Forum Index
»
Off-Topic
Why is it so hard to get on the Moms on the Hill listserv?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I moved to Capitol Hill six months ago and have a 3 month old. I know zero people in the neighborhood and am not the type to walk up to strangers and strike up a conversation. I've heard about the MOTH listserv through the on-line grapevine, but it is ***ridiculously*** hard to locate. It apparently is a yahoo group, but all of the other yahoo groups I am a member of (including one for dog owners on the Hill) have a "join this group" link on the main yahoo group page. MOTH seems to require that a friend "invite" you and I only figured this out by googling around and following the breadcrumbs where the group has been mentioned on other sites. In fact, what I mainly found were other people posting questions about how to join.
I am not so much asking how to join (I know - find a friend or a random stranger and ask for an invitation), but hoping there are some MOTH members out there who can explain the logic behind why it is so hard to join. And maybe pass along to the powers that be at MOTH that their club has gotten a bit too exclusive. |
Anonymous
| There are other local neighborhood listservs that are also "private"--the one I am a part of was started by a few people who were acquaintances as a way to get/give support, and as it grew larger, it has had issues in the past with trolls, etc. So they rely on a referral system to keep accountability with the members. It doesnt get advertising revenue like a website and the people monitor it out of their own time. So they try to keep it small, and not just everyone who can find it on the web, who are more likely to not follow rules, or post rude things or whatever. When everyone knows at least one other person personally, it just helps keep people accountable for their behavior. I wouldnt take it personally. |
Anonymous
| I am a long time member of MOTH. As the PP stated, the MOTH moderators wanted to continue the neighborhood feel of the group. |
Anonymous
NP here. Seems more like they want to keep the clique-ish feel of the group alive. 
|
Anonymous
|
Not true, but there is a lot of info on there such as passing free stuff, people putting their home addresses.
We don't want your average rude DCUM crazy to join 
|
Anonymous
I moderate another parent's group. If we allow open enrollment we just get spammed by people trying to sell us kiddie services or people who don't fit our member base. it is not helpful to get updates that there are still spots at Princess Fantasia's Dance academy every week. |
Anonymous
|
I have been a member of MOTH for about four years. It has something like 3000 members. Which makes it neither exclusive nor a "clique" -- a ridiculous term to use for a group whose only criteria are geographic and familial (e.g., live on the Hill and have kids).
To the OP, if you go to the Family Room, ask one of the owners if they can invite you to join MOTH. Or one of the moms/dads at story time at library. I'm sure plenty of people you interract with in real life would be happy to help you get on the listserv. I think that was the entire point of the invitation policy -- rather than a random collection of folks in cyberspace, it is a physical community as well as a virtual community. |
Anonymous
Have you ever spent any time on a parenting forum where folks are allowed to post anonymously? Just curious. |
Anonymous
|
When I joined MOTH, I just wrote to one of the moderators and gave my name, address, and kids' names and ages. No one had to "invite" me.
And I don't think you can call a listserv with 4000 people on it "cliquish"... |
Anonymous
|
Anonymous
| Well, I belong to a list-serv of over a 1,000 moms made up of about four neighborhoods in my area, and we have the same concerns about making sure it is limited to the immediate area, but it's not that hard to get on. You have to be "let in" by the moderator but I just emailed my request and gave my address and age of my child to become a member. |
Anonymous
| The clique comment was based on the OP's description of how difficult it is to join. |
Anonymous
Wasn't suggesting to make it open enrollment. Does it have to be all or nothing? Do you need to learn a secret handshake before you can join too? 
|
Anonymous
|
I second the Family Room idea. The owners are both active on MOTH. They are usually there on the weekend. it's also an easy place to talk to other parents. It's free for babies and there are definitely things for babies to do there.
Walk your baby to Lincoln Park too. Or take a Mommy and Me yoga class a the Hill yoga studio. Google "capitol hill yoga" - I think that's the name. |
Anonymous
| The moms on the Hill give Georgetown moms a run for their money when it comes to cliquishness. I can somewhat understand, you don't want everyone knowing where a lobbyist or high ranking Senator's aide's family lives. |