Editbot.. wth......

1. 92

   Faceless39posted 7 years ago

   Editbot, which was completely unwelcome to my hubs (although who cares) decided to *edit my follower's COMMENTS!!* = "i have never heard of this before. its a (*it's a) very scary thing." You are now editing my follower's COMMENTS? You have GOt to be kidding me!!!!!!! At what point is HubPages becoming a mind unto itself? When do I get a say in how this works (or doesn't work?) on my own pages? Editing my comments is ridiculous.......

   replyreport
   1. 89

      JayeWisdomposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I have to agree that editing comments to a hub is ridiculous!  There are apparently some editors at HP that don't have enough real work to do. Editing comments for grammatical errors reduces the spontaneity of readers' responses (and may piss some of them off so much that they stop making comments entirely). Does anyone in HP Administration ever think through the potential results of these changes-merely-for-the-sake-of-making-changes before rolling them out?

      replyreport
      1. 93

         UnnamedHaraldposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I assume that Google does not discriminate between text in your article and text in your comments. Therefore, your articles' rankings in Google search would suffer and that is what HP is trying to address. It's a change, for sure, but hardly a waste of time.

         replyreport
         1. 82

            psycheskinnerposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            It is a waste of time because if commenters think we are changing their words they will lose faith in this site completely.  You never ever change commenters words.  Accept or delete, never edit.

            replyreport
            1. 67

               justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               +1

               replyreport
            2. 89

               JayeWisdomposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               I agree. If someone reads a hub and wants to comment, what he or she writes should be left "as is."

               replyreport
            3. 67

               makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               Absolutely agree - I always delete comments with poor spelling - but I'm not going to delete a comment for one typo!

               replyreport
               1. 88

                  Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  Why do you need to delete comments with a typo?  Surely that's the point, the Editbot has corrected the typo for you.  Or are these typos which the Editbot has missed?

                  replyreport
                  1. 92

                     Kylyssaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                     There are several things that bother some of us about editbot changing comments. Let me explain a few of them and also a few reasons they would prompt hubbers to delete the comments causing the problems.
                     
                     1. Editing the words of other people without their permission feels a bit unethical. There's no warning to those who comment letting them know their words might be changed. This may make people arriving via search engine fear their words can be twisted by hub authors if they see changes they did not make on their comments. Some writers would prefer to delete a comment rather than change a person's words without permission.
                     
                     2. Editbot doesn't get enough of the errors for the edits to be meaningful. It leaves the most abysmal errors alone right next to minor problems it corrects or even incorrectly corrects. The benefit isn't worth the cost in trust if the comment is changed but still isn't even close to grammatically correct.
                     
                     3. Online writers have been conditioned to think that flags on working dashboards indicate something they need to address which will result in some kind of penalty if not addressed. The bots that never go away may bother people used to working inside that framework for the last decade. I think the thought behind deleting those comments is that the error flags, the robots, may eventually leave the dashboard if the comments causing them are deleted.
                     
                     4. The question of whether or not hubscore is affected by the number of editbot corrections on a hub's comments hasn't been addressed clearly and decisively enough for hubbers to know for sure whether or not these cute little flags hurt their hubscores and hubber scores. Again, I think many are considering removing the comments that set off the bots to preserve their scores in case they do affect them and in case the bots ever disappear after the comments are deleted.

                     replyreport
                     1. 89

                        JayeWisdomposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                        KyLyssa - In addition to the ethics of whether or not readers' comments should be arbitrarily edited, if HP editors attempt to edit anything--either a hub or readers' comments--and don't do it accurately, I fail to see how that could please Google!

                        replyreport
                  2. 67

                     makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                     No the point I'm making is I don't think ANYBODY (me or Editbot) needs rto delete or edit a comment for one typo.
                     
                     If everything written on the net were to be perfect it wouldn't be real! We want real people commenting on hubs and real people make typos - including me.
                     
                     Now if HubPages was to provide people who comment with five minutes to edit their typos that would be a really good move!

                     replyreport
   2. 91

      lisavollrathposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Same here. Not a single edit to the hub itself, but 9 edits on comments that are 2-3 years old. One edit was incorrect, and I haven't a clue how to uncorrect it.

      replyreport
      1. 70

         PaigSrposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         While looking at the edits on my sites there is a check box next to the words that were updated. I believe that if you uncheck that box it will return the edits back to how you had them.
         
