IT IS TRUE NO ONE SHOULD OR WILL BE JUDGED ON MINTI WE SHOULD ALL BE HERE TO HELP AND GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!! AND I THINK GREAT CREDIT IS DUE RIGHT HERE WITH THIS ADVICE! SINCE I JOINED I HAVE ENJOYED MINTI AND ALL THE ADVICE THAT IS ON HERE. I TRY TO DO MY BEST TO READ BLOGS SO I CAN HOPEFULLY FEEL LIKE I REALLY KNOW THAT PERSON NOT JUST SOMEONE ON MINTI. SO FOR THOSE TRYING TO PUT RATINGS DOWN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MINTI!! SORRY TO SOUND HARSH BUT IT'S TRUE WE SHOULD ALL BE HERE TO HELP AND ACHIEVE RESPECT AND FRIENDSHIP NOT PUT PEOPLE DOWN. RATINGS ARE THE BEST AND SO IS ALL ADVICE I HAVE READ LATELY AND SINCE JOINING!! WELL DONE ADMINISTARTORS!! AND TO EVERYONE ON MINTI TO HELP OTHERS THAT ARE NOT KNOWN TO THEM. YOU ARE ALL DOING A GREAT JOB!!!*****


Reply Reply Report
August88
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | August88
how minti works
Well said


Reply Reply Report
Anonymous Member
 
This Comment has been deleted
      Anonymous Member
 
This Comment has been deleted
           Anonymous Member
 
This Comment has been deleted
janicepovey
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | janicepovey
Great Article

Well written Wendigo, you covered every aspect of what Minti is all about. I to joined minti to win a vaccuum cleaner but what a fantastic site i stumbled across. A never ending site of advice, friendship and knowledge.

Janice



Reply Reply Report
rachelcook
4.96 (Excellent) | April 2007 | rachelcook
Ranking on Minti - it's purpose
Ranking is only about the most relevant and the most articles where the article's advice worked for the parent. We need ranking so that the needy parents out there from all over the web, millions of them, dont have to wade through 50 pages of google results of other content, but instead see a Minti article with stars and think "great" parents have taken the time to vote this will save me time and effort and the choice on what I think about this.

Does this help?


Reply Reply Report
lonely28
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | lonely28
ummm
for me, personally I joined minti to chat to parents and hopefully meet some people that have had simliar experiences to me. I also wanted to meet people that haven't gone through the same things as myself so I could get a different perspective. To me, rankings...... who cares! I have made contact with some really amazing people through minti and I am very grateful for that. Rankings are just numbers generated by a computer. Me, I place more value and care on the people I've met, the support I've been given and the chance this site has given me to be able to commuicate with people from all walks of life.

fiona xxoxxo


Reply Reply Report
HarrisonsMommy
3.00 (Average) | April 2007 | HarrisonsMommy
Rankings...
If the rankings don't matter, then Minti should get rid of them.  Or, make them a private view ie owner only.  They are there for a reason.  And that is to encourage member usage to get them to try to improve their rankings.  Which in turn I am sure means $$$ for Minti.  Look, it is obvious there are "clicks" because you see these people all over Minti and you see their comments in each other's advice/question/comments.  Which is fine, but don't pretend they don't matter.


Reply Reply Report
      Wendigo
3.91 (Good) | April 2007 | Wendigo
Okay, I'll try again...

Rankings are not something worth squabbling over and no one should be voting according to who wrote something, but rather what they wrote.

Rankings do have a use and meaning and are important to the site... but they should not have a use and meaning and importance to the individual members on the site.

Does that clarify it any better???



Reply Reply Report
           HarrisonsMommy
3.52 (Good) | April 2007 | HarrisonsMommy
Okay, I'll try again...

Can you explain to me how they are important to the site and not the individual?  And if that is the case then why have them public view?  I am only playing devils advocate and asking the questions I am sure others are wondering. 

And also would like to state...I am not the one who voted you a one.  I don't know who you were having that conversation with but it wasn't me.  I haven't been online since yesterday afternoon. 

 



Reply Reply Report
                Wendigo
4.33 (Good) | April 2007 | Wendigo
Okay, I'll try again...

Wasn't directed at you, was directed at anyone that voted it as a one. I can't tell who voted what, no one can except for the Super-Admin and techies that work on the sight. If you didn't like it, ignore it. As for the first part of your question, I'm just going to copy and paste from above. If you want better clarification, try reading the comments below from 2 of the Administrators of the site: Clay and Rachel.

