Hmmmmmm????????

1. 66

   Froggy213posted 11 years ago

   I have been very suspicious of what has been happening here on Hubpages. Today, my suspicions grew even higher.
   
   I noticed a staff of Hubpages answering many of the forum issues. I will not mention her name as it should become quite obvious.
   
   I noticed that this staff member carries an overall hubber score of 100. I hadn't noticed this very often as I figured Hubpages staff should be more busy trying to keep the site running well for other hubbers. I decided to visit her profile and noticed a familiar topic as one of her hubs.
   
   Both my wife and I have written hubs about the wonderful fruit Papaya, as have many other Hubbers, most of whom live in climates that grow papaya. I don't think papaya grows in San Francisco. I still didn't have a problem with this staff writing a hub about it, but where my problem lies is the discover more hubs section at the bottom of these hubs.
   
   Both my wife's hub, http://lastheart.hubpages.com/hub/Healt … uit-Papaya
   and my hub, http://froggy213.hubpages.com/hub/Papay … -Happiness
   Have this staff members hubs in the discover more hubs.
   When I look at this staff members hub about papaya, the discover more hubs only has four and none about papaya. The four hubbers that have the discover more hubs under hers have little a's by their names and none are even closely related to papaya.
   
   It seems to me that the dirt that has been swept under a rug here on hubpages seems to be spilling out.
   
   I truly believe that the financial losses that have befallen me here are because of situations such as this.
   
   I wonder why so many of the "good" staff have left.
   
   Is spinning other people's hubs a proper procedure now at hubpages?
   
   I have been pulling hubs, but I still have well over 500 on here and my current earnings are embarrassing to admit.
   
   Ok, so now we have a Hubpages staff person that has only been here 14 months with 58 hubs and has a score of 100. My opinion is that it has become a dog eat dog world here and I think that there is a snake in the grass.

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      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      This is very interesting to know about all of the Apprentice Hubs in the Discover More Hubs section.  I had no idea.
      
      But, the Hub you mention is not really in competition with yours.  It's not indexed by Google.  In fact, 83% of that staff member's Hubs are not in the Google Index. Google doesn't like them.  Says something about the meaning of the 100 score and what staff members really know about quality content, doesn't it?

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         Froggy213posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         You hit the nail on the head.
         
         I really wasn't of the concern about competition; I like competition. What i don't like is competition which is like me playing Michael Jordan and giving him a 20 point handicap. That is what i am feeling here with this person.
         
         At one time, I was pulling a check from hubpages every month. Now it seems I am back to where I was when I started here. That is frustrating with over 500 hubs, especially when I can write a SEO lively article of 400 words on Interact media and get paid 25$. Makes me question, "what am I doing here?"

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            The Frog Princeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Froggy - Welcome to the changes that Hubpages have instituted to fatten up their bank account at the writer's expense.  Many writers have left because of those changes and the practice now of this staff telling writers that their writing doesn't meet their standards like a writer really gives a flip.  Writers write to their standards and this is supposed to be a forum for writers.  What these staff bunnies don't realize is that they can ruin a very good forum.  They are well on their way.

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      Hendrikaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I find this very interesting. For me it is not too important as I have enough trouble keeping my Hubs published, ones that have been perfectly OK for long times, bringing in good money are now suddenly not good enough. To be fair I know that Google are making things more and more difficult for sites such as Hubpages, so a staff member having a score of 100 is the least of my problems

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2. 73

   WryLiltposted 11 years ago

   I can't believe this thread is serious. Accusing a staff member of stealing content on a popular topic, gaming internal link algorithms and I think "using her account too much" leading to a higher hubscore.
   
   Well I'm sure she's making $30 a month extra from all that gaming and stealing. *Eyeroll* You know staff have time outside work hours, right? And a lot of people have done the apprenticeship program, right? There are people who've done it who get hardly any traffic too, y'know. It's not a secret club y'know!
   
   I get complaining about Hubpages in general when they do something sitewide. This? Hahaha. Go get your own website and start earning that way.

