"Bringing back the love when Google hates you"

1. 61

   Jason Menayanposted 13 years ago

   If you haven't heard of the SXSW ("South by Southwest") conference, it's an annual conference in Austin, Texas, that brings the most cutting-edge interactive, music and film innovators to one place for over a week of interesting discussions, product releases, and concerts.
   
   Paul would like to speak this coming year, and we would love to get your assistance to land him a spot. Could you vote for our idea at the SXSW PanelPicker? It'll only take a couple of minutes, and will greatly increase Paul's chances of speaking and getting extra visibility for our site and community. Note that SXSW will take place about 9 months from now, giving Paul plenty of time to put together a truly informative treatise on Panda recovery, a topic we expect to be battle-tested experts on by that point.
   
   Vote for the HubPages panel here
   (It does require signup at SXSW.com but it's painless.)
   
   Here's our idea:
   
   Bringing back the love when Google hates you
   
   In a world where Google guards the gates of the Internet, the Panda update proved beyond reasonable doubt that every website is vulnerable to the search giant's changes. While Google does a very good job, the vagaries of search algorithm updates result in decent sites losing a huge chunk of their traffic, leading to distractions of resources in trying to recoup their search traffic. In this discussion, Paul Edmondson will talk about unsuspected insights from his Panda-update experience and offer 5 key best practices that will help your site remain stable during future changes.

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      Quilligrapherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hi there Jason. I would love to lend a hand to Mr. Edmondson in his effort to speak at SXSW.  But, before I do, I have one question that nags at me.
      
      If Mr. Edmondson has knowledge that can blunt the cutting edge of Google’s search algorithm updates which result in decent sites losing a huge chunk of their traffic, or lead to distractions of resources trying to recoup traffic, what is gained from sharing this knowledge with competitors and others?

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         Peggy Wposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Reasonable question.

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      2. 61

         Jason Menayanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Well, I think we have everything to gain by seeing that high-quality content is identified and rewarded by Google, however granular the process of identifying it will have to be. We don't benefit from the perception that certain domains or brands are always good, while others are bad.
         
         Besides, the cat's out of the bag about our broad strategy of moving to subdomains in order for Google to assess quality by author. And most of our advice, like in our Learning Center, is available to the public already (you don't need to be signed in to see it).

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         1. 72

            Quilligrapherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you, Mr. Menayan, for your prompt reply. 
            “Paul Edmondson will talk about unsuspected insights from his Panda-update experience and offer 5 key best practices that will help your site remain stable during future changes.” That reads like giving aid and comfort to the competition and your explanation does little to alter that interpretation.

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            1. 72

               Hauntyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I'm thinking Paul Edmondson would be talking about his real life experience with Panda and what worked for Hubpages. And don't forget it hasn't been a painless process and alienated lots of people with huge egos. So for competitors, it's one thing to learn about the measures that can potentially achieve recovery and quite another to implement them.
               
               Anyway, voted and hoping HP manages to land a spot, as SXSW is a media event that could win us great publicity.

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         2. 99

            Peggy Wposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I guess anything Paul can do to bring favorable publicity to HubPages benefits all of us in the end if we are writing good and original content.  Will do my part and vote for the HubPages panel.

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            1. 99

               Peggy Wposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I just voted and the signup process is painless as Jason suggested.

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      3. 98

         Gordon Hamiltonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Quilligrapher, I think that is an absolutely excellent question and extremely valid and relevant. However, I also believe I know why Paul would wish to speak on behalf of Hub Pages and the community that we have become as a result of Panda.
         
         We all know the effect that Panda had on most Hubbers and Hub Pages in general. However, it is my honest opinion that HP has not been given the credit it deserves for the incredible and innovative way in which it has tackled the problem. Yes, I know people have lost a lot of page views, a lot of money and a lot of prestige in the short term - but equally, Hub Pages has tackled this problem with its launch of subdomains and more in a very proactive and positive fashion.
         
         As a result of subdomains, although Hubbers fall under the umbrella of Hub Pages, each now has a greater control of their own destiny than ever before. May that be the reason why Paul wishes to speak and - in my opinion - is qualified to speak on this subject...?
         
         Yes, Jason, I will sign up to this and vote, as soon as I have finished this post.

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         1. 84

            K9keystrokesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Gordon, as always you remain warmly placed in my heart! I second your comments here. Nice job!
            Off to vote for Paul, thanks for the heads-up jason! (looking forward to HubMeet this week!)
            

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      4. 70

         Beth100posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         With all due respect, the world is changing, whereby the attitude of proprietorship and "hogging of information for corporate gains" is shifting towards "share and let's all grow".  (freeware vs. proprietory software, TED, intelligence pools sharing knowledge to solve/create problems, etc.) You can see this shift in all sectors of talent throughout the world. 
         
