Saturday, May 9, 2009
Baby Showdowns
So....on cafemom today and noticed on my homepage a large forum with a bunch or baby photos on it. The title....Baby Showdown. Very interesting. Moms going at it baby to baby.....who has the cutest kid??? So, I thought I would check it out a little further. There is a best dressed baby showdown, a best smile baby showdown, and a just for fun showdown. I then clicked on the "Show me more" link and ended up on this page with about 100 different showdowns! They range from best home decor to best baby bump to hottest hubby. I wonder, how exactly does this effect the users of the site? Do people get mad if they lose the showdown and then proceed to stop using the site? Would something like a baby showdown turn cafemom into a community of exit? I assume that under certain circumstances it could. While I think this may add a fun competitive element to the site, it really seems unnecessary and could cause more drama than positive fun. However, you are note allowed to make comments on the showdown photos, you can only place your vote, so at least nasty words can't be exchanged between members if things get a little too competitive! Personally, I would not want to participate in the showdown, because I wouldn't want someone to tell me my kid is not as cute as another, or that my baby bump sucks.....do you agree?
Friday, May 8, 2009
Something Interesting...
As I was lurking today, I ran into an aspect of filtering that I had not thought of before. While I still believe this web site does not have a large problem with a lack of participation from its members, there is still a filtering process within the Mental Illness Awareness Group that is used to promote participation. This group has an automatic filter that will boot you out of the group if you have not logged on in the last 30 days. If the automatic filter does in fact boot you from the group, you are allowed to rejoin the group, but you must be an active member if you do decide to rejoin.
The leader of the group sent this awareness message out after getting complaints from the group's "regulars" who began to become annoyed with members simply lurking on the site and not actively participating. This filtering technique goes beyond just content and actually filters out the members at the bottom of the totem pole!
The leader of the group sent this awareness message out after getting complaints from the group's "regulars" who began to become annoyed with members simply lurking on the site and not actively participating. This filtering technique goes beyond just content and actually filters out the members at the bottom of the totem pole!
After a few weeks...
Sorry I haven't been posting for a while, school has really picked up!!!
Lately, I have spent a lot of time simply working my way through the many layers of the site, trying to gain insight into how filtering overall effects the participation of the site.
In my observation, one of the things I noticed was the close-knit-nature of the site. Members appear very willing to ask private questions within groups and forums, and members will give open, honest answers. I think this is what makes cafemom such a successful social networking site. Members are really involved and wanting to help each other out. I find that because of the overall "mom" topic of the site, members are even more willing to spend time on others rather than fulfill their own goals. It's really refreshing to see, especially since on so many social networking sites members want to do what will benefit them the most, whether that be receiving posts on their wall, meeting people that they want to, or having others help them in some way shape or form, and that is just not the case on cafemom.
Of all the members I have messaged with in the site, not one of them would say they have had a negative experience on the site. Most, if not all, of my interviewees couldn't even think of an example where they felt negatively toward the site or toward something that occurred on the site. I think from these interviews and observations that cafemom is not a community of exit. Even though children grow up, and perhaps they do not need the sute for advice anymore, the closeness of the site, makes members want to keep visiting to share their stories and advice to try and help other members. And, once they get old enough, they could even join the group cafegrandma, and be right back where they were initially with cafemom.
That's all for now....
Lately, I have spent a lot of time simply working my way through the many layers of the site, trying to gain insight into how filtering overall effects the participation of the site.
In my observation, one of the things I noticed was the close-knit-nature of the site. Members appear very willing to ask private questions within groups and forums, and members will give open, honest answers. I think this is what makes cafemom such a successful social networking site. Members are really involved and wanting to help each other out. I find that because of the overall "mom" topic of the site, members are even more willing to spend time on others rather than fulfill their own goals. It's really refreshing to see, especially since on so many social networking sites members want to do what will benefit them the most, whether that be receiving posts on their wall, meeting people that they want to, or having others help them in some way shape or form, and that is just not the case on cafemom.
Of all the members I have messaged with in the site, not one of them would say they have had a negative experience on the site. Most, if not all, of my interviewees couldn't even think of an example where they felt negatively toward the site or toward something that occurred on the site. I think from these interviews and observations that cafemom is not a community of exit. Even though children grow up, and perhaps they do not need the sute for advice anymore, the closeness of the site, makes members want to keep visiting to share their stories and advice to try and help other members. And, once they get old enough, they could even join the group cafegrandma, and be right back where they were initially with cafemom.
