Two New Sites: FeltMagnet and LevelSkip!

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Marina Lazarevicposted 8 years ago
Happy Monday, everyone! I'm pleased to announce the launch of our newest sites FeltMagnet (a site about crafting) and LevelSkip (a site about video games) which went live Friday and today respectively. Congrats to the Hubbers who have been selected. More soon!
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Oh dear....
  
  For the record 'drawing' and 'painting' and 'sculpture' and 'photography' are NOT crafting - they are VISUAL ARTS. A very clear indicator of a site which is NOT authoritative is one which confuses visual arts with crafts.
  
  That said a site dedicated to Crafts would be very definitely be a good thing - there's lots on HubPages (and there's lots of categories of crafts as well - including many not reflected in the existing categorisation) - but do please learn what is meant by that term first!
  
  I've been writing about art and for artists for over 10 years and while a name like "feltmagnet" might attract the crafters it won't appeal at all to those who like drawing, painting or sculpture.
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  Millionaire Tipsposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  While there is great debate whether something is an art or a craft, it is far less offensive to call a craft an art than to call an art a craft.
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  OldRosesposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I noticed something similar when a few of my hubs were moved to Dengarden. So many hubs with misinformation about gardening including "facts" that are just plain wrong. Whoever is making the decisions on which hubs to move to the site knows NOTHING about gardening. I'm embarassed to have my hubs associated with so much FALSE gardening "information".
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  LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Nor would it appeal to those looking for photography. Photography by all standards is a visual art.
  I specially do not like finding photography articles in the same place where I can see an article about plywood cutting at the Home Depot!
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  Anurag2008posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yay! My 28 best hubs have been moved to LevelSkip. Thank you Team Hubpages!
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  jansharesposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Wow! Congratulations.
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  Anurag2008posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Thank you
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  NateB11posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Glad to see we are progressing nicely with the niche sites. Looking forward to seeing more of them.
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yeah, they are doing well. And, taking on more staff too, so they say. English graduates everywhere see a glimmer of hope...
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  Jodahposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I just checked out FeltMagnet. This article is listed under "Drawing" :
  "How to Improve Handwriting: Writing Practice Exercises for Adults". Is it just me, but since when has handwriting been classed as drawing? I don't agree that drawing, painting and photography should be in a niche craft site either..especially one called "FeltMagnet".
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  Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  If we are talking about cursive writing, then that might be an ancient art form. Classified alongside calligraphy.
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Will Apseposted 8 years ago
Painting is obviously as much a craft as an art. For amateurs it is almost entirely a craft.
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I didn't realise you were an authoritative expert on this topic Will!
  
  I think you confuse:
  1) the learning of the craft element (ie techniques and processes) which occurs in any form of practice which involves making things from felt to paintings to bread, horseshoes, hats and model airplanes
  2) "Crafts" as a topic in its entirety
  
  Separating off the "how to" from the rest of the subject area is a very odd way of approaching visual arts. I grant you it's certainly an approach that works at Craftsy - but then everything works at Craftsy!
  
  I also feel it's such a shame that those who are pursuing a real genuine craft which needs highlighting don't get that opportunity to have more appropriate top level sub-topics because of the way they have been set up. What we should be seeing are things like "Scrapbooking" and "Crochet" at the top level of sub-topics (or have all the Crochet hubs now left HP?) if the name is going to be something like "Feltmagnet" (who thinks of these names?)
  
  Meanwhile I shall go back to reading my Craftsy contract and offer to fly me out to the USA to create a class.... now there's a site that knows what it's doing!
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  lisavollrathposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  In defense of the name FeltMagnet: I challenge you to go to DirectNIC, and hunt down any decent craft-related .com domain name that's available. Even their usual suggestions for names once you've typed something in that isn't available are pretty awful.
  
