How to Tell a Hubber You Respect that there Info is Totally Wrong?

1. 83

   Gordon Hamiltonposted 13 years ago

   I thought long and hard how to title this post. Basically, I read a Hub a few minutes ago (not a new one) by a Hubber whom I respect and admire but was embarrassed for them by the number of inaccuracies in their Hub. I am sure they believe what they wrote is fact but they have clearly never visited the country in question (mine!) and their info is beyond laughable. I did not comment on the Hub, so there is no point checking my history!
   
   Essentially, their Hub is so far off the mark it would be embarrassing for me to comment on it. My question is: should I privately e-mail the writer and try to gently and subtly point out the major inaccuracies, or just leave well alone? I promise, they are glaring clangers that will annoy a lot of particularly Scots but also other Brits.
   
   I hope no one thinks I am trying to be condescending here - I promise you, I am not. I am just more than anything surprised that a Hub by this particular writer has been published which has so little basis in fact...

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   rebekahELLEposted 13 years ago

   I guess it depends what kind of info is inaccurate... ?

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      Gordon Hamiltonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It's been taken from a very low quality website, RebekahELLE, or book. The info is so bad (don't want to give too much away here) it even makes a distinction between the British and the Scottish. Errr... Scotland, England and Wales are the British, with Northern Ireland forming the fourth component part of the UK...

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         rebekahELLEposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         well, you could either send a private email or perhaps write a hub yourself.
         The hubber may or may not be receptive to your email. I have seen these kind of hubs also, and I leave them alone. If that's what they want to write.. it's their hub and their subdomain.

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   mary615posted 13 years ago

   I think I would privately email this Hubber and let them know what you have discovered.  Sometimes, I'd like to email a Hubber and let them know there are misspelled words of poor grammar in their Hub, but I don't.   Then I feel bad because I didn't say anything, because I'd appreciate it if someone pointed out my mistakes.  Just an iffy thing.......

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   SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago

   well GH if the hub wasn't researched and it is really that bad - then why not email them - maybe they will be up for learning something and do a rewrite...i guess you'll have to take the chance the person will be receptive - especially if the information is wrong

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Question: Is the hub rated highly?
   Are there a lot of comments on the hub?
   Is it possible the inaccuracies are there out of naivete?
   I mean, perhaps the hubber honestly believes the things s/he says about your country.
   
   I agree with others here that rather than publicly embarrassing the hubber by reaming him/her out on their hub, a private email would preferable.
   However, Having recently had someone do just that -- send me a private email expressing supreme disappointment in one of my hubs -- I would caution you to be tactful and sensitive in your communication.
   Think long and hard (as you have already) about what is your motivation and what do you hope to achieve.
   
   Good luck.
   Don't think it's needed, tho. You've got a good handle on the issue, Gordon!

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6. 83

   Gordon Hamiltonposted 13 years ago

   Thanks very much to all of you for replying to this and collectively giving me the idea for what I hope is the right approach.
   
   I have e-mailed the Hubber tonight, simply stating that I saw their Hub and wondered if they would be interested in some authentic, original photographs and information from a local to help them embellish their topic. I have plenty of original photos that I will happily send if they wish them of the areas mentioned.
   
   Thanks to each one of you for your help - much appreciated!

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      jimmythejockposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You had me worried there Gordon lol, was about to look through all of my hubs and find where i went wrong.no email from you breathing a huge sigh of relief lol.....jimmy

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      Sally's Troveposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You are a diplomat. I don't know that I would have been so kind as to offer original photographs.
      
      However, you did the right thing. That Hubber can take your message and generosity to heart, improving his/her work here, or can shrug off your offer and lead a lesser life for it. Cheers to you!
      
      You always knew you'd email them privately; you didn't need the forum here to help you make that decision. But you did a lot of good by showing hubbers who might be confused about what to do, what to do.
      
      If somebody wrote an article about my town saying that Duck Deli was five miles from where it's located, or something, I'd be emailing them instantly.

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   Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago

   It shows the weakness of people writing travel hubs about places they have never visited. There is so much travel crap on the Internet it isn't funny. Most of it is totally useless.

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      Sally's Troveposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Agreed. I did a freelance stint a long while ago writing short articles describing points of interest in locations I'd never been to. One of the locations was a major city in South America whose only claim to fame was that it was a drug cartel center. And I was supposed to make this a desired destination? That was the end of my engagement with those kinds of assignments.

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         Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I did some for Internet Brands and Pure Content and I was never happy with them. Thankfully, they were not published under my own name...

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            Sally's Troveposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Same here...that stuff never went out under my own name.

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