Dear Minti members,

Just to let you know we will very soon be rolling out a brand new member ranking algorithm.

We have been working on a new algorithm for the last 9 months and running it in the background. It's birth is imminent!

The new algorithm will largely reward members for broad support from the entire community, as apposed to support from just a few members/friends.

Note: Some will see a big change in their rankings, we apologise for this, but we believe it is a vast improvement and fairer for the entire community.

Kindest
Clay

Club Med Lindeman Island

The kids program is just so great, activity based that it frees the parents up to do what ever they want.

It is going to be Club Med for us for future family holidays for sure!

In a few weeks time we will be running a marketing campaign, and we need to draft up an email that will be sent out.

We want to keep it short and to the point, and emphasize the fact that you get a $1 when you join and can earn more money by participating in the site (ie: $3 for every referral) once you have joined.

I will award a winner sometime early next week. The winner will receive m$20,000. Please add your entry in the comments below.

Also here is some relevant tips/notes from our development team at MarketUnited...

Quick question on the email cash campaign. Will you be asking the community to
take a stab at writing the actual email that will go out to prospects?

If so, the key points that we want them to get across are as follows:

1. Minti is the only parenting community that rewards members for sharing
their experiences and supporting other parents.

2. Giving good advice, inviting other parents to join minti, sharing
information about yourself, are an example of the simple things you can do
that are rewarded.

3. Minti's reward points, moolah, can be exchanged for real money.

4. Put simply, Join, Share and Earn

5. A general description of Minti – something along the lines of Darkened
Angel’s copy that we are using on the site.

Thanks and good luck!

1. Join now island ad on each article page (when logged out)
2. create group button reinstated on the create group page
3. now able to edit group text description and title
4. bug fixed - anon article no longer shows member name in activity list
5. members no longer able to enter comments in public groups that they are not a member of

Thanks for all the reprocal gifts - it's going to take me hours to open them all up ;)

Here is a nice photo that I just stumbled over when we attended the 40under40 event 1st March 2006. And that's the last time I have worn a tux!

New addition is "To keep Minti's positive atmosphere, personal conflict/issues between members should be handled privately."

The Minti Code of Honor

1. Above all else, respect others. If you see disrespectful behavior, report it, rather than further inflaming the situation. You can attack the idea/topic, but you can not attack the person.
2. Before you write, rank, tag or comment, ask yourself if your contribution increases the strength and virtue of the community.
3. Minti is for collaborative advice and discussion of the parenting ideas, not self-promotion. Posting full articles which also appear on your blog is acceptable but purely seeding your own links is not.
4. To keep Minti's positive atmosphere, personal conflict/issues between members should be handled privately.
5. Keep your titles accurate and free of sensationalistic language, the community will appreciate it.
6. Although full internationalization is important to Minti, please keep all posts and comments in English until the website is launched in other languages.
7. Keep Minti tidy by tagging for accuracy rather than for readership, editing titles to be compact and descriptive, and referencing your contribution to the original source in a respectful and legal manner where applicable

We are going to send all Minti members a special Minti Virtual Gift.... a pair of "Muggies"... ie: Minti Ugg Boots

A short email will be sent to all subscribed members asking them to log in and accept their gift.

We need better wording for the email though. So please have a go at some new wording... and if we end up using your wording (or close to it) i will send you m$5000 (USD$10) to your Minti account. Just post your entry in the comments below.

Here is what we have so far...

NOTE: We prefer the opening sentence to v2 below... but don't like the reference to "our" parenting community... as it really is your community.

Gift Tag Copy v2

We know it’s not Christmas but gift giving is so much fun….

.

Copy v2

Hello Nova,

Have you seen the gift we sent you yet?  Waiting for you is the ultimate in minti accessories – a pair of ‘Muggies’ - go check them out.

We really just want to say thanks for all your hard work on minti. Your friendship and valuable advice has warmed our hearts.

Please log-in to accept our gift to you – it will warm your toes!

Thanks Again!

Rachel, Matt and Clay

Subject Line v1

With Thanks from Matt, Clay and Rachel….

Copy v1

Lady Nova,

We would like to offer you a little gift as a token of our appreciation for all your efforts on minti.

It is great to have your continued support and valuable advice within our parenting community, honestly your friendship has warmed our hearts!

As thanks, please accept our gift to you – it will warm your toes!

Waiting in your member area is the ultimate in minti accessories – a pair of ‘Muggies’- go check them out!

Thanks,

Matt, Clay and Rachel

less scrolling while typing now thankfully ;)

Hope you forgive me, although I have been working behind the scenes even if you did not see me :)

Yours forever,
Clay

Has anyone noticed that the Minti homepage got a facelift?

I haven't seen any comments on it yet, I mentioned it here but no direct comments...

Do you like it?

Minti has once again placed in the prestigious 2008 SEOmoz Web 2.0 Awards.

We were awarded 2nd to Yahoo! Answers in the Questions and Advice category.

You may have noticed that Minti had a couple upgrades the other day?

Here is what changed...