  I wish the name had the words craft, make, or create in it, but I spent ten minutes trying to dredge up something, and couldn't.
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  delussionsofgrandeur.com is available
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  Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  ++++LOL
  
  "Urs Fischer has reduced Gavin Brown’s Enterprise to a hole in the ground, and it is one of the most splendid things to have happened in a New York gallery in a while. "
  
  Meanwhile, in Atlanta we celebrate...
  
  Eat your heart out Mark Ewbie. BTW the pipe cleaners are the art, as you can clearly see.
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  Mark Ewbieposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yep... sigh... I still haven't got it.
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  Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  The pipe cleaners have got "it"
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  justholidaysposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Rubens, Picasso and the other "grands" would have been delighted to see this domain name :s
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  If you're a business you might well have to buy one.
  
  I found a very straightforward one immediately which is available for sale.
  
  www.craftmakers.com anybody?
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  lisavollrathposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  (Psst---nobody uses the www in front of web addresses anymore.)
  
  Craftmakers.com is priced by a domain squatter at $5,000. That may not seem like much, but when you multiply that pricing by the number of niche sites HubPages is doing, it's not reasonable. I'm sure the directive was to find names that are available for $15.
  
  Also, just finding the name is only part of the decision making process. There are already established craft-related sites at craftmaker.net, and craftmaker.co.uk. There's no benefit in creating a site with such a similar name.
  
  And honestly, it doesn't matter what the site is named. Twitter? Facebook? Tumblr? What do those names have to do with those sites? The quality of content is what matters most.
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  relacheposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  According to DirectNIC, all the below are available, and even more can be easily found.
  
  Myhomemadecrafts.com
  fabucrafts.com
  SAHMcrafting.com
  IdeaNcraft.com
  Craftcreatemake.com
  Createmakecraft.com
  
  What your domain name is doesn't really matter...that's what this entire niche site thing is illustrating.
  
  If you just move your content off the penalized HubPages domain to ANY OTHER DOMAIN, it immediately starts to perform better. Period. That's why admin is now just adding sites as fast as they can and moving as much stuff as they can.
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  OldRosesposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I have to respectfully disagree. I had 3 hubs moved to Dengarden and they are languisihing. Traffic has fallen to zero.
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  Jodahposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I have had two hubs moved to different niche sites and getting very little traffic to them since.
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  Millionaire Tipsposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  That's for the short term and for Google. We still have our readers to think about.
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  LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  So it's either trust the expertise of the HP staff or leave. As of today none of my over 700 hubs have been included. But at least I found a whopping 4 photography articles.
  For now I am considering using all of my hubs to create more ebooks and deleting my account once that is done.
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  Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  That's using the word "craft" in a completely different sense of the word. In art, photography, sculpture, you learn the craft (the skills) so you can (hopefully) produce something that is a piece of art to be admired. "Crafts" are more homely and don't usually aspire to such lofty heights- they usually have some practical purpose, like decoration, or as a piece of clothing etc.
  
  Anyone who enjoys crafts would tell you that they wouldn't expect the visual arts to be included.
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I appreciate the modesty of weekend painters who enjoy their hobby but have no ridiculous pretensions that they are artists.
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Likewise, anyone who enjoys the visual arts would tell you that they wouldn't expect crafts to be included!
  
  I don't get it. What is it about art that causes people to regard any serious aspirations to develop or share knowledge and skills about how to become better at drawing or painting as "ridiculous pretensions".
  
  Isn't it just "learning" like any other field of endeavour?
  
  However if you mean the content on the new site is intended for amateur artists and is written by amateur artists I wouldn't disagree with you. I'm sure lots will be very happy with it.
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  The phrase 'amateur artist' is absurd. As absurd as 'amateur doctor'. Or 'amateur prime minister'. Or 'amateur train driver'. You are something or you are not.
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Do artists treat or operate on other people and threaten their lives. Might there possibly be a very good reason reason why doctors are required to have both professional training and professional accreditation?
  
  Do train drivers carry a huge responsibility for the health and safety of others? Might there be a reason why they have to be professionally trained?
  
