Really? This is supposed to be where people can talk about HP and writing, but it is full of inconsequential nonsense and spammers. Surely HP moderators, you can do something about this?
There must be a place for quotes and games on the Topical forums?
Please clean it up and move 'Freeform' over to the dark side.
Questions about HP Forms for help are "Getting Help for HubPages," "Hub Challenges," "Improving Your Article," and "HubPages Tutorial and Community." I will continue to post quotes in "Freeform Discussion." I get a lot of positive feedback. Just saying.
It's clutter, Kenna. I already suggested you use ONE thread and post your quotes in it, instead of posting a new one every single day. You will still get your feedback, don't worry, and it means the forum has fewer fluff posts to scroll though.
If it were possible to filter out Freeform, then many of us would do it. Unfortunately we can't.
We all try to work together as best we can.
Games should be in the topical forums under games & puzzles while quotes should be in books & literature, not in the freeform section.
I thought this was the whole point for making a "topical" section of the forums. So this kind of thing wouldn't happen.
One of the things I think would help is if they made the other forum topics more prominent somehow - maybe through use of tabs. I used to post on other topics like martial arts, etc. in the proper forums and no one would respond. At some point I realized that the only place to get attention was the Free Form Discussion forum. I only use it - I don't use the other forums -but I do restrict what topics I post - though I hardly ever post a topic. Funny thing is, the Free Form Discussion forum is actually for anything, including games and quotes, etc. It is the other way around in a way. People posting about traffic, rules, improving articles, really should be posting in the proper forums not the Free Form Discussion. For instance, there is a forum specifically for SEO, no one posts there. They post in Free Form Discussion on that topic.
The trouble is, they ALL appear here: https://hubpages.com/forum/hubpages There's no distinction in the main forum feed. You can't avoid them.
However, the topical forum is separated from this one, here: https://hubpages.com/forum/topical
The topical forum is pretty busy, so I don't know why people don't use it for non-writing, non-HP stuff.
I think most people don't think of clicking on that little button that takes you to the topical forums. It's not very obvious. When you go to the forum, you land on the Hubpages forum and I think the tendency is just to scan what's posted there. I think there needs to be tabs maybe; one says Hubpages and the other Topical. Something along the lines of directing people to specifics. Maybe a specific one for freeform.
Agree 100%
Of the 30 posts I see on the first page of the forum, I count 11 that are either spam or have nothing to do with writing on HP.
It's worse than just annoying. It creates an environment where new writers feel like this is a place to goof off instead of work hard, and successful Hubbers won't take the time to help newbies because of the frustration of wading through silly quotes, word games, personal issues, jokes, thoughts about dreams, etc.
The solution is simple - move the Freeform Discussion over to the Topical forum.
Or, create another forum where adults can talk about the business of working on HubPages without all the nonsense.
It was inevitable - once HP shut down the Q&A section, the spammers and gibberish babblers were bound to start posting their nonsense in the forums instead.
Agree 100% too. I don't really mind that there is a free form forum, but I do mind if those posts are mixed with HP help posts in the daily feed.
Help is so good for people. It's wonderrful HP offers different categories for needed help.
I agree that quotes, games, and the like should be moved to the topical forum. People are entitled to their own opinion, of course, but the threads aren't silly or nonsense for everyone. I think that the request to move them should be based on their inappropriate location rather than someone's personal view of their value.
I agree and I suspect that some people who are genuinely asking for HP help are having their posts bumped down by other irrelevant stuff that has nothing to do with Hubpages.
These Freeform Discussions and Serendipitous Threads, Puzzle Games, etc. should be placed separately in another running page.
The nomenclature of "Feed" is not appropriate. It includes all rubbish.
Kind of like the daily Google/Bing/Yahoo news pages..., which is exactly what I think HP wants. Some things are of interest; some things are not. And:
https://hubpages.com/community/forum/14 … ost3983770
https://hubpages.com/community/forum/14 … ost3982828
https://hubpages.com/community/forum/14 … ost3982593
https://hubpages.com/community/forum/14 … ost3982533
are not rubbish.