  • If you are new to Minti and are genuinely looking for advice on a subject, you don't know anything about the members, and you don't have a world of time to browse through thousands of pages of advice, you want a way to determine what advice is the best to read.  The easiest way to do that is to have the members read the advice and vote on it.  Those with higher votes are obviously more popular and better advice, so people looking for something in a hurry will be looking at those ones first - and rightly so.
  • Ranking - which is determined by the number of high votes received for advice, comments, etc - creates a sense of credibility to the author.  Someone who has consistantly written well accepted advice, comments, etc; will be ranked higher, and thus someone looking at the site for the first time will be able to see that this person's opinions and advice is popular and worth looking at.
  • Ranking also gives new members a good idea of who is more experienced with the use of the site, so that when they want to ask someone to help them find their way around, or if they might find good advice on a particular subject that isn't necessarily coming up in a search, they have a few people they can message that can likely answer their questions.  This can save them from having to search for hours or turn to the already busy Administrators, for every little thing.  It can also save some people a lot of embarassment if they are wanting to ask something they aren't comfortable asking on a public Q&A, but would rather just ask one person that has been active around the site for a while, and has read a lot of the advice - or at least can quickly find the info needed.
  • Rankings give the members an indication as to whether they should try to improve the quality of their advice and comments, increase the amount of participation they are putting into the site, and it encourages members to do the things that are important to the general maintenance of the site - that is, read and rank the value of the articles and contribute quality comments to answer questions and fill in the gaps.


  • Reply Reply Report
                         HarrisonsMommy
    4.68 (Excellent) | April 2007 | HarrisonsMommy
    OHHHHHH Now I get it!

    Ok, that makes sense.  Thanks for finding that information for me.  Clearly I couldn't or didn't know how and where to find it.  Your perseverance appreciated.

    Angela



    Reply Reply Report
               Anonymous Member
     
    This Comment has been deleted
                    Anonymous Member
     
    This Comment has been deleted
                    Anonymous Member
     
    This Comment has been deleted
                         nell18-3
    4.02 (Good) | April 2007 | nell18-3
    Okay, I'll try again...
    Ok I've given you some 1 stars!!!
    Do you feel better now
    xx


    Reply Reply Report
                              Wendigo
    2.79 (Average) | April 2007 | Wendigo
    Okay, I'll try again...
    Yep, thank you. My comment makes more sense now. lol


    Reply Reply Report
                                   nell18-3
    4.30 (Good) | April 2007 | nell18-3
    Okay, I'll try again...
    Thats good
    I don't want anyone to think I like you and we're working together to get your ranking down!!!!LOL
    I'm off for the day now so hopefully there is someone else who doesn't like you to get your votes down
    xx


    Reply Reply Report
                    MadMel
    4.27 (Good) | April 2007 | MadMel
    Okay, I'll try again...
    hahaha its ok Wendy how pathetic they are.

    I will add here that YES some of us comment on each others advice. Im slowly making it through my friends list.

    Why am I voting on all the advice written by my friends?
    What better way to get to know a person then to read all their blogs and all their advice. Expecially someone like CookClan who writes a LOT of advice and its all based on personal experience. With every 'story' i read I feel I know that person that much better.


    Reply Reply Report
                         RebeccaDorant
    4.88 (Excellent) | April 2007 | RebeccaDorant
    yer i do that too
    check out what my friends have written to get to know them better but if it's not relevent to me i don't vote somtimes i comment though. i don't know if that makes any difference to rankings... ahh who cares.


    Reply Reply Report
                              sluxton
    5.00 (Excellent) | June 2007 | sluxton
    Re: yer i do that too
    This is a great point to make Rebecca.  If I'm not interested or dont have anything constructive to contribute, I usually dont say anything and wont make a comment just for the sake of it and certainly wont vote for the sake of it unless I have read it.  There's absolutely nothing worse than trying to read valid responses and getting swamped down by the petty non-chalant comments which actually are not even adding information or advice to a problem or issue that someone has raised.


    Reply Reply Report
          rachelcook
    4.96 (Excellent) | April 2007 | rachelcook
    Rankings...
    Ranking matter for the end goal - Parents searching in say google for immediate help on a topic say "sleep" they can in an instant search for the top rated articles and get the most targeted advice, rather than, "falling asleep at a picnic" which wouldn't make sense if that returned in the search results.