  I'll give you the Prime Minister one.
  
  The fact of the matter is that in a lot of occupations there are both professional and amateur sides. Occupations like:
  * photography
  * running
  * writing
  * baking
  etc etc
  
  Bottom line the professionals are the ones who declare themselves as such on their tax forms. Plus in some instances are required to have professional accreditation - for very good reasons - before they are allowed to describe themselves as such.
  
  Would you like me to point to the various magazines which are published specifically for amateur artists?
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  You obviously have no respect for trained artists who dedicate their lives to their vocation. You are not alone in that, I suppose, lol. At least have some respect for language and the meaning of words.
  
  Also this...
  Quote:
  
  'Bottom line the professionals are the ones who declare themselves as such on their tax forms.'
  
  Do I detect an accountant's world view here? Might there be another?
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I do indeed have much respect for the artist who has trained for their vocation - much more than you have any inkling of.
  
  I have also written extensively over the last decade about the debate about how to define an artist and what is a professional artist.
  
  FACT: people are apt to describe themselves as an artist because they say so - and they feel that's all that is required.
  
  FACT: the only people recognised as artists in terms of the economic definition of occupations are those that can define themselves as such on their tax returns and claim all relevant allowances and allowable expenses. The tax authorities do not recognise amateur artists as artists.
  
  FACT: all websites which attract a lot of traffic in relation to art have very clearly defined audiences within the market segment related to Visual Arts. There are many groups of interest. This new site would clearly appear to be interested only in the hobby artist who wants "how tos" at a very basic level which is odd since there are already a number of well established sites which do this a lot better.
  
  FACT: An awful lot of artists would absolutely hate to be on a site which declaimed itself as being about crafts - which is where we came in.
  
  What really surprises me is why somebody with no apparent or evident interest in art should bother himself with a debate which has been preoccupying artists for years.
  
  What doesn't surprise me is that people who clearly have no idea about the issues and boundaries related to the Creative Arts have set up this site and and defined its categories. Quite how that is supposed to get better traction with Google is beyond me....
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  Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Even a weekend painter would not say they did "crafts". They are developing their craft (singular) so they can create works of art. It may be a hobby, but it's not "craft work".
  
  This is an interesting definition from the Director of the Crafts Study Centre in the UK
  
  'An expression of human endeavour creatively realised on the borders of utility, design, architecture, sculpture and art. Craft is specific, recognizable and broad enough to carry loaded meaning with good cheer. It means little without its association to the individual maker and the organisations that give it life and value.'
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yeah, that is a workable perspective. Aunt Maud's watercolours, Winston Churchill's landscapes and the plethora of paintings of daffodils in jam jars are delicately separated from the works of whichever artists you happen to value.
  
  And, of course, we can continue to admire and enjoy Aunt Maud's exploration of the borders of utility, design, architecture, sculpture and art (she was rather eclectic).
  
  As for the bluster above, I pass.
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  Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  But that's the point, Will. Aunt Maud painting her daffodils is not doing craft, she is making an artwork. It may not be very good but it is a visual art. So she is an artist.
  
  Craft is handicrafts
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Adam Harkusposted 8 years ago
Please can we have a Music site next... Don't make me beg.
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  FatFreddysCatposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  ^^ What he said.
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  paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I strongly suspect a music site will show up a lot sooner than a possible science and math site. I'd even make book on it. I wonder if HP will put all my youtube links on it.
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  Jesse Drzalposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Music please!!
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Mark Ewbieposted 8 years ago
Here's the skinny.

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  lisavollrathposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  (The pipe cleaners give it away.)
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  They should have asked you to do the artwork!
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jansharesposted 8 years ago
Well, I hope my "crafty" gift basket hubs make the FeltMagnet cut. I do tend to agree with Katherine and Marisa about the definitions, though. However, when I complete a gift basket with the coordinated colors and ribbons, I do consider it a work of art. But seriously, fine art (paintings, sculptures, etc.) maintains its form forever, are on display for all to see, and may increase in monetary value. A craft (gift baskets, potholders, crochet items) are practical, functional, meant only for the person who received it, may not last forever, and may increase in sentimental value only. That's my two cents.
Edit: Ah well, just checked out the site. No subcategory for gift baskets. No worries, carry on . . . .
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paradigmsearchposted 8 years ago
The amount of work HubPages staff has accomplished in the last two months is incredible.
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I think we should award them something.
  