People care. People have fun. People really hurt and need to speak. Until such time as Google/Bing/Yahoo change their philosophy, I suggest you let it go.
These should all be in topical forums. Not the HP forums.
We shall agree to disagree? Besides, what with us being slammed by Real World, who cares?
Yes, exactly, they should. That's why that forum exists. For chat, for off-topic discussions, ramblings, etc. This 'half' is for people looking for information and answers regarding writing at HubPages. Why mix it up? It doesn't make any sense at all.
It's interesting that the only two people here supporting the existing arrangement are the ones who create the most off-topic threads
If they moderated the forums the way they moderate hubs ad nauseam it might be worth writing something here again. Moderators instead edit hubs and two months later flag the hub for quality. I now have my own blog and write there. Over 1,000,000 pageviews last year, won the Best New Personal Finance Blog of the Year award and broke $30,000 in revenue in 2017. 2018 is up over 400% from 2017. HP has to stop playing with the work of real professionals and moderate the BS in forums.
KeithTax, I don't ever reply here, and only log in to check my earnings from articles I wrote a bazillion years ago, but wanted to say I know you! I'm in the FI Community so was funny to read this post. P.S. I also make a full time income on my blog (well, as much as many teachers anyways). There's definitely life outside of content sites.
As with everything else here, it doesn't matter what Hubbers want the forums to be. It matters what HubPages wants the forums to be.
The message HubPages is sending is that they want these forums to be a place where people goof off, not a place where people learn and exchange ideas about writing online.
It might make HubPages more fun, but it also makes it harder for people who are trying to get better at what HP actually is about, which is supposed to be writing articles on the internet.
It makes it hard to sort through the forum for real information. It makes it hard for new writers to get help. It makes it frustrating for successful writers to provide that help. It makes you feel like you shouldn't even bother.
My issue isn't with the people posting the junk in the forums. I understand people want to enjoy themselves, be social, take a break from the world, etc. Though I do struggle to understand how Paul's post about someone making $11k here in one month gets buried by people who are more interested in word games.
My issue is more with HubPages, for not allowing people who are only interested in the writing part to have their space as well. It is really hard to understand why they won't simply move the Freeform Discussion over to the topics area.
Exactly, I get frustrated when Paul doesn't pin those posts tbh. Not because it's important, but because it gets lost in the clutter. What I do these days is I come to the forums check for any new posts (visited link colour helps) by looking at the username of the person who posted. I don't read forum thread topics anymore.
I seemed to have somehow missed this thread the first time around thanks to the clutter. Important stuff gets buried quick on the HP forums.
HP has one of the worst forum policies of any site I have known from 30 years in the business. And I work full time online.
I frankly don't give a damn how many editors they hire to work on articles. PLEASE hire at least one moderator to stop some of the forum garbage that gets posted on a regular basis.
PLEASE don't wait days or weeks to act on abusive posters.
Sites with sophisticated policies will lock threads that get out of control, delete abusive posts, aggressively ban abusive posters, etc. None of that happens here.
If HP can't or won't manage forums, then get rid of them.
Back to the Google/Bing/Yahoo thing... Front page equals various and much increased traffic. Worst case scenario, writing endeavors get shunted to topics; I don't want that either. Be careful what you wish for. HP wants the traffic. Seriously, this should be left alone. To kill front page is to kill all.
Consider the nature of our species; the current forums are a major attractant. Many writers here are already borderline as to continued participation. Writing is a darn tough business, taking away the fun is invoking the tipping point.
And if getting what some here wishes, and just allowing "writing subjects"; just what are those subjects to be? Does one want HP to decide? Or does one want HP to be as is?
Speaking in generals is not a basis for argument. If anyone looks through the threads, you will see others post topics you don't like theraggededge. Generalities are just that generalities. You made your point. I got it.
You misunderstand. It's not about whether I like the topics or not. I like a little fun as much as anyone. It's simply that the important Hubpages-related stuff gets quickly buried under the lighter non-writing related threads. Some people only visit the forums occasionally and probably miss lots of threads that they'd be interested in reading.
