Adding people who add you

1. 61

   TessSchlesingerposted 6 years ago

   I pretty much thought that this went out of fashon about 6 or 7 years ago. However over the last week, I have seen several people operate on the basis that if they add you, then you must add them. Someone has just also written that in their profile - that s/he will add whoever adds him/her.
   
   So here's the thing. I don't think it's a very good advertisement for one's work. What it clearly says it that the only reason one has fans or followers is that people added one back in order to reciprocate. It has nothing to do with the quality of one's work.
   
   I am very, very areful that I always follow those people that  actually want to read. And unless one is reading all day and every day, I think it highly unlikely that one can read more than a dozen or two people''s articles.
   
   Same principle applies to social media. One should never really follow more than 150/200 (Dunbar's number), but rather allow many people to follow you than you are following.
   
   What say you?
   
   Perception matters.

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      Christy Kirwanposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      We definitely recommend adding only users whose work you are interested in and whom you would enjoy following. HubPages followers don't really do much to increase traffic or anything like that, so the intention of the feature was just to help users follow the other writers they care about.

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         TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Kristy. Much appreciated for clearing that up.

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      poppyrposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      People are strange like that. Scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
      Once I got fan mail that just said “hi follow me.” I didn’t.

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         TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         You just made me laugh! Indeed.

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2. 93

   Titiaposted 6 years ago

   I did the follow thing in the beginning, but not anymore. Once in a while I get an email that someone is following me. As for FB: I have a lot of friends, but I follow only a few.

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   dougwest1posted 6 years ago

   I took a look at your profile and you write about a variety of topics. I would guess we are probably from different sides of the political fence but I do enjoy seeing other prospectives, especially when they are from outside the United States. Keep up the good work and I am now a follower of yours. I follow people that write on topic I want to read about and if they follow me back that is fine with me.

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      TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Hi, thanks. I lived in the States for 11 years - 9 years in Cali and 2 years in Texas. I have always been a progressive (which is another word for socialism) regardless of which country I've lived in.
      
      I've lived and worked on three continents and in six countries - South Africa, Lesotho, America, England, Scotland, and Spain.

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4. 93

   Jeremy Gillposted 6 years ago

   It's polite. While having more followers may not significantly help traffic, a higher number increases the professional appearance of our profile.
   
   I don't follow everyone who follows me (especially people without any hubs), but if they took the time to devote a little attention to my page and my material, it's good form to reciprocate. Certainly not required, but after all, what's the harm?

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   1. 61

      TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Nope. Used to be good form. Not anymore. That's just what Kirsty says.
      
      I just also googled it.
      
      QUOTE; while old school Twitter etiquette told us that the polite thing to do is to follow everyone who follows you on Twitter, that suggestion is no longer true, nor is it useful for everyone who uses Twitter.
      
      QUOTE: Furthermore, some people look at the ratio of a Twitter user's followers to the number of people he follows. If a Twitter user follows a lot more people than follow him, then it could be argued that his content is not that interesting or he's just following a lot of people in an attempt to boost his own Twitter followers.
      
      https://www.lifewire.com/should-i-follo … er-3476770
      
      The harm is that it gives the impression that your writing isn't very good and that you haven't anything interesting to say. We have a few split seconds to give an impressiion as to whether to take the time to read someone or not. One of the ways we access is to check their followed/follwer ratio.

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      1. 93

         Jeremy Gillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         1. The article you linked to discusses Twitter, not HubPages (which is what my comment is referring to).
         2. The articles even acknowledges "it's true that more followers open the door for more potential exposure."
         3. The issue of mass-following is different than whether to reciprocate people who follow you. I very much agree it's not good to just send out numerous follows in the hopes of getting some in return.
         
         But this isn't a right-wrong debate. To me, it's a great way to spread goodwill among hubbers, but others may not see it that way. Whatever feels right is what you should do.

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            TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            It doesn't matter whether it's facebook, twitter, Google Plus, or hubpages - viewers on the web evaluate all these things the same way.
            
            Your views don't come from hubpages. They come from google. The people who read your articles form an opinion of you based on various things. One of the factors people decide on is whether the only way one could get followers was to add them...

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            1. 93

               Jeremy Gillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Definitely agree that people shouldn't send out requests in the hopes of being followed in return.
               
