You know people aren't actually READING your hubs when....

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   Greg Sageposted 12 years ago

   So I tossed up a couple for pure comedy.  Pretty funny stuff.  I'd be rolling laughing if I read them...
   
   ... and I get some comments like "Very useful information."
   
   Haha... I guess people are just hitting and making comments in an attempt to either get more followers or raise their score somehow.
   
   The comments AFTER the comedy may be the funniest part of all.

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      earnestshubposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Very useful information!

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         Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         thx

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            earnestshubposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Hey Greg, would you drop a link to your hub here? I may be getting tired, but I didn't see it.
            I read another hub and followed you already, as I can see you write good stuff.

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               Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I don't think we're allowed to do that here.  Dunno.  I'm new.
               
               I have a couple I did for comic relief.  I'll probably do more as people seem to like them.  The songwriting one is more my main field of expertise, but it's pretty specialized.  I know more than my share about mlm, so I decided to toss that one out with no intention of monitizing it... just thought some people might benefit.
               
               I'm trying to think what the other one was I wrote for comedy...
               
               ... oh, yeah..  the woohoo one... that's the realy funny one.  The how to how to how to one is very deadpan comedy... almost to the point where you wonder if it's a joke, but woohoo was for comedy only.  It was really fun to right, and I'm thinking about doing a comedy blog... we'll see if it gets more of a following.  It's certainly fun to write.

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                  Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Decided to kick it up a notch with follow up since that seems to be a fav, so did boohoo as a response to woohoo.

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                  Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Since I've done a whole comedy series now on making money with hubpages, I cant' help but notice they've gotten more hits than other topics.
                  
                  Readers seem to like them more, and leave more feedback, but I wonder if the higher hit count isn't due to the topic alone.
                  
                  ... or perhaps the tidal wave of HP searches for "petite lap giraffes."

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      BRIAN SLATERposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Greg I wouldn't worry about your comments too much. Most people who come across your hubs will skim read them at the very most, unless you get someone who has specifically sought out the information your hub contains.
      The type of comments your talking about like "useful" or "nice hub" just isn't worth leaving. On many of my hubs I have deleted the comment section to avoid the hassle of either having to reply or to delete it.
      Fellow hubbers who leave comments are "generally " quite good and know that "nice hub" doesn't cut it. Like you say they maybe just after a link or for you to follow them back, don't give them the satisfaction.

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      Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Now HubPages has it built into the "accolade" that shows a "level" for commenting, making all kinds of useless and quickie comments won't work in Hubbers' favor.
      
      I'm not recommending this (because I think it may have adversely affected my HP ad earnings - not sure), but I got rid of most of my comment capsules.  Responding to the the long comments (and from ages-old Hubs) were turning into a part-time job for me.  I couldn't ignore them because of the serious subjects.  The useless ones were just taking up my time by requiring either deleting, or else trying to think up how to give an response to what was essentially nothing. 
      
      You're right, though.  People obviously don't always read what they offer feedback on.  Sometimes maybe someone clicks the wrong side of a button for legitimate feedback, though.  Sometimes, too, wisenheimers do stuff like click "funny" on a deadly serious subject. 
      
      Personally, I read only what I have time to read (always vote up if I like a Hub), comment only if I think it may add something to the "discussion", write when I have time, and come to the forums when I just want to look for something interesting or fun to read/say.  That's all it takes if a person is interested in getting a decent score and followers (although neither of those two things assures traffic and/or earnings, so why people get all wrapped in either, I don't really know). 

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         Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         hmm... I wonder how they determine the comment value.  Word length?  Length of time spent on page?
         
         Certainly the more comments there are, the longer the average length of page view will be, I would think.

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      wealthseekerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Good hub!  that is generic one that goes for most hub!

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         Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I got one much more puzzling.
         
         I go out of my way to write a pants-wettingly funny piece filled with the most ridiculous things I can come up with, and I get:
         
         
         "Good Title"
         
         Wel... thanks, I guess for actually TELLING me you made no attempt to read the hub.  lol

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            Kimberly.Meloyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            That's kind of a slap in the face...
            If you're going to post a comment like that, why even bother?
            Nice that you're finding the humor in it though, lol.