         The world, both real and cyber, has grown because of this shift in attitude.  There is an infinite exponential amount of information, that was once locked away in guarded safes, is now available on the web for anyone who wants to know.   
         
         By sharing experiences, knowledge, and ideas, society, our world, will continue to grow and change. 
         
         HP and Paul's willingness to share with the world will only make HP stronger by exemplifying confidence in the recovery it has made by following its beliefs and strategic planning.
         
         You have my vote. 

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   2. 60

      Jo_Goldsmith11posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well this sounds like a good idea. I am so unhappy with google.
      I wish him (you) the best of luck!  Take care..and blessings and good health.

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      gracenotesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I just voted for Paul Edmonson.  Good luck -- You've got my vote of confidence.
      
      Interesting things happening in Austin! Wish I could go hear him speak, but that won't be possible.

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      Earth Angelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      GREAT idea! Joined and voted! Blessings, Earth Angel!

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2. 81

   Sally's Troveposted 13 years ago

   What does the Google/Panda issue have to do with music and film? Maybe it would be good to explain the broader context of SXSW.

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   1. 61

      Jason Menayanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      SXSW has 3 parts: Music, Film, and Interactive. Interactive is focused on online innovation and timely discussion. (Many of the top online services, like Twitter and Foursquare, were launched there, so lots of people pay close attention to the launches and talks there)

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      1. 81

         Sally's Troveposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Jason. That's something I'm sure a lot of us didn't know.

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3. 60

   OldSkoolFoolposted 13 years ago

   The real problem is that internet users once again voluntarily gave one company too much power to make end all decisions. Google nowadays can make or break a company. It's very sad to see that even the free internet is controlled by one huge corporation. No matter what you do to recover, the bottom line is that if you are not a "real world" brand...you are owned by Google!

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4. 86

   Stacie Lposted 13 years ago

   I may be a bit off topic but if Bing and Yahoo had similar ad revenue programs it may tame this dragon..and give us back some love..

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5. 59

   basaltbezelposted 13 years ago

   How are you able to tell other people how to beat Panda when you haven't done it yourselves?
   
   http://www.quantcast.com/hubpages.com
   
   An increase of maybe 10% across the site, still far less than pre-panda is not "beating" it.
   
   I especially like the yearly view.

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   1. 61

      Jason Menayanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      The proposal isn't about "beating Panda" (not sure why you quoted that word), but glad to see you back, Wry!

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      1. 59

         basaltbezelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Bringing back the love when Google hates you
         
         In this discussion, Paul Edmondson will talk about unsuspected insights from his Panda-update experience and offer 5 key best practices that will help your site remain stable during future changes.
         
         If "beating" is politically incorrect, what words would you suggest? "Bouncing back from"? No matter how  you look at it, you're saying that Hubpages has brought back the Google love since Panda. My point was based not on the wording, but the fact that a slight rise cannot be described as bringing back the love.
         
         It's sad to see a once great site relying on new users who'll believe anything to agree with whatever claims you make without testing and with extremely short term memories.
         
         It's kind of like seeing an ex boyfriend turn into a drug addict - or maybe a drug pusher.

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         1. 86

            Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I'd have to agree. Yes, HubPages made a lot of changes after  Panda, but most of it didn't work. There was no improvement in traffic following all the painful rule changes.  The sub-domain change caused a surge in traffic for some, but it hasn't lasted for everyone and it's too soon to tell whether that's due to a problem with those particular Hubbers, or if it will be a general experience.
            
            So I don't see how Paul can give a talk recommending "best practices" when we still don't know yet whether any of these measures have worked.  In a few months, it could be a different story.

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               Sally's Troveposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I agree and iterate that perhaps by the conference date HP will know why and how things are working or not working.

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6. 60

   ajcorposted 13 years ago

   Voted for Paul Edmondson to speak at the conference...Mr Edmondson may also come back with additional, new and helpful information from this for the benefit of hubpages!   cheers

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7. 84

   K9keystrokesposted 13 years ago

   Yep, painless sign-up, easy comment task, and a joy to support the cause. Good luck Paul!

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8. 60

   Mrvoodooposted 13 years ago

   
   
   Done.

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   1. 60

      Mrvoodooposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      ^ This premature vote of confidence is now officially withdrawn.
      
      My two HP accounts are currently, between them, bringing in less traffic, and earnings, than a blogger blog with six short posts I threw up, and forgot about, a few months back.
      
      * You can have the vote back when you figure out how to return the Google love with some stability.