               However, don't forget that most people never even see our profile (and thus our number of followers); readers typically hit a certain article and leave without ever brushing by our profiles. In other words, I wouldn't lose sleep over the exact ratio.

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                  TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  You have a point!

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         2. 77

            Nadine Mayposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            I agree with you Jeremy that following is a great way to spread goodwill among other writers. Especially new members who only have a few articles but they are of interest.
            When four years ago my first article was accepted it was Bill Holland who commented on my first hubs, and later a few other members. Those members are still with me today and I got to know their style and subjects. Those comments were encouraging enough for me to stay with Hubpages.  Even today when I have a great battle to keep being a member it's the people who are genuine who keep me from leaving. 
            
            For me, there is an underlying decency to honor the person that has taken the trouble to read your article and left an intelligent comment. Over the years that has always been my practice, I read a chosen article and leave a comment.
            When I discovered that some were leaving a comment but clearly had not read the post, I started to skip commenting on theirs, but that only happened during the last year or so.
            
            Personally, I can only write from what I have experienced or am passionate about. Many members write articles from their heart. Those I want to follow and support. The members that plainly have chosen subjects that might be profitable, those I want to gradually delete, but that is just me.

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            1. 61

               TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Just curious. Did you read what Hub[age staff member, Kristy Kirwin, said in answer to my question?
               
               "We definitely recommend adding only users whose work you are interested in and whom you would enjoy following. HubPages followers don't really do much to increase traffic or anything like that, so the intention of the feature was just to help users follow the other writers they care about."
               
               In other words, the staff of hubpages does not encourage you to add followers simply because they added you.
               
               If you're here to get encouragement to carry on writing, and that is your goal, by all means add as many followers as you like, if you think that is going to make you a better writer. However, that is not what you said to me. You said you were here to promote your books and to link to them. I explained to you that wasn't permitted on hubpages anymore.
               
               Earlier you also said that you couldn't understand why your work wasn't featured when you had so many books published. What you failed to mention is that you own the publishing company, and that you did the editing.
               
               Personally, like other professional hubbers here, I am here to get paid. Hubpabges now has professional standards that professional writers follow. 
               
               You have also told me that English is not your first language and that you are dyslexic and that is why you write incorrect, ungrammatical English. That's all very well, but you are not going to get published/featured if your English is not at a professional, first language level.

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                  Nadine Mayposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  Tess, I do appreciate our private conversation on Facebook messenger, but when you so bluntly told me I was not dyslexic, I was flabbergasted. How could someone with your background and skills be so ignorant? I replied commenting on your lack of knowledge, ignoring the emotions I sat with. Your reply was " I'm an atheist. Don't believe in Gods, spirituality etc. I will google dyslexia."
                  In your favor, you then investigated and admitted that you had been ignorant and apologized.
                  I told you that I NEVER knew about earning from article writing but that someone told me that it was a good place for an author to promote their work. I still do but in a different way.
                  There is another error I want to point out on this forum. Yes I became my publisher's partner and yes, I did typesetting for him, never editing!  Those are two different functions altogether. Typesetting is essentially design work and nothing to do with language.  My job is designing book covers and any illustrations necessary.
                  My partner/husband is my walking dictionary and excellent in English! I have now asked him to edit my articles one by one, but for you to tell me that I'm not going to get published/featured if my English is not at a professional, first language level, that is an arrogant and very unkind reply which you would do far better to keep to yourself. .

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                  1. 61

                     TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                     You wanted to know why you weren't featured. I told you.
                     
                     1. Your work wasn't optimized for the web.
                     2. Your writing was not to a professional standard.
                     3. Hubpages can no longer be used for self promotion and many of your articles were self-promotional.
                     4. I suggested that you deleted some of the people you followed because it gave a negative impression. This wasn't why I opened this thread by the way. I got invited to follow someone who followed me..
                     5. You asked me about the topics. I said I had no idea beause I was a atheist and didn't believe in that sort of thing.
                     
                     With regard to what I said about dyslexia, I wasn't wrong - just there appeared to be many different ideas of what dyslexia is. I said that people who have dyslexia see words as moving. Here is a site that says exactly that. I just conceded the point because it wasn't worth arguing about, and if there is disagreement amongst experts, who am I to argue? In other words, I was 100% correct in what I said.
                     
