Fan Mail - some help please

1. 70

   makingamarkposted 9 years ago

   I'm reading an awful lot about Hubpages at the moment and while a lot of it is going in, not everything is and I'm certainly not very good at being able to reference back to where I read it. Frankly it's all very new!
   
   One thing which concerns me is fan mail. I've got a vague recollection of reading something that said Hubbers shouldn't leave comments to the effect of "Hi - come and visit me" - but I can't for the life of me remember where.
   
   When I used to get a comment on my lenses at Squidoo saying "Nice lens come and visit my lenses" or equivalent I always used to delete it since the purpose of the comment was to draw attention to their lenses rather than to say nice words about mine.
   
   Do you recommend I do the same thing at HubPages? I received my first one today, soon after posting in the Forum for the first time.  I've also heard of other Squidoo people who have received similar comments.
   
   What's the best thing to do? Plus where on earth did I get the idea that this type of comment was discouraged?

   replyreport
   1. 89

      Nell Roseposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Hiya, yes its the same everywhere I think, saying come back to my hub is just spamming. Don't worry about it you will soon get used to it. Its just the same as Squidoo, just accept the comments that are relative to your articles on here just like there, and welcome to hubpages!

      replyreport
      1. 70

         makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Many thanks for filling me in Nell - and for the welcome. Good to know my instincts are still on the ball.
         
         I'd instantly hit the delete key - and then wondered whether I was being very mean - and what on earth was the recommended practice.

         replyreport
   2. 67

      Hamshiposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I was used to deleting such comments on Squidoo so I did the same here too. It's just not a good online etiquette to leave comments, anywhere on the internet, with the only intention to receive them back.

      replyreport
   3. 72

      relacheposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That's considered tacky anywhere on this site baring the thread for getting feedback on your Hubs.

      replyreport
      1. 60

         Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Feed back on hubs are a great way to get other views besides your own ,it is like looking in your mirror every morning ,and you see from your own eyes you look great, but you did not see the thread hanging from your hem,or shirt, or the toilet paper you step on leaving a public bathroom. The point is people can see from the outer person some times better then you can see within. That is why you have judges, because they are to judge with out being bias . Here on hub-pages many do not really personally know each other accept here in writing ,some times it is a hard pill to swallow that what we think is right ,and some one else says it's not . That can be true or it can be false . But you have an answer with no strings attached. I have written over 50 hubs, I enjoyed the journey writing ,most are not quality. But I did get good feed back and I did get some great supporters to keep writing until I do reach quality. I have a lot to be happy for ,and it is a great thing to be heard in writing here on HubPages.

         replyreport
         1. 81

            snakeslaneposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            +1

            replyreport
         2. 70

            makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            I wasn't commenting on feedback per se - that's always good to get. I've lots of respect for those who provide genuine feedback and then exit.
            
            It was the use of feedback as a "look at me" / way in to do the verbal equivalent of a "link drop" which I object to.
            
            It's futile and spurious and I think much less of site owners (lensmasters or hubbers) who follow this practice.

            replyreport
   4. 93

      Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I feel the same about "like mine and I will like yours" -- it makes me think of Bubblews where some members do not even read articles, they just want more followers, so they "like" and say "now like mine". So shabby !  When I send fan mail it is because I really enjoy that person's hubs, or I am welcoming a new member then read a hub of theirs.

      replyreport
2. 61

   The Examiner-1posted 9 years ago

   Are you saying that you are only getting fan mail? If they are following you also, go to their site (You will see there name is in 'blue' and when you click on this it will take you there.) and see whether they have any Hubs (article) yet. If not, then do not reply. Otherwise you may research their work and decide whether or not you wish to reply and/or follow them.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That was certainly my standard practice on Squidoo - but only if the comment itself looked reasonable.
      
      I operate two rules for deletion of comments (on my blogs and lenses) in this order
      - ask me to look at your sites and I delete automatically - no matter how good the comment
      - make a reasonable comment but have no site of your own - and I tend to park and review again in a month's time. I don't publish the comments of people who have made no contribution
      
      Which explains why I won't be making comments on hubs until my lenses get transferred!

      replyreport
3. 70

   makingamarkposted 9 years ago

   My goodness - "a complete pratt" with a rather pretentious username has just left this comment on my profile
   "Great hubs and very informative!!"
   Just one problem - my lenses have NOT yet transferred from Squidoo - and I have no hubs!
   