  My selection:
  
  For services to snipping...
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Anna Marie Bowmanposted 8 years ago
Oohh...a craft site! YAY! Strangely enough, with all the crafts I have done, I don't think I have a single craft hub. I have to get to work. I am still anxiously waiting for the movie site, though...
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  Marina Lazarevicposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  The TV/movies site is coming very soon!
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  paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  
  .
  Meanwhile..., any chance for a science and math site?
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  Jesse Drzalposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Give me the site, Wendy..C'mon Wendy hand it over..Give me the damn site, Wendy...C'mon Wendy..
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  paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  "Here's Johnny!" The Shining
  
  That one pic covered both TV and movies; I love double, triple, and even quadruple meaning pics. I see what you mean about poor Wendy though, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-ABIIZV3vA 1 min. : 19 sec..
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  Jesse Drzalposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Ha ha such a classic.
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FatFreddysCatposted 8 years ago
I have a feeling that the next niche site to be launched might be movie related - one of my movie Hubs was just "snipped".... but of course, (ala Dennis Miller) I could be wrong.
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  paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I just got hit-and-run snipped my own wonderful self. Busy they are.
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Millionaire Tipsposted 8 years ago
To add to the art vs. craft discussion, I bring forward the Gees Bend quilters. They made utility quilts and thought of themselves as crafters, not artists. But once they had been discovered, and their quilts were put on walls in museums, and they started getting paid for workshops and such, they can now put artist on their tax forms.

And there are lots of people who make art quilts, which no serve practical function except decoration.
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Solarasposted 8 years ago
Seriously, feltmagnet sounds like it is just for the textile crafting arena. How to sew, knit, needlepoint, felt etc.. all other crafting (wood turning, clay, scrapbooking etc..) need not apply.

HP could do very well with several much more specific niche domains for crafts.
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Exactly!
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  LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  +1
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paradigmsearchposted 8 years ago
I worked up the energy to look up the definition of crafts.

-----

craft
kraft/
noun
plural noun: crafts

1.
an activity involving skill in making things by hand.
"the craft of bookbinding"
synonyms: activity, occupation, profession, work, line of work, pursuit
"the historian's craft"
work or objects made by hand.
modifier noun: craft
"the shop sells local crafts"
skill in carrying out one's work.
"a player with plenty of craft"
synonyms: skill, skillfulness, ability, capability, competence, art, talent, flair, artistry, dexterity, craftsmanship, expertise, proficiency, adroitness, adeptness, deftness, virtuosity
"a player with plenty of craft"
denoting or relating to food or drink made in a traditional or non-mechanized way by an individual or a small company.
"craft brewing"
skill used in deceiving others.
"her cousin was not her equal in guile and evasive craft"
synonyms: cunning, craftiness, guile, wiliness, artfulness, deviousness, slyness, trickery, duplicity, dishonesty, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, intrigue, subterfuge; More
wiles, ploys, ruses, schemes, stratagems, tricks
"she used craft to get what she wanted"
the members of a skilled profession.
the brotherhood of Freemasons.
noun: Craft; noun: the Craft
2.
a boat or ship.
"sailing craft"
an airplane or spaceship.
synonyms: vessel, ship, boat; literarybark/barque
"a sailing craft"

verb
3rd person present: crafts

1.
exercise skill in making (something).
"he crafted the chair lovingly"

-------

Pretty much something there to support everyone's position on the subject.
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janderson99posted 8 years ago
Let's face it. ALL the new site names are just plain silly and users will be put off by them when choosing options in the SERPS.

