Following

1. 76

   aida-garciaposted 10 years ago

   Hello,
   I have read some fastinating hubs and when I follow them I hope they will return the favor.  How many of you agree? It will definitely place our hubs in a much higher paying bracket.

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   1. 32

      Writer Foxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      How does following someone put your Hub "in a much higher paying bracket?"

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   2. 84

      Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No, it wouldn't. 
      
      Any successful Hubber will tell you that 90% of paying traffic comes from outside HubPages.   Followers are all other members  i.e. inside HubPages, so they won't help.
      
      Networking with other members is a good way to learn about writing online, a great motivator, and fun.  It won't help you earn money.  Personally I like it that way, because you don't have to curry favour with other Hubbers or suck up to anyone.

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   3. 78

      frantisek78posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      There are quite a few mass followers on here who seem to spend all their time following more and more people.

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   4. 72

      Goodpalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      My understanding is that you follow someone because you are interested in what she/he is writing. I see no logic that if I admire your ideas and writing then I am as good as you are and you must "follow" me. I fail to understand the logic of reciprocity. What do you gain if people simply press the "follow" button?
      
      I have noted hubbers who appear to be following almost everyone else. My question to them is: Can you really keep tab of all the published work of people you  are following - or more precisely, presses the "follow" button on their profile page?

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      1. 84

         Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Exactly.  I think it would be very big-headed of me to expect anyone I follow to follow me back. That implies I'm certain I'm as good as, or better than, them.

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         1. 72

            Goodpalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I judge real "followers" from the comments and messages they post. I would rather have people read what I write and comment critically - that's value addition and useful as well.
            
            The "follow" button on hubpages and other sites is similar to the "like" at facebook; all you need to do is just a click! I put more emphasis on the comments on my hubs.

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            1. 84

               Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               *Sigh*  Unfortunately, that's what following has turned into.   It wasn't the original intention.
               
               The original idea was that by following someone, you were committing to support them by reading their Hubs, and perhaps sharing and commenting on them.  That's why, when you follow someone, you get notified of every new Hub they write.  You can't possibly do that for more than a small number of Hubbers whose work interests you.

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               1. 72

                  Goodpalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Marisa, I share your grief!!!!!
                  
                  A system or facility is only as good as people using it. I feel pity when I find someone boasting about how many LIKES he/she received on FB for some post. I also feel sorry for another category that looks for opportunity to comment or write a few words just for sake of "links" - what they type convey practically nothing. I value those who share critically highlighting important points that takes discussion deeper. I am glad there are still people in this category!

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   5. 0

      Lybrahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I do that.  We should all connect with each other.

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      1. 84

         Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Why?

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2. 66

   relacheposted 10 years ago

   Just because someone follows you, there is absolutely no obligation or expectation that you follow that person back.  You should only follow people whose writing you really love to read.
   
   Also, being followed or following others does not relate to money.  You might want to read up on how the earnings programs work here, http://hubpages.com/faq/#royalties

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3. 92

   Suzanne Dayposted 10 years ago

   Also, I've been finding that people want to follow me, but if they don't leave a fan mail, I can't even begin to return the favour as it all gets mixed in with "followers" in general and is hard to see who recently followed me unless I follow status updates all the time.
   
   Please leave fan mail for my attention if you want a possible follow back! Even just a thanks or something would do

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4. 88

   Bishop55posted 10 years ago

   I agree 100%

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5. 89

   chasmacposted 10 years ago

   I disagree 100%, especially about returning the favour. There's no favour to return. If I follow someone, it's for MY benefit, not theirs. If someone follows me, it's for their benefit, not mine. I prefer my followers to be those who are genuinely interested in what I write.

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   1. 72

      Goodpalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      In full agreement.

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   2. 88

      Bishop55posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I have no clue how my idiotic mind posted I agree 100% to this.  I was meaning that comment for another forum based on negative feedback. hahah i'm an airhead and clicked the wrong notification.  So please disregard my remark 100% on this forum/thread.  I don't expect anyone to follow me back when I follow them, I ask, if they do great, if not, whatever.  I'm loving the HP community so that is why I ask.  Other than that, I follow what I like and people that intrigue me, which hasn't been that many since when I login, I am  either working, or reading other hubs and not always following the authors.

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      1. 72

         Goodpalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Reading what others are writing is better than "following" ! A step further is posting critical and thoughtful comments. It proves that writer's message was read and understood.
         
         After all writing, reading and following are not mere cyberspace "rituals" !!!

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         1. 88

            Bishop55posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Goodpal...I feel as if I need to follow you now. LOL!

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            1. 72

               Goodpalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Please be my guest.
               
               But is this a warning!!!!

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6. 83

   psycheskinnerposted 10 years ago

   Following is pretty irrelevant if the goal is to make more money--I would suggest focusing on outside traffic and CPM.

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7. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 10 years ago

   Personally, I still haven't decided yet who to stalk this year.

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   1. 74

      Barbara Kayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Paradigmsearch you are funny. It put a smile on my face. But after I put some thought into that one I think there are stalkers here. They are the ones that want to copy all of our material elsewhere. Of course you aren't one of them, I know that. But there are some here that we wish wouldn't follow us.

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8. 84

   sparkleyfingerposted 10 years ago

   I personally don't follow someone unless their hubs interest me and/ or teach me something. If someone follows me simply in a bid to get me to return the favour, it becomes apparent a few days later when the number of followers drop once more. I write random blurbs, and if someone likes my style enough to follow, then woohoo!

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9. 80

   Moon Daisyposted 10 years ago

   No, I only follow people whose hubs interest me.  That's the way it should work.  It doesn't do anyone (or their writing), any favours if we just 'pretend' to be following oneanother.  There's also not much integrity involved in that.

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10. 61

    magictrickshqposted 10 years ago

    Interesting to see the different sides of this argument.
    
    I wonder if you apply the same ideas to things like Twitter where followers are also in the same direction. There is a lot of reciprocity there, but does not seem to be the case on Hubpages.

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    1. 72

       Goodpalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I wonder why people want to connect "following" and reciprocity. You follow someone because you find him/her worth following. It is different from the concept of "I scratch your back and you scratch mine."

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       1. 80

          Moon Daisyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Goodpal, I agree.  And I think the same is true on both sites.  On Twitter also, if someone follows me then that's all good and well, (so long as I want them to!)  But I only follow people whose tweets I would be interested in reading.  Otherwise I have to wade through all the uninteresting, irrelevant (to me) tweets to find the ones I'd like to read.  Reciprocity seems unwise on both sites, imho.

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          1. 72

             Goodpalposted 10 years agoin reply to this

             Cyber relations are different. I would reciprocate in personal relations; for example, when it comes to kindness, care or goodwill.

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11. 83

    rainsanmartinposted 10 years ago

    For me: To follow each Hubber that follows you would undo the benefit of "following".  When I follow someone I get an email each time they post an update, therefore I only follow a handful of Hubbers.

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