Weezl and friends Phase 2 -giving it a whirl for Shirl! Testing meal plan for a month

Allegra

Thanks I'll get the hang of it eventually, I'm sure....

weezl74

SusanC wrote: »

:j Is that since the Facebook page started or does it include before when some of us posted the link on our profiles?



I wonder if that is partly a reflection of how good the website looks. Also you do get sites which are free to use and benefit people that do make money to pay people. MSE would be a good example.

It includes from before the page. (But only because I've not fathomed all the ace features of google analytics yet )

Thank you that's a nice compliment and makes me feel a bit reassured.:)

I feel a bit panicky about the site at the moment. But not sure how to go about making it a less fearful project for me

artybear

weezl74 wrote: »

I feel a bit panicky about the site at the moment. But not sure how to go about making it a less fearful project for me

Can I ask why you feel fearful Weezl?

My new reason for doing this is lots of new fb friends

weezl74

thanks arty

Hmmmmn

I feel responsible.

I'm high in 'conscientiousness' in personality tests.

I'm a perfectionist.

It's very 'out there' for a new site. (happily mostly MSE referrals so probably more comprehending of money saving)

People think I am saying irresponsible things about health and children's health in particular.:(

The above factors combine and sit heavily on my chest like a panicky ice pack.

When people criticise the project I feel awful.

Sometimes even compliments about it kick me in the guts. 'some of the recipes look really nice!'

Is any of this making any sense? Although I possibly seem confident and that this is all in my stride, it's really not.:o

Is any of this making sense or do you wish you hadn't asked?!

artybear

weezl74 wrote: »

thanks arty

Hmmmmn

I feel responsible.

I'm high in 'conscientiousness' in personality tests.

I'm a perfectionist.

It's very 'out there' for a new site. (happily mostly MSE referrals so probably more comprehending of money saving)

People think I am saying irresponsible things about health and children's health in particular.:(

The above factors combine and sit heavily on my chest like a panicky ice pack.

When people criticise the project I feel awful.

Sometimes even compliments about it kick me in the guts. 'some of the recipes look really nice!'

Is any of this making any sense? Although I possibly seem confident and that this is all in my stride, it's really not.:o

Is any of this making sense or do you wish you hadn't asked?!

Wow

I'm really sorry you feel like this, I hadn't realised you felt so apprehensive.

First of all is there a lot of criticism about the health benefits? Do they come from online/or people you know? It could be that people think so much of 'healthy' as one apple, two pears etc.. that this way looks different and therefore 'unhealthy'?

Do you feel that the project is down to you to make or break it? And do you maybe think that this is a bit much for a full time mummy to take on?

You dont have to answer these questions if you dont want to (although I admit to being curious about the health issues) but maybe just some things to contemplate?

Also would you like time off? A month or so away to focus on other things?

xxx

SusanC_2

weezl74 wrote: »

I feel responsible.

I'm high in 'conscientiousness' in personality tests.

I'm a perfectionist.

It's very 'out there' for a new site. (happily mostly MSE referrals so probably more comprehending of money saving)
...

The above factors combine and sit heavily on my chest like a panicky ice pack.

When people criticise the project I feel awful.

Sometimes even compliments about it kick me in the guts. 'some of the recipes look really nice!'

Is any of this making any sense? Although I possibly seem confident and that this is all in my stride, it's really not.:o

Is any of this making sense or do you wish you hadn't asked?!

It make sense to me. You've put so much into this project that it is hard to separate criticisms or comments about the website/project from yourself. When people make judgements about it you feel like they are making judgements on you. You have invested a lot of yourself into it because you believe in it and so if people question it, it can feel a bit like you are being put on trial.

When someone says, "Some of the recipes look nice" perhaps you are taking it to mean, "and some of them don't." but if you go on any recipe site you are going to find some recipes you like the look of and some you don't but this could be for many different reasons and doesn't mean you think it is poor quality. If you compare it with a cookery book, I imagine very few people ever try (and like) all the recipes in a cookery book either.

Hope that makes sense and is helpful.

weezl74 wrote: »

People think I am saying irresponsible things about health and children's health in particular.:(

I can't see how anyone can justify making such claims.