That's all for now....
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Another Interview
Hello there! So I am posting another interview. It is the same set of questions as the interview I did with the lead of Catholic Mom, because I want to get a general understanding about a few areas before I dive in deeper with these cafe mom members. Enjoy!
1. What groups are you involved in on cafemom?
Several Autism/Asperger Awareness groups, Our Own Game Room (I am an admin. for this group), Current Events and Hot Topics( this is a Cafemom sponsered group), several Anti-Vaccine Groups, and some special interest groups ie Twilight Fans, Webkinz Fans, etc.
2. How do the communication norms differ from group to group? (i.e. are the topics of discussion different in different groups? Do you notice certain posts flagged or removed from one groups discussion board that may not be removed from another groups discussion board?, etc.)
The discussions are very different in each group and center around the theme. I have never came across a flagged post. Every once in awhile I will catch a reference to a deleted post, but most of the "hot" groups have a cavet in the membership about reporting to cafemom. If the members are sensitive, it is recommended not to join.
3. How do you think cafe mom decides to filter certain content? Do you think it is consistent throughout the site?
I'm not for sure on this? I would guess that Cafemom has a set of standards, but the groups are monitored by individual "owners" and "administrators". Anyone can set up a group, and without a report to Cafemom, the site could be extremely varied.
4. Do you think that filtering positively or negatively affects the community? Considering that people may be offended by others' opinions, even if they may simply be an opinion, not something outwardly inappropriate?
I think when Cafemom deletes a post or locks it, it is probably for the best. Sometimes there needs to be a "grown-up time out". I am sure that participates get frustrated, but like I have mentioned there are MANY groups dedicated to venting and/or debating unrestricted...it should be done there.
5. Why did you decide to join cafemom?
My mom and sister were members and LOVED it.
6. Have you had a positive experience on the site? If so, please describe.
I love Cafemom. One of the most positive experiences I have had are in the Autism Awareness/Support groups. Going through the suspicion, diagnosis process, and daily living with an autistic child is extremely hard, and the support in a large communty even if it is online is invaluable!! It has literally helped me keep my sanity!
7. Have you had any negative experiences or know anyone who has had a negative experience on the site? If so, please describe.
The only negative experience I have had has been in one group. It was a personality clash and I just left the group...no big deal.
8. Do you feel that posting photos of young children is a safe idea considering that anyone can create an account on cafemom? Do you think there are any ethical concerns related to this issue? Or even privacy concerns?
I have worried about having pictures of my kids, but I do post and keep my account private. I have several long-distance family members that use this to keep in touch. I love playing around with my pictures of my boys. As far as ethical concerns, I don't really know. It would be more difficult if the other parent was completely against it, or there were some outside issues like that.
9. Do you find that members of other groups with conflicting opinions about motherhood, religion, politics, etc. post their conflicting opinions on other groups discussion boards? If so, please describe your experience with this? Also, if so, are these comments filtered at all?
I haven't had any problems with this.
1. What groups are you involved in on cafemom?
Several Autism/Asperger Awareness groups, Our Own Game Room (I am an admin. for this group), Current Events and Hot Topics( this is a Cafemom sponsered group), several Anti-Vaccine Groups, and some special interest groups ie Twilight Fans, Webkinz Fans, etc.
2. How do the communication norms differ from group to group? (i.e. are the topics of discussion different in different groups? Do you notice certain posts flagged or removed from one groups discussion board that may not be removed from another groups discussion board?, etc.)
The discussions are very different in each group and center around the theme. I have never came across a flagged post. Every once in awhile I will catch a reference to a deleted post, but most of the "hot" groups have a cavet in the membership about reporting to cafemom. If the members are sensitive, it is recommended not to join.
3. How do you think cafe mom decides to filter certain content? Do you think it is consistent throughout the site?
I'm not for sure on this? I would guess that Cafemom has a set of standards, but the groups are monitored by individual "owners" and "administrators". Anyone can set up a group, and without a report to Cafemom, the site could be extremely varied.
4. Do you think that filtering positively or negatively affects the community? Considering that people may be offended by others' opinions, even if they may simply be an opinion, not something outwardly inappropriate?
I think when Cafemom deletes a post or locks it, it is probably for the best. Sometimes there needs to be a "grown-up time out". I am sure that participates get frustrated, but like I have mentioned there are MANY groups dedicated to venting and/or debating unrestricted...it should be done there.