The poor speed and server issues will eventually strangle the traffic as Google puts more and more emphasis on mobile. The 301 redirect system was a lazy way to go. IMO DownScope! My new sites get scores of >90!

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  Wesman Todd Shawposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I disagree fundamentally. What does 'hubpages' mean? It doesn't really mean much of anything. Most of my successful pages have been about either animals or guitars. 'hubpages' relates to animals and guitars, respectively, in no matter to speak of - except the success I've had with them.
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  janderson99posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Feltmagnet sounds like a kid's site. Would you choose a page in the SERPs about art with this name. Hubpages is generic. IMO The key to success is establishing authority!
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  LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Funny you said that...two of my students thought it was a new game.
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  Jean Bakulaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  My hub about gardening moved to Dengarden used to get a lot of views, it's way down. But if someone is looking for how to do something, or a specific subject, those will be the words typed in the search bar. A gardener is not going to look for Dengarden, but if there is a hub about Shade flowers or shrubs that live in low temperatures, that's what you would search for. If there is a hub for it, you will be taken to Dengarden. I agree it's a silly name, but the name of the site doesn't matter that much, IMHO.
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  janderson99posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  If you saw these listings in the Search Engine results: Which would you pick and why???. It is ALL about Authority!!!
  
  Low Maintenance Ground Cover - HouseLogic
  houselogic com/.../low-maintenance-lawn-alternatives-ground-cov...
  These low-maintenance ground cover ideas mean less mowing and more time for you. Choosing a ground cover over grass saves on water, too.
  
  Lawn Alternatives - Eartheasy.com Solutions for Sustainable ...
  eartheasy com/grow_lawn_alternatives.htm
  Some groundcovers are edible, such as strawberries or low-growing herbs. Ever-bearing ... Low Maintenance - Clover needs little to no watering or mowing.
  
  Low-Maintenance Ground Covers That Suppress Weeds ...
  dengarden com › Landscaping › Yard Design & Layout
  Mar 30, 2016 - These low-maintenance groundcovers grow thickly and spread quickly to choke out weeds.
  
  Low-Maintenance Alternatives to Lawns | Fine Gardening
  finegardening com/low-maintenance-alternatives-lawns
  But turfgrass is boring—not to mention high maintenance. ... No minimeadow for me—just low ground covers that require little or no care, are interesting and fun ...
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  LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  You're probably correct. IMHO someone might be turned off by the name and perhaps disregard the search result in favor of a more "photography sounding name" and when or if they get to FeltMagnet and see only four photography articles they might just leave as quickly as they got there.
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Spot on - people know there are scam sites out there hence the name of the site is important. I know I always avoid the ones with weird sounding names whenever I do a search on Google.
  
  The only time you can invent a genuinely new name (like Twitter) is when you are also inventing a totally new product.
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  OldRosesposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Quite frankly I don't care what they call it. What I do care about is traffic which in my case is non-existent. Where is all of this traffic that was supposed to be attracted to the new niche sites? I've had 4 hubs transferred to Dengarden and the traffic on all 4 has fallen to zero from search engines. If it weren't for Pinterest, I wouldn't be getting any traffic at all. My hubs did better on the HP site. They didn't draw a lot of search engine traffic, but some is better than nothing which what I have now.
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  Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I'm not sure I agree, Wes. Sure, it is possible to make a success of a site with a silly name - because it's the content that is most important. However, it's likely the site would be MORE successful if it had a good name with a bit of existing history.
  
  Take my belly dance site, for instance. It had always done OK but I was always conscious I hadn't made the best choice of name - but in my defence, it was very early on and I didn't know a thing about SEO! Then another belly dance site closed down - it wasn't that successful (in fact it was really just a list of links), but it had been around for a long time and it had a great name. I bought the domain name for $40 and changed the name of my site. Result - I doubled my income.
  