In_Search_Of_Me

aww huggles for a weezl...sorry youre feeling like that...maybe its because youre tired, its grown big fast and its your "baby" on top of all the real life living and things to do? You have been going full pelt and invested alot, as have many, so maybe to be expected to feel a bit overwhelmed by it all..as for the food/nutrition comments would suspect that this is from their lack of understanding and research...you will always get a % of people who diss any project regardless!! Cant please all the people all the time and never will me lovely!
As for people asking if youre paid arty...would wonder if they are people who would help others without expecting sommat in return? Maybe they think weezl is making money from this (she isnt, but I recon we should all buy shares in asda etc!!) and dont understand what a huge issue GB are for people?

Allegra

Weezl, I understand where you are coming from. And to be honest, if I was you, I might feel the same.

However. Sadly, it is the way of the world that some people will criticise anything; and the more effort that has gone into it, the more benefit it clearly has, the more they are likely to try and pick it apart.

Which means that the project is likely to come under a fair bit of criticism. And much as I do not want to see you step away from it, I have to tell you, as a friend, that if this is hitting you too hard, that if it affects you too badly, then you need to take a step back until you feel a little less strongly about it. Helping Shirley is all very well, but you have to help yourself first. And this is me trying to help you do that.

For what it's worth, I believe in this project so much that I have devoted all the time I could spare, and some I couldn't, to it since you started it - and I feel privileged to have been allowed to do so But I'd far, far prefer to see you happy than to see the project develop further, IYSWIM

weezl74

artybear wrote: »

Wow

I'm really sorry you feel like this, I hadn't realised you felt so apprehensive.

First of all is there a lot of criticism about the health benefits? Do they come from online/or people you know? It could be that people think so much of 'healthy' as one apple, two pears etc.. that this way looks different and therefore 'unhealthy'?

Do you feel that the project is down to you to make or break it? And do you maybe think that this is a bit much for a full time mummy to take on?

You dont have to answer these questions if you dont want to (although I admit to being curious about the health issues) but maybe just some things to contemplate?

Also would you like time off? A month or so away to focus on other things?

xxx

It's hard for me to know how much criticism is 'lots'. For my personality type, any is lots IYSWIM?

We had an email from a very disgruntled person within 5 hrs of publishing the email address.

Although factually very inaccurate it also asked if I was aware that I had a responsibility for children's well being and that it was shocking and irresponsible that I've put it out there.

So that's at one end of the spectrum.

Then there are things that I experience as a criticism but aren't meant that way, just no-one knows how long this has taken. Website building is notorious for this, taking many hudreds of hours to prepare what looks like small amounts of content.

I don't know if you've heard the expression 'damned by faint praise' but I quite often feel that.

It's no-ones fault and noone means to hurt me, but to spend 600 hrs (well it's more than that now!) it's tough if people feel like it's 'ok, pretty good'

Not that anyone should fake massive heart-attack amounts of excitement, of course not. Just it's a colossal piece of work.

you asked is it down to me to make or break it. Curiously I was surprised that's even a question! I suppose I've never questioned for a minute that if I died tomorrow it would die with me. Of course it would, no-one else even has the publishing rights, let alone being trained up in putting together the recipes and planners from the spreadsheets! And as you said, people are surprised that you guys are doing this for nowt. I don't think anyone else would believe in it enough to do what I'm doing for nowt. Why should they? But perhaps you didn't mean that?

Is it too much for a full-time mummy to take on?
Yes.

But so's living on 50p a day, so's holding down 3 jobs, so's having 2 babies a year apart so's (insert other episodes from a weezl history)....

I'm a pretty driven person arty. If I concentrated my full energies on Kessie and fergus, they'd explode. It would be too intense, honestly, they'd be like those 'hot housed' kids learning mozart at 2 and a half and taking their A levels at 8 :rotfl:.

Do I want a month off?

sometimes

but then it would die and that would be really sad And it is the most successful website my dad or I have ever worked on, and it deserves to do well.

And I'd really like to help shirley

What do I want. I want to feel secure in a team without anyone having to make a commitment to this. But I'm not sure you can have that with online collaboration. Or that even if I had it it would be the magic answer.


Is anyone still listening? Shall I shut up now
IYSWIM.

weezl74

thanks susan, allegra, isom and arty