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      1. 86

         Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I didn't vote in the first place, because although my views recovered after the sub-domain switch, I knew so many Hubbers who weren't so lucky.
         
         As of 6th December, my account has now suffered the same fate - a 75% drop in traffic.  I'm not at all sure HubPages should be talking on this subject at all.

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            IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Maybe your plunge will only be for a few days Marisa! Fingers crossed anyway
            It's 4 months today since both Randy Godwin and me plunged, and who knows how many others?
            I'm not seeing anyway out of this except to keep publishing and wait....and wait...and wait.

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            1. 83

               Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I wish I knew whether I plunged here or not.
               
               It's just too hard to tell because I landed here just a few months before Panda.  Certainly my traffic went down then, but it wasn't anything to be noticed anyway, so the fact that it is "improving" now isn't necessarily meaningful - has Panda dampened but not squashed an upward trend?  If the hubs were all mature would it be nothing but a sea of blue arrows?
               
               I do know that HP is doing much better than my "main" site (that "main" thing is becoming a bit of a fib now), but I don't know what might happen if I spun sections of that off to some new domain.  It's much harder to contemplate that when some of the pages are still doing well and have many inbound links - I could 301 them, of course, but that is still going to cost me.
               
               So I mostly just sit like the frog in that pot of slowly warming water.    For me, the income part was always secondary anyway - I wrote to communicate with readers and if that happened to make some money, fine.  Sure, I'd play with stuff to try to increase that money, but the communication was first and foremost and still is.
               
               So that's what has me now writing on HP.  The first motive is the writing and then the income. The income seems to be better here than it has been at my other site, so I write here.  I don't care about the income enough to thrash around looking for an even better place, though if I stumbled across something by accident I'd probably do it..
               
               So complicated..

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9. 61

   Jason Menayanposted 13 years ago

   Thanks Gordon, Haunty, Jo, K9keystrokes, Peggy, ajcor, Mrvoodoo, and others who've already voted.
   
   Voting's still open for another couple of weeks for anyone else who wants to vote us up!

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10. 41

    wavegirl22posted 13 years ago

    I was always taught  . . if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all. Maybe some people and all their alters ought to practice that one. . .
    
    Paul has my vote hands down. .

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       K9keystrokesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I had a pretty good idea you "rock" wavegirl; but your comment here totally proves it! HubHugs!

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          wavegirl22posted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Always a bright side to my day when I see you K9!

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       2. 62

          Lisa HWposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Hey - wavegirl's picked up some votes on this thread too.   

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             wavegirl22posted 13 years agoin reply to this

             I did?
             
             Anyway, really liked what you had to say Lisa!! As k9 says .. You Rock!!!!
             
             Now lets all plan to go see Paul in March speak!!!!!!!!!
             
             

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    2. 81

       SimeyCposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I have to agree. While I'm not opposed to constructive critisism, pure negativity for no other reason apart from 'slaggin' off management has no productive value - you also wonder why these people are still here if they hate Hubpages so much.

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          Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Who said I hate HubPages?  I have a very soft spot for HubPages, I could never have started my own websites without this site and all the help I received. 
          
          But I'm a supporter, not a sycophant.  I very much hope HubPages will recover and eventually be bigger and better than before, but I see no reason to pretend everything is rosy in the garden right now.  And to my mind, considering that things are still so unstable, I'm amazed that Paul considers this presentation appropriate.
          
          If he wasn't asking people to vote for him, I wouldn't say anything.  But he's asking for support and many new Hubbers don't know the history, so I think it's appropriate to say something.

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          1. 81

             SimeyCposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Marisa - this is why I hate places like FB, forums and things like texting sometimes. My comment was more general - and I'd actually place your remarks in the 'constructive critisism' area - you made your comments but then explained why in an objective manner! Sorry if you though my comment was aimed at you - it wasn't aimed at anyone in particular!

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11. 62

    Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

    My vote's in.  Good luck to Paul Edmondson and HubPages on the outcome of the voting.

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12. 61

    Teylinaposted 13 years ago

    Just returned and wouldn't you know I had a prob w/Google, so decided to hell with it and check out the forums. Haven't read this so can't comment, but the title drew me to comment--is it possible? I'll read later!

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13. 88

    RedElfposted 13 years ago

    We live in hope! Voted for Paul to speak.

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14. 61

    Jason Menayanposted 13 years ago

    And thank you wavegirl, Lisa, Simey, and RedElf for your votes!

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15. 71

    waynetposted 13 years ago

    Tried to sign up twice with 2 separate email accounts just to vote and it wouldn't let me...at least the thought was there!

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    1. 61

       Jason Menayanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Strange...JustAskSusan mentioned in a blog comment that it took a day for her SXSW account to be confirmed so that she could vote. Maybe they have a bug on their end. Thanks for the effort, though!