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      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      He didn't accuse anyone of stealing.  Where did you get that?  His questions are about Hubs showing under 'Discover More Hubs' which do not relate to his content.  He gives an example from two other Hubs on the same topic that show Hubs which are actually related. 
      
      This is a serious objection because Hubs which have followed links to unrelated content get penalized by Google, which in turn hurts the entire site and the income of the site. It may be one of the reasons why that staff member's Hub has been banned from the Google Index.
      
      You have said many times that you do not rely heavily on Google for traffic to your Hubs, but most of us do and the site certainly does.
      
      Froggy has identified a serious issue and I'm glad he discovered it.  This site cannot improve until all of the reasons Google has discounted it are discovered and corrected.

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         Lastheartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Writer Fox I have to recognize that you are one of the best answering always. That is because I have read the way you answer with true explanations and evidence.
         Thanks in the name of HubPages for being supportive.

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            Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you.

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         The Frog Princeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Google has become a tyrant in my opinion.  When the practice of letting me ID my own keywords went POOF my income went POOF with it.

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            WryLiltposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            "Letting you ID your own keywords".
            
            HUH? Every word you type is a keyword. Google may pay a little more attention to keywords in some places (Title, subtitles, URL) but all words can be keywords. This is why you keep tight to your subject for good synonyms in your text to improve keywords and SEO.

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      The Frog Princeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Wry Lit - Obviously the point went right past you.  I won't bother to clue you in as the fog may be too thick to penetrate.

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3. 66

   Froggy213posted 11 years ago

   Now first, I have not accused anyone of stealing. Spinning is a legal ballgame, but as Writer Fox pointed out, for someone who has hardly any hubs indexed and being at a score of 100 is questionable.
   
   Secondly, why are there no other papaya hubs in the related hubs section? It seems if a staff member can control what hubs are in the related section, we all should be able to control that.
   
   I never stated someone was stealing, in all actuality, her hub is somewhat well done, but I see many others here with hubs that are just as good if not better and they have hubber scores quite low.
   
   Oh well if you don't like my post, but it is serious and trust me, I have been pulling my un-indexed material and watching it climb rapidly in Google on my own website.
   
   Sorry if your feathers are ruffled but all is fair when my income has fallen into the red.

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      Lastheartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I guess it is true... that who writes the rules, writes the trap?

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      The Frog Princeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hell their whole scoring system is absurd.

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4. 68

   PaulGoodman67posted 11 years ago

   This thread post would be clever and witty if it was written as humor, but unfortunately, I think it's serious. 

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      wordscribe43posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah...  I was laughing my buttocks off until I realized it wasn't one of Mark Ewbie's comedy posts..  But my world came crashing down when I realized:  "O-M-G- it's serious!?"
      
      But yeah, hubber score IS serious business. right?

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         The Frog Princeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Since it is so arbitrary it is a joke.

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         1. 66

            Froggy213posted 11 years agoin reply to this

            You have that right. Ever since I have taken approximately 10-12 hubs off that had big white circles and put them on this site: gringoboricua.com/froggy
            I have made triple the money I have made this month on hubpages--and I have well over 500 hubs---So why wouldn't I assume there are "snakes in the grass?"
            The other bit of irony are the people with scores of 100 saying score doesn't matter. I wonder if they will be saying that when their score is in the 70's or 80's? I once had a score of 100 here too when Hubpages ran a system of wanting the best--not the "eyelickers"(http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p … wn%20noser)

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            1. 70

               The Frog Princeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               The snakes are thick Brother.

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            2. 68

               PaulGoodman67posted 11 years agoin reply to this

               My score is in the 80s and I am telling you it really doesn't matter!  But if you've been here over 5 years and still not figured that out, then there is probably not much point in me stating it! 

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               1. 70

                  The Frog Princeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  I care less myself but I do care about censorship and people who think they can write telling me how to write.  Writers have their own style and don't need to be told to change it.  When that happens they change forums and lately I have seen many good writers migrate elsewhere.  That is Hubpages loss - economically.

