Nicely put, Elizabeth, about the inevitable way things evolve on-line. Maybe it is more of a buffet table than a sit down and share a meal together table, but I value both tables. Like you, I can only sporadically sustain conversation, and this thread provides a low pressure medium.

Victoria, One more thing....I ruminated on this last night too...I also wondered if some of that first intense sharing was before we all realized just how public a venue a thread can be...I imagine that the connections are still forged but some of the conversations happen much more via inbox. There is also a great vulnerability in coming on and stating how you are doing, and waiting for a reply. And there's also the professionalism of sharing s link and letting that stand for one's contribution. I was initially drawn to the thread for its warmth. I stayed because of its wealth, even with the shift in emotional register. How do you see the thread morphing if you could change it?

As a latecomer to the group, I didn't know it existed as such a wonderful place of support and community service. It definitely provides a platform for promotion, sometimes I feel that's an inevitable piece of online communities today. I guess whenever I join an online community, I'm looking to learn from other people and looking to share my thoughts with others the way I do in any conversation with friends. In this case, I'm looking for friends who struggle to balance being a mom and being a writer but also love being both. 

I'm not sure I can offer hard and fast suggestions on what I'd like to see...because my life is so busy I can't guarantee I could attend numerous chats or answer weekly questions or anything. But I could do things like that sporadically. 

Victoria! Great to see you here...I remember the early days...I have to say I felt the shift, but took it also as a sign of the inevitable changes in networking and industry. One thing I like to do when I come here to comment is to scroll through and make sure to land on one of the sites of my fellow mother writer's sites and leave a genuine comment. It is true that the personality of a guide lends warmth to a discussion thread, but I also know from direct experience the toll that takes on the curator...we are all spread in so many directions, but I value the nexus of this table at Mother Writer and consider it a valuable resource and a beautiful way to keep abreast of other writing mothers. Thank you for keeping it an open door and keeping the thread going.