Friday, August 10, 2007

FAQ about Lost and Found

How often is the Lost and Found and Connections Abound (LFCA) published?

Most weekdays. Sometimes, if I'm super-busy, it won't go up. But it usually is posted mid-morning Monday--Friday.

Can anyone submit?


Yes, anyone (blog owner or not) can submit to Lost and Found if they are a member of the infertility, pregnancy loss, adoption, pregnancy-and-parenting after infertility, assisted conception, living child-free after infertility or loss community (as well as anyone I inadvertently missed on that list). You do not need to know me personally or be a regular commenter on my main blog, Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters. Though I hope that if you are submitting, you stick around and keep reading the list and supporting the list.

How do I submit?

Simply fill out this form and hit send. It will go up on the next LFCA (or perhaps the one after that depending on timing). If the information is being submitted early and needs to be held for a future date (such as telling me about your birthday in June when your birthday is in August), just let me know in the blurb and I'll put it on the calendar to upload later.

You can submit your own news or you can submit news you read on another person's blog.

What are you looking for with submissions?
  • Miscellaneous support--OHSS, retrieval, transfer, a procedure, wonky blood work, terrible day that is non-IF related (in other words, any place where you'd want to give the person a hug or tell them good luck).
  • Miscellaneous celebrations--unusual great news (so, not the "your lining looks perfect" great news, but something out of the ordinary)
  • Pregnancy announcements
  • Birth or adoption announcements
  • Pregnancy loss calls for support
  • Pregnancy loss remembrances (also stillbirth, neonatal death, and infant loss)
  • News and announcements related to the ALI community--such as a talk show airing a segment on DI or a Resolve Call to Action
  • Bedrest support
  • Birthdays, anniversaries, blogoversaries
  • Non-IF good news/huge accomplishments
What if I have something newsworthy that should go out to the community, but a category doesn't exactly exist to fit my information?

I can start a new category. Don't be limited by the categories currently in place. The Lost and Found list began on the first day with only two categories. I keep adding to it and welcome ideas.

Hey! I posted a message and you deleted it!
or Hey! I filled out the form and you never posted my information!

I only delete comments that are off-topic, spam, inappropriate, or hateful. See the submission page for details about things I don't accept for posting. The same goes for blurbs that are sent into the form. If it's on-topic, it's posted. If it's off-topic, it isn't.

I emailed you and I haven't heard from you--do you hate me or did you not get my message?

More likely, I'm either really busy or away from Internet access. I'm just a regular chickie like you (unless you're a man-pie and then we're not anatomically similar, but you still get the point). Sometimes, I'm just not near a computer.

I do not ignore people unless they write me hate mail or send me something that reeks of spam. If I haven't posted your message or written you back (or whatever you're waiting for me to do) assume one of two things: I am either (1) busy/out of town/away from the Internet or (2) it went in my spam folder accidentally and it was deleted (I save many messages from my spam folder so I constantly worry that there are ones I am also missing). If you haven't gotten a response in three days, send it again. Unless you resend the message dozens of times within a two hour period, I am never annoyed with resends. I know the Internet isn't perfect and sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry.

It helps tremendously if you are emailing me about Lost and Found to put Lost and Found in the subject line.

I announced my pregnancy/adoption/birth/loss/news/question on my blog and you never put it on the list. Why? I mean, you even left me a comment and everything so I know you saw it.

I'm human--sometimes I comment on your blog to offer congratulations or support and then become distracted before I can get it on the list and it slips through the cracks. Other times, something similar happens--I read, don't get to comment, and it still slips through the cracks. And even other times, I'm busy and not reading as many blogs for a few days and I miss your news. Those are the three big reasons. There is no one that I would exclude from the list who is a member of this community, so if I haven't put you on, please email me the information and accept my apologies. In this case, it really isn't you--it's me.

Hey! I didn't email you about my pregnancy yet it has already made the pregnancy announcement section. How did it get there?

Back in the August 10, 2007 Friday Blog Roundup, I posed the idea of adding things that were already posted on a person's non-password protected blog. In other words, if I read about your pregnancy/birth/adoption/loss/news, I will probably post it here without waiting for you to send it to me. I will not post anything that is on a password-protected blog that I read or if you email me something personal (from time to time, people have told me a pregnancy announcement before they're ready to post it on their blog--those will not end up on this list until they are posted on the person's blog). No one expressed any reservations about this idea at the time. If you are upset to see something about your blog on the list, I can remove it easily with the click of a button. Email me at thetowncriers@gmail.com.

I want to help and get involved. How can I do this?

Three ways: (1) be eyes and ears and send me information to post as you read it. Send me a link to a post whenever you see a pregnancy/birth/adoption/loss/news announcement. Just fill out the form either to list something for yourself or to list something for someone else.

(2) become a Clicker. Clickers go down a chunk of the blogroll and send in information a few times a week. Areas that have "open category" next to it are open for new Clickers. Please don't volunteer if you don't think you can commit the time. It isn't a huge commitment, but it will probably eat up at least 10 minutes of your day skimming posts.

(2) the Lost and Found post only works if people use it and read it. Using it means clicking through to other blogs and offering support or answering questions. Reading it means not only subscribing to the rss feed or clicking on here every day, but also spreading the word through the infertility/pregnancy loss/adoption community. Write a post about it, put the url on bulletin boards, or add the icon and a link to your sidebar. Emblazon it on t-shirts, shout it from the rooftops, or tattoo it on your upper arm. Get the word out there.

I think you rock and I want to tell you. How can I write you sweet nothings?

I love to hear from people. You can email me at thetowncriers@gmail.com. Even if it's not sweet nothings and simply a hello.

Updated: 10/20/08

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