         Just to make sure I clicked on the Editbot at the bottom of my lenses and got the following pop up.
         
         Editbot made spelling and grammatical corrections to this Hub! To view and/or undo the edits, open the live version of your Hub and click on the grey 'show up to x corrections' button in the author center box at the top of the page.

         replyreport
      2. 67

         makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         you untick the box

         replyreport
         1. 70

            PaigSrposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Correct.

            replyreport
      3. 89

         JayeWisdomposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         If HP editors leave something to be desired in accuracy, they may be engaging in "busy work" trying to justify their existence.

         replyreport
   3. 72

      Matthew Meyerposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Marina just posted an update related to EditBot here.
      http://hubpages.com/forum/post/2767050

      replyreport
2. 92

   Faceless39posted 7 years ago

   Another example from My COMMENTS section: "The original is breathtaking and you can spend a hour viewing it" (*an hour viewing it.) This is absolutely Ridiculous!!! !! !!

   replyreport
3. 92

   Faceless39posted 7 years ago

   Another example from my Comments!! "very nice job learned alot, thank you!!!" (*a lot) Why are you correcting my comments!!? You have got to be kidding..

   replyreport
4. 92

   Faceless39posted 7 years ago

   Yet another example from my Comments .. "to protect oneself" (*one self) ......

   replyreport
5. 92

   Faceless39posted 7 years ago

   Another example from my Comments: " from San Fransisco" (*San Francisco)

   replyreport
6. 92

   Faceless39posted 7 years ago

   Another comment corrected: "A very well written article I think its a great read" (*it's a)

   replyreport
7. 92

   Faceless39posted 7 years ago

   " I new both, but I just didn't think of them before as being a powerful tool" (*knew)

   replyreport
8. 92

   Faceless39posted 7 years ago

   "will definately be checking them out!" (*definitely)

   replyreport
9. 92

   Faceless39posted 7 years ago

   "I try and avoid using a colon, because I'm never quite sure of how it should be used, so this was very helpful to me (as are your other Hubs) Maybe now I'll be brave enought to use a colon every now and again." (*try to; *enough) .. more Comments!

   replyreport
10. 92

    Faceless39posted 7 years ago

    "During the mating season (spring time), he turns a bit aggressive " (*springtime)

    replyreport
11. 92

    Faceless39posted 7 years ago

    "I usually try and go to a local greenhouse." (*try to go)

    replyreport
12. 74

    Barbara Kayposted 7 years ago

    I think I have more hubs that have corrected comments than I do those that don't.

    replyreport
13. 90

    Chriswillman90posted 7 years ago

    I don't care if it's in the comments as long as it'll help with Google rankings in the long run. People need to calm down, I've seen way too much complaining when the HP staff is obviously trying to improve Hubpages and where it stands.

    replyreport
    1. 72

       Elsie Hagleyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       I agree with you 100%.
       Very happy with the Editbot, thank you.

       replyreport
14. 67

    makingamarkposted 7 years ago

    It so important to correct "Whats" to "What's" in a three year old comment on a successful hub!

    replyreport
    1. 67

       justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       One should ask the New York Times if it's important and if they launch their in-house EditBot to correct readers' comments.
       
       Frankly this editor for comment is beyond silly. Makes me think to Squidoo that wasted time with such ridiculous things instead of important ones - traffic recovery - and ended up drowned.
       
       Besides, I'm convinced that won't help anyway. Google doesn't mind proper comments - otherwise all sites would edit them; they want spontaneous comments.

       replyreport
       1. 67

          makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

          1+ That's exactly what it keeps reminding me of too.

          replyreport
15. 96

    Sue Adamsposted 7 years ago

    I don't understand what the moaners want.
    
    You have to remember that the notice below your profile image says: "More by this Author". Most of the above mentioned corrections are genuine, exactly as the text should have been written in the first place by people who dare call themselves "authors". Authors don't make stupid, uneducated mistakes like "whats", "than" instead of "then" etc.
    
    Now Editbot comes along to help you learn proper English, and you get angry!
    
    As for the comments, isn'it nice for the public to enjoy comments uncluttered with primitive errors? It may even slightly raise the average reading age, currently, that of a 12 year-old!
    
