Moderation
We No Longer Support Sales
We’ve done sales since the beginning of the community, and that was easy to manage to begin with because we knew everyone. Then the community grew, and now we’re here with 30,000+ members, and sometimes, for whatever reason, people pay for items, and they don’t get sent out. Behind the scenes, we try to chase up and solve issues and, on occasion, ban accounts that are scamming. We don’t have any power over private sellers, so this can be upsetting because we’re in contact with people who are not well off and so have tried to find a deal in a community and then have lost their money.
We also implemented our ‘sales via goods and sales on PayPal only’ rule, which sorted out many of the issues. However, we are screening many posts a day, and people find it annoying when posts are deleted because they don’t follow the rules, so this feels demoralising.
After discussing with the mods, we don’t want to keep doing it. The only reason we keep doing it is that we’re afraid of people getting angry with us, and considering the community is free, this feels a little co-dependent! One of our mods in particular (Julie Ann Green) can spend an hour a day deleting posts, and we don’t think this is okay anymore.
So from now on, no sales of items. If we’re talking midwifery entrepreneurship, or a conference, study day or something else connected to a business we can hold accountable easily, this stuff is still allowed. But books, shoes, or other items sales are not - unless they are pickup only. Ebay, Vinted and other sites are way better at automating safety for buyers for that kind of sale and there's even the 'Buying and Selling for Midwives, Student Midwives and Aspiring Midwives' group.
If we get any abuse about this to myself or the mods, we will be banning accounts. We’re here to help as far as possible but not to be on the receiving end of complaints when we work so hard.
HOWEVER, to make up for this, and to use the time I’m saving constructively, I will be offering a free drop in session on a Thursday morning on Zoom between 8.30-9.00am.
We can discuss anything you like, I’m best known for supporting aspiring midwives with their applications, and we can certainly discuss that but I've also just spent 4 years writing a book which covers student midwife and newly qualified life. So we could discuss:
Time management
Essay writing
Presentations
Reflections
Midwifery learning and exams
Placement, both for early in your training, and coming up to qualification
Being newly qualified
Newly qualified job applications
Advocacy, activism, and other difficult workplace situations
I will pop into the community on a Thursday morning and repost the link but it’s also below.
Ellie Durant (she/her) is inviting you to a recurring Zoom meeting.
Topic: Secret Community Meeting
Time: Thursday mornings 08:30 AM London
Join Zoom Meeting