In Memory of HubPages by John

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   surovi99posted 16 months ago

   Take a few moments of your schedule to read this awesome article by John. Here is the link to his article:
   https://hubpages.com/community/in-memory-of-hubpages
   
   Hi John,
   I love your article and how you reminise the good times you had at Hubpages. Yes, I guess that you had more facilities and more friendships to grow. HubPages is no more like that and many are not contented with how it is now. Many have also left. You quote by Goethe is very interesting. I really like how you ended the article optimistically, "Let’s look forward to the road ahead … wherever it may lead."

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      Kenna McHughposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      It's different and not as full of life. I do miss the comment section and hope it returns. Though readers email me their comments, it's not the same when they are left with the article.

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         Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

         It is different for sure, Kenna. I get emailed people’s comments too, and do the same but it lacks the sense of community. If Medium and other sites can easily support comments, it makes no sense why HubPages can’t…even if it was just via the feed like it was fir awhile here.

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         ControlledChaos1posted 15 months agoin reply to this

         I never understood why comments were taken away. Sure you had to read and approve them so nothing bad got through, but it did nothing but help the articles stay alive and ranking well.

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            GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

            I don't know why they took them away and am no expert on the topic. But for a long time I had my own blog, as a perspective. Dealing with comments was a hassle. The bulk of those who commented had to add a spam link, and it was obvious. I wouldn't check comments to approve or deny for months due to that. Rarely would I approve one.
            
            On top of that, Google won't allow ads on pages that host ongoing conversations. So if commenters engage in back and forth question/answer volleys it may put revenues at risk. This is a theory.

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      Miebakagh57posted 16 months agoin reply to this

      The read is an awesome piece. Hubpages is now just a shadow.

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         Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

         Thank you, Miebakagh.Yes, it is a shadow.

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            Miebakagh57posted 16 months agoin reply to this

            John, you're always welcome.

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      Mike Grindleposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Interesting piece, John.
      
      I think I turned up a little after this "golden era," but I've noticed changes in the last few years alone. Still thankful HubPages exist and hope we can all have a good 2024 after what seemed to be a tough year for the platform.
      
      Cheers, John.

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         Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

         I hope so too, Mike. I still have a soft spot for this place.

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   Jodahposted 16 months ago

   Thank you for reading my article and sharing the link, Rosina. I think many hubbers who still remain here would feel the same. I know you weren’t here from the start but you too have seen changes, such as the demise of commenting on articles, and seen people leave.
   We have to stay hopeful for the future.

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   ChitrangadaSharanposted 16 months ago

   Hello John,
   You have truly expressed the sentiments of many of us.
   You took me back to those glorious days, when visiting HubPages was so much joyful and a happy experience. Nowadays, whenever I login, there is hardly any excitement or interaction.
   Add to that, the reduction in views and earnings. Therefore, there is almost no motivation to write anything new, due to lack of feedback/ comments.
   HubPages as a community or as a passive money making site, has lost the charm for me at least.
   Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I can sense sadness in your writing.
   Thank you Rosina.
   Hope for the best, because that’s what we can do.

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      greenmindposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      I am truly sorry your view is so dark! Some of us are still enjoying the experience, and still getting good views/payouts. I really hope you find something positive to take the place of the good old HP days!

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         PaulGoodman67posted 16 months agoin reply to this

         HP was very much an earning and social site up until a few years ago.
         
         I was mainly here for the revenue. I still earn a three-figure sum each month (when all my accounts are added together) and that's what keeps me here to a large extent.
         
         I used to earn a four-figure sum at one time. It's dispiriting that I've lost so much income but at least I still get something for all my hard work.
         
         For the people who were here mainly for the social connection, the situation is much worse as that side of the site has almost completely disappeared.
         
         You can still see the remnants of HP as a social media site in things like the following other hubbers feature. The absence of comments nowadays makes connecting with others challenging.

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            Kenna McHughposted 16 months agoin reply to this

            I miss the writer's connection.

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               sallybeaposted 15 months agoin reply to this

               So do I.  It is time it was brought back.