    Ranking doesn't mean dollars, ranking means reaching those in need quickly, without them having to wade through many searches that often can be irrelevant to their search. It's just a plus...its a goodwill...and it is disheartening to see that rankings are taken more seriously in a competitive way.


    Reply Reply Report
    cindyb
    5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | cindyb
    A timely reminder once again
    Straight to the point, and well written. Thanks for bringing this to our attention again, it needs to be reiterated, in light of the recent activity re voting etc.


    Reply Reply Report
    sunshineoz15
    5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | sunshineoz15
    Hmmm
    I had no idea about rankings, voting, etc. I just thought Minti was a friendly place where we all try to help each other and have a chance to talk about our experiences in the hope that someone may be able to offer some insight. It's pretty sad if rankings become more important than the sense of community. I've only been a member here for a week and I haven't really paid any attention to how the awards work, they just flash up on my screen every now and then and I continue straight past them (with a bit of a grumble sometimes that they get in the way of me doing what I want to do on Minti).


    Reply Reply Report
          Wendigo
    4.72 (Excellent) | April 2007 | Wendigo
    Hmmm

    Good to see you have this view. Fortunately it is only a very small number of members who go around voting others poorly for all the wrong reasons, and it is a small minority of members that go around complaining about it. The trouble comes when a small handfull of members go making post after post about it in inappropriate places, such as in Q&A, and start causing more arguements and problems by doing this, that it becomes obvious. When this happens, it distracts from all the positive features of Minti and degrades it down to nothing but a gripe site, spoiling it for everyone else - especially the newer members that come in and see this sort of nonsense happening.

    And yeah, the awards flashing up like they do is something I found horribly annoying as well. Once you get them all they stop and it's a relief after that - so there's a good incentive to try and get them all! lol



    Reply Reply Report
    RebeccaDorant
    5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | RebeccaDorant
    so true
    this site is fantastic and it bugs me to find this out... how can people be so low as to do this to other parents that are here looking for guidence and advice...as far as the votes and rankings go so what... but i must admit i alwase go back to my articles to see what comments people have written and try to reply if i think of anything else that has been brought to my attention by said comments. i have made 1 really good friend on this site and i hope to make more... for someone who was at home 90% of the time and with very few friends off the internet i am so glad i found minti...  so thanks for this article and for bringing this matter to the masses...


    Reply Reply Report
    cheleinkal
    5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | cheleinkal
    I disagree
    I have tried twice to say my piece, this is the third and I will keep it short.  I like being recognised for work well done with my rank, I liked it better when it was 13 a couple of months ago.  I was proud of it. I earned it.  I like the fact that those people you mock are my friends regardless if I ever see them eye to eye or not.  I like that they vote positively when they agree with me.  It's a cyber pat on the back.  I DO have a life and I still am proud of a decent rank after being away from minti for nearly 2 months.   I would not try to manipulate another persons rank, I want to achieve my ranking honestly, thats what makes it worth while.  I dont like that you regard me as being a no life person because this matters to me.  If having your attitude means having a life, I will gladly go without.  oh & by the way I voted I disagreed.


    Reply Reply Report
    cheleinkal
    5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | cheleinkal
    Hipocrate
    I wrote a huge long thing that has dissapeared, it must have been too long for a comment box.  I don't agree with you, not even YOU agree with you it would appear.
    You wrote" Wow!  My writing is popular with a heap of people that I don't know and am not likely to meet anytime soon.  How exciting!  Duh!  I'm not popular, just the things I have written are, and if what I have written is the summation of me, please put me out of my misery."  then in writing the perfect  parenting advice you write.
    Since I came on Minti, I've had one little personal goal:  to write one piece of advice that received a perfect score of 5 in the first 10 votes.  I've finally achieved that goal - the first 16 votes scored 5." & "satisfy my sense of self-achievement; 16 very different people from different parts of the world thought that the advice I wrote was "perfect". "

    Not to mention the fact that the higher you are ranked the more weight your vote has.  if #200659 voted poor then your rank would be unlikely to even get a dent, if rank#13 voted poor you'd drop like a stone.  Not to mention the prize of a rhoomba for those in the top 10.  It also means that the friends you have made and those you will make agree with you, they respect your thoughts and feelings....they are your friends regardless of if you'll ever be able to physically shake hands or not.