5. Why did you decide to join cafemom?
My mom and sister were members and LOVED it.
6. Have you had a positive experience on the site? If so, please describe.
I love Cafemom. One of the most positive experiences I have had are in the Autism Awareness/Support groups. Going through the suspicion, diagnosis process, and daily living with an autistic child is extremely hard, and the support in a large communty even if it is online is invaluable!! It has literally helped me keep my sanity!
7. Have you had any negative experiences or know anyone who has had a negative experience on the site? If so, please describe.
The only negative experience I have had has been in one group. It was a personality clash and I just left the group...no big deal.
8. Do you feel that posting photos of young children is a safe idea considering that anyone can create an account on cafemom? Do you think there are any ethical concerns related to this issue? Or even privacy concerns?
I have worried about having pictures of my kids, but I do post and keep my account private. I have several long-distance family members that use this to keep in touch. I love playing around with my pictures of my boys. As far as ethical concerns, I don't really know. It would be more difficult if the other parent was completely against it, or there were some outside issues like that.
9. Do you find that members of other groups with conflicting opinions about motherhood, religion, politics, etc. post their conflicting opinions on other groups discussion boards? If so, please describe your experience with this? Also, if so, are these comments filtered at all?
I haven't had any problems with this.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Horray Cafe Mom
Well, I haven't posted in a few days due to a massive amount of work in other classes, but I checked out my cafemom profile today and the hits on my profile increased by about 150!!! I am getting a much higher response from the women on the site so I am very excited about that. They actually want to discuss their experiences with me!!! Whooo hooo! I also noticed that my blog was visited by a member of the site as well. So, hopefully in the near future I will have several more posts of conversations I've had with members to further dive into my ethnography! Well, I'm off to study for an exam...I'll begin posting about my textual analysis findings very soon!! Goodbye for now...
Monday, April 13, 2009
My First Conversation with the leader of the Catholic Moms Group
Yesterday, I received a response from the leader of the Catholic Moms Group. We had a discussion about filtering, as well as photos available on the web site. Below are her responses to me first set of questions...
1. What groups besides Catholic mom are you involved in?
I'm also the owner of the "Learning the Catholic Faith Group" (which is a much slower moving group that the Catholic Moms group.) I'm involved in a couple of religious debate groups, other religion discussion groups, and the stay-at-home moms group, and Cafemom newcomers group
2. If you are involved in other groups, how do the communication norms differ from group to group? (i.e. are the topics of discussion different in different groups? Do you notice certain posts flagged or removed from one groups discussion board that may not be removed from another groups discussion board?, etc.)
Well the debate groups are more open to disagreements than say the Catholic Moms group. So while both groups deal with religion, the communication is different because the purposes of the groups are different. There is more sarcasm in the debate group (for one the guidelines even say to use a pink font color to indicate sarcasm), not so much sarcasm in the Catholic Moms group. Now in the religious discussion/debate groups "preaching" is discouraged. Someone just posting a sermon of sorts with no question or point to debate are generally locked. But in the Catholic Moms group we can post inspirational articles that are just meant to encourage people (which is considered ‘preaching' in the other group).
The stay-at-home moms group is large and has several subdivisions. Some are labels as maybe having ‘adult content' and others for things just like parenting tips and sharing recipes. So there is more variety in the types of discussions that are going on.
3. How do you filter the content posted in catholic mom?
I filter based on the goal and purpose I have for the group and to create a positive environment. The group is for Catholic moms to discuss and learn about our faith - so people wanting to debate the faith, those what would come in and tell us how wrong the Catholic faith is would be filtered. Questions about the faith are fine - statements that the church is wrong are not. Political discussions proved to be contentious and so the topic is banned in an attempt to keep it a positive environment and there are other groups at cafemom Mom where such discussions can go on. Plus as the owner it's up to me to monitor the group and I found monitoring the political discussions to be too time consuming.
I personally monitor the group and I have one (sometimes two) other mothers help me. I generally do a quick review of the posts and then respond to any ‘abuse' reports people have. I very rarely delete a post outright - only one that is clearly against cafemom's overall guidelines and I notify the original poster of what I did. Generally I'll post a reminder first and if things don't go well, I'll lock the post.
4. Do you think that filtering positively or negatively affects the community? Considering that people may be offended by others' opinions, even if they may simply be an opinion, not something outwardly inappropriate?