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                  Miebakagh57posted 15 months agoin reply to this

                  Original comment system willl never come back. Just go 'Rojo' if you care.

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            larry-leaseposted 15 months agoin reply to this

            You're allowed multiple accounts?

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               PaulGoodman67posted 15 months agoin reply to this

               Yes. Although I’m not sure there’s much advantage.

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                  Miebakagh57posted 15 months agoin reply to this

                  Over all, a single account is much better.

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               theraggededgeposted 14 months agoin reply to this

               Yes, but each must meet the $50 threshold before you get payment.

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                  PaulGoodman67posted 14 months agoin reply to this

                  Yes, and the lower our earnings get, the higher that threshold seems...

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                     Miebakagh57posted 14 months agoin reply to this

                     And yes, 6 or 7 years ago, that couldn't be so.                             Those with multiply accounts these days will have hard time updating their stuffs.

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         Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

         Thanks Greenmind. If I had mainly written here as a money making venture, and not community, I may have different views. Creative writing is my love though and without feedback there is little incentive in that here. It was the internal views from followers that were more important, because actual Google views were never great for poetry or short fiction.

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      Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Thank you for sharing my sentiments, Chitrangada. It does make me sad, because my first seven or eight years at HubPages were etched in my memory as wonderful times, and what encouraged me to share my writing with others. The supportive community gave me confidence that what I wrote was appreciated.
      I never wrote here for the money, because even in my very best year I never made payout in one month. I can only imagine what those who were once on a four digits a month are now feeling.
      I only post an occasional piece here now, just to keep a finger in the pie, and you never know when things may turn around - although that is very unlikely.

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   jansharesposted 16 months ago

   Thanks for sharing, Rosina.
   John, thank you for so eloquently summarizing what so many of us feel about what HubPages used to be and what it has become. I felt sadness in my gut as I read your words. You presented a reality that made me have to accept, on a deeper level, that HubPages will never be the same. I'm still hanging in there even if the benefits have waned. I miss the bustling community, too. And, of course the earnings. It's getting harder to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel.
   
   On Monday, I published my first informational article here since 2018. I'm wondering now was it worth it. I'll probably post it on Medium when I figure out how to do that. I'm not making any coins there either. Trying not to be totally discouraged. The HP poet's community, particularly, Brenda, is the only thing keeping me here.
   
   Thanks again, John, for validating how we feel.

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      Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Thank you for expressing the same feelings as my own, Jan. Before, when publishing a new article here I would have to spend an hour or so replying to comments, now, if you are lucky enough for someone to share it in the forum, I may get five or six. This is actually the most I have got in ages

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   PaulGoodman67posted 16 months ago

   Even if the views and earnings return, which is still an (increasingly vague) hope, I suspect that the "buzz" may be gone forever. There was an excitement and joy that seems lost. I think John captures the sense that we felt part of something bigger than ourselves.
   
   I don't believe that it's purely an HP thing. I think that the early internet promised to bring people together and be an enabling thing. It wasn't just a device for corporations and entrepreneurs to make as much money as possible, which is what it appears to have become.
   
   It's all become increasingly soulless.

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      PaulGoodman67posted 16 months agoin reply to this

      It also makes me question whether AI will be genuinely used as a force for good. I enjoyed a Stephen Fry talk on the subject. Like me, he's a web enthusiast who's become more skeptical...
      
      Stephen Fry on How to use AI as a force for good | CogX Festival 2023

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         Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

         Thank you for sharing. I will certainly check this link. I read the one where Fry read the Nick Cave narrative. It was excellent.

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      Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your thoughts, Paul. It is sad that the “buzz” has gone and you may have a point that the early promise of creating community feel was just to ultimately make the corporation grow and earn more in the long run, before turning into a soulless enterprise.

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   Carb Divaposted 16 months ago

   Rosina, thank you for sharing John's article, and John thank you for summarizing so eloquently what we "old timers" are thinking and feeling. If other sites (Medium, for example) can support commenting and interaction, why can't TAG? If you read the introduction for TAG, it still states that they support and encourage sharing and interaction. How?

