What is the right way of correcting a Hubber when you know some info they write is wrong or inaccurate?
Probably send them some 'fan mail' or an 'email' through their profile.
Make damn sure that 1. It's not a matter of opinion and 2. It's not you that's wrong. Then send a message with a very polite point out and a link to a credible source to back it up.
Wrong: You are wrong about what you said, just thought you should know. You should probably change that, stupid.
Better: Hey I read where you say "xx" in your hub. This article <insert link> has another viewpoint. Just thought you might want to take a look. Maybe you can edit your hub to include their opinion, just for balance.
My Version: You're a bloody boob and someone should take away your keyboard before you hurt yourself, wanker.
When I feel qualified to "correct" another hubber I'll quit writing here and write as an expert. Unless their content is openly racist, homophobic or in any other way derogatory to another human being ( or dangerous) I'll disregard it if I believe that it has no value.
People are entitled to their perspective, we are not the thought police.
I don't know about that...
There is a particular recipe hub floating around which uses a ridiculous amount of asafoetida for flavor. That's cool, I guess, I love the taste too... maybe not that much but whatever.
The problem is that asafoetida is a abortifacient. I thought that since the writer was putting well-over the amount used to actually cause miscarriage when given for that purpose, that she might want to put a little note somewhere imparting that information to any pregnant women who might be craving Indian food.
So I dropped a note (a very polite one) with a link to three or four reputable sites. If she included the note, great. If there is a path of dead fetuses piling up on her score card, well I guess that's on her.
That's different, because potentially it's dangerous. I did mention dangerous. I suppose the OT has to put this into some kind of perspective. What would they want to correct and why?
Well, first of all I would want to know what qualifications you have that make you feel you are competent to "correct" anything I write.
If your "correction" is a link to a Wikipedia article, frankly, I do not want you spamming my email with that garbage.
If you want to correct my grammar and style, you had better be familiar with UK conventions, as well as demonstrating pristine usage in your own writing, before attempting to do so.
WA's post is a really good example of what you might come across while attempting even constructive criticism. You might want to keep that in mind.
I've gotten it a few times via comments, shrugged, thanked them and left it there. There are others that flip crap and become extremely offended at the mere hint that they might not be perfectly correct in everything, ever. And there are others that fall in-between.
Just fair warning.
I believe that all correction should be private, not public.
So I used the email [hubber name] link (found on the hubber's profile page, after you click Fan Mail but NOT fan mail for corrections like this one.
Reason: You can only send one fan mail to a hubber, ever. If you waste that on a correction they will not want to post publicly, you will never get to tell the world good stufff about them, if you should want to.
I do not correct every mistake I find on HubPages. I'm not the thought police. I only provide corrections when I see that the person is open to listening and willing to take action. When I do, I write it like MelissaBarrett suggests under "Better." I do that even when I feel like writing what she says under "My Version."
There is one exception. Some hubs invite multiple perspectives - they encourage readers to think for themselves. On a hub like that, I might post an alternate view in the discussion, to encourage discussion. But I'm cautious: I've found that even the most encouraging and polite comment can trigger a flaming attack from someone out there (most often, not the hubber himself).
I agree, SidKemp--corrections should be private via e-mail. Additionally, if I were to correct someone about factual matters, I would be doggoned sure I was familiar with the topic myself, first.
For the most part, however, I tend to send polite notices to folks who have flubbed a word, giving a different or nonsensical meaning to what they
were trying to say, "heals," instead of "heels," for example.
I can tend to be one of the "grammar police," but I usually don't comment or correct hubbers about that because for the most part, I find multitudes of such errors only in hubs by non-native English speakers, and I must bite my tongue and give them credit for putting forth the effort to write on an English-only site such as this.
I am more inclined to write articles about grammar and wrong/mistaken words than to send such corrections to individuals.
I believe it is a case by case thing. For example if a hubber is recommending feeding bleach to your children to cure hiccups I would want to make an immediate public comment in case some idiot might follow that advice.
In cases that are actually as bad as the above example, I flag the hub and include a detailed note to the moderators explaining how how the Hub is medically dangerous and let them decide the situation. There have only been a handful of instances that drastic, but that what's worked for me when I find something extremely questionable that carries potential medical liability.
I have received spelling or grammar mistakes on comments, also layout suggestions, and I appreciated them. Everyone is not like me, fortunately or unfortunately. Lol
I'm like you, brakel2. I don't mind correction. Isn't that what community is all about? I wish more hubbers would tell me when they see a mistake in my hubs so I can fix it. It translates into better hub, better QAP rating, more traffic. Whether it's in the forums, comments, or email, I welcome it.
I had a hubber who gave me a great critique in the comment section and told me to delete it afterwards. We all have that option.
Some one pointed out that I had a typo in one of my hubs in the comments, which I found helpful- they had said other things about it first though which probably helps it come across in the right way. I would probably find it mostly annoying if someone commented on one of my hubs with a lot of corrections, but it would depend how it was phrased. If it is the case that someone disagrees with my ideas or something I have said again it would depend how they said it, but it wouldn't bother me too much, because I would ignore it.
I had someone let me know there were multiple errors on the first hub I ever wrote. At the time it irritated me. Once I reread the hub, I was shocked that I could make that many mistakes. It taught me to edit hubs before publishing.
I appreciate knowing when someone finds an error in my work. Simply knowing that at least one person found something incorrect or missing gives me a chance to clarify or correct. It does help me see when something is not as clear as it could be or not presented as forcefully as it should have been. After all, I don't have to change anything if I don't want to.
I'd post a polite comment that points out the error. Some people may flip a lid, but if they can't take some constructive criticism, oh well. That's their problem, not mine.
