Is it good for my traffic to ask stupid questions?

1. 61

   bileygurposted 11 years ago

   After reading through the forum and answers I see that some of the questions  there seem to be asked  just for the sake of asking them, but not to get the answer it self. 
   
   Are these question asked for the purpose of marketing the hubs/author?  Is it better for my hubs to ask stupid question in the forum?  Is this a stupid question that is asked to increase the traffic to my hubs?

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      thisisoliposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Asking questions in the forum is an incredibly poor way to increase traffic, and is only done by teh people who have no concept of Internet Marketing.
      
      Infact asking stupid questions does nothing more than hurt your online image, something that you should be attempting to build and promote constantly

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      1. 61

         bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         How many Hubbers have reputation that is remembered?  I am pretty sure that most have forgotten my stupid question in few hours, but if asking stupid question does effect and 100 people have looked at my profile while I asked it, and some have considered that my hubs are cool, funny or useful and they like to continu reading them it might be worth it.
         
         The question is of course if it has that effect?  Will people go from my question and to my profile?
         
         For sure not many have decided that I am cool and smart and it is worth it to be my friend after this conversation.

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            Website Examinerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Deleted
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               bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               I am not sure that any body really remembers bileygur from Iceland, over another. 
               
               As I am software engineer, I have replied to many questions about software and the web.  But doing so, I have seen al the web non-sense questions and while answering some questions wondered if I was wasting my time answering people, that was not really asking the questions but trying to get more visitors or earning some points.
               
               As much as I like to help people in need, I would prefer to use my time for some thing useful.
               
               Because you mention tomorrow, you are right that tomorrow is new day, then I will see on my profile if asking a stupid question has increased the visits on my profile.  May be it is better to ask a stupid question than answering one?

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         2. 0

            shazwellynposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Umm... the problem with increasing readership with hubpages users is they dont click on your ads.  It is search engine traffic you want and if people check you out on the outside world and sees your stupid questions, how can they take you writing seriously? 
            
            The good thing, however, is that people will leave comments and that is good for spiderbots to see that there is activity on your page.

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   2. 68

      skyfireposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If they're not link-spamming on your hubs then consider those questions as (content) update to your hubs. You don't have to answer all the questions asked on your hubs.

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      1. 61

         bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I am not meaning as comment in my post.  I was just thinking about the Answers (in the menu here above).  I wanted to be good Hubber and answer the questions and be helpful if possible.
         
         After going through few pages of questions I started to wonder about the motivation. 
         
         What is the gain of asking question, if it is rather obvious you are really not looking for the answer?
         
         Are you getting hubpoints or what is in it?
         
         Or is it just me and my arrogance (like some of the people who have answered here seem to think) thinking that some of the questions are stupid?

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   3. 74

      mega1posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Well, when I read this question I could see the humor - didn't realize it was in the "help" category and would have been better in the "hubber hangout" place.  But nevertheless I found it funny to ask that because lately I have found many of the questions in the forums lacking - severely lacking. 
      
      Maybe I'm nobody to say what's stupid, but I would say that some of the questions are coming from those hubber's dark, unintelligent piece of their minds   and yet - and yet   I am still trying to fit in here and if everybody else is gonna say you were asking the wrong question or that it's every "hubber's right" to ask stupid questions, then I will have to agree with that because the forums will chew me up and spit me out (or worse everyone will ignore me even more than they do already) if I don't keep TRYING to fit in and always agree with the other forum noodlers, or else!  they will unfollow me en masse! 
      
      Since you're new and didn't know that blunt honesty is not appreciated, I should be the one to tell you about that, because my blunt honesty keeps bubbling up and spewing forth in the forum threads, and believe you me, biley,  I am not much appreciated, so don't try to be like me.  'course it may already be too late for you since several of the regulars have already called you out on this one.

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         bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you finally some one that gets me  
         
         Just love the honesty!  I hope that I will not fall in to the trap, may be the regulars will give me change as this is my first time asking a question.  Of course I have usually not blend well in with all, because I prefer being honest and saying things like they are.
         
         The location is probably completely wrong, I blame it on the first timer question and not understanding the system.

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         1. 74

            mega1posted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Hey, if people can ask questions like "Do women always bleed the first time?" and  "Why there are single people" then I should think that asking whether asking a stupid question will increase traffic would sound pretty smart.
            
            But, as I say, I am not like others and must come to accept that.
            
            Anyway, I'm glad that I met you Biley -  what does Bileygur mean? by the way.   And I did like your hub on the hotsprings in Iceland.

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               bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Bil - Gap - or smal distance.
               -Eygur - Eye
               
               GapEyed - The god Odin has one eye, so the nick name gap eyed.  There was "gap" between his eyes.  The name comes from Nordic stories, and is not very common but still exist.  This of course in Icelandic.

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   4. 61

      bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Like the people know, I was thinking about if it was worth it to ask stupid questions on the forum and keep it alive for some time. 
      
      The result was clear, following are visits to my profile according to google analytics:
      Thursday 11 visits
      Friday 13 visits
      Saturday 3 visits
      Sunday 40 visits
      
      Thus it is worth it. 4 to 10 times more visits to my profile compared with the days before.
      
