Every day I receive numerous e-mail digests from the Park Slope Parents list-serve in my in-box and even though I don’t have babies anymore, I always make it my business to see what’s going on.
Sometimes I am moved to answer a question. In the last few days someone asked others to share their c-section experiences and I was considering jotting mine down. Most of the time I just read. Recently someone wanted to know where to buy make-up and I put in my two cents about MYR. My sister frequently comments on matters pertaining to adoption.
A few weeks ago when my stepmother was in the hospital, I asked about local services that prepare and deliver food for sick people. I
got plenty of responses that were very helpful and illuminating.
PSP has 10,000 subscribers. Every day dozens of people exchange information about parenting and related topics. It’s hard to remember Park Slope without it. Sure, it’s easy to parody and make fun of and, indeed, the media has had great fun at its expense.
But it is a private conversation about personal and public matters. And what a fantastic resource it is for those who use it. That’s why it’s important that members (and that means anyone with kids) feel comfortable and safe about the information exchange.
And yet…it’s the Internet, anyone can read it, and there’s no stopping anyone from taking the information and doing what they wish with it.
PSP operates on a honor code of sorts. What plays in Vegas, stays in Vegas. There are rules of the PSP game and it’s important that people respect them.
For those who participate, it is the virtual Seventh Avenue, a great place to spread the word about urgent matters like a rash of muggings on 8th Avenue, a restaurant closing or a new policy at a local bar.
Yesterday someone wanted to know humane ways of getting rid of a mouse. Admittedly, I am a particular fan of the posts about rodents and other pests.
Today’s roster on the listserve includes: Tell me about your c-section, alternatives to Ikea,
recommendation
for
tree
pit guards, and a request for info on the Brooklyn New School.
Park Slope Parents also has a public website that is community
built
and
commercially
supported. While the listserve is limited to parents and those who sign up, the website is open to everyone. From the organizers of PSP, here’s a guide to how
you
can
help
keep
Park
Slope
Parents
a
valuable
resource
for
area
parents:
—-
Send
a
Summary
If
you
ask
a
question
on
the
list
and
get
great
responses,
please
post
a
summary
to
the
list
and
also
send
it
to
summaries@parkslopeparents.com—-
Post
a
Review
Take
2
minutes,
log
into
the
website
and
post
a
review
(good
or
not
so
good)
about
anything
from
a
local
store,
home
improvement
specialist,
OB-GYN
or
daycare.—-
Tell
people
“I
found
you
on
the
Park
Slope
Parents
website”
or
“I
saw
your
ad
on
the
PSP
Website”
If
you
call
or
meet
someone
from
the
PSP
website,
please
let
them
know
you
heard
about
them
on
the
Park
Slope
Parents
website.—-
Promote
YOUR
business
(or
tell
other
people
to
promote
theirs)
We
have
advertising
opportunities
on
the
website
and
since
you
can
now
post
Commercial
Posts
(for
a
fee)
to
the
website,
promote
your
business
while
supporting
PSP.—-Be
A
Guest
Writer
(you
don’t
have
to
be
a
professional
writer)
If
you’ve
researched
an
area
of
parenting
that
would
be
of
help
to
other
folks,
ease
their
load
and
save
them
time
and
effort,
by
writing
up
an
article
for
the
website.
Contact
feedback@parkslopeparents.com
to
let
us
know
you
want
to
help.—-Be
A
Guest
Editor
See
some
typos
that
are
driving
you
nuts?
Be
a
guest
editor
and
help
us
clean
up
the
site!
Contact
feedback@parkslopeparents.com
to
let
us
know
you
want
to
help.