    Editbot is your friend. With a few tweaks suggested by proper authors on all related threads, Editbot is a godsend for HubPages.

    replyreport
    1. 67

       justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       Not in the comments. People who comment do genuine comments and don't want their comments to be corrected; for whatever reason.
       
       Plus the only way for HubPages to recover traffic is NOT with the implementation of EditBots or other fancy software.
       
       It is in getting an SSL certification (required from Google since the beginning of this year!!!), a way to keep site scrapers off from stealing our work*, the removal of spam and other of such things. These are far more important than those small and silly edits - on my Hubs edits were definitely beyond ridiculous. "a or an" - "try and - try to" - "1960's or 1960s" and the like. Even the most glorious newspapers do have such mistakes on ALL their pages and still keep their ranking in search engines.
       
       Whether you agree or not, traffic won't recover with this new "tool". It's nice to see your English mistakes getting a few corrections, yet this won't help the site recover traffic, thus increase advertisement rates and thus more readers and earnings for everyone on here.
       
       *Re site scrapers: a couple of years ago I stopped reporting any of my stolen Hubs, it's useless, there were too many of them, a huge waste of time - unpaid waste of time. Strangely this site is one of the most copied sites online; it is not for no reason and the team should rather work on that instead of minimal spelling corrections.

       replyreport
       1. 93

          viryaboposted 7 years agoin reply to this

          My thoughts exactly.

          replyreport
       2. 89

          JayeWisdomposted 7 years agoin reply to this

          I enthusiastically agree with you! HP should get the SSL certificate! I've already registered my displeasure with EditBot "correcting" readers' spontaneous comments about hubs, so there's no need to repeat it. However, while I'm complaining (and I am), I may as well say that I cannot understand why HP Admin. changed the opening page format from one that was inviting to readers to that cramped little vertical line of boxes with a few words going down the left side of the screen. There is nothing inviting in the "new" look. That's why I contend that HP Admin. just makes changes for the sake of making changes--not because they are improvements (as they rarely are).

          replyreport
          1. 89

             JayeWisdomposted 7 years agoin reply to this

             I'm curious:  does anyone reading on HP find the new opening format better than the previous one? If so, why?

             replyreport
             1. 67

                justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                Well the former one was the one that would feature the Hub of the Day, is it?
                
                I thought it was too big with NO place left for what's to read on here. Yet, half the page with the HOTD and the half below with pinterest like clickable images and titles - one per section for example - would have been a good idea. I remember that Squidoo had once a great home page which generated a lot of clicks from passers by.

                replyreport
             2. 77

                WriteAngledposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                The times I find I have been thrown out of this web site and have to log in again, I always end up half-closing my eyes while clicking to get back to my account page. I loathe having things that do not interest me pushed into my face whether I want them or not. I have no interest whatsoever in reading hubs for the sake of simply reading them. If a hub comes up in a web search I perform (which hardly ever happens), that is a different matter, but I could not give a toss about hub of the day, hot hubs, related hubs and similar excrement.

                replyreport
    2. 67

       makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       The moaners would like more effort to be applied to better effect.

       replyreport
       1. 93

          viryaboposted 7 years agoin reply to this

          +1

          replyreport
16. 96

    Sue Adamsposted 7 years ago

    I like your enthusiasm. Why not post a new forum thread on SSL and your other concerns. I'm sure the team will listen and respond.

    replyreport
    1. 67

       justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       Apart from the SSL stuff I do think that others already started forums about them and that the team never came up with any kind of solution.
       
       Given the low number of hubs left on my account, I won't invest more time on the site. If team reads forums, they'll see my posts; if they care, they'll do something.

       replyreport
       1. 60

          DasEngelposted 7 years agoin reply to this

          You already have your own website so basically you've been wasting your time all this way writing on someone else's website. I'm moving to both Blogger, WordPress and Blogspot, btw. You?

          replyreport
          1. 67

             justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

             Well first, I write wherever I want and it is none of your business.
             
             But I will kindly answer that I wait to cashout before leaving. This account is, as I said earlier, a former Squidoo one. My main HP account was deleted months ago

             replyreport
             1. 60

                DasEngelposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                I have already sent hubPages a request to take my account off, for that matter.
                
