New Hubpage Affiliate Link Topic Blanket Rule

1. 57

   dablufoxposted 12 years ago

   What are your thoughts on the new affiliate link affiliate link blanket rule? Do you think it will reduce the tsunami of spam hubs that spammer hubbers are publishing or will it make no difference at all?
   
   Personally I have had three Hubs flagged and placed in no mans land for affiliate links even though the hubs are 1600+ words are of high quality hubs and very popular with other hubbers.
   
   What gets me is that one of the hubs was allowed to be put live on hubpages with the link intact while two other which also are hugely popular and 1500+ word plus hubs have been disallowed?
   
   One would think that moderators can operate with a degree of autonomy and common sense and if they are going to devote the time to check hubs that have been flagged, surely they can allow hubs which are obviously 'high quality' hubs to keep their affiliate link.
   
   I for one am frustrated with the ignorance and Stalinist nature that this rule is applied, and top be honest are disgusted with the manner that I have been treated by hubpages!
   
   Your thoughts?

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   1. 67

      Camping with Kidsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      can you point to the information about the "blanket" affiliate link ban? I have not heard about it and am very concerned.
      
      I have never seen a "Zero tolerance" policy that is credible, and could use dozens of derogatory descriptors to discuss the moronic thinking behind them.
      
      I can only hope that I have mis-understood your comment, and the HP is not really establishing such a policy.
      
      Gus

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2. 89

   WryLiltposted 12 years ago

   I heard someone mention that they've banned all affiliate links but just haven't come out and said it yet. Are there any affiliate links now that AREN'T banned?

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   1. 57

      dablufoxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I havn't heard that but I wouldn't be surprised!
      
      Very sly if that's the case, but I expect that they would buffer any blowback by sneakily phasing all affiliate links out.
      
      What they don't realize is that it pushes the most experienced hubbers more onto independent platforms such as Blogger or Wordpress leaving fewer people to mentor and teach new hubbers not to mention fewer reliable hubhoppers.
      
      Something I won't be doing anymore!
      
      They treat me like dirt, they can hop their own hubs!

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      1. 63

         Mishaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Doncha think somebody just hopped your hubs? Karma is a bitch

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            dablufoxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            What they flagged a 1600 word hub with self made videos on how to make money from hubpages.
            
            On what grounds? That it contains high quality useful info?
            
            Or due to the fact its its a 1600 word hub? That makes no sense whatsoever Misha.
            
            I have never flagged a 800 word hub let alone a 1600 word hub.
            
            If someone goes to the effort of writing a 1600 word hub and creates their own videos and adds interesting titles and images on a well researched niche  chances are they have a purpose and passion and the hub is most likely not dribble!
            
            I have flagged plenty of hubs and am unapologetic of the fact, but never, ever have I flagged a 1500 word hub.
            
            All of the hubs that I flagged are 100-150 word dribble pieces from newbie  hubbers that are either third world students or just so happen to be a real estate agent that manged to publish 300 150 word hubs in three weeks.
            
            All having a link to the same real estate site.
            
            How is the affiliate blanket topic rule tackling this problem?
            
            Now that I am no longer flagging these 'waste of space hubs'.
            
            Honestly I don't have any problem with someone flagging any of my hubs if it is a 100 word dribble piece with no pictures, video or relevant, useful information or products.
            
            And I don't subscribe to the 'quantity' method of hubbing as do you Misha.
            
            I saw the panda update coming a mile off which is why I came back to hubpages after two years, to polish my writing.
            
            The SEO side of it I find easy as do HTML, PHP and Java so I hardly need Hubpages.
            
            You try and share data from SEO experiments and split testing and investigations of trial and error into sales copy on Amazon product selling and hubpages is solely pre-occupied with stamping out affiliate links across the board rather than stamping out low quality hubs which are the primary cause of Panda.
            
            It's just frustrating that I have all this info which I have sought out and learned the hard way through research, trial and error and Hubpages want's me to share it on their platform yet won't allow me a single link to a quality product.
            
            Are you trying to bait me Misha?
            
            Maybe I should join HubRages and let off steam there!
            
            http://hubrages.com/
            
            I think you love the direction hubpages is going just as much as I do.
            
            Don't be nasty Misha or I'll have mind to steal your niche,

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            1. 63

               Mishaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Nah, not really. Though of course everybody in a need to let the steam out is welcome on hubRages, and I appreciate you joining.
               
               The point I am trying to make and you (and most others) keep missing is that the community atmosphere where finking is encouraged leads to disastrous results for that community, under external pressure. Rats eat rats.
               
               You agree to some rules, and disagree to other rules. You do report hubs that break the rules you agree to. But other people, who agree to other rules, report your hubs for breaking those rules. Sort of rubbing each others' back in a perverted way
               
               Does not matter if rules themselves make any sense or not, there is always somebody who thinks a nonsensical rule is brilliant.

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               1. 0

                  BRIAN SLATERposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I think we have missed your clarity Misha, there's not many that can see what is happening, break it down for us all to see and leave us wondering wtf we are doing here.

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                  1. 63

                     Mishaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Thank you Brian

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               2. 57

                  dablufoxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Your still not making any sense whatsoever and it is rude to make assertions on what you perceive  'what others are missing'!
                  
                  How would you know what I am missing, arrogance!
                  
                  I suppose its only important that you make 'sense' in your own mind so good luck with that.
                  