    Maybe you all do genuinely feel that the ranks etc. are worth nothing, I doubt it, but I will give you the benefit of the doubt.  I think they are worth what effort and work I put in, and that is something, that is part of my heart & soul I am sharing with the masses & I don't think there is any shame in being recognised for work well done.  A cyber pat on the back if you will.


    Reply Reply Report
    cheleinkal
    5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | cheleinkal
    hipocrate
    I have a life, I write articles when I have something to say.  I make comments on things which ever way I choose to and I answer questions when I think I have a rellevent answer.  I also used to be in the top 10 and I'm not ashamed to say that I like it up there.  I worked hard to get a good ranking and I was proud of it.  The only reason I dropped was becasue I had no net access for 7 weeks. I've been an active member since august last year.  I felt as though my ranking was a one stop visual source of my contributions and yes, how much what I said mattered to other people.  I LIKE it when other people agree with me.  Does that make me a loser?  I don't FEEL like a loser, so I would say NO.  Does it make me someone who has made friends on a web site and who takes the backing and the respect of those friends seriously...YES it does.  What is wrong with liking the fact that people are giving you respect, cyber pats on the back if you will.  That's what irks me about this article I think the most.  The fact that you obviously have little to no respect for anyone who has mistakingly become your friend because you as much as say that they mean nothing to you because you will never see them in person.  I feel sorry for the people who might be your minti friends. 

    I'm a bit amused and a bit miffed by this article and all the comments below..........I shall ponder that emotion some more.  It seems a bit hipocritical to me that in the begining of your article you say you don't care about your rank and then in the former part you berate those who would vote low.

    The ranking scores don't exaclty work that way as far as I understand it anyway.  For someone to mark your advice as poor and for it to have any influence on your ranking they would have to be in the top 10 and even then if you had had several excellents a top 5 or top 10 vote wont cancel that many out, just one or 2.  The better your rank the more power your vote has and thats a fact.  There is also a prize for those in the top rankings of a rhoombah vacuume cleaner, so whats wrong with that as an insentive....that is I assume why the call it a prize etc.

    For someone who claims to have no ego you sure do seem to be full of it to me.

    Oh and by the way, just so there is no mis-understanding, I will be voting poor on this becasue quite obviously I do NOT agree with it or it's tone.  As you rank higher than me, I dare say you wont even be able to tell.  I do not agree with people stealing info and proporting it to be original, I do not agree with repeat articles or recycled articles, but that is what the minti admin is for and I know for a fact they those who try and fraudulantly glean a higher rank DO get caught out and are banned (at least they suddenly dissapear). So why don't you leave the crime solving to the experts and just enjoy the site as you say you are want to do, which again I find ironic considering you obviously do have rather strong feelings about those who would attempt to lower your rank etc.



    Reply Reply Report
    youngmumof2
    5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | youngmumof2
    Minti is a god send
    Minti is here to help parents and parents to be with there problems not to boost your ego. Well written article. I hadn't ever given most of your information a thought. Minti and its members have helped me on countless occasions. I hope these nasty people read your article and smarten up. Thanks for writing this article.


    Reply Reply Report
    lonely28
    5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | lonely28
    wow
    thank you for really informative article. The thought never entered my mind about trying to beat anyone in the rankings and had absolutley no idea that you could pull someone down the rankings!!!! For me this site is fantastic for advice and being able to ask questions to people with relevant experience. For someone like me who doesn't have a lot of time or single parent friends, I have found wonderful support and friends here at minti. Looking forward to your next article,

    fiona xoxox


    Reply Reply Report
    MummyAmy
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | MummyAmy
    Thank you for clearing it up!

    Not that i actually thought that this was an idication of my parenting. It is so unfortunate that people are doing this. I love this site and even if I was to write something that not everyone was to agree with, that people would put me down.

    Please people just let everyone have their say and enjoy the site in there own way!



    Reply Reply Report
    ksweatman
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | ksweatman
    It's about the advice!

    Well said.  I just found this site yesterday because I really wanted some advice.  I'm enjoying reading the advice  and also seeing that others have the same issues that I do and I might be able to help someone as I have been helped.  All in all, I think this site is doing what was intended.  Keep up the good work.