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                  1. 73

                     WryLiltposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Hubpages is a business. They don't care how you write - they care about your SEO and how much money you can make (for you, which leads to money for them).

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                     1. 68

                        PaulGoodman67posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Yes, nobody cares too much about writing styles, myself included - it's an open platform after all.  Plus there are always people in the forums talking about how all the good writers are leaving (it's been going on for years), which can get kind of tedious sometimes... 

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                        The Frog Princeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Again Wry Lit you have no idea what you are talking about,  I get their messages. Maybe you don't?

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               2. 66

                  Froggy213posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  I also understand that score makes no mind, but really now, do we want to hear that from someone sitting at 100?
                  
                  I also agree somewhat with WryLilt, but as with any business, there will always be those who try to do things the dirty way.
                  
                  I have watched some very odd occurrences going on around the Hubpages zone. I believe I have every right in the world to be suspicious. I remember a day when I only had approx. 200 hubs and was pulling in $100 + per month. I have over 500 hubs now and am lucky to pull in $10 a month.
                  
                  As for SEO, I am very good at using keywords and phrases. I have top stars at interact media for SEO content ghostwriting.
                  
                  Until I start seeing a substantial change in my billfold from Hubpages, I will keep questioning. I won't "lick eyes" as many seem to be doing here. I will also keep moving material out that they don't think is worthy and I will build my own SEO at my own website.
                  
                  I always liked the place, but that is starting to change. As the staff that knew how to keep this site on a money making roll decided to leave and let others who are trying to turn it into a Helium type of website, which will never work for Hubpages.
                  
                  Oh, and yes WryLilt, they do care how you write or they wouldn't tell you to write in APA style format. 
                  
                  Good luck to all of you, because someday your apathy will explode in your face.

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            3. 68

               Lastheartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               How can some people be so blind?...I am reading and seeing how this is going out of the way. Instead of finding solutions it wants to turn into an uncalled defense. The joke is that the more they try to defend the indefensible more dirt is thrown.
               Mature people discuss a situation for the best not to put it worse. There are some situations mentioned here that deserve respect and attention.

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5. 89

   rebekahELLEposted 11 years ago

   Really?  Amazing what can be found in the forums.  I didn't see the hubpages.com hub on both of your hubs.  Those hubs rotate and I'm pretty certain they're not 'hand-picked' by a busy HP staff. 
   
   @writerfox, the hub is indexed under hubpages.com.  And you know that Google doesn't like HP staff hubs?  Of course, Google knows that Christy wrote this hub when the bots crawled the HP site...

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      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      48 out of 58 Hubs are not in the Google index.  Copy and paste some of the content into the Google search box and you will understand what that means.

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      1. 89

         rebekahELLEposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         https://www.google.com/search?q=health- … =firefox-a
         
         cached Sept. 16 - http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s … =firefox-a
         
         ?  It appears to be indexed and rated well.
         
         I'm just not sure I follow this thread's direction.

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            Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            You didn't check it properly.  Not being in the Google index means Google has crawled the page and has refused to include it in search results for queries.  If you put the exact URL in the search box, notice that Google displays four other Hubs (all on subdomains by the way) before it gives the Hub in question.
            
            Then, if you copy and paste this into the search box (which is what I said to do in the first place) you will find that Google has refused to index the Hub:
            
            "Papaya is a delicious, sweet tropical fruit. Learn more about its benefits for health and beauty. Try out these great papaya recipes both for eating and DIY homemade personal care treatments"

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         2. 66

            Froggy213posted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Now I am even more on suspicious mode. How exactly did a hub written in such a short time get all those stars in the google search--hmmm another benefit of being staff?
            
            Also, why do we have 8 "discover more hubs" all of which are about the subject matter and the one you have linked and gave the name--which I didn't--only has 4 "discover more hubs" all of which are on unrelated subjects and all are apprentice hubs.
            