                Hopefully we will meet on Blogger, WordPress, Blogspot (or whatever unknown, little known mysterious venue there is on the Internet that is to be found).

                replyreport
                1. 67

                   justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                   What??? I'm surprised, you don't like HP any more? Didn't you create a forum especially to bash other platforms such as Blogger, WordPress and the like? LOL.
                   
                   Anyways, if you work hard, you'll make more money on those platforms, unless you find THE niche that is not over-exploited. Best of luck

                   replyreport
                   1. 60

                      DasEngelposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                      I never sent HubPages any such request.

                      replyreport
                      1. 67

                         justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                         That is not what you wrote a few posts above but this is none of my business so I'd day goodbye for now.

                         replyreport
                         1. 60

                            DasEngelposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                            You seem to be a little confused. Are you?

                            replyreport
                         2. 67

                            makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                            a small reminder for the really confused
                            
                            http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/132811#post2764050

                            replyreport
                            1. 67

                               justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                               Oooh... Gosh. Thanks Katherine... This is one thread I didn't follow

                               replyreport
                               1. 67

                                  makingamarkposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                                  

                                  replyreport
                      2. 67

                         justholidaysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                         What's your problem?
                         
                         Not confused, but you seem to be a bit confused
                         
                         Now, if you don't mind, I'd like this forum to focus on its main topic; which is related to the EditBot not to your endeavours.
                         
                         Bye.

                         replyreport
          2. 88

             Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

             Haha! DasEngel, you finally got the message.  You're not quite as dumb as I thought (though I do hope you eventually work out that Blogger and Blogspot are the same thing).

             replyreport
             1. 60

                DasEngelposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                I'll reply to this observant critique of yours. After 7 years, that is.
                
                (Regarding your edit: I avoid the trap.)

                replyreport
                1. 60

                   DasEngelposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                   After 82 minutes:  How much success is it (as a personal website owner) if I own two unpopular, seldom-visited websites one of them being on sale?

                   replyreport
                   1. 88

                      Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                      I would've thought not at all successful, are you in that position?

                      replyreport
                      1. 60

                         DasEngelposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                         I'll reconsider if I want to buy that website (on sale) to get myself some position.

                         replyreport
                         1. 88

                            Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                            Which website is that?

                            replyreport
                            1. 96

                               theraggededgeposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                               HubPages!

                               replyreport
17. 83

    Good Guyposted 7 years ago

    Looks like invaded by weird-looking tv-shaped aliens.  Lots of them because I have hundreds of comments in many of my hubs.  Two thumbs DOWN!!!

    replyreport
18. 82

    TortisShellposted 7 years ago

    Yep.  If I have errors in my hubs, they are usually meant to be there.

    replyreport
19. 95

    FatFreddysCatposted 7 years ago

    I stopped paying attention to the EditBot corrections the day after it went "live." Out of my 100 or so Hubs that received the EditBot scan (so far), only ONE had a legitimate typo in the hub itself. The rest were in the comments left by others.  It's not my fault that the people who comment on my Hubs can't spell!!

    replyreport
20. 90

    Nell Roseposted 7 years ago

    And on top of all that......ever since these horror bots have invaded the hubs, my daily read score has dropped right down! bah humbug!

    replyreport
21. 74

    Barbara Kayposted 7 years ago

    Hubpages is really trying to help us. I just don't like how my page looks such a mess.

    replyreport
    1. 72

       Elsie Hagleyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       What do you mean, your page is such a mess, only you can see those orange corrections.
       Have a nice day, I'm very happy with the EditBot.

       replyreport
22. 0

    Snakesmumposted 7 years ago

    Today I've just gone through my hubs and checked all the corrections.
    Most of them were fine, and just typos.  Some of the corrections, however,
    were spellings of which I use the Australian, or British spelling for words.
    These changes, I just don't accept.
    
    Also, there were a few place names which were changed, so obviously the
    editbot is unable to differentiate between capitalised names, and similar words.
    
    Yes, I know I can untick the box and refuse the alteration, but this is time-consuming.
    Would also like the little symbol to be removed once I've checked the hubs, and
    I think HP is looking at this.
    
    I'm glad to have the typos corrected, but hope the bot doesn't come through my
    hubs again any time soon!

    replyreport