    Kerri



    Reply Reply Report
    NickysMumMum
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | NickysMumMum
    You go girl!!!
    Thanks for explaining all that to us. I didn't realise that it was possible for anyone to manipulate someone else's ranking nor do I understand their motive. I love minti!!! The week before registering I was starting to slide into depression and feel quite lonely. I have experienced a great deal as a parent so feel that I have a lot to share. I worry that the advice I might write won't apply to many Minti members. It seems like everyone is coping really well, ome despite great adversity. Sometimes I don't feel like a very good parent, so reading some of the Minti advice I feel much better about myself as a mum. I can learn to not judge myself so harshly and realise that I'm doing the best job I can.

    Well done Wendigo. I appreciate you standing up for the justice and integrity of Minti. I don't want to read plagiarised or <expletive> articles either. Thanks again!!

    's Hayley


    Reply Reply Report
    raych
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | raych
    Jeepers!!!
    Being fairly new to the site (less than a week), it boggles me to read all of this. Maybe I missed reading something when I registered, but I was clueless when starting, and I happened to make a few votes and comments, and presto, I had a patch and a medal. I personally couldn't give two hoots about the ranking system, etc. I'm on here for some good reading and different people's perspectives on issues that no one ever has time to discuss when you get together with them. I am enjoying the site, I am hoping to write my first article over the next few days (if I can find the uninterrupted time), and I'm looking forward to any feedback that I may get with this. So, good on you for writing this, obviously there must have been just cause, and it's always a huge shame when people lose the big picture on things.


    Reply Reply Report
    pagan-mum-of-three
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | pagan-mum-of-three
    Member rankings
    WELL SAID! If people are worried about what rank they are, or the amount of votes they get - They need to get a life.


    Reply Reply Report
    Jessgore
    4.67 (Excellent) | January 2007 | Jessgore
    Could not have said this better myself....
    Well done Wendigo...  I hope every one has a read...

    I have found Minti to be a wonderful and very helpful site.  I have solved a lot of problems thanks to Minti and have found a lot of friends as well...

    And now can't seem to get the bold lettering off.. Hmmmmm



    Reply Reply Report
    Gypsie
    4.65 (Excellent) | January 2007 | Gypsie
    All the excitement......lol

    Wow.....having just read all this .....It appears all the activity was happening on Jan 10th,

    Well It's no wonder I missed it all.....

    I was out celebrating my birthday

    Anyway......Good article Wendigo, you have a way with words



    Reply Reply Report
          Wendigo
    3.63 (Good) | January 2007 | Wendigo
    All the excitement......lol

    Thank you.  And although you missed out on that round of excitement, keep your eye out for any new things that may come up.  Yesterday I discovered a bug in the system that was causing comments to be repeated multiple times - which if voted high or low multiple times could have caused almost as much chaos!  The Admin jumped on it straight away and got the techies onto fixing it and it's all okay now, but if we are to keep things running smoothly we need everyone to do their bit by letting the Admin know if something seems to be wrong with the site or if they have discovered that someone is abusing the system.

    And while I'm at it, thank you to everyone for all your support, you are making my experience here on Minti well worth while.



    Reply Reply Report
    jbcet66
    4.40 (Good) | January 2007 | jbcet66
    well done i'm proud of you
    well what a way you have words, i might think it but you just say it. and it's so true. keep up the good work


    Reply Reply Report
    blackwidowkate
    4.70 (Excellent) | January 2007 | blackwidowkate
    This one
    Hi
    Oh heck...you have once again hit the nail on the head...i'm seriously delusional and need professional help from a psychologist.  Well my hubby thinks so anyway
    Oops i think i need to get a life is more my cup of tea....
    hmmm cup of tea,,,,nope kid not home to make it...i'll jsut drink to my spirit......no i wont ill drink my spirit.........very well written if i do say so myself.......cheers
    Does this now mean i actually have to think
    Aaaaarrrggghhhhh lol
    Luv Deb



    Reply Reply Report
          Wendigo
    4.63 (Excellent) | January 2007 | Wendigo
    Nahhh!
    You seem perfectly normal to me. 


    Reply Reply Report
          OzBinky
    3.50 (Good) | January 2007 | OzBinky
    This one
    hey Deb,

    Have one for me sweetie!! lol

    Luv ya man!!


    Reply Reply Report
    Wendigo
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | Wendigo
    This was on the Q&A, I copied as is, check out the votes!

