Frustrating Idle Hubs concept - Please phase out this feature

1. 67

   dilipchandra12posted 11 years ago

   After a hub was published, it is taking 24 hours to get that hub featured. After getting featured, now the problem was with Indexing of the same into Google Search-engine. It takes months sometimes for a hub to get indexed into Google search engine and getting fair traffic from the same.
   
   I am using site maps in Google Webmaster tools to get my hubs indexed into Google, still there is no guarantee that a hub would be indexed successfully and might take more time. In this mean time, HubPages concept of IDLE HUBS is really frustrating.
   
   Hub becomes idle and it is required to make changes to get the same featured back. And this takes again 24 hours. I have written many good quality hubs and i used all original (self-made pics) pics in there, recently. These hubs were yet to get indexed into Google, meanwhile they were recently "IDLED", i made changes and they were featured after 24 hours. Don’t know when they are going to get indexed, and am afraid that in the mean time when they will become "IDLE".
   
   Please Phase out the idle hubs concept or give more time for the hubs to get indexed into Google.

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2. 86

   Simone Smithposted 11 years ago

   The delay with indexing (which was indeed a serious problem this past fall) is not so bad anymore- thankfully!
   
   We have also significantly decreased the amount of time it takes a Hub to go through the QAP, though that time varies depending on supply and demand.
   
   I am sorry that you find the QAP and Featuring process (we stopped using the term "Idle" when we added quality to a concept that was once just built around engagement) to be frustrating- we are definitely still working the kinks out and know there is a lot we can do to make the process simpler, clearer, and easier for you. We're getting there!
   
   Please rest assured that we would not do this if we did not think it would significantly help our entire community expand their readership, build better online portfolios, meet their earnings goals, etc.

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      Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hi, Simone! 
      
      As you've probably seen, there are other threads showing concerns about the 'featured' or 'non-featured' process and the idle thing. I have mixed feelings - I absolutely agree that a filter for quality is important for HP, so I want to support everything as much as possible.
      
      Can you answer a few questions that came up on the (very active) thread posted by Melovy?
      
      1)  If Exclusives titles are thought to be valuable by HP (which is what we were told), can there be a moratorium on them to prevent them from being non-featured prematurely?  Some of those titles don't catch on quickly, and writers find them idled after only a month or so.
      
      2)  Are hub put through the QAP before going through the Hopper?  We are still finding some sad stuff in the Hopper.  Either that, or we are not all on the same page about what makes a quality hub. Usually, within a few minutes of hopping, you will find hubs with only one text capsule, with spun content, promotional hubs, etc. etc.
      
      3)  For those of us who have graduated from the AP, and for the trusted, longtime writers here, is there a way to bypass the idling time?
      
      Thanks for any insight you can shed here!  ;-)

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3. 68

   Hendrikaposted 11 years ago

   I would also like to know about seasonal Hubs. I find that some of my hubs that may not be earth shattering good, but still with valuable content in them go idle if out of season and then it is impossible to get them going again in season so you miss out completely

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   1. 84

      Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      +1 on Hendricka's excellent point!!!!

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   2. 94

      wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      HP as stated that they have made an effort not to idle seasonal hubs, and to be sure I've only had one instance where that happened.
      
      I'm sure, however, that it will continue to be a problem on and off.  "Seasonal" can mean far more than a hub about Xmas, and it can't be easy to write a program that would recognize that a hub about bird watching isn't going to be read much in January.

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      1. 84

         Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         You make a good point, Wilderness - many hubs have seasons to them, even if they're not about holidays.

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         1. 94

            wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Sure.  Just a few from my own group:
            camping - who camps in the winter?
            Winterizing an RV - why read it any time but fall?
            Trout fishing - few trout fish in the winter, and certainly not in open streams.
            
            There can be lots of reasons a hub won't be read but for a portion of the year.

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            1. 84

               Marcy Goodfleischposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Oh yeah - good ones!  And gardening, various animals (that give birth at certain times of the year), and other topics that are cyclical.  I agree, there's no easy way to filter that.

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4. 67

   dilipchandra12posted 11 years ago

   Hello Simone, thank you for the reply. Hope the hubs would be indexed quickly.
   
   Marcy has raised one issue regarding 'Exclusives titles'. This feature (Exclusives titles), really not so helpful. It has to be modified by allowing the author to change the title. When there is no/ less traffic the hub is going out off the featured list.
   
   Modification of 'Exclusives titles' feature is required.

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5. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 11 years ago

   This thread just caused me to check my latest hub. Damn thing still not indexed. Off to WMT...

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   1. 60

      paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      WTF! "There was an error processing your request."

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         wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I get that a lot from WMT.  Just re-submit it and it works fine, although I've had it take 3 or 4 tries.

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            paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            A first for me. But you are right. Tried again. Success.

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6. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 11 years ago

   I feel a rant coming on...

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