1. A new homepage "facelift" with the inclusion of rotating baby images, "6 ways minti can help you", a new "ask a question" feature, featured links, a new green navigation bar, latest advice list has been moved up the homepage to gain more prominence, and a new "recent gifts and compliments" list.
2. Want to see all the love being sent around Minti? Its easy now by checking out the "Love activity tab".
3. The Minti Moolah FAQ page also received a slight facelift.
4. Some people were having issues sending Minti Mail (couldnt see the send button), we believe we have fixed it. Please test it and let us know.

And that's it, for now ;)

Kindest
Clay

Here is a quick update...

1. In the coming weeks Minti will get a face lift for it's homepage.
2. I have still be exercising every day, must be up to 30-40 days by now :)
3. still havent had any diet coke for about 30 days now, i see them and dont feel anything which is awesome
4. baby is going well
5. rach is going well, althouhg she was a little sick last week
6. i have a major sore back today... ouch!
7. baby sleeps for up to 8 hrs after a shower (with me or rach) at night... wish i had time to write an article on it.
8. codi is now sleeping in his own room, albeit with me in a bed next to him. we started off supurbly but now is rolling into my bed about 6-8 times a night... driving me insane.

I just posted the final version of the letter to be mailed out (with title) here.

OK - now I need a title for that winning post.

Remember that this is going to appear in a church newsletter, so it needs to be to the point and entice the reader to pay it attention.

1. Add you suggestion in the comments below.
2. will draw the winner THURSDAY afternoon [note: just amended] my time (perth time). ie: just over 24 hrs from now.
3. winner will get m$3000

So far I have come up with...

1. MySpace for Parents
2. Facebook for Parents
3. Parenting Online
4. Social Network for Parents
5. Minti, the Parenting Social Network

you get the idea......

There were many amazing entries, however DA's entry was especially emotional to read.

I have decided to also give a runner up prize of m$5000 to alishas-mummy for her entry.

Note: I am aware of DA's comment that she didn't want the moolah is she were to win, however I made a promise and will fulfill it by awarding the m$20,000. From there DA can work out what she wishes to do with it. Remember moolah can be cashed in and used in real like (ie: spending it or giving it to charity)

Below is a copy of DA's winning entry...

Dear Reader,  

Today, in my home over a cup of coffee, I was talking to a community social worker who runs a local parenting group. She was telling me all about the benefits of such groups, emphasising the support from other parents and the valuable and practical experience and advice that can be learned from them, as opposed to a text book or supposed expert. I laughed, and turned on my computer.  

I went to the internet and typed in www.minti.com, such an easy URL to remember. I stepped away and said, “Like this?” and let her sit down and have a look. She was astounded that such a site existed, was completely free to join and use, and even more astounded that the site had almost 25,000 members from all over the planet; who had written over 6000 parenting advice articles from their own personal experiences and research, with dozens more being added by parents every week. She then flooded me with questions.  

 “What about personal support for parents?” I showed her a blog written from someone having a bad day and all the supportive comments that it had received. She noted the time stamps and was amazed at how quickly the responses of support and advice had been. She was almost in tears as she read the beauty and feelings of real caring within some of the comments.  

“What if someone has a specific question they want to ask?” I showed her the Questions and Answers section. Lots of specific questions, with advice articles linked to them by other members, as well as many valuable and intelligent, heart-felt answers that had been given so quickly.  

“How safe is it? I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about internet sites.” I explained how the Administration keep a close eye on things, and usually at least one of them can be found online at any given time of day or night. Even when the Administration members aren’t around, the other members look after each other. Just about everything can be reported, and when that happens, whatever is reported vanishes instantly and gets reviewed, and if it is deemed appropriate and suitable it comes back, otherwise it stays off the site. Any member can report anything they find offensive or unsuitable. The members have to behave themselves or they can be removed from the site as well. I suffer from severe anxiety, and this is the only internet site that I have found that I feel completely comfortable and safe to be a part of.  

“Yes, that’s all fine and well, but it’s not like the members can meet for coffee and let their children interact and play together and learn social skills…” she saw the expression on my face and said, “Or are you going to tell me that happens over this internet site as well?” She quickly changed her tone of cynicism as I opened up the Virtual to Reality group on the site and showed her photo after photo, and story after story, of members meeting up for coffee and playtimes. Her jaw dropped. Predicting what her next question would be, I then showed her advice articles about staying safe on the site, meeting with other members in real life, and how to go about such social interaction both on the site and off without getting into trouble or dangerous situations. Her jaw dropped.  

“And being the internet and worldwide, this is accessible and active 24 hours a day?” That’s right. Just then my phone rang. It was another member of Minti asking me if I could get some advice from the site for her situation because she didn’t have internet access at the time. That was too easy to do, I found what she needed to know within seconds. When the call was finished, the social worker asked me where the girl that phoned was from – over 1000 kilometres away. We met up with each other when I was on holiday in her city.  

Minti (www.minti.com) is the most amazing site for parents I have ever come across. It breaks down the walls of social isolation that many parents face. The members are real people with real problems, and real solutions. Whether you are a parent of your first newborn baby, your teenage grandchildren are becoming difficult to understand, or you are planning a child and want to get a better idea what you can expect, Minti has the answers… or we will quickly find them for you!