    There has been 6 pages of votes made on one article. This article is now listed as very poor. 578 votes are noted as being made, mind you only 65 people have visited the page that kinda doesn't make any sense....

    It came from here.



    Reply Reply Report
          Wendigo
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | Wendigo
    This was a bug that has since been fixed.

    A few articles were hit like this, but the problem has been fixed and the damage undone.  Thank you to those who have put in the effort to keep and eye out for this sort of thing and make it known, and to those that know how to fix these problems.  It's people like you that keep this site a pleasure to be on.



    Reply Reply Report
    Frontier
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | Frontier
    Popular
    You are certainly popular with me after that effort
    Well thought and well said. Well done.


    Reply Reply Report
    mcm
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | mcm
    Ego
    Love the quote and article.
    You have made some great points.
    Its nice to be popular, but its more popular to be nice.Or something!


    Reply Reply Report
    lindterbean
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | lindterbean
    well put!
    What more is there to say?


    Reply Reply Report
    lindterbean
    4.71 (Excellent) | January 2007 | lindterbean
    well put!
    What more is there to say?


    Reply Reply Report
    lunaeclips5
    4.71 (Excellent) | January 2007 | lunaeclips5
    Exactly
    Brilliantly written, its your contribution that counts!!!


    Reply Reply Report
    michellei
    4.77 (Excellent) | January 2007 | michellei
    MINTI MEMBER RANKINGS, VOTING, and what to avoid doing.
    Great article I say ditto to all those below me.


    Reply Reply Report
    rachelcook
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | rachelcook
    Awesome, couldnt have said it any better
    We are reaching out and touching parents lives, share, share, share, care, care,care...the reward system is only there to reward honest contribution, motivate participation and provide a level of trust in the content for searchers...we do have controls and mechanisms in place that detect extreme gaming of the system...(ie. anonymous votes dont' can't for hardly anything and you can only vote once anonymously from one computer or any comptuter once) so it's a time waster...also we can detect additional accounts from one member...there is a lot we can detect, even if the member moves, removes or changes...we find it...and eventually members do too!!!!

    Human behaviour is a very transparent and often most visible when the person is trying to do the opposite.

    The more you share honestly, the more the rewards shine on you...

    Go Minti parents, lets make an impact on the world one parent advice at a time!!!!!!


    Reply Reply Report
    llmunchkin
    4.62 (Excellent) | January 2007 | llmunchkin
    Soap box...
    Hmmm food for thought - however, there have been a few people getting up on their soap boxes about this in the past few weeks that I have been a member, and it is sort of taking the fun out of it.  When you offer free speech to people, and allow them to give their opinion, there are always going to be good days, and bad days for everyone, and people who don't really gel with others when they have a bad day, then seem supportive as anything when they are having a better day.

    If I  think a comment is derrogatory, or has nothing helpful to offer the original writer, or is discouraging in anyway - even to the point of complaining about the text style & not even mentioning the content - I will vote it down.  It is my perrogative, as it should be discouraged, which is why I vote it down instead of complaining about it.  It often is easy to do this quickly, as if you find a person who has left such a comment, usually you click on them and they have left a string of them in a row that day.  I vote those down, and I will continue to do so. 
    Sometimes I feel guilty and vote it back up because the person deserves to be rewarded for their contribution, as long as they aren't 'having a go' which some people seem to be in the habit of doing as it isn't in the spirit of things...

    I do think that it should all be taken slightly less seriously though, it is a parents website, not a factual medical dictionary or advisory panel.  I thought it was light hearted, fun and informative, however, I am beginning to rethink that with all this serious whining lately about how other members are conducting themselves.  Surely it is best to consider that you yourself are doing the right thing, and let the administrators take it up with each individual if need be.  If I was brand new and saw this post, I wouldn't think that this was a very positive community to be a member of, and that isn't the case at all.

    What you said is fine, however, it is no less damaging than what you say other people are doing, it is like one political party bagging the other - all it does is give the opposition power. 


    Reply Reply Report
          Wendigo
    4.44 (Good) | January 2007 | Wendigo
    Soap box...

    Yep, I'm very good at standing on the highest soap box I can find and screaming at the top of my lungs about any injustice, abuse, or misuse that gets under my skin; but I do my best to do it in a constructive manner that is helpful, rather than just go around behind backs and griping constantly without offering any possible solution.