I think filtering positively affects the community because each ‘group/community should have a goal or purpose. It's more than just a bunch of random people getting together - it's about discussion and sharing about a common interest. That's why it's nice to belong to different groups to be able to discuss the same topic in different ways (like the difference between a religious debate/discussion group and the Catholic Moms group). Without a common purpose or goal the community/group falls apart and become fractious. This doesn't mean that everyone has to agree with everything - but they should be respectful of opinions that are different than their own. You can't please everyone and not everyone is comfortable in every group. If a group has a clear purpose and goal then people can decide for themselves if this is a community in which they want to participate.
5. Why did you decide to join cafemom and then Catholic mom?
It's hard to have intelligent, thoughtful discussions with small children running around. Plus you don't want to discuss parenting issues with other mothers with kids around who could overhear and misunderstand things. With an online community I can make and respond to comments more on my own time, while the kids are napping or sleeping or some other time.
I actually started with the previous incarnation of cafemom called Club Mom. I stumbled across it and enjoyed talking about parenting issues, politics and religion. I made some online friends there and then that group created ‘cafemome' and were looking for group leaders to help get things off the ground. Since I was Catholic and enjoying discussing and sharing about my faith I volunteered to host the Catholic moms group so as soon as cafemom started I started the Catholic Moms group and it's been that way since then.
6. Have you had a positive experience on the site? If so, please describe.
Yes, I've made some friends and we e-mail each other. I've gotten some good advice. I've been complemented on how well I explain some thins. As a mother your kids rarely complement you on what a good job you're doing so it's nice to hear that. It helps me feel competent.
7. Have you had any negative experiences or know anyone who has had a negative experience on the site? If so, please describe.
I've heard that some people have had negative experiences where there have been ‘fights' and ‘stalking' but I don't know any of the details.
There was one woman who was logged onto cafemom and then went to do something and her husband began using her username and posting things that upset people. And then when people found out that her husband was behind it - they were very upset and I believe she was removed from the site.
8. Do you feel that posting photos of young children is a safe idea considering that anyone can create an account on cafemom? Do you think there are any ethical concerns related to this issue? Or even privacy concerns?
Personally, I do not and would never post pictures of my children on the Internet. Some people feel safe since accounts can be set to ‘private' so that only ‘friends' can view pictures. Pictures of children are also pretty ubiquitous on the internet so I don't think people should not be allowed to so especially since raising children is one thing moms have in common. But it's not something I'm personally comfortable with doing.
9. Do you find that members of other groups with conflicting opinions about motherhood, religion, politics, etc. post their conflicting opinions on other groups discussion boards? If so, please describe your experience with this? Also, if so, are these comments filtered at all?
Well obviously in debate groups conflicting opinions are the norm. It's only if someone is disrespectful that it would be filtered. Sometimes someone will come into a group that disagrees with general purpose of the group and those posts are generally locked or deleted.
10. There is a rule on cafemom that nude photos are not allowed, however, photos of breast feeding and giving birth are allowed on the site. How do you feel about this policy? Do you think there are any privacy or ethical concerns related to the cafemom photo policy?
I'm fine with the policy. Again, it's not something I personally would do, but if others want to share that information it should be their choice. Breastfeeding and giving birth are natural events experienced by many mothers and part of motherhood.
1. What groups besides Catholic mom are you involved in?
I'm also the owner of the "Learning the Catholic Faith Group" (which is a much slower moving group that the Catholic Moms group.) I'm involved in a couple of religious debate groups, other religion discussion groups, and the stay-at-home moms group, and Cafemom newcomers group
2. If you are involved in other groups, how do the communication norms differ from group to group? (i.e. are the topics of discussion different in different groups? Do you notice certain posts flagged or removed from one groups discussion board that may not be removed from another groups discussion board?, etc.)
Well the debate groups are more open to disagreements than say the Catholic Moms group. So while both groups deal with religion, the communication is different because the purposes of the groups are different. There is more sarcasm in the debate group (for one the guidelines even say to use a pink font color to indicate sarcasm), not so much sarcasm in the Catholic Moms group. Now in the religious discussion/debate groups "preaching" is discouraged. Someone just posting a sermon of sorts with no question or point to debate are generally locked. But in the Catholic Moms group we can post inspirational articles that are just meant to encourage people (which is considered ‘preaching' in the other group).
The stay-at-home moms group is large and has several subdivisions. Some are labels as maybe having ‘adult content' and others for things just like parenting tips and sharing recipes. So there is more variety in the types of discussions that are going on.