            I watched Helium move through a process where it became a favoritism site. Is that what is happening here??
            As for Mr Goodman--witty and humorous huh? When you have dollars upon dollars slipping from your pockets, would you think witty and humorous?
            
            It all seems quite odd and suspicious, and maybe :eyelicking" will get you all somewhere--but I won't eyelick--as they call it here in Puerto Rico--Tis a much more vulgar term in the Midwest where I originate from.
            
            Snakes are in the grass and this frog likes to scare snakes back to the rock they came from.
            
            Until I see my rates start climbing back to near what I was making, I will keep hunting snakes.

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            1. 45

               Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               All of my Hubs also show eight links under "Discover More Hubs."  The HP site has over 2,060 Hubs about Papaya and not one of them shows up under the Hub in question.  Also, the four Hubs listed today are the same four that were listed yesterday, so it doesn't look like much "rotating" is going on there, does it?
               
               http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s … mp;ct=clnk
               
               I'd be curious to know if those four Hubs are Editor's Choice Hubs, but I guess there is no way to find that out.

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            2. 70

               lady rainposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               I did a random check on my own hubs and found some hubs have 8 links under "Discover More Hubs" but I also found hubs with just 1 link, 2 links, 3 links, 4 links etc. Some of the links are topic related and I think some could be keyword related but not topic related which brings me to the conclusion that the links are randomly generated to match the topic, title, keywords, photos etc. With that said, the placement of the links could also be randomly timed which means the links could remain on the hub for 1 day, 1 week, 1 month or indefinitely.

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      Lastheartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Froggy did not mentioned names. It is being discussed a serious situation not a gossip.
      Henry Fielding quoted:  “Guilt has very quick ears to an accusation.”

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6. 89

   rebekahELLEposted 11 years ago

   It comes up for me when I put the exact URL in as a search query, and it is the first result, followed by goodguy, and soni2006.
   
   I have to clean my kitchen and get on with my evening.

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      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Still didn't try the copy and paste, did you?

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         rebekahELLEposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, I just did.  I took part of the actual text of the hub, and not the summary which you previously indicated (which does not show up because it's not in the text of the hub).
         
         https://www.google.com/search?q=Papayas … =firefox-a
         
         Now it's bedtime. You all can carry on with whatever you're trying to do.

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            Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            https://www.google.com/search?source=ig … &gs_l=

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            1. 0

               Will Apseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Is there anyone associated with HP for whom you do not have absolute contempt?

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                  Lastheartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Is there anyone associated with HP who is not grateful for his unconditional advocacy?

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                  PaulGoodman67posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  *Irony alert* But Writer Fox is an SEO expert with all sorts of knowledge about the internet that the rest of us mortals lack?  If WF confirms that there is a papayan fruit conspiracy, then it must be true! 

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                     Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Since you are the MTurk expert, maybe you'd like to share some insight from your vast experience on rating Hubs.

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               3. 45

                  Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Out from under the bridge now are you, and still looking to win the Hubbie Award for Most Likely to be Banned in the Forums.  Voting ends October 1st so you don't have much time left.

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                  1. 72

                     Shanna11posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     That's a category?! Oh man, if only I'd known! I would have easily won that a few months ago...
                     
                     Anyway, I don't pay much attention to Hubscore. Mine has been all over the place and really doesn't correlate at all to my activity or contributions to the site. I don't see how a low one harms anyone or a high one helps anyone. They're just fairly useless numbers.

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                        Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Seriously, that's a category!
                        http://blog.hubpages.com/2013/09/2013-hubbie-awards/

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                        1. 72

                           Shanna11posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           NO WAY!
                           I thought you were joking...
                           
                           Dang it. Too bad I've (mostly) reformed....

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                     Reality Bytesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Didn't 2011's winner actually become permanently banned from the forums?

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                        PaulGoodman67posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Getting banned seems like an addiction for some people, they just keep pushing and pushing, until... 

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