Are Hubpages staff just a little bit stupid?

1. 42

   Neil Ashworthposted 12 years ago

   So, I may have just p**sed off a few of you loyal hubbers out there - I can live with it...
   
   Here are two emails I received this week (three days apart) after editing and revising one of my articles four or five times in order to pass the acid test as it were;
   
   Tuesday:
   Dear Neil Ashworth,
   
   Your Hub has been cleared for publication, and published.
   
   A link to your Hub: removed so as not to p**s anyone else off ;-)
   
   Sincerely,
   
   The HubPages Team
   
   Today:
   Dear Neil Ashworth,
   
   Your Hub has been identified as a violation of our Terms of Use. If this is the first time you've gotten an email like this, don't worry! You'll have an opportunity to fix it.
   
   Problem: Dubious offers
   
   NOTE: not a single external link appears within this article - it is high quality writing, 100% unique, informative and educational and does NOT (sorry did I shout?) promote MLM/Network marketing - it is accurate information about the history and business structure of MLM.
   
   If I seem a little bit frustrated it might be because one day this article (and a few others) get reviewed and published and the next this article (and a few others) get unpublished.
   
   I've been writing on Hubpages for over 2 years. My content gets good reviews and I am sure has made Hubpages a fair amount of money in adsense during that time and to have to do this with each article over and over again is simply ridiculous.
   
   So, I have to ask are (some or perhaps all) Hubpages staff (who flag and review hubs) just a little bit stupid?

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      CASE1WORKERposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Perhaps they are working in isolation and maybe need to share information? I can understand how furstrating this is for you- I think I would be screaming!!

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         Neil Ashworthposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         That's possible and yes, I have screamed once or twice in recent weeks. ;-)

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            Cardisaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            As far as I can discern, the hub in itself being about MLM any at all may have triggered the auto filters. What you need to have done is email staff directly with a link to the hub asking them to personally review the hub and let you know what is going on.
            
            Insulting staff won't solve your problem and may just get you in more trouble,

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2. 87

   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   There seems to have been a few mistakes made recently by hubstaff. I think they must be training up new staff and someone hasn't quite 'got it' yet. I would email Maddie Ruud directly over it, she's the boss.

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   1. 42

      Neil Ashworthposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I would say a few haven't quite "got it"...
      
      I asked one to point out how my article (in its fifth edit) could be deemed overly promotional and this is the reply quoted:
      
      
      
      Hello Neil,
      
      Here is the passage cited by the moderator:
      "Whatever decision you make and whichever company you choose to build your future with, the key to success is to develop your knowledge, support your team and continue to enrol new team members into your network marketing downline."
      
      This would be considered promotion of MLM/network marketing schemes. The decision on this Hub stands.
      
      this was after:
      
      Hello,
      
      Promotion of MLM or network marketing programs are not allowed. For more information please see: http://hubpages.com/learningcenter/Mode … ous-Offers
      
      On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 1:34 PM, Neil Ashworth (via HubPages) <email@hubpages.com> wrote:
      
          The hub below has recently been published and is now unpublished saying it needs revision - no changes were made to the content and it is non promotional in nature - 100% unique and high quality writing. This is not a dubious offer. Please republish.
      
      So, a statement which says to people "to be successful you need to study, learn and help other people" (paraphrase) is deemed overly-promotional.
      
      The problem with moderation done in this way (by training eager volunteers) is that the small man syndrome kicks in - give someone power and they will play havock in the world! Hitler, Mussolini, Bush, Hubpages moderators.... ;-)

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      1. 94

         melbelposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I can kind of see how it's a little promotional of MLM schemes in that it talks about enrolling people in your downline.
         
         I've not been flagged before, but if I was and didn't know why, I would contact the HP team and try to work my article around their guidelines. I know things can be strict around here and sometimes a new rule really sucks at first (especially when that Amazon product-to-word_count ratio one came around) but all we can do is just write our stuff to the best of our ability and work with HP when something new comes up.
         