I wrote a hub about politics and strange political scenarios. Turns out I missed one detail and made an erroneous statement towards the end of the hub. Someone left a comment pointing it out, for which I was thankful. I revised the hub that night, fixed the error, and thanked the commenter for pointing it out.
We all make mistakes. And we'd all be a lot better off if people acknowledge them and fix them, rather than insisting that they're perfect.
If someone finds a grammer or spelling error in my hubs I would really appreciate being told (via private email). I have three people read my hubs before I publish, and I edit like crazy, but things can still fall between the cracks. I can't tell you how many times things like "of" and "or" pass spell check but are sooo wrong, and I just don't see it. One thing I worry about is hubs that give health advice that may sway a reader to dangerous choices. Just because something is on the web doesn't mean it is true, but not everyone knows this. I think this is important that we are talking about this as people can really publish (almost) anything they want here.
I agree with the medical thing, even though I write those dreaded home remedies articles that set some people's teeth on edge.
I think there should be an automatic disclaimer put on all hubs in the medical categories. Something like "This article is for informational purposes. Please discuss the benefits and risks of all treatment options with your physician before implementing any changes in your medical care. This hub is not intended to replace professional medical advice"
Lord knows I find typos and things even after I've proofread. I appreciate constructive criticism because it helps me. Providing a comment to the article will not harm or kill me, nor will sending me a tactful message.
I don't think there's anything wrong with posting about a typo or some other small error in a comment, after all the recipient always has the option of deleting the comment. I have been surprised sometimes that people are offended by this though. I rarely do it unless it's just a glaring error in an otherwise stellar hub.
The only time I've seen medical advice that I knew from personal experience was harmful, the hub was also spun, and barely understandable. I flagged it and it was soon gone.
I appreciate people catching spelling, grammar or typo mistakes. I would even appreciate corrections of fact, as long as it is fact and not opinion. I WOULD want these sent via e-mail and not public comments though. I get few enough comments on my hubs as it is due to my subject matter being of limited interest here on Hubpages. I'd hate to delete a comment!!!
I think the best way would be to be straightforward and honest, but not be condescending at the same time. Any good hub writer will be welcoming constructive criticism, and should gladly take any advice given to them about any errors or mistakes involved.
Deleted
No one can see your hubs if they've been unpublished. My advice would be to:
- take a look at each hub and see if there is a message at the top. If there is, click the link and there should be more explanation of what the problem is.
- check your email. See if there's anything from HP there.
- If you're still confused, email team@hubpages.com
EDIT: It could be to do with this new policy http://blog.hubpages.com/2013/04/five-f … b-barrier/
I guess this subject got more implications than I first thought when I posted it.
When I asked this question, I was talking about being absolutely sure of the correction you are about to do. For instance, I saw a Hub that was really inaccurate about my country, and I don't know if I should say something about this misinformation, or just leave that way.
Many Thanks to all for your suggestions...
I see the same thing with my country, especially our food culture. I sometimes make a correction but sometimes I just leave it be. If the incorrect information you find will reflect negatively on your country, I would suggest sending the person an email. There is the option of flagging as well especially if the person does not respond, HP does allow you to flag misleading information.
As a former newspaper journalist, correct information is so important to me. If I were reading that erroneous hub about your country to garner information, I would be learning the wrong thing and creating a false image about your country.
I see lots of wrong information in hubs on my area of expertise (and I am an expert). It's very, very frustrating as a former journalist to know people are then potentially hurting their dogs by following such bad information.
Or you could just write a hub about it. Some people are not interested in balance so despite your protestations, or attempts to offer other information, they'll just ignore anyway.
At least by writing a hub about the subject you can provide an insight which may not be available anywhere else.
My position is that anyone who posts a correction publicly on my hub is a nice person who is trying to help me. Even if I think their opinion is wrong, why shouldn't they offer it? I am not such a delicate petal that someone offering their opinion will offend me.
What a long discussion. One option I haven't seen here is to contact people through their homepage, if they have one. On a person's profile, a link appears next to the FB and Twitter icons that links to a person's homepage, which usually has contact info.
I am even wondering if I should because some people really don't want to hear that they are wrong!!
If a hubber wrote something that is incorrect then I think pointing it out in the comments section is a good idea. Nothing wrong with that.
by Orderly Confusion 12 years ago
Is there a reason why hubbers do not accept constructive criticism and/or corrections? Am I the only grown-up on this site who takes corrections as a means of making my hubs better and myself informed? I, not wanting to let a hubber I started to follow look like a fool, decided to correct this...
by Catherine Giordano 8 years ago
I always appreciate it when someone lets me know about a typo or an error of fact in my hubs. I have also given a heads-up to others and they have been appreciative. When I tell someone about an error, I send them a private email. What is the proper thing to do? Ignore what looks like an...
by harmony155 11 years ago
Do you think it's polite to point out to a fellow hubber that they have misspelled a word or name?
by Emily Tack 8 years ago
It would be delightful if there was an easier way to contact some of the Hubbers. I have not done that often, since transferring from Squidoo, however - each time I wished to, I had to remember how to do it. When I am on my profile page, and someone shows up who I am following, the message in blue...
by Daisy Mariposa 11 years ago
Why would someone would send Fan Mail to a Hubber that didn't comment upon the Hubber's writing?I received Fan Mail that wasn't a comment upon something I had written. I don't understand why someone would send me Fan Mail that basically said "Hello. Nice to meet you."
by Mel Flagg COA OSC 10 years ago
If you happen to read a hub that is meant to be educational......but all of the facts in it are wrong, what do you do? Do you tell the person their facts are wrong? Or do you just leave it? It drives me insane to find a hub by someone who has thousands of followers but all of the information in the...
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