Moms View history questions
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive October 2004:
Moms View history questions
I was just wondering some stuff and maybe thought I'd get some answers. I've just joined a month or so ago and read mention of some things and just curious.
Why did mom2mom change to Moms view?
Where are the owners located? State or country? Does it cost them to run the board and if so how do they finance it? We register for free and I haven't seen any mention of donations, so I was curious. This is the first board that I have ever done. I don't usually take the time to mess with the computer but this has been fun.
How did the ladies who are moderators get to be that? Are you friends of the owners, or did you apply for the job or did you get asked after a long time of proving yourself to be logical and fair minded? BTW, you ladies do a great job.
How long has Moms View been up?
Okay I think that is enough of the third degree for now. I'll probably think of more later.
Oh yeah one more. Are there any other ladies on the board from Tenn? I've been checking the profiles and I haven't seen one yet? I feel like the Lone Ranger but he was from Texas so I guess I really am alone!!! LOL
Momsview was never Mom to Mom. Mom to Mom was another board owned by another person. She decided to close the board, and Pam searched around and found Momsview.
It's a privately owned board, and yes it costs Feona and John, the board owners, money for the server space to operate it.
Moderators - Some of the moderators were previously moderators at Mom to Mom. Others have been asked by Admin to become moderators. Contrary to what some believe, it has little to do with friendship, and a lot to do with availability to *police* the board, familiarity with the board guidelines and rules and the ability to learn the software, being level headed and open and able to make decisions in the best interest of the board. No one applies for the job, it's a volunteer thing we do because we were asked to, and we do it because we genuinely want to keep this board here for all of us and we enjoy doing it.
Thanks for the support. I know everyone doesn't always agree with our decisions, but we try to do the best job we can for the board as a whole, in each individual situation.
I know we have other members from TN, perhaps you'd like to start a thread asking where people or from, or if anyone is from TN.
Debbie, the best way to find out if there are other members from Tennessee is to start a new thread with just that question in your title.
Karen, allow me to "correct" you. As I recall, Christine didn't close down MomtoMom, but after 9-11 decided to make it primarily a board for military wives/moms, she herself being the wife of a military man and actively involved in programs for wives and families of military personnel.
I don't know how long Momsview has been around, but when those of us who were looking for a new internet home after Christine's decision were fumbling around, Pam happened on the Momsview site. I believe at that time it was primarily a coupon/freebie site with a small number of "members". Pam asked Feona & John if they would be open to homeless former MTM members joining, explaining what that would probably mean, and they were wonderfully generous in welcoming us. My (slightly educated) guess is that this has cost them something in terms of having to pay for additional server space to accomodate the greatly increased traffic, but it also means additional traffic on the freebie/coupon board so it probably balances out. Every board on the internet is owned by someone - a business or private person - who pays for the use of a server to host the board. I think in the case of a freebie/coupon board like Momsview, the owner of the board gets a "click through" fee if someone uses a coupon or freebie listed on the board to go to a site like Amazon and actually makes a purchase. For that reason, when I want to make an internet purchase from a site which is listed in the menus at the top of the board I go through the MV "click through". Since I am intending to make the purchase anyhow, it doesn't cost me any more and often actually saves me money. I recently used the MV clickthrough coupon to have flowers sent to my aunt by ProFlowers and got the shipping free.
As for the moderators being friends, well, we have become pretty friendly, which is a good thing, because we have to have a way of working out our own differences of opinion - which does happen. My own experience was that I had been a member at MTM for a while when Christine decided to ask a couple of members to help her out with moderating the board because it was becoming to time intensive for her, and I was flattered to be asked to help out. I don't know what her criteria were, but having been around for a while and being an "active" member (i.e., posting a lot) and her own judgment of what kind of person she thought I was had to be part of it. I was able to meet Christine and a few MTM members (before Christine changed the nature of her board) when I traveled down to Virginia in, I think the summer of 2001. I haven't met any of the MV moderators. Feona and John didn't know any of us at all when they first welcomed us. Pam and Karen are long-time friends and Amy, of course, is Pam's daughter. Pam knew me from MTM. I don't remember about the other moderators - whether they came from MTM or what.
I agree with Karen - thanks for the compliment. Most of the time the moderator job is not particularly difficult, except for the time it takes. One of us has to review all new applications and decide whether to approve or reject according to the posted guidelines, and at least two or three of us read almost every new post every day, just to keep tabs on things.
Personally, I am amazed at the ways in which the members find to be helpful to and supportive of each other. You ladies (we have had a few male members but not for long) continually surprise and delight me, and I am very pleased to be part of this community.
Please anyone correct me if i'm wrong but i think Christina went and made the discussion board based on Homeschooling Children?Anyways i think moderators do an awesome job too.Thank you to John and Feona and all of the moderators for all of the time and money it takes to keep this up = )
Yes, Thank you all for what you do!
Also, I just looked at that board and it is now a homeschooling board.
Brandy, obviously you are right. I apologize.
