You can learn a lot from your Hubs' polls on the Poll Stats page!
The Poll Capsule Offers a Lot of Utility
Are you making the most of it?
One of my favorite capsules is the Poll Capsule. While most people just use it to provide an additional avenue through which their readers can interact with a page, the Poll Capsule can also be used for:
Garnering ideas for future Hubs
Learning more about your audience
Getting feedback on how to best update an existing Hub
Getting inspiration from readers on how to continue a Hub that is a part of a series
Going through poll results is easy; all you need to do is visit My Account > Hubs >
My Poll Statistics to see a listing of all your Polls, review their responses, and sort them by their publication date, status, and number of votes.
For more detailed explanations of how you can use the Poll Capsule to do these things (and more), check out the Pro Tips below.
A simple drawing of a dog for ages 2-101. The author is an art instructor who used mixed media to create this charming step by step tutorial of how to draw a dog and use oil pastels and mixed media.
We get weary in our work at times and wants to give up, but we can stand the course if we understand that we're working ultimately for His eyes only- and doing it heartily and lovingly.
Normans and Anglo Saxons clashed in the longest, hardest-fought and most decisive battle in England in the early Middle Ages. William the Conqueror's victory changed English history forever.
Have you ever felt like you can’t go on and read a single word anymore? Do books on shelves seem humongous? Like they’d take you a lifetime to finish? If so, you may be suffering from Reader's Block.
We all know we love our children. That's very obvious. But, when it comes to showing our love, even when we really do, it can be a difficult task for some. You can show love for your children in many different ways. Here are just a few...
Stop damaging your skin with harsh chemicals. Instead, wash your face with natural cleaners you make at home using any one of these great DIY cleanser recipes.
Similar to Bisquick or Jiffy brand, these versatile mixes can be used to make biscuits, pancakes, waffles, corn muffins, and cookies. Using only dry ingredients, they can be stored for quite a while
Looking for a second chance at love? The following tips are like stoplights on the way to second marriages. Stop, look, listen and plan what to do if you foresee any of these four possible hazards.
Shop for St. Patrick's Day party supplies online to save. Buy party decorations for the home and plan some green appetizers, including green beer. Choose games and party favors.
Premiere Hub introducing Chef Charron Robiscoe of Charrons Chatter. Summary of content at CharronsChatter Hub--that being recipes, cooking tips & product & service reviews for the SB area and beyond.
Wondering if dogs are capable of perceiving time? Can they plan for future events? Why does Scruffy bury his bones? Learn how dogs perceive time by looking on some studies on the subject.
Reliving the "gratitude programme" of the school students on the 17th of February, 2013 teaches some profound lessons regarding prayer requests. Foremost among them is the power of simple gratitude...
Advice on how to file a DMCA take down request, how to find the site owner or hosting provider and the essential information that must be included on your submission.
Humor is one of many things for which you can use the Poll Capsule
Creative Uses of the Poll Capsule
Though it is fun to use the Poll Capsule as a means of letting readers express their opinions, you stand to gain much more from this simple feature. Here are some fun ideas:
Utilize the Poll Capsule to get inspiration for future Hubs: At the end of a Hub, include a Poll Capsule asking readers what additional information on the subject they would most like to read. This Poll's results can help you decide which related articles you should publish first (or expand upon).
Learn more about your audience through the Poll Capsule: Sometimes it is hard for us to gauge the experience level or unique background of the audiences that eventually find our way to out Hubs. By asking your readers to share a bit more about themselves through the Poll Capsule, you can gain a better understanding of who they are, then adjust the content of your Hub accordingly. For example, if you write a Hub about curriculum for kindergarten students, you might ask readers to share their primary occupation. You might find that more stay-at-home mothers read your Hub than actual kindergarten teachers, which might lead you to add more tips and resources that would be particularly useful for mothers teaching their kids at home or after school, or to publish another Hub specifically designed to share after-school curriculum ideas for stay-at-home mothers.
Use the Poll Capsule to get feedback on how to update your existing Hubs: By using the Poll Capsule to ask your readers what their biggest concerns are about the subject at hand, you can get a better idea of what aspects of the Hub would benefit from more explanation.
Enable readers to submit requests for future installments through the Poll Capsule: Should you be writing fiction on HubPages and should you care to release your work in Hub-by-Hub installments, consider including a Poll Capsule at the bottom of each Hub asking readers to submit requests on specific things that might happen in the next chapter or installment (e.g. "What should Sally do to save her stolen horse? (A) Kill the town's mayor, (B) Run away with the butler, (C) Hire the private tans-gender detective, or (D) Enter the underground stolen horse training market under an assumed identity")
Utilize the Poll Capsule as a means by which readers can learn more about people with similar problems: We often write Hubs about overcoming big problems and obstacles (e.g. dealing with a spouse who is clinically depressed). You can enable your readers to feel less alone by including Poll Capsules asking your audience how they have dealt with these problems in the past and if things have gotten better. The responses to these questions can help readers feel less alone and understand that the obstacle being discussed can be overcome.