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      Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Hi Linda, thank you for offering your thoughts. I have the same question, if Medium and other sites can easily support comments, why can’t TAG manage it? Their words don’t match their actions unfortunately.

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      Miebakagh57posted 16 months agoin reply to this

      I'm curious. By removing the comment system?

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         WriterJanisposted 16 months agoin reply to this

         There was a time when readers could leave comments on your articles and you could respond to the comments. That was taken away.

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            Miebakagh57posted 16 months agoin reply to this

            It was the comment system, or comment button that was taken away.                                  Promises that it shall be restored has not seen the light of the day. Enter 'Rojo' instead.

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               Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

               An effective comments system, Miebakagh. Rojo isn't efficient, and writers aren't notified of new comments.

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   Rupert Taylorposted 16 months ago

   I arrived here towards the end of the "Golden Age," having given my talents to other platforms that didn't survive.
   
   I'm not a big fan of the social media side of things so I'm not so glum about the changes here.
   
   I do lament the death of comments along with the death of views and money. I keep writing my little offerings because I enjoy writing and it keeps what's left of my brain cells active.
   
   As to the future? It's about the money, it's always about the money - not mine but TAGs. The company will do whatever it wants and there's diddly-squat writers can do about it. In my long career in the writing racket it has always been thus with what we produce viewed as something to put between the ads.

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      Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Thank you for adding your point of view, Rupert. Yes, unfortunately it is always about the money, as far as the organization is conerned.

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         PaulGoodman67posted 16 months agoin reply to this

         Even when HP was heavily pushing the idea of "community" some years back, I was never naive enough to see it as anything other than a business.
         
         However, I do think it's a little more complicated that just being "about the money."
         
         It's like the difference between having a job where you drag yourself every day in for the wage and one where you feel part of a team.
         
         The psychological/emotional issue is harder to measure and define than something like revenue but it's there nonetheless imho.

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            greenmindposted 16 months agoin reply to this

            /\ /\ /\ this.

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               Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

               I said about the money, as far as the organisation was concerned. For the writer there is much more to it.

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                  PaulGoodman67posted 16 months agoin reply to this

                  I was mainly responding to Rupert and his bleak assessment. My writing experience over the years lacks the uniformity that he describes.
                  
                  HP was definitely more responsive to questions, complaints, and suggestions in the past. Communications were more of a two-way street and our feedback felt more welcome. 
                  
                  I believe that the business model changed when HP ceased to be independent, not only at a corporate level but also in how the company was managed and run on an everyday basis.
                  
                  It's a very different animal nowadays.
                  
                  At the TAG level, the Sports Illustrated AI scandal adds to the sense of a company that's lost its way. I still hope that things can be turned around, despite TAG's reputation being tarnished.

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                     tsmogposted 16 months agoin reply to this

                     To me, the business model changed when they first instituted reviewing articles to be featured. It began with a system much different from today's. Do you remember the evolution of the system? For instance, evolved where the articles were assessed by fellow community members to using Amazon's Mechanical Turk system, and who knows what now.

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                        PaulGoodman67posted 16 months agoin reply to this

                        Yes, the system for filtering out low-quality content and spam when I joined was called "hub-hopping" and involved us volunteering to assess recently published articles that would pop up randomly.
                        
                        It was an eye-opener as to how much crap the site is constantly bombarded with, something that I think most regular hubbers here perhaps underestimate.
                        
                        Over time, Google updates have forced the filtering system to become more and more stringent as the punishments for publishing low-quality material have gotten more draconian.
                        
                        They were reluctant to employ lots of editors because of the costs but in the end, it had to be done.
                        
                        The big sea-change was the Google Panda update in 2011. Before that, Google assessed articles individually, afterward, it punished the entire site for a few bad apples.

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                           PaulGoodman67posted 16 months agoin reply to this

                           I'm not anti-change, by the way. Some of the biggest changes here were absolutely vital, in my opinion.
                           
                           As the internet world and technology are perpetually in flux, some change is both desirable and inevitable.
                           
                           I don't understand all of the changes, though, some of which seem counterproductive.