      I want to thank all of you, it was fun.

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2. 81

   Cagsilposted 11 years ago

   Is it good for my traffic to ask stupid questions?
   
   I find your question(title of forum) lacking....
   
   The only stupid questions are unasked. All other questions are beneficial to someone else in some manner or another.

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   1. 61

      bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have always disagreed with that statement that there are no stupid questions, just stupid answers.   Of course there are stupid questions and stupid answers.
      
      This is actually my first question here ever and of course part of wondering about some of the question that are here and how the community works.

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         Cagsilposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I still find your question lacking.....
         
         And, your response to my post, show quite a bit about you. I'll leave it at that.

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            bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            And your answer also a bit about you.  You are free to leave or participate.  The more, the merrier.

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3. 0

   Website Examinerposted 11 years ago

   Since you are teasing us in the help forum, I will not read your hubs and so you will generate no such benefit from me. Sorry.

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   1. 61

      bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Is that because it does not work to ask stupid questions or the question is not stupid, you just do not like it?

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         Website Examinerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         No doubt, many questions are being asked for the sake of getting pageviews. Your question did not appear to be one of them. However, you wrote: " Is this a stupid question that is asked to increase the traffic to my hubs?"
         
         I can see the irony, but did not feel that your question merits any additional pageviews.

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            bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I can tell you tell in full honesty that I do not care    My hubs are hopefully read by people that are interested in the topics, not because I created ask question.
            
            The main reason was though to create discussion, may be some feelings and reaction and of course to get answer if it matters to ask questions (stupid or smart).

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4. 73

   SteveoMcposted 11 years ago

   I felt stupid a few times when asking a question.  I have even gotten some answers that made me feel worse.  But, in the forums, I have only asked questions that I wanted answers for. 
   
   So, for me, it is an exchange of ideas and answers that interests me most.

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   1. 0

      Website Examinerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      SteveoMc, you have even written The Book (well a hub) on stupid questions. I'd expect you to have something more to say on this issue.

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      1. 73

         SteveoMcposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Well, I guess you are right, but I see the 'answers' questions differently than the 'forum' questions.   
         
         Some of the 'answers' questions are so bizarre that you can hardly believe that anyone would ask them let alone want the answers to them.   
         
         I finally had to write about it.   
         
         I have no idea if they help or not, but I asked a whole bunch of T-I-C stupid questions and was able to get a good laugh out of the asking.  The answers were almost as bad as the questions.

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5. 97

   wildernessposted 11 years ago

   It seems to me that many questions are asked to generate discussion.  There are many answers, and such discussion is healthy and fun.  If you don't like debate and discussion, don't participate.
   
   Other questions are for a true answer, although varying opinions can make that answer variable as well.  Few questions asked here have a specific answer such as "TOS rules?".

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   1. 61

      bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      "If you don't like debate and discussion, don't participate."  If people do not like my stupid question they do not have to participate in the discussion.

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6. 0

   ryankettposted 11 years ago

   Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh

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7. 83

   LeanManposted 11 years ago

   Where did I leave the sheep???

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   1. 61

      bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Is that a smart or stupid question?  Do you think there is not such thing as stupid questions?

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         Website Examinerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         It did not seem stupid to me. It was a rhetorical question, a joke actually, which seems pretty obvious when viewed in the context of Ryankett's post.

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            bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Well it does not matter if it was joke, or rhetorical it could have been stupid?    Any way I realized it to be a joke.

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8. 71

   thisisoliposted 11 years ago

   If you want to see real stupid questiosn go and check out how man people asking how toget traffic/make money/sell products are the same ones who have already written dredge filled hubs on those exact same topics

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      bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      May be they have found out that it increases there traffic? 
      
      Of course coming to your first point, one of the reasons for testing this is the idea that it will not increase traffic, even though the topic has words that is likely to grab your attention and I have reply so it is one of the first topic since it was posted.
      
      I have participated in discussion even though I have not started topic, and very rarely read hubs from the people in the discussion or click their profile. 
      
      This is there for experiment to measure that.

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         Lisa HWposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Sometimes someone will follow someone else if they like what they've said in the forums.  A lot of people think if they "just participate" in the forums it will work some kind of miracles for their Hubs.    A lot of people don't really come to the forums to "socialize" a little with other Hubbers or take a break from writing.  Many just come to the forums for no reason other than believing it will help their own score or otherwise help them.
         
         I've read the phrase (I think by someone on the HubPages team) that the whole thing about "participating" on the site also includes "contributing to the site".  I'm no HubPages authority, but I'm under the impression that pretty means not just "participating for the sake of getting one's name out, no matter how meaningless something like a thread  or forum post is".
         
         A question someone thinks may be a "stupid" question is sometimes a "legitimate" question.   There's a difference between what may feel like a "stupid" question (but what is an honest, legitimate, one) and what's just a plain, old, "goofball" question.  I pretty much agree with thisisoli about the online image (even for someone who writes elsewhere for "business purposes" but on HubPages "for personal, less formal, purposes'.  As Nemo ("Finding Nemo") said, all drains lead to the ocean.