This forum should be dedicated to those who want to learn, ask questions, ask for help, share writing resources, improve their hubs, report technical problems, find out how the earnings programs work, make suggestions, even rant a little about editors' decisions. And, of course, discuss decisions made by staff.
And it's not as if there isn't a more appropriate place for the games and quotes, is there? No-one is suggesting banning these threads, merely posting them in the right forum.
Not quite sure what you mean about being general. I thought I was pretty specific.
I'm confused. I don't see what you're seeing.
For me the quotes and games appear under the subfolder Freeform Discussion.
The tree directory to it appears to be - HubPages Tutorials and Community»HubPages, the Community»Community News»Freeform Discussion
Which seems to be the right place for them?
Whereas this post "Why is this forum full of cr*p?" appears under Technical Questions?
Am I missing something?
The "Freeform" discussions should be in the topical forum section.
I agree. Too many people using it like Facebook. It gets tedious.
The ideal solution would be if we could filter out the frivolous stuff that has no relevance to HP. But maybe there are technical issues with that, or maybe HP sees it as promoting a community?
I want to read the forums for HP-related stuff.
Yes, it's annoying to have to wade through all the frivolous stuff.
NO technical difficulties (other than manhours I would say), because they already filter many topical forums.
What is cool about this link https://hubpages.com/forum/hubpages it defines each forum. It is up to HP staff to decide how to separate them accordingly. Not the writers.
Are we not allowed to make suggestions and requests any more? When did that happen?
Interesting. That is not what I said. I said it is up to the HP staff to decide. Not the writers. Nowhere did I write suggestions or requests.
I think most people do post in the right topical forum. The problem however (in my opinion) is that HP displays all new entries/replies from all topical forums in one combined daily feed. That daily feed being gone will solve the 'clutter' I think. Then you can choose the topical forum you're interested in and ignore the ones you're not interested in.
That's a good idea, but it doesn't really solve the problem. The feed isn't the issue. The issue is the Freeform Discussion forum. It is an ambiguous description which some people have decided means "post any ol' thing that enters your mind, even if it is self-indulgent nonsense and/or belongs in the Topical section".
It's hard to argue with that, because HubPages does nothing to stop it.
The abundance of these off-topic posts means that posts that are actually about online writing and useful to writers trying learn how to do well on HubPages get pushed down in the forum where fewer people ever see them. It doesn't matter how you set your feed. If you come to the forum itself you are barraged with these nonsense posts.
When I first started on HubPages I knew very little about online writing. I learned a lot just by reading this forum every day.
I feel sorry for anyone starting out on HubPages today.
I needed to find a post by Paul yesterday to post on a thread where a newbie complained about income here. I could barely find it because it was buried under so many qoutes and games.
I think HP should be concerned about this too.
There's a little grey button that appears for me in my feed on the right hand side when I hover over posts. It comes up with an option to "hide stories in this topic" and you can choose to hide a topic. I managed to hide freeform discussion this way earlier.
It didn't bother me that much, but it looks like we do have a choice.
I only noticed the button earlier today, not sure if it is new.
If anyone is interested in learning how to write articles that do well in niche sites lobobrandon has a new thread.
If you want to learn how to play games there are plenty of other forum threads to choose from.
lol. I have begun editing my hub which I will use as a case study for this tutorial. Right now I am ranking #14 for a term.
I have switched from Wordze to Ubersuggest. It does not let you know how you rank on the current keywords you are using but it does provide a lot more suggestions that I have been using to improve my articles. This has been going well and my traffic is up several thousand per day. (About 20-30% increase since November.) I am going to delay using semrush for the immediate future and see how things improve with this older tool.
Ubersuggest I used it once or twice many years ago when I first learned about Niel Patel. How do you use it though? I never could use it effectively. Do you type in your main keyword and then look for other suggestions which you could implement?
I just type in the main subject, for example "cruciate ligament repair dog" and then look at the things that people are searching for. I noticed that I always called it a cranial cruciate ligament, but a significant number of searchers are looking for "my dog´s anterior cruciate ligament" or they type in "acl". I think most of my articles are already thorough but I would not have thought about using that keyword.