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                           greenmindposted 16 months agoin reply to this

                           Yep. And the easy thing to do would have been to either fold like Squidoo or turn into a near-scam like Info-Barrel. In the last several years HP took the high road, hired qualified editors (who else on this planet is hiring editors??), and rode out increasingly hostile updates. All along, their checks have cleared. Just sayin'.

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                              PaulGoodman67posted 16 months agoin reply to this

                              I certainly supported the move to hire editors but I would describe it as more than "several years" ago.
                              
                              It was 2015, which is virtually an earlier century in internet terms.
                              
                              Joking aside, I agree that they've been unique in finding ways to adapt and keep going while others have kicked the bucket.

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                                 Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

                                 Yes, we have to give them that. They are still going, where many aren't.

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                        Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

                        Yes, Tim. I referred to that but couldn't remember what it was called.

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                     Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

                     I was responding to Greenmind.

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            Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

            Great points.

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   Vellurposted 16 months ago

   I miss the good old days when writers could enjoy reading and commenting. Things have changed here, I wonder where the road leads.

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      Miebakagh57posted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Rojo!

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         Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

         I don't think anyone uses Rojo.

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            Miebakagh57posted 16 months agoin reply to this

            Yes. That's because Rojo, is not within the ABC of our understanding. Rojo, is purely an hubpage thing.

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            GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

            I've never heard of it.

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      Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Exactly, Nithya. I wonder too.

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         Miebakagh57posted 16 months agoin reply to this

         Rojo. Get it now.

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   Brenda Arledgeposted 16 months ago

   John...
   You are so right.
   If something isn't broken...there's no reason to fix it.
   
   But the powers to be keep changing our little world.  The community is slowly dying.
   
   One can only hope the new year will bring a few good changes.

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      Miebakagh57posted 16 months agoin reply to this

      To hubpages, from TAG? I'm waiting.

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      Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Let's just wait and see, Brenda. You never know.

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    MsDoraposted 16 months ago

    John, thanks for expressing what many of us feel. In the good old days, I would have Voted Up your article. True, the sense of community is almost gone. Still, I hope that I’m counted in the dozen you still know. I still love your articles, poetry and prose. I’ve thought about trying other sites, but HubPages is my familiar place. I just wish it were a happier place. Ever hopeful that the sun will shine here again.

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       Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

       I know how you feel, MsDora. This is where I started writing, so it is hard to leave. Let's hope.

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    Peggy Wposted 16 months ago

    Hi John,
    
    As one who recently hit their 15-year anniversary with HubPages, the changes have been many. What I miss most is the ability to easily comment.  It truly did foster a sense of community with one another.
    
    I absolutely loved the poems you created with word suggestions from us.  No subject stymied your creativity!  Such fun we had!  Ah...memories!
    
    Thanks Rosina for making me remember those good old days.

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       Jodahposted 16 months agoin reply to this

       Thank Peggy. I miss writing Poems From the Porch, too.

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    Venkatachari Mposted 16 months ago

    Thanks, John, for putting up all these undesirable facts into an article so that it represents the collected voice of all writers here who are experiencing these drawbacks nowadays. I fully agree with your views expressed in the article and hope for better.

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    Jodahposted 16 months ago

    Thank you for supporting my views, Venkatachari. Let’s just hope for the best moving forward.

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    Solarasposted 16 months ago

    I went over to rojo, where they post links to their news articles, and no one comments or keeps the conversation going. I don't know what the intent was, but it is a failure if it was meant to foster a community of commentors. Seems like a waste of resources, perhaps it just exists to create links to the news articles. It appears moribund.

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    Solarasposted 16 months ago

    I think the sense of community first took a hit with the sqiudoo acquisition. They had a different community with certain kingpins, that wanted to mold hp forums into their former image. They bitched about people going off topic to Paul and Robin, and crushed the banter. Then they left hp en masse.
    
    That acquisition coincided with a crushing google update. Our traffic was way off, and they were furious with hp for saving their lenses from oblivion. Everyone resented everyone else. It was an ugly time, the 400 car pileup. I feel like the forums were headed downhill from then on. Plus members who were banned, died or went on with their lives elsewhere. I can think of 30 + people no longer active on this site that I miss seeing.
    
