Allowing Children to Join Online Communities
How are you defining a child? Some may consider a child to be anyone under the age of 18, others may say anyone under the age of 21. It is very difficult to come to a number that will be accepted by all. When dealing with these numbers you also have to ask yourself some questions. Is it really wrong for someone who is 18 to be communicating with someone who is 16 or 17?
You also need to make a judgement based on the subject of your community. If it is based around adult activities such as gambling, then of course you should be limiting your membership to those who are legally old enough to gamble. Do not forget that children are more vulnerable than adults, and you need to keep this in mind.
If a community is about a less age specific subject such as video games, then surely it would not be appropriate to ban younger members from joining?
If most of your current members are adults, you should think carefully about whether that environment is the best place for children to be. Regardless of your community guidelines or rules, your adult members may share content or discuss issues of an adult nature from time to time. Not only is this a moral issue, but it could cause you headaches of a bad situation was picked up by the press or if a concerned parent decided to pursue legal action against you.
All online communities should incorporate safety features. If you plan on allowing children to join your online community, you need to ensure that you have ways that members can block other members from communicating with them, and that you have a clear complaint and escalation policy. The fewer safety features your community has, and the fewer moderators there are, the less appropriate it is for you to allow children to join.
It can be difficult to change your age policy once your community has been established. Members of online communities do not like change, and furthermore you risk alienating those members who are not even affected by any policy change. You will be removing members who may have previously added value and had a strong social standing in the community. You need to be very careful about this.
Even if you only allow adults to join your online community, you should still have clear rules and guidelines. Just because members are adults, it does not mean you want to allow them to discuss anything and everything. Certain topics should always be off-limits. Remember, it does not take much for someone to lie about their age. Even if they don’t, do you really want them to see abuse or discussions of an offensive or illegal nature?
If you are still unsure about whether or not to allow children to join your online community, put yourself in the shoes of a parent. Would you want your child to register at your online community and get involved and share information about themselves? If not, then you should probably change something such as your guidelines, enforcement or age policy. If you would be happy with your son or daughter joining, how old would you want them to be before getting involved? Now you can figure out your lower age limit.
Just be honest, step away from the community and think carefully. You know your community better than anyone and should be able to determine whether it is an appropriate environment for children to get involved in.
Martin Reed is passionate about online communities. He is the owner and manager of Just Chat, and offers free community building advice at his blog, Community Spark.
Top Five 2008 Female Olympians
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, much attention was given to the athletes that were breaking records and making history. It was a rare corner of the world where you could turn on the evening news and not hear the latest victory in Michael Phelps quest for a record breaking eight gold medals. The US mens basketball team created a great buzz as their mission to reclaim the gold for the US basketball team unfolded. There were many other magical moments as players from around the world overcame poverty, adversity and other challenges to compete and win, and sometimes even lose, at the most coveted sporting event in the world.
Dara Torres – United States – Swimming
At 41 years old, Dara Torres came back to the pool in Beijing after entering the world of motherhood at age 39. She began her Olympic career at the Los Angeles games in 1984, winning her first gold medal in one of the relay events. She swam again in the 1988 and 1992 games, overcoming bulimia during this phase of her life. After sitting out the Atlanta games in 1996, she returned in 200 to win five medals in the Sydney Olympics. Retiring again, it was only after returning to the pool while trying to stay in shape during her pregnancy that her Olympic drive returned. After setting new American records in the qualifiers and preliminary events, she went on to win three silver medals in individual and relay events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, making her the oldest swimmer ever to win an Olympic medal.
Oksana Chusovitina – Germany – Gymnastics
In the gymnastics world, 33 years of age is considered geriatric. However, someone forgot to pass Oksana Chusovitina the memo. She competed in her first Olympics in 1992, at age 17 as a member of the Unified team. In 1996, 2000 and 2004, she represented her home country of Uzbekistan. In the meantime, she gave birth to a son in 1999, who was found in 2002 to have leukaemia. She moved to Germany to seek treatment for him, later attaining citizenship and in 2008, competed at the Olympics for her new home country. Not only was she the oldest female gymnast at the games, but she also managed to win a sliver medal at the individual vault finals. Retirement does not seem to be on her mind, either. She says she will be back in 2012, reminding everyone she will only be 37!