   I do know what to do with comments like these!

   replyreport
   1. 31

      Writer Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Do you mean that the comment was left on your fan mail?  Just ignore it.  Nobody but you will ever read your fan mail because nobody cares about someone else's fan mail.  If you delete it, you'll just make a new follower feel insulted.  Followers are good to have!

      replyreport
      1. 70

         makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Huh? Did you not read the comment left and my comment? 
         
         I completely disagree with your perspective - "fake followers" are a waste of time just like "fake anything" is a waste of time.

         replyreport
         1. 67

            Hamshiposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            +1

            replyreport
      2. 87

         Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         That particular follower is blatantly not genuine, so why would he be good to have?

         replyreport
   2. 93

      Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         send them WF's stickman doodle.     He stole it, but it fits the issue.

      replyreport
      1. 31

         Writer Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         (I added the words.)

         replyreport
   3. 61

      The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Did you receive it on your fan mail or your email?

      replyreport
      1. 91

         Jean Bakulaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Welcome makingamark,
         If people send Fan Mail, you can delete it, even farther down the road if you notice the person doesn't read your hubs anymore. I trim mine down every now and then. You will be able to distinguish the "true fans" because they will leave comments that prove they actually read the piece.
         
         Best Wishes here at HP. There are a lot of rules, and they change often too. We all have trouble keeping up .

         replyreport
4. 82

   Mark Ewbieposted 9 years ago

   The fakes are an insult.  They assume you are stupid enough to appreciate "Great hub" and will look at their stuff, or that any links will do them some good.
   
   It is no loss to delete them.

   replyreport
   1. 31

      Writer Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Mark,
      
      She was talking about fan mail, not comments on Hubs.  Links on fan mail are NoFollow. And, she may not realize that on HP you can't stop people from following you, even if they are spammers.
      
      A lot of the Squidoo people are following each other, it seems, just to keep in touch until their articles are transferred. 
      
      I think some of them who have followed 100 people are going to be in for a big surprise when they get thousands of emails about new Hubs published in September when the transfers happen!

      replyreport
      1. 82

         Mark Ewbieposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Oh OK.  I don't approve fan mail any more either.

         replyreport
         1. 31

            Writer Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, but you're joking.  She isn't.
            
            

            replyreport
            1. 82

               Mark Ewbieposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Cool pic!

               replyreport
               1. 31

                  Writer Foxposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  I stole it.

                  replyreport
                  1. 82

                     Mark Ewbieposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     Even better!

                     replyreport
      2. 67

         Hamshiposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         "I think some of them who have followed 100 people are going to be in for a big surprise when they get thousands of emails about new Hubs published in September when the transfers happen!"
         
         They can go to notifications settings for the hubbers they follow and unsubscribe from receiving email notifications every time a new hub is published.

         replyreport
5. 0

   calculus-geometryposted 9 years ago

   This may not be makingamark's cup of tea, but I offer it for any new users reading this thread who want to know their options for managing fan mail. 
   
   If you go to edit your profile, down at the bottom there are options for displaying or not displaying accolades and fanmail.  If you don't care to put these on display, you can check either "only me" or "no one."
   
   
   
   (edit: even if you check "no one" you can actually still see it, so it's the same as "only me.")

   replyreport
   1. 70

      makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you calculus geometry - at last a useful comment on something that is useful for me to know!
      
      For the record - for those who don't "get it" - I was slightly amused that HB appears to suffer the same problems as Squidoo i.e. the person who comments without looking or reading.
      
      Thanks also Marisa, Jean, Mark, Phyllis and Hamshi for your pertinent comments
      
      Writer Fox (Aunt Mollie?)  - I'm afraid I don't care for any stolen artwork on my sites or my threads. Please remove it immediately.

      replyreport
6. 72

   word55posted 9 years ago

   You see the violation message after a message is sent from fan mail. Try sending me a message and you'll see it. Be sure and send a nice respectable message now.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      What's the violation message and why does it arise?
      
      (I'm afraid I'm still at the stage where HB terminology and practices need to be explained to me. "In jokes" on HB also pass me by at the moment)

      replyreport
      1. 67

         Hamshiposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I think he's talking about the automated message you see right after sending someone an email on HP.
         
         It's like a little warning message saying you shouldn't spam, harass or send the same message to more than one person.

         replyreport
         1. 70

            makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks Hamshi - sounds like a very sensible idea.

            replyreport
7. 51

   pateludayposted 9 years ago

   Sometimes while appreciating a hub one can be terse. I would love to be invited to visit good informative hubs.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I'm afraid in my experience the people who invite you to visit their lenses/hubs are invariably people who have written little of substance - and who also don't appreciate the protocols of how to comment.

      replyreport
      1. 51

         pateludayposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Yes people should follow protocols.

         replyreport