         I did have an article on a Google stop-words topic. It wasn't modded, but ads wouldn't appear on it, so I moved it to another website that allowed me to publish it. It gives me the opportunity to spread out my portfolio, anyway. HubPages is still my first love though.
         
         I hope it works out for you.

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3. 71

   AEvansposted 12 years ago

   I believe the violations come via (electronic), which means the system identifies the TOS violation. Staff doesn't sit around all day rummaging through thousands of  hubs. There response was cordial and relaxed from what I read. I wouldn't be offended by a response like that and would look at the response as calm and relaxed. Now if an individual runs across your hub and flags it then it becomes an individual issue and they respond individually. I do not believe any of them are stupid. I believe posting this is a wee bit child like when all that had to be done is contacting the team directly and asking them what is going on. For all anyone knows all of it could have been automated. Lately we have had a few hiccups on HP. Of course they resolved it, they always do.

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4. 87

   Will Apseposted 12 years ago

   We all have our little fits of rage.

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5. 60

   Randy Godwinposted 12 years ago

   AE is correct, don't blame staff for the stupid programs. 

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6. 77

   Mighty Momposted 12 years ago

   Venting is always cathartic!
   Hope you feel better now...

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      Randy Godwinposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      And sometimes it stinks too, MM.  Depending on where the vent is located, of course.

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7. 42

   Neil Ashworthposted 12 years ago

   I feel great after the vent.. and for those of you who believe I may have overreacted, the quotes are less than a tenth of the relaxed, calm and composed conversation I have had previously with HP staff.
   
   I had taken on board the new rules and have had articles published following moderation one day to get unpublished the next - when I ask staff why they refer to TOS and I get sent round the same loop again (and again)... childish? No, I run a business online and these articles are part of my marketing model - if this was a hobby then I could wash it off happily and walk away.
   
   Turn this thing around and imagine how HP would feel if now that they have moved everything over to sub-domains Google turn around and say "we don't like those sub domains, they look spammy and are not really accurate as your site is still actually a content farm - all your domains have been de-indexed" do you think HP would be pissed? We're here for our own reasons - mine, like hubpages, is to make money.

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   Reality Bytesposted 12 years ago

   We are all a little bit stupid sometimes.  Mistakes can and will happen.  I know I am at least. 

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9. 87

   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   I'm with Neil on this one, although possibly calling hubstaff stupid is a bit OTT, but there is certainly something wrong with the moderating system, when a hub can be manually reviewed and PASSED one day, then reviewed again and unpublished the next.

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      Goody5posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I'm a bit surprised that this question hasn't been removed by a moderator. However I will take a moment to add this - Stupid is as stupid does. The world wide web is a big place, and there are plenty of other web sites out there if someone is unhappy with the hub pages. No one is obligated to stay here, nobody had to sign a contract, and anyone can leave at anytime. If someone isn't happy here, then what's the problem - GO! The door to the hub pages is always open, and anyone can leave anytime they want, just as so many other former hubbers have done in the past. There's always plenty of new people coming along everyday to fill in that void. Keep on hubbing...................................

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         IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         You'd be totally useless as a Union shop Steward!
         
         "Bosses cut your wages? You don't have to work here, you're free to go work somewhere else."
         "You want longer holidays? On you go then, but don't come back."
         
         Problems are solved by discussion, and that is what the forums are for.

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            melbelposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            +1 for accuracy
            and
            +1 for making me lol really hard

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         Neil Ashworthposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Goody5 - I believe you should be renamed Goody 2 Shoes - remove any post which questions HP? Tell people to leave if they question how moderation works within the site? Hitler would have been quite proud of you for nodding when asked to nod and never speaking out of turn in front of the powers that be.. ;-)

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    theirishobserver.posted 12 years ago

    Neil, I have had hubs in place for over a year and out of no where violation tags appear, however, I simply address the issue and get on with it, I would say dont get too caught up in the rules and notices or you will pull your hair out

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