    The lack of interaction with hp employees and hp writers cannot be by accident. What they are hoping to achieve, why they put resources into one thing and not others is kept hidden from us. What their end goal is, other than making money, seems not to involve us. It's not a way to run a successful business. Someone over there should read Tom Peters Good to Great to see how to inspire employees and partners.

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       Miebakagh57posted 16 months agoin reply to this

       One of those that left on hubpages side was Samartha Cubbison. She was a very talent writer and profolic editor.                                             She interreact with many writers on hubpages site. I'm one of her followers.                                     She left hp when the comment system meet it's dead bed. Then some writers here follow suit.

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    Genna Eastposted 15 months ago

    I couldn't agee more, Jodah.  I am only now just returning to Hubpages.  I hope that others will as well.

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       Jodahposted 15 months agoin reply to this

       Welcome back, Genna. I hope they do too.

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    GwennyOhposted 15 months ago

    Like Genna, I am newly returning. I don't yet have a clear view of what's happening nowadays, but I remember the good old days, as I was here for part of that experience. The social aspect and having the opinions of others were inspirational, and having it gone is not good. There are workarounds.
    
    I enjoyed the read and the return to thoughts of the good old days, which I had conveniently forgotten about.

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       PaulGoodman67posted 15 months agoin reply to this

       The last time I looked, there were still some videos up on YouTube that were made during the early years of HP. Everyone seems so enthusiastic. The current situation can all seem a little lifeless and even depressing by comparison.

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          Kenna McHughposted 15 months agoin reply to this

          I have hope for HP. There are writers here who are doing well. That is a positive and hopeful outlook.

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             PaulGoodman67posted 15 months agoin reply to this

             It's tempting to say that the only people remaining here are the hardcore optimists.
             
             However, I'm not sure that I belong to that group anymore and I'm still here. I take an interest because I receive views and revenue for work published in the past. As that dwindles, so does my level of interest.
             
             A major deadline is approaching for TAG. The sh*t may hit the fan at that point, who knows... I feel we're pawns in a bigger game nowadays. I'm not even sure whether writers being optimistic or pessimistic really matters right now, as the action seems to be happening elsewhere.

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                GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                TAG? I quickly googled it and found nothing. I get a sense of what overall concept you are referring to, but I don't know of news relating to this. We have issues with the same in Canada.

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                   Jodahposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                   TAG stands for The Arena Group the current owners of HubPages.

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                Kenna McHughposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                There are innumerable HP writers here who make a decent revenue. Now and then, they post.

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                   PaulGoodman67posted 15 months agoin reply to this

                   Experience tells me to be cautious regarding anecdotal evidence.
                   
                   However, if someone does seem like they might be doing well, I take a look at their articles, see which keywords they're chasing, and how they rank in Google Search.
                   
                   It doesn't alter the overall, general picture, though. Apart from a brief golden period in early 2021, HP has been on the slide since late 2019. A visit to SEMRush will confirm this trend
                   
                   When entire niches are being punished by Google, there's only a limited amount that an individual can do. That's been the case since Panda was introduced in 2011. You're relying on others to get their house in order, or the editors to sort things out, and that can be a big ask when there are tens of thousands of articles and many of the authors have gone AWOL.
                   
                   I don't really see it as glass half-full/half-empty situation in this case. I mean, some people survived the Titanic sinking but it was still a disaster.

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                      Kenna McHughposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                      I hear you. I take the time to look at what the other successful writers are doing. It helps.

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                         PaulGoodman67posted 15 months agoin reply to this

                         It's important to recognize that what people see as "success" here varies considerably. Not everyone has experience of interpreting statistics either. That's why I don't necessarily take all the posts here at face value.
                         
                         There's little doubt that Google views the niches more negatively. That matters in SEO terms and it affects *all* writers whether they know it or not.