Utilize the Poll Capsule to augment humor in a Hub: Polls don't always have to be serious- you can lighten the mood of a Hub by asking readers to choose between humorous alternatives. This can make for a more enjoyable reading experience, and should you go above and beyond by making a humorous quiz (using the Quiz Capsule), you can significantly increase the viral potential of your Hub (people love self-diagnostic quizzes).
For more tips on making the most of hubPages' many features, stop by the Learning Center
http://hubpages.com/learningcenter/contents
Given how intimidating it can be to enter a new online community (and be up against so many talented and experienced content creators), we have created a special program in which new Hubbers can be recognized and celebrated. Every week, we nomiante 18 Hubs by promising new Hubbers through the
Rising Star Program. These Hubs, which are featured in carousels on their respective Topic Pages (which rotate each week), receive votes over a five day period. The top nine Hubs that win the most votes are then featured in our weekly newsletter and given Rising Star Accolades.
The choice to take an antidepressant can be a frightening one for many people. Here is basic information about one of the most commonly prescribed categories of antidepressants.
This way of talking is most common with older people. Unfortunately, it has also come to be expected by nursing home residents, but there are negative implications to this style of communicating.
An examination of American colleges through the eyes of one who did not know his passion upon entering. 21 years of experience and a whole lot to say about what we as young human-beings strive for.
While homeschooling can be a wonderful choice, incorporating online educational opportunities into or in place of your curriculum can bring some unexpected benefits.
Hello students. Here are a few things you should know about rating your professors online and about choosing your courses based on ratings. I am a college professor who has been observing the rating process for years, and I've seen both sides of the story. I have put together this short article to give you a new perspective on ratings for college professors. I would love to hear your comments, so let me know what you think. See you in class!
Many fear the prospect of being made redundant. Some for the long term financial implications, others for the knock to their pride. But do we have it all wrong, is Redundancy actually Success?
Bard of Ely, From San Marcos, Icod, Tenerife, 2148 Fans, 338 Hubs, Joined 4 years ago
SimeyC Interviews Bard of Ely
Insights from an author, singer, and songwriter who loves to share his knowledge with others
You are widely published in the ‘real world’ – how does writing for the web differ from writing for offline publications?
Well, writing for the Internet gets your work seen much quicker. If you write an article to be published online it gets seen as soon as it appears on a website, which can be straight away or within a day or so if it needs to go through an approval process. This makes it so much more immediate, whereas if you are writing for magazines or newspapers you have to wait for the actual publication your work is going in to be published. This could be weeks or months away. The same goes for books where if you are lucky enough to find a publisher who will accept your book you won’t actually see a physical copy you can hold in your hand until at least a year or more has passed.
You are a talented poet, song writer and singer – what is your biggest influence when you are creating your art?
My main influence that got me started as a writer would be Bob Dylan. As a teenager his lyrics fascinated me and inspired me to want to become a singer and songwriter. I also became a fan of many other singer-songwriters, including Neil Young, Cat Stevens, Donovan, Roy Harper, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Their lyrics were what I really liked. The singer and guitarist appealed to me much more than rock groups though that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy rock and pop music too, because I did.
My inspiration for poems, songs or articles can come from anywhere really, from life. There are always loads of thoughts and ideas going through my head and sometimes I act on these thoughts to do something with them and other times (most of the time) I don’t bother. I tend to write a lot about nature because I became fascinated by plants and animals when I was a really little boy aged about four. Having said that, my songs are usually about people and set in the human world rather than the natural one, and I think that is simply because the songwriters I have admired write songs about human relationships and problems too.
You create an amazing variety of articles ranging from discussions about mermaids and aliens, debates about life on other planets, and informational Hubs about animals, down to more mundane subjects that are aimed at helping others (such as your Hubs on writing for HubPages). What inspires you to put on so many different writing ‘hats’?
I am interested in many aspects of life and it is as simple as that. But I generally only write about stuff that I am knowledgeable about and that I like. We all have different tastes and interests and hobbies and I think these should be our sources of inspiration for our writings. If you write about something you know nothing about and are not interested in then I think it shows even if you research it well.
You were born and bred in Wales and moved to Tenerife. How have the different cultures changed you? Do you draw from both cultures when writing?