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9. 72

   lrohnerposted 11 years ago

   Can birds fly?
   Are there movie theaters in heaven?
   Is Superman real?
   Do I have to plug in the TV before I turn it on?
   Are we there yet?
   
   I agree. Stupid questions do exist.

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      bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for this. I hove so many times heard this phrase, that there are now stupid questions.  Of course there are stupid questions and I have asked in the past asked ofte such a stupid questions. 
      
      I have seen many stupid questions, and keep on wondering what the main purpose for asking these questions was.

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10. 68

    skyfireposted 11 years ago

    I've no idea of official hub-score algorithm, but i guess participation on forums, answers helps boost hubscore.

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    1. 61

       bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I asked in the answers this question:
       
       http://hubpages.com/question/66472/does … y-hubscore
       
       May be some one will know and answer my question about it there.  I wonder if it the Hubscore people are thinking about?

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11. 80

    ngurecoposted 11 years ago

    Hi Bileygur,
    
    The question, ‘Can birds fly?’ is by all standards a very stupid and dumb question. But ask Big G that question and you may get a different answer, especially when that question is in the title…. They prefer giving you exactly what you ask for if it’s available somewhere on the internet. There are six billion people on planet earth and I think some people would be interested in asking big G if birds can fly.... And when people come to find answers to that question (because they do not know if birds can fly), hopefully they may stagger to your profile page and all you need from there is just pray.
    
    Good question and good luck to you, Bileygur.

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       bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Dear Ngueco,
       
       Not asking big G allot of questions.  Any way I am not sure how the answears would be as Bileygur is one of more than 50 names that the nordic god Odin is known by.

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12. 0

    ahorsebackposted 11 years ago

    Don't get me wrong, I love the hubbers , but I think like our media today there is just to much chatter, and [ I won't say stupid] less than intellegent questions ....

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    1. 61

       bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Well is age of stupidity (as in the film) getting closer

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          mega1posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Wasn't that Age of Innocence? 

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             bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/
             
             Idiocracy -  is it actually called -   Mix up with another:
             
             http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1300563/plotsummary

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          ahorsebackposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          you may have point there....

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13. 74

    mega1posted 11 years ago

    I almost named one of my sons Odin, but someone told me that was a bit presumptious - kinda like naming your kid God - so I didn't use that name.  Now I find you Bileygur  - also Odin and glad I have!

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       bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Well over here god is really common part of names.  It would have been ok, over here of course there is official religion and people that still believe in nordic gods.
       
       Here are some of the names that start with god:
       God = Gud in Icelandic
       
       Gudbjorg - Saved by god
       Gudbjort - bright as god
       Gudborg - protected by god.
       Guddis -  lucky as good
       Gudfinna - sanctioned by god
       Gudfridur - The one god loves
       Gudlaug - Bright as god (like gods sunshine)
       Gudleif - coming from god
       Gudlin - woman of god
       Gudmunda - gods gift
       Gudny - the one that has been made young by good.
       ....  There are many more and these are only the girl names.
       
       The nordic god names are very popular as well.  Odin as name, not so much bot Thor, Tyr, baldur wich are common.
       
       Thor is the most common middle name in Iceland.

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14. 74

    mega1posted 11 years ago

    I can feel a hub coming on from you!  Icelandic folk ways would be really interesting - to me anyway.  I also have a real fascination for languages I don't know and the sound of them, so if you can video or record some people speaking in Icelandic that would be great to hear.  I know there are plenty of Americans who are stuck like I am, can't travel, but love to visit via online and hubpages is a great vehicle for these travelogues.  There is even a travel section where you link up with others who are currently trying to post hubs about all the places in the world.  if you search hubs for "travel" you will see what I mean.  Just trying to encourage you, not tell you what to do!

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       thisisoliposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I have met quite a few people from iceland, the only real difference I can see when they are speaking english is that tehy use the fword at least three times in any given sentence

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    2. 61

       bileygurposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       The really funniest video was while one of our volcanos was bursting. 
       
       I tell you the icelandic language is really difficult.  We haven't changed so much for 1000 years, so we are still with all the difficult things.
       
       But this video (short) shows the real saying of "Eyjafjallajokull", which is actually difficult to say (even if you are icelandic and then the reporters.
       
       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jq-sMZtSww
       
       Hub Great idea, I will put it on the ideas for hubs

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15. 0

    Website Examinerposted 11 years ago

    SteveoMc, thanks for clarifying that - now I better understand what you meant in your first post. Your hub is a good read.
    
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Hub-Pages-Quest … -and-Rants

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    1. 73

       SteveoMcposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks WE, I gave myself a chuckle on that one.

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16. 0

    ankigarg87posted 11 years ago

    Yes it is good for traffic to ask stupid questions.As for stupid questions many peoples communicate with you

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       WryLiltposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Stupid questions asked in the forum are only there because people want an excuse to get more followers and internal views. Internal views don't make money. Followers don't make money.
       
       External views make money. So no, ankigarg87, stupid questions aren't good for traffic.
       
       In fact if I saw one asked I'd be much less likely to check out that hubber's hubs.

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