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                            Kenna McHughposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                            It's also important to realize that not everyone will succeed on HP. I remember when Paul would post comments like that. As the Internet evolves and Google evolves, some writers will feel the negative consequences while others who study and adjust succeed.
                            
                            It's essential to recognize that individual experiences vary. A few writers posting negative examples don't necessarily represent the overall situation.

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                               PaulGoodman67posted 15 months agoin reply to this

                               It's also important to understand the basics of SEO. It may feel like what we publish as individuals is all that matters but that's not true. How the search engines view the site(s) as a whole is a major factor and will either boost or drag down your views and earnings.
                               
                               The chances of any major success here are very low right now, whatever you do. Even if you see yourself as doing okay, you would almost certainly have done much better a few years back when the site had much higher authority in Google's eyes.
                               
                               Unfortunately, all individual writers are affected by the overall SEO situation. It's something that cannot be ignored. Any current success story has to be seen within this context.

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                                  Kenna McHughposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                                  A week or so ago, a writer said he was doing great. He didn't want to post it because it might jinx his success.

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                                     GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                                     A week or two ago was very close to what I experienced at the pinnacle of my success here. I was afraid to reference it for the same reason. Since then I've been editing like mad and screwed it up myself.

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                                     Gregory DeVictorposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                                     Kenna, sometimes it is just better to maintain the "art of silence" in certain situations.

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                                        Kenna McHughposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                                        Yes. Thank you, Gregory, for the advice.

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                            GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                            I see. Thanks. From the context I felt he was going in another direction. Lol.
                            
                            I have now read back and see more about TAG. Hmmm.
                            
                            Doh. I quoted the wrong pane of text. I was responding to Jodah's comment about TAG. I am confused about that. I didn't have time to read back far enough. I thought Maven owned it. So, is Maven part of TAG?

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                               Jodahposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                               TAG just seemed to swallow Maven up. I can’t even see where it exists anymore.

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                                  GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                                  Aah, much happened in my absence.

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    GwennyOhposted 15 months ago

    Has anyone started, as an example, a FB group where we can discuss relevant issues?

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       Kenna McHughposted 15 months agoin reply to this

       There are a few FB pages. Some are to promote the latest article written by a writer. I believe one discusses issues or how to improve articles and ranking.
       https://www.facebook.com/groups/292274610899840

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          GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

          I meant a discussion group. That group's page is too spammy to support discussion. Serious discussion groups don't support self-promotion.

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             Kenna McHughposted 15 months agoin reply to this

             Okay. You can always start a FB group based on your preferences.

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    Miebakagh57posted 15 months ago

    HubPages is a business venture. And like any other businesses has it's up and down sides.                                                 The buttomline is that the slide has got beneat zero point, and Hubpages should be resurrect. I hope an entreprenuer will wade in to buy TAG off, and turn things around.

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       GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

       It would be great if the writers could get together and buy it.

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          Miebakagh57posted 15 months agoin reply to this

          Let it be.

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    bhattucposted 15 months ago

    Nice recollection of memories. Thanks for sharing.

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    GwennyOhposted 15 months ago

    In the past I had to study SEO for a project I had on the go, only to find that as soon as you have the current version figured out to a basic degree, it's switches to a new, updated version. So studying it is rather a waste of time, it seems. The best we can do is remain aware of current trends and keep material updated if we see it as valuable.

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       PaulGoodman67posted 15 months agoin reply to this

       For sure, anything technology-related usually requires a commitment to ongoing learning. You wasted your time because you didn't realize this.
       
       Aside from the corporate shenanigans, the main trouble at HP is a lack of search engine traffic, which has declined dramatically.
       
       Most writers here are like you, they don't have much interest in search engine optimization. Many writers with published material here aren't even around anymore, so aren't going to update or edit. There aren't enough editors for the scale of the issue.
       
       This all contributes to why I'm not hopeful about the site's chances. I think it will either radically change or die. The original HP model no longer works.
       
       Perhaps, the only other way out would be if the editing process was more automated. That didn't work very well at Squidoo but technology has moved on since then and is continuing to develop...
       