3. How do you filter the content posted in catholic mom?
I filter based on the goal and purpose I have for the group and to create a positive environment. The group is for Catholic moms to discuss and learn about our faith - so people wanting to debate the faith, those what would come in and tell us how wrong the Catholic faith is would be filtered. Questions about the faith are fine - statements that the church is wrong are not. Political discussions proved to be contentious and so the topic is banned in an attempt to keep it a positive environment and there are other groups at cafemom Mom where such discussions can go on. Plus as the owner it's up to me to monitor the group and I found monitoring the political discussions to be too time consuming.
I personally monitor the group and I have one (sometimes two) other mothers help me. I generally do a quick review of the posts and then respond to any ‘abuse' reports people have. I very rarely delete a post outright - only one that is clearly against cafemom's overall guidelines and I notify the original poster of what I did. Generally I'll post a reminder first and if things don't go well, I'll lock the post.
4. Do you think that filtering positively or negatively affects the community? Considering that people may be offended by others' opinions, even if they may simply be an opinion, not something outwardly inappropriate?
I think filtering positively affects the community because each ‘group/community should have a goal or purpose. It's more than just a bunch of random people getting together - it's about discussion and sharing about a common interest. That's why it's nice to belong to different groups to be able to discuss the same topic in different ways (like the difference between a religious debate/discussion group and the Catholic Moms group). Without a common purpose or goal the community/group falls apart and become fractious. This doesn't mean that everyone has to agree with everything - but they should be respectful of opinions that are different than their own. You can't please everyone and not everyone is comfortable in every group. If a group has a clear purpose and goal then people can decide for themselves if this is a community in which they want to participate.
5. Why did you decide to join cafemom and then Catholic mom?
It's hard to have intelligent, thoughtful discussions with small children running around. Plus you don't want to discuss parenting issues with other mothers with kids around who could overhear and misunderstand things. With an online community I can make and respond to comments more on my own time, while the kids are napping or sleeping or some other time.
I actually started with the previous incarnation of cafemom called Club Mom. I stumbled across it and enjoyed talking about parenting issues, politics and religion. I made some online friends there and then that group created ‘cafemome' and were looking for group leaders to help get things off the ground. Since I was Catholic and enjoying discussing and sharing about my faith I volunteered to host the Catholic moms group so as soon as cafemom started I started the Catholic Moms group and it's been that way since then.
6. Have you had a positive experience on the site? If so, please describe.
Yes, I've made some friends and we e-mail each other. I've gotten some good advice. I've been complemented on how well I explain some thins. As a mother your kids rarely complement you on what a good job you're doing so it's nice to hear that. It helps me feel competent.
7. Have you had any negative experiences or know anyone who has had a negative experience on the site? If so, please describe.
I've heard that some people have had negative experiences where there have been ‘fights' and ‘stalking' but I don't know any of the details.
There was one woman who was logged onto cafemom and then went to do something and her husband began using her username and posting things that upset people. And then when people found out that her husband was behind it - they were very upset and I believe she was removed from the site.
8. Do you feel that posting photos of young children is a safe idea considering that anyone can create an account on cafemom? Do you think there are any ethical concerns related to this issue? Or even privacy concerns?
Personally, I do not and would never post pictures of my children on the Internet. Some people feel safe since accounts can be set to ‘private' so that only ‘friends' can view pictures. Pictures of children are also pretty ubiquitous on the internet so I don't think people should not be allowed to so especially since raising children is one thing moms have in common. But it's not something I'm personally comfortable with doing.
9. Do you find that members of other groups with conflicting opinions about motherhood, religion, politics, etc. post their conflicting opinions on other groups discussion boards? If so, please describe your experience with this? Also, if so, are these comments filtered at all?
Well obviously in debate groups conflicting opinions are the norm. It's only if someone is disrespectful that it would be filtered. Sometimes someone will come into a group that disagrees with general purpose of the group and those posts are generally locked or deleted.
10. There is a rule on cafemom that nude photos are not allowed, however, photos of breast feeding and giving birth are allowed on the site. How do you feel about this policy? Do you think there are any privacy or ethical concerns related to the cafemom photo policy?
I'm fine with the policy. Again, it's not something I personally would do, but if others want to share that information it should be their choice. Breastfeeding and giving birth are natural events experienced by many mothers and part of motherhood.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg){kind=small}