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      Baileybearposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      it's like that one I wrote about a boy that grew up as a chicken - it was a serious one, like most of mine are.  Someone put that it was very funny

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         wheelinalloverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I have been lucky most of the comments I have received were well thought out and show the person read at least enough of the article to know what to comment about. I have misinterpreted a few comments and got a good laugh from it.
         
         So far they are all there. Nothing has come in which needed deleted. I am not sure about the buttons (useful) ect. I really haven't paid too much attention to them.
         
         If I am looking at a hub and don't finish it for whatever reason, if enough useful information was found in what was read I will vote up and useful. I won't leave a comment unless I read the whole thing and believe I have something of value to add.
         
         Several of my hubs were written in comment boxes then moved to a word document on my computer to finish. In those cases I remove what I have written from the comment box and write another comment.
         
         Forums seem to do the best for keeping the hub score up. I can't remember when I wrote my last hub. From memory a few weeks ago. I do however come to the forums whenever I find time.
         
         I know that most of the hubs I have written need revision. It takes time to learn what works and what doesn't and as time has progressed I have revised different hubs that I find lacking. My biggest problem is finding time. My latest hub has actually been changed 3 times since it was published.
         
         I was warned that it was too short when it was published, so added more that day, then went back as new material became available and added more yet and a few more pictures. It's paying off at least with hub pages readers. There are more readers faster than any other hub I have ever published.

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            Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            lol

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      viryaboposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great post!

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   Rochelle Frankposted 12 years ago

   One thing about comments on old hubs-- it brings them up on the feed and they are viewed by people who didn't see them the first time around.  I'm always pleased when I see someone has commented on one that has gone past its second or third birthday.

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      Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      still learning.  literally never heard of any of this stuff a few days ago.
      
      "The Feed"   Is that your rss, or something about the way HP shows current hubs internally?

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         Rochelle Frankposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         The 'feed' is now part of the home page when you are signed in. It presumably shows the latest happenings within your areas of interest (selected by your preferences). You can also set your preferences for 'all', which is what I do.

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            Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            thx.. will investigate

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      Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Rochelle, good points, needless to say.  My own problem was that when I first signed up I wrote a bunch of Hubs by going to the "requests" section (now "questions/answers"), and I'd see some "big, serious, question" with half-baked-effort answers; and I'd figure I'd try to give a decent answer by writing a Hub.  Or, I'd see some really weird question and try to challenge myself by writing a Hub to answer it.  So a lot of my oldies are either big, depression, subjects (with comments that can't be ignored if a person has a heart at all) or else strange, isolated, sets of circumstances (although I've gotten rid of a lot of those). Some of those grief and death Hubs have done well, but after a few years, I don't want to see them keep coming back and haunting me.    I'd delete them, but they're actually among my more useful/decent Hubs, I think (based on feedback).
      
      I guess the moral to the story is:  Don't write about anything you wouldn't want to keep coming back to haunt you in a couple of years.      Who knew?   

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   Shadesbreathposted 12 years ago

   Haha, dude, I hear you. I pretty much don't write anything serious, and the best comments are the ones I get on satire. I have a couple, one on gay marriage and another on how NOT to make money online that have some hilarious comments from people who don't read closely or just can't fathom sarcasm. Frankly, its the only reward for writing comedy, because it certainly doesn't pay Adsense dividends. lol.

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      Rochelle Frankposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      
      Yes, they come from outside of HubPages, and call you a stupid idiot (which I have learned to embrace). On my last 'humor' piece about increasing gas mileage, I felt the need for disclaimers since my suggestions could cause serious harm or serious death if taken seriously.

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         Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Pshaw.... serious harm or death.
         
         Are you COMMITTED to your comedy or not?
         
         Half-stepper.
         
         Oh, wait... not just death, but SERIOUS death.  Never mind.  That's no laughing matter.

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            Rochelle Frankposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you, but I have never been committed and I do write on serious subjects like hanging your pot lids and setting tables.
            You may have fallen into the wrong crowd.

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         Cardisaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I loved the Gas mileage piece!

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      Mark Ewbieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      What is annoying to me is that my serious attempts to become a quality informative writer are met with derision and comments saying stuff like LOL, whatever that means.
      I say comments... I mean comment but I'm expecting another one after posting this, er, post.