I've been wondering about these things myself.And you ladies do a great job.Debbie,I am also from Tn.Springfield,about 30 miles N of Nashville.What part do you live in ? I know another family with the last name Stovall.
I'm in Mt. Juliet. I had been clicking on all of the profiles as I'd seen them used looking for someone else from TN. I was feeling lonely. Nice to meet you.
Another question--what do you mean about the coupons and 'click through'? I'm sorry I'm so ignorant. Is that somehow the board pays for itself? I haven't really looked at the coupons much. But if using the coupons helps the owners pay for the board, I will take the time to use it when I need something.
To clarify some of what has already been mentioned...
Moms View offers information that is free for anyone to use including:
A weekly printable coupon and freebie newsletter
An email is sent on a weekly basis to several thousand email subscribers to alert them that we have posted a new newsletter on the site. Here is a link to our most recent Newsletter:
http://www.momsview.com/303.shtml
We provide Internet links to printable coupons for stores, restaurents etc. as well as links to sites which are giving away some pretty nice stuff. Subscribing to the newsletter is free (see the Newsletter link above) and we don't receive any commission on any freebies or coupons you request. It actually costs us to put this together and send it out.
We do have links to sponsers in the email we send out though.
Coupon "codes" for Various Internet Stores
The menu above will take you to separate web pages for various Internet stores. We search the Internet regularily for "discount codes" for these stores. Entering these 2-5 letter codes at checkout time can save you 10% to as much as 50% at some stores. If you use our link to "go to the store" we will receive a small commission (1%-5% depending on the store) on your purchase.
This is paid by the store, NOT by you.
Freebie and Coupon board
We'll post many freebies and links to coupons here on the board. We don't receive anything when you click thorough or use any of what we post here.
Shameless begging begins here...
Feona, I, and our *volunteer* moderators spend countless hours each day to operate the site.
And yes... it personally costs Feona and I several hundred dollars per month to pay for the hosting space and bandwidth of Momsview.com
But ANY Internet purchase you make through the store links above will help offset this monthly cost...
$1 here and $2 there....
AND remember, it doesn't cost you anything. Actually, you might save a little if we have a coupon code you can use...
Feona also has a convenient page that she updates daily with the best coupon codes all in one place:
http://www.momsview.com/deals.shtml
That's also a link "New Online Coupons" at the top of every board.
End of shameless begging ...
Last, I wanted to add that Feona and I are really flattered that all of you like to come here every day. We ENJOY it too!
But it all wouldn't be possible without our wonderful moderators who volunteer their time to keep it a warm and friendly place to visit.
So my final thanks goes to them...
Debbie, I am also from TN. Don't feel Lonely, people are from all over the place. See you around.
John--that was actually kind of what I was wondering. DH uses a political board and sends them $5 a month or something to help out with finances. I am really enjoying the board and wondered how you guys did it. If I can help out your finances for something I enjoy by using (for lack of a better phrase) your system, it would be my pleasure. Now I just need to print out your message and just figure out how to do it. Christmas is coming up. I need and love to save money right now. Ordering on-line for some things is the bomb. So why not just do us all a favor. Thanks for the info.
I also want to send out thanks for the board. I was very afraid to get on the internet and talk to people because I have heard about the weirdos you can encounter. This place is like a secound home for me and you all have helped me with so many emotional things in my life. When Iv'e been sad youv'e made me happy and when Iv'e been freaked out by something you calm me down. I never realized how close I could become to people I have never met. I am so happy I found moms view 5 months ago and have made some friends here. I won't even go to any other boards because I feel at home here!!!
Like Ginny, when *I* make online purchases, I always check Momsview FIRST for coupons, etc., and link to the websites, like Spiegel, or Gap, etc. from Momsview to make my purchases.
You really should explore the entire board. Feona's got LOADS of bargains available, and clicking her links not only saves you money, it helps support the board.
Kristie, thank you for posting such nice thoughts about Momsview. I know how you feel. These are the same reasons I joined this group of ladies years ago when we were all at Mom-to-Mom and why many of us have stayed together to this day. We've seen each other through births and great losses. When exciting things happen in our lives, one of our first thoughts is running to MV to share the news with the ladies here, and we're always sure to get lots of WTG's and pats on the back and people genuinely happy for you. When you're facing a difficult time, you'll always find someone to lift you up, offer you sincere caring and support, and give you some wise advice from having BTDT. For some people, it's one of the few resources in their lives, online or off, that they can always depend on for these things. There is something truly special about Momsview that you won't find anywhere else. Kristie, it's members like you that have helped to make Momsview what it is today, and I thank you and all of the other members for keeping it alive and going strong. And we thank our lucky stars that we found Feona and John, who were so generous and willing to provide this home for us and lastly, but not leastly, the moderators who have put their heart and soul into keeping our board running smoothly and keeping it such a nice place to visit everyday. 
I love this board too and I want to thank all of the mods. We are all a team, even if we aren't mods. and we all work together to make this an incredible site. I love you all.
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