       Writing doesn't seem so appealing, however, when the human-element is reduced. Many writers get irritated by human editors changing things, AI editing would likely create even more rancor.

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          GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

          I just wonder why you are responding by way of a passive-aggressive and personal attack. Here you are calling me an uneducated knob in a disguised way, when in fact I was VERY ill when writing here before. I had an ongoing infection residing in my entire body due to what was going on. Even so I had feature articles. I look back now and see that I'd change a lot of things.
          
          So I am doing it. SEO is writing intelligently according to what we know of what's required today. To stay aligned with current trends does not require ongoing study as much as ongoing awareness. Your intended dressing down of me is an opinion and nomenclature.
          
          For the record, I don't care if you or anyone likes me or not. Thanks for making it clear you do not. Now I know whose threads not to respond to. Kenna too, it appears (her response to Gregory, who appeared to be saying something yet nothing, just to upset the cart and cause division).
          
          Herein lies but one clue as to why this forum does not thrive, and potentially why the owners do not seem to value it.
          
          TOUCHÉ
          
          I copied and pasted the above remark as a simple way to type the accent grave on the E. The definition came with it initiallly. Had me laughing.

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             Miebakagh57posted 15 months agoin reply to this

             GwennyOh, I'm hearing you.

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                GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

                I appreciate that you choose to demonstrate frater/sisterhood rather than disunity. When people are authentic, some don't recognize that and try to slap it away. I am here being me and go, "What?"
                
                That subtle kick in the shins I got was for saying that intelligent discussions do not arise in spam-laden discussion groups. It makes me wonder who admins the group. That said, it was delivered respectfully and without malice.
                
                There still is no intent towards malice, but I prefer to define issues. Miebakagh57, I am saying I really appreciate your words and intent.

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                   Miebakagh57posted 15 months agoin reply to this

                   You're welcome.

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                      PaulGoodman67posted 14 months agoin reply to this

                      It's a public forum. Anyone who posts is essentially consenting to their opinions being exposed to scrutiny and criticism (within obvious constraints such as rules on hate speech etc.).
                      
                      I don't see "disunity" as undesirable within this context. On the contrary, I would strongly argue in favor of rigorous debate and that means lively disagreement.
                      
                      Attacking a person in a forum is surely bad but their ideas and opinions are always fair game.

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                         GwennyOhposted 14 months agoin reply to this

                         A public forum environment is typically open and welcoming. However, the absence of live moderators here is problematic; a handful of people have taken squatters' rights to it. Their beliefs, whether right or wrong in any instance, often define the environment. Hence, balance is lacking. As a result, I will not be participating in involved discussions.
                         
                         Veiled insults do not appeal to me. They can tell me they don't like me, tell me I am a crappy writer, or tell me I am doing everything wrong, but as long as they tell me openly, frankly, I don't care at all.
                         
                         I come here to add to, not to detract from. I expect the forum environment to return the favor. Some will not play fair, but that's life. We quickly see who people are and give a chance for different scenery or turn away.
                         
                         I made some enemies, not keeping my mouth shut at the beginning of the global hysteria phase. I would have approached it differently if I had any idea that the public would broadly support the corruption. Now I know to keep my mouth shut. However, other people's opinions of me do not affect my well-being or my choices. I learn from social climes, not insults and personal attacks. I will invite anyone to tell me what they think of me instead of this tiptoeing through the tulips nonsense.
                         
                         Hey, whatever happened to Tiny Tim anyhow?
                         
                         
                         
                         Image is in the Public Domain

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       Miebakagh57posted 15 months agoin reply to this

       Yes. I agree. I do.

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          GwennyOhposted 15 months agoin reply to this

          Thanks, Miebakagh57.

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    larry-leaseposted 14 months ago

    Im still making good money. Perhaps u just need to write more and more evergreen content and be consistent

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       eugbugposted 14 months agoin reply to this

       Yes, but it doesn't stay evergreen. The leaves keep falling off.

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          PaulGoodman67posted 14 months agoin reply to this

          It's so competitive nowadays that we don't have much chance of gaining and keeping the top search rankings without help from HP. That used to happen but not so much now.

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