  I've started a few sites over the years and although it takes a bit of effort, I've never had trouble finding decent, descriptive names. True, some names are sold for thousands, but most are not! Just take a look at the GoDaddy auctions.
  
  I think HubPages is trying to be young and trendy, and think up "funky" names that will catch on, like Pinterest. The trouble is that if you're not young and trendy, your made-up names just end up sounding clunky, not funky.
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  But the point about Pinterest is that it invented a totally new kind of webpage
  
  HubPages is trying to reinvent a very old and outdated concept (the article site) with so-called "funky" new names. I just call them weird and irrelevant to the content.
  
  I've used very niche names for my new websites. Took quite a long time to pin them down in terms of what was available but the effort was worthwhile because they say what the content is about plus you can say them and people can spell them.
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  MyWebsposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree a domain name should be easy to remember and spell. Tricky domain names only cause confusion when trying to verbally tell others about it and for radio and TV ads.
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LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years ago
Just to see how messed up this niche's name is I asked 8 teachers and 38 of my students what they thought a site called FeltMagnet would be about and over 93% of them said it was a site about clothing,felt (typical) or yarn.....not one thought it could possibly involve photography or remotely dealing in any way with visual arts.

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  janderson99posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Interestingly I did a search and I have just registered artscraftsreport(dot)com for my own sites. So there are or were (!) better names out there!!!!!
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  sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Lucky me, they could not have chosen a better name for my writing but I was surprised else this niche covered.
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  Jodahposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  When I saw the name "Feltmagnet" I thought "How perfect for Sallybea's felting articles. Lucky you.
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  sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks Jodah
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Will Apseposted 8 years ago
Just call it an Arts&Crafts site. 'Arts' is nebulous to cover everything.
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  "Arts" also includes music, theatre, film etc etc.......
  
  Nebulous is not a word or concept that I would ever use when trying to find a new name for a niche website.
  
  That's because the whole point about the value of niche websites is that they are very precise and highly targeted - and hence deliver high added value to the person who visits them. Consumers love them and that's WHY Google likes them.
  
  I think this point somehow got missed out from the grand plan for the future of HubPages. The niche websites that HubPages are producing are anything but. They're just renaming existing categories (which were always problematic) and being "picky" about what hubs get transferred
  
  Actually there's probably another word for "picky" having seen some of their choices.
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makingamarkposted 8 years ago
One good test of a site of the effectiveness of a niche website is to look at its content relative to some of the leading sites

for example take a look at https://www.facebook.com/Crafts-Council … 769684701/ or its website http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/ and compare to Felt Magnet
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Why on earth would you compare a high culture, non profit with money from Arts Council England to a site like FeltMagnet?
  
  Even the origami bunnies (the only practical project they offer that I could see) would demand to be sited on an antique marble fireplace in Notting Hill or Belgravia. Try taking them south of the river and they would rip your throat out.
  
  Actually, after looking at that site, I'm coming round to the FeltMagnet name. Just add an arts and crafts subtitle and it will be fine.
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Doesn't it rather depend on whether those whose hubs are transferred there think the name is OK?
  
  What you think is completely irrelevant as you are not the target audience (Note: I'm only saying this based on the nature of things you write about - i.e. if you were interested you'd have made some art and crafts hubs by now)
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  94
  Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  That's an odd bit of logic and, excuse me, but I think it is condescending. For all we know Mr. Apse may have one of the finest, most carefully curated collections of art in Europe.
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  92
  Jesse Drzalposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I bet he does. Either way, Will is the man.
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I have long curated exquisitely crafted handmade paper bunnies inspired by Japanese legends of rabbits on the moon, pounding rice cakes with a pestle and mortar.
  
  And that is one of my more mundane projects.
  
  These are inferior creations:
  
  http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/article … ami-bunny/
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  Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Suspicions confirmed!
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SimeyCposted 8 years ago
How do I find out why a hub was not selected for a niche?

I feel that my 'How to Choose a Character Class in Mass Effect' is a very useful hub and is very detailed - the only problem I can see is that I use screenshots (fair use) to highlight what I am talking about.

