Lori's Absence - Special Request Options

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hi all,

I wanted to post something to let everyone know that I have not abandoned ship here at MM. I've just been pre-occupied with a life-changing event that began in January. The way that I am coping is to retreat, which everyone that knows me, knows that is not the way I usually deal with things. It is extremely emotional and difficult but every day is a little brighter.

Even though I haven't been actively posting new threads or offering many critiques since January, I definitely have a presence on MM every day. It saddens me to see the downturn in the number of posts being made and I can say that the staff is also at a loss as to how to turn things around. They are saddened too and with so many newbies here recently, this is not the normal welcoming experience we share.

I would like to point out that it shouldn't be assumed that only the mods can provide constructive feedback or should post more than others etc. - mods will help direct and foster threads but anyone can start or type their opinion on other's works, and this is recommended. That's what I intended MM to be: a site that fosters feedback.

When you log in, why not post a comment or two or respond to a challenge? It's easy and isn't overly time consuming and the increased activity will draw others in and feed on itself. There are some contests that I'm far behind on wrapping up and the awards have slipped as I'd rather devote the time I have for MM offering feedback instead of parsing databases (and trust me there's a lot of admin work you all never see that I do daily).

So, we'd like to hear your feedback as to what we can do together to create a nurturing environment that will meet your needs. Hoping you'll respond to this thread.

Regards,
Lori and all the MM staff