                     "Most people think of dyslexia as seeing words or letters that are reversed, but that phenomenon only occurs in a small number of dyslexic patients. The majority of those with dyslexia see the words move when reading, and this movement can make the words go in and out of focus, float on the page or drift up and down or sideways. The letters in the words may also move closer together or pull apart."
                     
                     http://www.ireadbetternow.com/resources … f-dyslexia
                     
                     You said, "but for you to tell me that I'm not going to get published/featured if my English is not at a professional, first language level, that is an arrogant and very unkind reply which you would do far better to keep to yourself."
                     
                     No, it's neither arrogant nor unkind.
                     
                     This is a professional site. It's a business. When a colleague tells you something in order to help you because you want to know why you have a 47 hubber score and your articles are unfeatured, then, if you want to be helped, you need to be able to handle the input.
                     
                     If you simply want to feel better about having a hubber 46 score well, then, I'm the wrong person for the job. I apologize.
                     
                     You might also like to back read through these posts. Many people on this site are told that English should be their first language and that it is unlkely that their work will be featured if they cannot write to a professional standard.
                     
                     By all means get your husband to assist you. I wish you well.

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                        Nadine Mayposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                        Quite honestly I have had enough of this conversation. Let's just agree to disagree and call it a day.

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         Jean Bakulaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Another point--
         Between improving articles already written and trying to read and find time to write new ones, who has time to read most people we followed when we were new here? I barely have time to read the forums to catch up with any new developments here.

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            TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Agreed.

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      lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      You get an email everytime someone you follow starts a forum thread for instance. So there are a few drawbacks.

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         Jeremy Gillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Good point. Still, with the right filters, you can automatically send emails like these to your trash, so I don't find it a big issue.

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5. 84

   FatFreddysCatposted 6 years ago

   I got a new "follower" this past week who left me a fan mail which said, and I quote, "hi." That's all. Just "hi."
   
   The person had no hubs published and their profile pic was the generic silhouette.
   
   I didn't bother to follow them back...

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      Jeremy Gillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I got the exact same fan mail, probably from the same person. Agreed, there's a good example of a no-follow.

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6. 61

   Jessie L Watsonposted 6 years ago

   I've never consciously played that game with people. But now that you mention it, all that love in the first few months after signing up must've been all for not hahaha.
   
   "Nobody loves me for me, they only love me for my (your) follow button" 

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7. 94

   wildernessposted 6 years ago

   When I get a new follower the first thing I do is check their activity.  If it is a long stream of following people (and it almost always is) I close the window and forget about them.  If it's not I'll read a hub or two and decide if I want to see more; if so I follow, if not I don't. 
   
   Occasionally I get a new follower that has been around for several years and has quite a few hubs, but is resorting to following dozens of people all at once.  Surprising - they should know better.

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      Jessie L Watsonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I followed you the other day because I like what you have to say on the forums.

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8. 0

   threekeysposted 6 years ago

   Tess I think you like here.

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      TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      That totally read like a word had been left out!

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9. 93

   Urbane Chaosposted 6 years ago

   If I follow someone, there's a reason why.  If someone follows me, I hope that it's for more than my charming personality and rugged good lucks. I don't believe in following someone unless they add value, be it entertainment, enlightenment, or other.
   
   It's the same with leaving fan mail or commenting on other articles.  If I have no interest in an article, even if it's the best-written article I've ever seen, there's nothing of value that I can add.  But, if it sparks interest, I'll certainly comment.

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      lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      You look good from the North, South, East, and West haha.

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    CYong74posted 6 years ago

    Sub 4 sub will always attract a lot of people. Because it seems such an easy, immediate way to secure readership.

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       TessSchlesingerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       Only it doesn't...

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       poppyrposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       But if they sub just to reciprocate it means they’re only interested in getting your follow back. They don’t care what you’re writing.

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    FatFreddysCatposted 6 years ago

    

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    EricFarmer8xposted 6 years ago

    I mostly add people if I like to read their work or I want to follow their activity. I am more likely to follow somebody who also writes about video games and technology. Honestly though I don't pay too much attention to following though. Most of the traffic I get is from outside HubPages as I imagine for most people who are trying to get search results.

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