Is it because the game isn't too current? The hub still gets traffic so people are searching for it?!
Or is it because it's probably covered by other websites?
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1. 92
  Jesse Drzalposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  They just have not gotten to all of the Hubs yet..sit tight.
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  OldRosesposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  So far they have only my newest hubs, usually a couple of days after I post them. My newest hubs are neither better nor worse than my older hubs so I assume that no one has looked at my older hubs. When they do, I'm sure a few will also be transferred to a niche site.
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Mark Ewbieposted 8 years ago
All this fuss reminds me of a conversation with a friend of mine.

"What's in a name?" he said, quite wittily I thought.

"Well.. I... er..." I stammered foolishly. His direct questioning had put me in a panic. I had no answer.

Coincidentally his name was also Felt Magnet but he preferred to be called Dave or Mr.Magnet.
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Solarasposted 8 years ago
"Even the origami bunnies (the only practical project they offer that I could see) would demand to be sited on an antique marble fireplace in Notting Hill or Belgravia. Try taking them south of the river and they would rip your throat out."

Who would? The Bunnies?
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1. 71
  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
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Solarasposted 8 years ago
For those of you unwilling to click, these are the carnivorous Bunnies of Belgravia. Note, from the remains, they eat their own young.
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  Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  lol. I decided not to link to that pic in case kids were watching.
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Jesse Drzalposted 8 years ago
Nasty little savages they are.
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LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years ago
I admit that I am biased. I write about photography. I admit that I know that HP counts on few staff members that can move/select articles for this new (What's the name???) site but a search of HP produced over 18,000 results. Then why not let those of us who are passionate about photography move our own articles over to Felt...something or other ? I fear that any new visitors to this niche called .....I forgot already! may be turned off when they see a whopping FOUR articles on it.
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1. 89
  Rochelle Frankposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Wow, Luis-- you do deserve better than this. Your work and your articles are great.
  Though I love HubPages, I really hope you get a site of your own that really does you justice. Your work is really outstanding, and needs to be somewhere where it can be seen.
  Wishing you the best-- and this is not it, I think.
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  Rochelle Frankposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Also, I would suggest that other readers of this thread go to the profile of LuisEGonzalez and look through his hubs. Even if you are not into photography, you should know what good photos look like. His hubs are worth sharing.
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  Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Maybe they will! I think they are testing waters on the sites before going all in. For Pethelpful, I had a large percentage of hubs move over, but I only had 40 published hubs. These hubs have tripled in views since the move; this site is working from my perspective. Dr. Mark or Agility MACH may provide better stats. Now, this week, I am experiencing a second wave of move-overs. I think Pethelpful is a success. Comments from others on some other niches are not as encouraging in some respects.
  
  Some niche sites may work better than others, perhaps being left behind when an alternative niche is a failure is a blessing. I don't know, and am only commenting on what has been posted in forums. Some say Google views have dropped to zero following their move. Not all experiments work the same way.
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  Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I think Pethelpful is a success for one single reason - it's a clearly defined niche. Everyone knows what a pet is, and the site covers all the animals people might keep as pets. All the articles are about caring for animals, choosing animals, etc etc. Anyone can see that all the articles are related to that same broad topic.
  
  Disappointingly, this is not the case for some of the other "niche" sites. Take Feltmagnet - it's not about crafts you make at home as a hobby, it's also about art and photography (professional and amateur). That's confusing to people and probably to Google, too.
  
  I'm hoping FeltMagnet was an aberration and the other sites will be more focussed.
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  makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Good point Marisa
  
  Proper Niche - tick
  Helpful name - tick
  Traffic - tick
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  LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  You are so right...again. Although one of my hubs was just moved I still believe that the name is nothing short of a mistake.
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Adam Harkusposted 8 years ago
Spinditty.....

Proper Niche - No Tick
Helpful name - No Tick
Traffic - Not so far.
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