Zakia Nassar – Palestine – Swimming
One of only four athletes from Palestine to compete in the Olympic games in Beijing, 19-year-old Zakia Nassar has struggled immensely to find a proper place to train to get ready for her own Olympic experience. As the only Olympic-length pools near her are in Israel and virtually unreachable due to roadblocks and travel issues, she has been training in pools that are less than half of that which she will be swimming in the games. Though she was not able to medal in Beijing, posting times well behind others in her 50-meter freestyle event, having the opportunity to represent the war-torn region was a dream come true for her.
Robina Muqimyr – Afghanistan – Track & Field
In a country where women have few rights and are generally not allowed to participate in sporting events, Robina Muqimyr has the distinction of being one of two female athletes to represent the country. Her training takes place in the stadium in Kabul where the Taliban performed its infamous executions. Rather than the high quality tracks that most runners train on, she runs on cement, sometimes in her bare feet. This is her second Olympic games, and she has great hopes that she will continue to improve by the 2012 Olympics in London.
Natalie du Toit – South Africa – Open Water Swimming
Most standard Olympic athletes, male or female, are in tip-top physical condition, with no true handicaps further than injury or strain that is a part of their events. After failing to qualify at the 2000 Sydney games, du Toit lost her leg in a motorcycle accident, seemingly killing her dreams of becoming an Olympic athlete. She pulled herself up and competed as a swimmer in the Paralympics, but for her that was not enough. In 2008, she won a spot on the marathon swim team for her country and placed 16th of 25 athletes in the final. She has showed tremendous strength in overcoming her disability to compete with Olympic caliber athletes, without physical disabilities.
While these are just a handful of the hundreds of inspiring stories of athletes overcoming adversity and challenge to compete at the Olympic Games, they are some of the most inspirational women of the 2008 Olympics. Some won medals, others did not even qualify for contention but all put their heart and soul into their performance, showing the world what women of all ages, races and backgrounds can accomplish, given a fighting chance. These are the role models that future generations should know and emulate.
Martin Reed is the developer and owner of Female Forum – an online community for women. He also blogs about how to develop successful online communities.
Breastfeeding After You Return To Work
You should always plan early if you want to continue breastfeeding after you return to work. Speak to your employer and see how they can support you. Before you speak to them though, make sure you have a plan. Who will cover you whilst you are pumping, and how long will you be away from your desk on each occasion? You should look to get the following from your boss:
You need to have access to a private room with good lighting, electricity and of course a chair! If your employer does not have a spare office you can use, then see if one of your coworkers would be willing to allow you the use of theirs. Do not accept the toilets as an option if this is all your employer offers you.
You will need break periods in order to pump. When you first start pumping, you will probably need three breaks per day to pump. As your baby gets older, this should reduced to one or two. You need to discuss how much time you need with your employer. It will probably take around 20 minutes, although sometimes it will be quicker. You should also check to see if these breaks will be paid or unpaid and decide how you will make up the lost time if necessary.
You want a supportive employer. It is only natural that your employer should support your decision to give your baby the best possible start. Ideally you should get any agreement in writing so both you and your employer are clear on what you have agreed.
Investing in a good breast pump is very important, especially when you consider how often you will be using it in the first few months. If you are pressed for time, a double electric pump will speed up the process as it allows you to pump from both breasts simultaneously. This is an expensive option, however.
It is also a good idea to have breast pads handy, both for when the baby arrives, and for when you return to work. This will help save you from the potential embarrassment of leaks. Of course, you will also need to ensure you have enough containers in order to store your surplus milk.
You do not need to wait until you return to work in order to begin expressing milk. You should start pumping as soon as you have purchased a pump. That way you will get used to the process and be familiar with what you can produce and how quickly it is consumed by baby. Any excess can be saved in the freezer which can be helpful when your baby has a growth spurt or if you decide to go out alone one evening. It can be very tempting to pump full-time before you return to work, but you should start off slowly. Remember, you are trying to trick your body into thinking it needs to make more milk and you want to get as much milk as possible from your efforts.
If you are determined and plan ahead, you can ensure your baby continues to enjoy the benefits of breastfeeding even after you have returned to work. There are plenty of support groups both online and offline that you can turn to if you feel you need help. Just do not give up on giving your baby the best start possible.
Martin Reed is the developer and owner of Female Forum – an online community for women. He also blogs about how to develop successful online communities.
What Anxiety Disorders Are and Where They Come From
Most people fail to understand that feelings of impending disaster, stress and gloom can be the sign of an anxiety disorder. This is something it is estimated over 40 million people in the US suffer from. Women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety disorder than men. The disorder can be difficult to diagnose and detect due to the fact the symptoms are often very similar to depression, or even other physical illnesses.