Yes, this is what I was using SEMrush for. It's simple stuff like this that improves your rankings. Nice traffic increase though, but could you compare against the same time period last year? Is it also a significant increase or maybe even higher than comparing to Nov?
Compared to about a year ago, it it not much different. My traffic was flat most of 2017 since I did not have internet service and was no longer editing or adding new articles. Things started picking up a lot when I started editing each article. (I have a lot of them still to work on too.)
Must be interesting not to have seasonal hubs. Ubersuggest also takes into consideration Google suggest, I just realized that.
After you posted that, I went back to check Google suggest again. I typed in the same thing and did not find anything that was not of ubersuggest. Also, ubersuggest gives you the number of times that question was asked each month, which Google suggest does not do. If a question was asked 5000 times I am definitely going to be sure that the proper phrase is used. If it is only asked 10 times I am less likely to worry about it.
I had tried Google suggest per Susannah´s suggestion but Neil Patel´s program is giving a lot better results.
If you answer the Google suggest queries, you have a higher chance of being in the 0th search position. But this is hard to get, so it is not always worth the time. It's been a while since I've seen Susannah on the forums too.
It is used to give you ideas on keywords to use in your article: https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
For each of the articles you have written, type the keywords of your title into ubersuggest. See what phrases people are using to search for articles similar to yours. Are there phrases that your article does not contain, and subject matters that were not touched upon? If there are many people searching for a subject, and your article does not even cover it, then it will never show up on the search engine results.
Edit your article. Add those phrases and an answer to them, of course. If your article answers more questions it is more likely to be ranked higher, and to show up on several different search queries, not just the one you might have been thinking of when you wrote the title.
I used ubersuggest a while back and thought it was only okay (I believe it was owned by someone else before Patel took it over ???). I just took another look at it and it is very different than I remember, with some very useful upgrades. I will certainly be trying it as I write and update Hubs going forward
Over the past year or so I've been using AnswerThePublic quite a bit. It works on the same principle, where you input keywords and gives you a ton of questions and long-tail keyword ideas.
Using this along with more traditional keyword research methods I've managed to compile a spreadsheet with literally hundreds of viable titles within my niches.
For writers who struggle to come up with ideas for Hubs a little keyword research can really help. I figure I'll be busy until about 2020.
I just looked that page up and typed in the same phrase I have been working on this week. It gave me some new ideas. I think that a subject would be covered even better if it concluded the keywords from ubersuggest and also the phrases generated by this program.
Thanks for letting me know about this--I too have years of work ahead of me.
The main forum thread "HubPages Tutorials and Community" is infested with crap that should be placed exclusively in their own appropriate forum topics but this is not the case since the default (main) forum page contains everything from games, quotes, to philosophical garbage and spam. The forum topics structure on HubPages need to be SIMPLIFIED.
This is what I propose:
1. Merge "Community News" and "Freeform Discussion" under one topic "Freeform Discussion".
2. Delete the "Hub Challenges" topic which is no longer used.
3. Like we got rid of the religious forums, we could EXCLUDE all forum topics from the default (main) forum page EXCEPT for the topic "Getting help from the HubPages Community" OR... Make the "Getting help from the HubPages Community" the default forum page.
If this was to be implemented, we may need to rename the default forum page "Getting help from the HubPages Community" to something more appropriate like "Writers Knowledge Sharing" or something more appropriate.
What do you think?
I agree. These forums are getting too complex...some changes like your suggestions are needed. Just like getting rid of the Questions and Answers... a forum is the only discussion needed and it should not be unlimited in size. A maximum of 200 worlds should be sufficient per posting or responses. Use of threading is good to keep the discussion in an organized fashion.
+ 1 I've been saying that multiple times. The main problem is that HP shows all forum topics in one main thread.
Yup, this would be perfect. There's no need of deleting hub challenges, it is still part of the HP writers section of the forum. There's no harm in having no new threads.
Thanks for telling me about ubersuggest, I'm going to try It out.
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