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       1. 67

          Rosie2010posted 13 years agoin reply to this

          I just signed up and voted today.  The email confirmation was almost instantaneous.

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16. 88

    Nell Roseposted 13 years ago

    Signed up, voted, got asked to wait for my email confirmation, clicked on it, got confused, back tracked, got confused again, then voila' voted!

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17. 60

    Jane@CMposted 13 years ago

    Best of luck Paul!

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18. 57

    andromidaposted 13 years ago

    I see a sign that Google has started to show its love for hubpages.I hope it to continue..

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19. 67

    Rosie2010posted 13 years ago

    Always a pleasure to support Hubpages.  Another vote for Paul Edmondson!

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20. 61

    Jason Menayanposted 13 years ago

    Thank you Nell Rose, Jane, gracenotes, Earth Angel, and Rosie for voting for our proposal!

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21. 70

    Shelly McRaeposted 13 years ago

    Just signed up and voted. Mr. Edmondson, I believe, is qualified to speak on the topic of adapting to Google's alogrithms in this medium. Musicians and film makers - particularly those trying to get their names out there- are also likely to have websites and blogs, and it's in their interest to understand how Google affects their traffic. From his proposal, I got the impression Paul wished to speak to working within the new Google environment, rather than creating a sense of animosity toward the search engine giant.

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22. 61

    Earth Angelposted 13 years ago

    Hi Jason,
    
    Yes, I voted right away! How many times can each person vote? Is it "once" for the entire contest, or "once per day," ect.?
    
    I apologize if you have already addressed this; I didn't see the answer anywhere!?
    
    I know Paul would be GREAT!
    
    Blessings always, Earth Angel!

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    1. 61

       Jason Menayanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Hi Earth Angel -
       
       It's a one-time only vote (not the "every day" kind). Thank you for your support!

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23. 61

    Jason Menayanposted 13 years ago

    Thank you, Beth100 and Shelly!

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24. 61

    Teylinaposted 13 years ago

    Rosie and Nell Rose, I'm not at all surprised you two got thru w/o any probs--just seems everything (as well as everybody) on HP, incl'g Google, loves you both! I've been reading, so I'm gonna try!

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25. 86

    Stacie Lposted 13 years ago

    ok I just voted..Good luck at the conference.

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26. 63

    nikipaposted 13 years ago

    I am sure  Mr. Edmondson will manage to improve things on HP! Voted!
    Lets hope that everything happens is for better!

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27. 61

    Jason Menayanposted 13 years ago

    Thank you for your votes, Stacie and nikipa!

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28. 96

    leahleflerposted 13 years ago

    I voted - I hope it isn't too late for the votes to count! I'm always a little late on the uptake.

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    1. 61

       Jason Menayanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Not too late at all (voting ends on September 2nd). Thanks, Leah!

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29. 58

    len7288posted 13 years ago

    Just voted for Paul! Hubpages team is doing a great job

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30. 60

    mgwhiteposted 13 years ago

    Just voted!

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31. 61

    Jason Menayanposted 13 years ago

    Thank you, len7288 and mgwhite!

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32. 89

    MM Del Rosarioposted 13 years ago

    Voted, Good Luck Paul!!!!

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33. 86

    Stacie Lposted 13 years ago

    "Note that SXSW will take place about 9 months from now, giving Paul plenty of time to put together a truly informative treatise on Panda recovery, a topic we expect to be battle-tested experts on by that point"
    
    I'm afraid i may not be here in 9 months..or my views would have disappeared from the internet by that time..

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34. 76

    Wesman Todd Shawposted 13 years ago

    Well, I'll certainly do the ol' vote thing for Paul and HP.  Any chance you guys could swing by Kaufman and have a beer with me?  LOL!

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35. 60

    PiaCposted 12 years ago

    With the season of Thanksgiving, we are always so grateful for our incredibly supportive community of Hubbers. Thank you all so much for voting for HubPages at SXSW. I am delighted to tell you that your efforts and comments were not in vain - Paul has been picked to speak at the conference! Your support, active voting and commentary made it happen. THANK YOU!

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    1. 62

       Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Hey!  Nice.  Congratulations to Paul Edmondson and HubPages.

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          VidaLovesLifeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Congratulations to hub pages and Paul E.  This is the first forum for me.  Just coming out of the rock.. the HUB is great and giving me a hand.The title intrigued me.  It's a great intro tour into the thoughts of fellow hubbers and trends in the cyber world.  Still trying to find my way in the maze and pick up a baton to share.

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36. 73

    AEvansposted 12 years ago

    Congrats Paul and HP! How exciting!

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