Repeated visits to the doctor and test after test without finding any physical irregularities can lead to even more anxiety. The doctor may give you a clean bill of health but your symptoms have not disappeared. The symptoms can include chest pain, a noticeably strong heart beat, headaches, muscle tension and stomach aches. You may also find that you suffer from uncontrollable shaking. When you combine these physical symptoms with the emotional symptoms of depression, worry, sadness, fear and even dread then it is worth investigating whether there is a possibility you may be suffering from anxiety disorder.
As women, we are often taught to remain strong, to put a tough face on our troubles. Fear or weakness may be seen as a flaw, and that is certainly not how we want to be seen. Unfortunately anxiety disorder often gives us little control over our emotions. It can affect how we think, how we feel and how we interact with others. It can even affect our careers. The anxiety can be heightened even further when we can see we are upsetting and worrying others. The temptation is to isolate ourselves and withdraw emotionally in order to prevent excessive worry.
There are a number of different types of anxiety disorder and General Anxiety Disorder is the most common type. They are often associated with depression and other mental issues. Often, anxiety disorder comes from a traumatic event in our lives. Although the common response from doctors was to prescribe anti-depressants or other anxiety medications, more women are seeking treatments for both their body and mind. In addition to, or as a replacement for, prescription medication, many women are seeking therapy and counselling. It is no longer enough to solely treat the body or solely treat the mind. They are both interlinked.
Regardless of whether you or someone you know suffers from anxiety disorders, the best thing to do is to get educated. The more you understand the symptoms and treatment options available, the more help you can be either to yourself or to the people you love. Support groups exist both online and offline and there is an increasing amount of research being done into anxiety disorder. Of course, the first step is correct diagnosis, but after this you need to ensure that you begin a comprehensive treatment plan, get educated, and get the support of the people around you.
Martin Reed is the developer and owner of Female Forum – an online community for women. He also blogs about how to develop successful online communities.
Easy Bikini Body Exercises To Keep Your Body In Shape
Many women work hard in the build up to summer to develop a swimsuit body that they can feel comfortable in. As the summer progresses though, it can be easy to let all that hard work slip. A few easy exercises though, can help ensure you are beach body tones all year round.
Flat Stomach
Crunches are a brilliant way to keep your stomach toned – you just need to ensure you are doing them correctly.
To get the most benefit from stomach crunches, lie straight on the floor, bend your legs and keep your feet flat. You should then put your hands behind your head and curl upwards from your shoulders using only your stomach muscles. Keep your abs tightened, and slowly release them to roll your body flat back to the floor.
Lifting your legs will help work the lower abdomen. Again, lie on your back and slowly lift your legs to an angle of around 45 degrees. You should then hold your legs in this position for around ten seconds before slowly lowering them back down to the ground.
Thighs and Behind
Wall squats will help tone your behind as well as your upper leg muscles. To do this effectively, stand around eighteen inches from a strong wall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then lean back until your back is against the wall and slide down until you reach a sitting position. You should hold this for as long as possible – aim for a minimum of thirty seconds.
After you have held the position, slide yourself back up the wall until you are standing again. Keeping your abdomen tight during the exercise will result in even more benefits.
You can develop your inner thigh area by using a ball. Place it between your knees when you are sitting down in a chair and squeeze the ball repeatedly with your inner thigh muscles.
Arms and Shoulders
Light dumbbells or heavy household items can be great at toning and building muscle in the arms and shoulders. Simply hold the weight in one hand and raise your arm over your head, straight up with the inside of your arm facing the side of your head. You can support yourself by placing your other hand just under your elbow. You should lower and lift the weight behind your head slowly. Repeat for your other arm.
Triceps exercises need no equipment. All you need to do is sit on the edge of a sturdy chair and stretch out your legs in front of you. Place your hands to either side of you on the chair. Then, slide your bottom off the chair and rest your weight on your heels. Slowly lower your body until it almost touches the floor, and lift yourself back up without locking your elbows. Repeat.
Burn off Your Excesses
The beach can be a great way of burning fat and building stamina. Jogging on loose sand and exercising in the ocean increase resistance against your body and also improve the cardio aspect of your exercise. Swimming is also beneficial as it has a low impact effect on the body.
Just remember that rest days are just as important as workout days. It is important that you give your body at least a day off between sessions for it to recover.
Martin Reed is the developer and owner of Female Forum – an online community for women. He also blogs about how to develop a successful online community.