    Yes, I agree, it was all getting far too serious, that why I have tried my best to do my bit to stop the BS so we can all get back to having something to laugh about, cause, gees, I was really starting to loose my sense of humour for a bit there as well - and that's saying something!



    Reply Reply Report
               llmunchkin
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | llmunchkin
    Soap box...
    LOL - you are a good sport - I knew you'd realise I wasn't disagreeing with you persay...   You are a great character and asset to the community - just like your mate Lavinia.  A good sense of humour can always be found lurking in the strangest places & often pops out when you least expect it (thank goodness). 

    Hang on tight to that soapbox, and if it gets slippery I'm 100% sure a ton of people will prop you up!

    Cheers to you


    Reply Reply Report
                    OzBinky
    4.03 (Good) | January 2007 | OzBinky
    I lurk, I'm strange, gee wow, thanks llmunchkin LMAO
    LOL

    I lurk, I'm strange.....gee....

    Far out....

    ROTF

    but hey, I DO NOT wear a trench coat.........

    Oh dear, that was just too funny.....

    Cheers Matey!


    Reply Reply Report
    allison2aaron
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | allison2aaron
    Well Said

    I enjoy the way you write.

    Being a new comer to the site, i joined for the interaction and learning about others experiences, and being able to share mine.  Its about not feeling isolated when you have a bad day with bubs, or being able to share your excitement at a new milestone that your bub achieves.

    Positivity, laughter and fun, we need more of it in this life time

    Congratulations on a well written article



    Reply Reply Report
    OzBinky
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | OzBinky
    Well done my friend........
    Like all those before me and surely after me.......WELL SAID! WELL WRITTEN and WELL DONE.

    now get some sleep 'cause we have work to do on Friday....

    I'm proud of ya mate!!

    Love Lavinia


    Reply Reply Report
    exquisite-flower
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | exquisite-flower
    Love the pic
    Without repeating everyone else - i think your pic sums it up really well.  I love minti - because it is friendly and supportive.  It only stays that way if we work at it together.  Thank you Wendigo
    Peace
    EF.x 
    P.S.  This is the third time I have read this article.  It is so full of so much great stuff!!!  and well articulated into the bargain.  OK.  SO I have repeated everyone else - shoot me!


    Reply Reply Report
    urshy
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | urshy
    Bravo!!

    Bravo Wendigo. 

    I could not agree more with what you have written, and perfectly I might add!  It really makes you wonder what these so-called-minti- friends in the community are teaching their children if this is the way they behave on a parental learning and helping site. And we want for our children to grow up....seems other "big kids" may need some help first!!



    Reply Reply Report
    angelmum
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | angelmum
    Good on you
    Great article, well said, well written,  Minti to me is about support, friends, learning, laughing, venting!!, helping, sharing.


    Reply Reply Report
    Raine
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | Raine
    Excellent - I could not have said it better
    I was a bit put off by all the ranking when I first joined Minti as I believe Everyone has something they can contribute to this community. It's great to see that people still listen to good old common sense & realize that points & badges don't matter. Your Article is EXCELLENT


    Reply Reply Report
    Kristen
    4.45 (Good) | January 2007 | Kristen
    This is why I love Minti!
    Thanks for sharing and for putting it so well.  You are a great contributor to Minti and I'm glad I can be a part of Minti as well.


    Reply Reply Report
    Jillofalltrades
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | Jillofalltrades
    Minti
    Bravo!!!  I'm new to minti and all i want to do is help people if I can with my experiences.   I didn't realise that some adults on a site designed to help people could behave worse than the kids!!!!!!!!


    Reply Reply Report
    ClayCook
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | ClayCook
    Well said
    Wendigo,

    Thanks for writing that article.
    It explains it perfectly, and really gives a good insight into why we created rankings for articles, comments, and members.

    Kindest,
    Clay


    Reply Reply Report
    wildrose
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | wildrose
    Well said
    I'm glad you were pointing this out to us. Hopefully some members would open their eyes. We are here to be friend and share experiences, NOT to be competitive to one another.


    Reply Reply Report
    jaxsycam
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | jaxsycam
    minti
    i think the fact people are using minti as a popularity contest stupid and unfair on others. i like the fact that i can look for advice on minti if no one is at home or available to talk to. i also like being able to have like an online diary where i don't realy know anyone and no one judges you.