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         Rochelle Frankposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         LOL

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            Mark Ewbieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Ah, and LOL back at you.

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               Shadesbreathposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               LOL @ u both.

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                  Mark Ewbieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  LOL at Greg puzzling over the mental age of the crowd he has become a member of.

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                     Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     very useful information

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                        Mark Ewbieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        LOL.  But actually.  That was very good.

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                           Rosie2010posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           lol and very useful information. still lol-ing

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                     Rochelle Frankposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     I have to have a low mental age so I can average it into my  actual age and be almost the age of you guys.

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                        Cardisaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        I'd really like Mark to point me to a really serious hub that he recently did!
                        
                        The point is, the message might be of high quality but you always seem to add some kind of humor or sarcasm to your articles, am II right? So it's kinda hard to take you seriously.

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                           Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           You could write nothing but 1-liners.
                           
                           Not a serious word in the bunch.
                           
                           
                           ... and still get comments like "very useful information."

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                           Mark Ewbieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           Fair point Cardisa.  Among my more serious 'works' are cat worming, drilling holes and gay pets.  Er. Not all in the one page you understand.  That could lead to confusion.

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                              Cardisaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              It did kinda confuse me for a second there Mark....

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                              Rosie2010posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              LOL Mark you are funny!  Those are very useful information tho'

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                              JamaGeneeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              Not to some of the more off-the-wall hubbers (I, sadly, being one of them). Written in the right slant, a hub combining all those topics might just go viral.  Just sayin'... ;D

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                                 Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                 ... and hand-drawn pictures, of course.

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      Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      How NOT to make money online.
      
      Genius.
      
      I salute you, sir.

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   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   I go from either being a really wise fourteen-year-old, to being a middle-aged person with the mind of a six-year-old - neither of which does much for my credibility as writer.  Once in awhile I dabble in trying to come across like a sensible middle-aged person; but that inevitably leads to a lot of people using the word, "boring" (and I don't blame them).    Oh well, let the giant Panda sort it all out.  I "ain't changin'".

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      Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      very useful information

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         Rosie2010posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         lol

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   Cardisaposted 12 years ago

   I like this post because I keep shaking my head knowingly when I read some of the comments in my hubs.
   
   You actually know exactly who don't really read hubs at all when you see that they always leave the same comment on almost every hub the visit, like: 'Good job', 'Very good writer' etc.
   
   Their comments have no real comment about the info in the article, so there cannot be any kind of discussion.

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      Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      lol

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   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   I had one commenter on a few of my hubs saying 'great videos' when there were no videos in the hubs!
   If you must leave a comment, at least use the main keywords of the hub, or new related ones, as it will bring search engine traffic to the hub in question.

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      Cardisaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great videos IzzyM 

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      Rosie2010posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      oh that was hilarious!  great videos btw

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   SomewayOuttaHereposted 12 years ago

   ...how about 'you're hot'!....when about 75% of my writing is/was about dying and death 

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      DIYweddingplannerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's the boots, SOH!  Gets 'em every time!

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         Cardisaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Hehehehe

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      Rosie2010posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I never got a comment saying I'm hot.  What da?  lol

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         DIYweddingplannerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Did I mention you're hot, Rosie? lol

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   imatellmuvaposted 12 years ago

   You know people aren't actually reading your hubs when the comment has little or nothing to do with the content (I agree with IzzyM). For those who leave a simple comment, I just believe that they're unable to provide a detailed comment, or simply want you to know that they at least viewed your hub. While I look forward to detailed comments, I am grateful for the visit, because it still counts as a view to the hub.

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   Jonathan Jancoposted 12 years ago

   I'm very grateful for this one consdering stories from all you folks. I get a lot of comments considering  don't hae many fans. An just about every comment I get is in depth and shows the commentor definitely read the hub.

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      Greg Sageposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      lol

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      Rosie2010posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      very useful information.. sorry can't help it.  This thread is so funny.

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    Rosie2010posted 12 years ago

    Thanks, Greg.  This is a hilarious thread.  You should do a hub on it entitled "Very Useful Information"

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