Strange as it may seem, I see a lot of similarities between Wales and Tenerife. There are mountains and valleys in both, rocky coastlines, and even the same sort of vegetation in many places. Gorse, brambles, and bracken all grow in the mountainous areas of Tenerife and there are pine forests. There are many birds you see in Britain found here too, such as Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Robins, Kestrels and Coots. The island has choirs like Wales and even the dragon, which is a Welsh emblem, can often be seen in Tenerife too in heraldry such as the coat-of-arms of Puerto de la Cruz and carved into the architecture of historic buildings.
What is very different is the subtropical temperature in Tenerife and the exotic vegetation this allows and also the obvious Spanish culture of the island where Catholicism is the main religion and countless fiestas are held throughout the year. I find a lot of what appeals to me about Tenerife is that it is like how I remember Wales from when I was growing up. There are plenty of wild flowers here and honeybees are still doing well. Lizards are common too.
As a boy I spent a lot of time with my granddad that was a bee-keeper. He had an allotment alongside a railway bank and there were lots of Common Lizards on it. I grew up with bees and lizards as part of my world and found them again on Tenerife. I can’t say I have ever written much about Wales when I lived there though now that I visit it on holidays I have felt to write some travel articles about the country. I set up my Tenerife islander website at HubPages so I could write about the island and have articles about the many places to visist here as well as a lot about the flora and fauna.
What is the one thing about Wales that you are most proud of?
Without a doubt it would be the large number of successful singers and bands the country has turned out that have had hits and made a name for themselves on the world stage. Everyone has heard of Tom Jones, Mary Hopkins, Shakin’ Stevens, Bonnie Tyler, The Alarm, Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry Animals, Cerys Matthews and her old band Catatonia, the Stereophonics and many more.
On a personal level I am proud of getting my song "You’re a Liar, Nicky Wire" (about the fiasco of the manic Millennium) released on Crai Records and rave reviewed in the NME singles page. It also featured Phil Moxham of the legendary Young Marble Giants.
Looking at your work you seem to have an affinity with nature. If you could change one thing that man does to damage ‘Mother Earth’ what would it be?
I would stop the amount of plastic being so thoughtlessly being thrown away. It is found throughout the oceans of the world and in some places there are as many as six parts of plastic to one of plankton. Whales, turtles and seabirds such as albatrosses are dying because they eat this muck and are unable to digest it or pass it through them, and it is entering the food chain right up to what goes on our dinner plates.
Plastic does not biodegrade but just breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces which get swallowed by fish and marine creatures. Birds like the Albatross mistake floating plastic for real food like squid and they collect and feed rubbish like lighters and toothbrushes to their chicks, which then die. Most species of Albatross are now in danger of extinction. If all of that isn’t bad enough, plastic also accumulates other poisons that it absorbs from the water making it toxic as well as something an animal cannot digest.
I think the marine pollution caused by plastic is the most serious threat of all, and as a matter of interest it was adventurer and environmentalist David de Rothschild that first really made me aware of how bad the situation is. In 2010 he sailed across the Pacific on a catamaran made of 12,500 plastic bottles and aptly named The Plastiki.
In your Hub “The Life on Mars debate” you provide a huge amount of detail about the contentious Life on Mars debate. What is your take on this and all other conspiracy theories?
I first heard about the idea that there were people being sent to Mars and a Mars Colony in the controversial science-fiction 1978 book Alternative 3 by Leslie Watkins. Today there are several people who claim to have been to Mars or approached with a view to them being part of the Mars Colony. Andrew Basiago and Laura Magdalene Eisenhower (whom I interviewed for HubPages) are two of the best known. But is it true that there is life on Mars? I really don’t know for sure, but there might be!
Over the years I have been moving away a lot from accepting conspiracy theories as factual. Sadly there are a lot of people out there who are selling alarming disinformation. The more bizarre their claims the better they do in many ways, eg. David Icke recently packed out Wembley Arena and he is world famous for putting forward the conspiracy theory that the world is ruled by blood-drinking, shape-shifting alien Reptilians and that the British Royal Family and most of the American presidents are actually these reptiles disguised as humans. I do not accept this and I also do not believe in chemtrails, but millions of people do.
You have done some amazing ‘exclusive’ interviews for HubPages including a very intriguing one on William Bond. If you could interview anyone in the world, who would it be and why? (Perhaps David Icke?)
That is difficult, but it would probably be Neil Young because he is a singer-songwriter who has been one of my musical heroes for a very long time. Neil has been successful as a hard rock musician and a singer-songwriter who writes and plays acoustic songs. He has always done it his way and has never been afraid to experiment.
Many people say that music and politics do not combine well but he is an artist that proves this is wrong and much of his greatest work is political protest such as his song Ohio and his more recent album Living With War. My reason for wanting to interview him would be because I love his work so much and also because I know a vast numbe
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