    Reply Reply Report
    cazza
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | cazza
    minti members ranks
    thankyou so much for a  outstanding article, i think you have outlined everything to be a minti membe and if people have aproblem with it, maybe they need ti go else where. i think mint is a very good site to be on, and im here to make friends, and try and help others. We may not always be right on our advise/or thoughts, but none of us are perfect, and we are only human.


    Reply Reply Report
    tracey
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | tracey
    Wow
    Bravo. Minti is designed to give parents a place to find community;  to share successes and ask for help when it is needed.  It's not at all about popularity. Well said.


    Reply Reply Report
    mumof1girl
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | mumof1girl
    Totally agree

     

    Well written article. I totally agree with you. I'm only on here to get parenting advice  and occassionally i will write some advice of my own. I'll go to write some advice and some one has already beaten my to it. LOL. But that doesn't matter. I just love coming on here, to chat and read advice etc. It's no competition like you said.

    Well done for writing this article. Makes alot of sence.



    Reply Reply Report
          rachelcook
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | rachelcook
    Totally agree
    Goodness, you too are very important and I am sure even if someone has beaten you to it - writing advice...you will have your own experience to share. Minti is designed for parents to write on the same topics over and over again, because every parents experience is unique in some way!!!!


    Reply Reply Report
               exquisite-flower
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | exquisite-flower
    Totally agree
    So true.  And when something works for us it may not ork for someone else - but the fact that it worked means that someone else may benefit.  It is interesting reading several articles on the same topic because rarely do they overlap - so a complete picture is formed which is (to me) very educational and enlightening also when I am researching something particular.
    Peace
    EF.x 


    Reply Reply Report
    lexiw
    4.88 (Excellent) | January 2007 | lexiw
    Advice and friendships

    SPOT ON!!!!!!! I came here to try to win a vacumm cleaner at first but I have found some great advice and I have been able to help people plus I have made some really great friends  and that is all I care about. My "ranking" is 12th and this is because of my participation on the site not how popular I am. I guess some people are just so insecure they need to take away from others to make themselves feel better.

    Great article!!!!!!!!

     Lexi xxx



    Reply Reply Report
    mommyofone
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | mommyofone
    Wonderful!
    I wish I was as good with words!  I would write more advice!
    I joined for the advice and possible friendships that can be made!  Enjoying the site VERY much and will continue with it for a long time!!


    Reply Reply Report
    Marlena
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | Marlena
    so stupid
    Yeah I noticed all the ratings going down as I got higher and higher in ranking.  What is the point, it is so stupid and childish to do things like that, who cares what y our ranking is.  If thats all you care about then maybe this isn't a place for you. 


    Reply Reply Report
          allyp
    4.75 (Excellent) | January 2007 | allyp
    so stupid
    I agree.. There is only one thing that bugs me though.. When you write out a comment and you get voted poorly on it. I think its rude to do to someone, expecially if everyone else can state their own opinion that say somewhat the same thing and they get voted highly.. I dunno, that's the only thing I hate! But other than that, I don't care where I am in rank, all I really do anyways is comment, and write blogs and thats it!!


    Reply Reply Report
               madchanny
    4.79 (Excellent) | January 2007 | madchanny
    so stupid
    i agree too!
    and i know what you mean allyp, people have their own oppinions and they should be respected by other members, like i have said before, if you dont have nothing nice to say, dont say it at all (same goes with voting, dont agree with it, dont vote. it only puts people down)

    great article wendigo, this should be read by many!

    xx channy PS, i know what rank im at, im happy with what i have accomplished, its just a bonus.


    Reply Reply Report
    nell18-3
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | nell18-3
    Excellent
    Great piece, totally agree with what you have just said
    To me Minti is all about making friends, sharing advice and knowing others know where you are coming from. Its like my back up support system.


    Reply Reply Report
    allyp
    4.72 (Excellent) | January 2007 | allyp
    Agreeed, Excellent!!
    Excellent, well put and its ABOUT time that someone actually wrote this up.. I think you have cleared up everything that everyone is trying to do... Or don't understand!! Thank you soooo much!


    Reply Reply Report
    daz123
    5.00 (Excellent) | January 2007 | daz123
    EXELLENT
    i tried to say that a while ago but didn't come close to what you  have just said. thanks for a well thought out clear view


    Reply Reply Report

    Bookmarks

    No bookmarks found

    Know someone who would like this site? Refer a friend