                  Its rather rude that you assert 'what I am missing'.
                  
                  Maybe what your missing is that I focus on the truth of the matter, that being the problem is tsunami of low quality hubs being published.
                  
                  At least I actually 'do something' about it! I don't flag hubs out of jealousy or malice but simply because their 100 word pieces of drivel. Nor do I take flagging hubs lightly!
                  
                  The hubs that I have actually flagged, blind Freddy could see they were garbage.
                  
                  What your presupposing is its more noble to sit on your hands and remain idle while the platform's quality becomes diluted by spam hubs.
                  
                  Maybe there's some special hub karma coming your way for you for your feckless inactivity hubhopping.
                  
                  How many 1500+ word hubs have you written?
                  How many hubs have you hopped/flagged to help make hubpages a better platform?
                  
                  Maybe you should spend more of your spare time analyzing your own faults instead of second guessing the faults of others!
                  
                  Confucius say: you can't talk a stupid mind smart!

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                  1. 63

                     Mishaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Iuppiter iratus ergo nefas

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3. 81

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years ago

   I have never, EVER seen something 1,500 words that looked the least bit "spammy."  I wish I more understood what was going on.  The only time I've had articles of that length moderated - were articles with watermarked pictures.  Remove or replace the picture - no more problem.
   
   What kind of sites were you linking to?  I think that would have to be the issue.  I apologize if you weren't linking to sites that were against HP TOS - I just am unable to understand what your problem's root cause is just yet.

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   1. 57

      dablufoxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The link is on this hub, you be the judge of the product.
      
      It's the best product that I have ever come across for micro niche marketing which is what we are all about on hubpages if you stand any chance of making a buck.
      
      The product is owned by Ed Dale, 'THE' most reputable internet marketer on the planet. He even runs a FREE internet marketing program called the 30 Day Challenge!
      
      Ironically he just hosted a 'free' webinar on overcoming the panda update and how it pays more than ever to concentrate on quality content, rather than quantity.
      
      I would understand if it was an affiliate link for Viagra or something, but this is a 'QUALITY' product that I have purchased myself and have been using for about two years now, I have even created videos on how to get the most from it.
      
      Here's the one hubpage that they DID allow, you tell me if the product is spammy so I know its not me!
      
      http://hubpages.com/hub/perform-super-e … e-research
      
      They say they can't make any 'exceptions' but they already have, hippo-critical liars.
      
      The other two hubs 1600+ words received over nearly twenty comments in their first week after publishing with some of the hubbers asking me to either write more hubs on these topics or mentor them.
      
      So flagging these hubs in my opinion is galactically stupid!
      
      But don't take my word for it check out the product and you tell me if the product is spammy and let me know.

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4. 60

   GoingOnlineposted 12 years ago

   Maybe the problem is where the links go to?
   I am not sure what rule exactly is the affiliate rule, but I do have some links to affiliate programs and products (like some writing sites) and nobody has said anything.

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      thisisoliposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That has very little bearing on SEO.

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         GoingOnlineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Mmm What do you mean? I'm not talking about SEO...
         
         I know that if Hubpages says "We don't like affiliate links to this and this site" maybe you can fix your affiliate links to point to a different link program. Or a landing page in your own domain that links to the affiliate program.

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5. 74

   Barbara Kayposted 12 years ago

   I don't think the affiliate links on the hubs with lots of content have anything to do with Hubpages getting slapped by Panda. Look at Squidoo. They have so much advertising that it is hard to read the content and they are still ranking high.

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6. 72

   thisisoliposted 12 years ago

   In my opinion teh banning of affiliate links is detrimental to Hubpages. Many writers here relied on the additional income from these links, and have now left.  Most smart marketters made use of affiliate links as part of their 'link allowance' because they usually give a much higher cut than services such as Amazon. 
   
   The problem is that while affiliate links may have attracted spammers, they are also the mainstay of high quality writers.  The downside is that high quality writers always have the option to go somewhere else and earn. Spammers will continue to send articles here regardless. (Remember a spammer not always coming here and writing an article, some use automated software to submit.)
   
   The removal of affiliate links is harming the overall quality of the site.
   
   If Hubpages want's to react appropriately to the Panda update, create nich subdomains for the high level categories, continue to weed out low quality spun/duplicate content, find ways to increase social interaction (tweets and FB fan page posts) of articles which appear on this site.

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7. 60

   GoingOnlineposted 12 years ago

   I think the only effect affiliate links had for panda is attracting spammers. Squidoo is quite nastier about spammers than hubpages is, your hubs just cannot be published if it looks like they _might_ be spammy. Which is annoying to be honest.
   
   Alternatively, allow affiliate links and aggressively ban spammers. As in ban entire IPs from creating new accounts if all that has come from that IP are spammer accounts.
   
   Or ban people with consistently low hub scores, or not allow links to even be live if the hub doesn't have a minimum score. Remove any hub (unpublish) that gets lower than 45 hubscore, that kind of stuff.
   
   Which would also piss people off I guess.

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8. 61

   javaoverrideposted 12 years ago

   I had an article removed which I spent hours writing, it only had one link which was relevant to the content, now I know am new to Hubpage’s but I have read the TOS and didn’t see any rules I was breaking so I just decided to publish it elsewhere maybe you should just do that with your banned hubs as it seems a shame to let all your hard work go to waste.

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