Hubpages unpublishing my hubs...

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  1. sparkster profile image86
    sparksterposted 10 years ago

    Hubpages have developed a habit of keeping unpublishing my hubs for "linking to prohibited sites" - However, the particular hub in question which keeps repeatedly being unpublished does NOT contain any links whatsoever!  It has been submitted, re-approved and then unpublished again repeatedly.  Additionally, the more time goes on, the more this kind of thing seems to happen and there isn't anything anyone can do about it.  It's just plain, outright stupidity and it seems to me that Hubpages is plummeting downhill very fast.  If this is the way I am being treated after 5 years of hard work, much of which has earned income for Hubpages, then I will no longer be writing here any more.  The site is quickly becoming a waste of time, except for just waiting for the monthly royalties that I do have coming in.  Writing new material, though, is utterly pointless.

    1. ChristinS profile image38
      ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      But, but - I like your hubs they are very interesting and on fascinating subjects like UFO's and stuff.  I know all the changes here are nuts, but in the case of the hub with no links, I would still contact HP and let them know it is happening. 

      The only hubs of mine unfeatured at the moment are time-sensitive ones. One on Halloween and the other about leap year history and facts. I'm not even bothering with those two.  My other ones I made sure have good searchable titles and used subtitles and other things throughout.  Images, whatever makes it more visually appealing as well seems to appease HP.

      I know these steps seem drastic and they can be frustrating, but at the same time I think HP has to improve the quality of its content from a search engine perspective or lose money.  Panda and Penguin have been VERY harsh to sites like this over the past year and so it's do or die for HP.  We need to take the parts that are going to work for us (a higher-quality, less spammy site) and embrace them, even if it means some growing pains for awhile.  I do hope you'll keep hubbing though!

    2. wilderness profile image94
      wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Which hub has been unpublished?

      1. profile image0
        Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Yesterday I had 6 that were unpublished, I tweeked 2, today they are all back published again.  Something just seems screwy

        1. Pearldiver profile image66
          Pearldiverposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Yeah... the fact that they have been Ripped Down from their position in the SERPs and will not get the opportunity to regain any of that exposure thereafter, once a NoIndex tag has been attached to them in the 'republishing' process!  Nothing justifies THAT intentional act, which effectively results in nothing more than a systematic 'DeBranding' of hubbers who have previously worked their butts off gaining positive authority in SEs!  sad

    3. SpaceShanty profile image93
      SpaceShantyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe you should consider getting your own site and moving everything you have written there.  You will then have total control.

    4. psycheskinner profile image83
      psycheskinnerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      So what is the exact url that is being flagged as prohibited? Is it possible it is somewhere you are not seeing like the picture attribution?

    5. Bill Sego profile image69
      Bill Segoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah I think they have made some updates and changes and it is causing errors.  I haven't posted a hub for a few weeks and went to start one today and couldn't get past the first page.  Some "permalink" crap about having to add to the end of the url.  It basically forced me to add something before it would let me continue and is the first time I ever ran into that problem.  Then I noticed a plethora of prefilled additions and suggestions to the template.  So my guess is they are still working out the bugs.  Hang in there!

    6. Christy Kirwan profile image90
      Christy Kirwanposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hi sparkster,

      I was wondering if you could provide us with a bit more information about your situation so we can determine if you're experiencing a bug or not. Was your Hub unpublished or de-Featured?

  2. profile image0
    Sarra Garrettposted 10 years ago

    I have been having the same problem.  no links but has been unpublished.  Or, one day they are published and the next they are not.  I feel like a yo yo.  Very frustrating.

    1. wilderness profile image94
      wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Unpublished or unfeatured?  According to the OP his hubs are actually being unpublished, not just unfeatured - a whole different thing.

    2. phdast7 profile image82
      phdast7posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This is all terribly frustrating, but I agree that sometimes the "fix" is quick and easy.   Although, being evaluated anonymously and being unpublished for any one of twenty reasons which no one will specify is infuriating.

      Recently three of my most popular (lots of views and comments) and well written  (evergreen content) hubs were suddenly unpublished no explanation.  At first I was just furious and shouted imprecations at the face less (mindless) drones who presume to evaluate my writing.  But I wasn't willing to give upon three "good" Hubs.

      It took forty minutes and in less that 24 hours all three were republished as highlighter hubs.   Two weeks later they are still highlighted.   Remember sometimes it is the computer algorithm that catches us as well, and often it i s simply looking to see if anything has changed -have you refreshed or upgraded your hub.   Be honest, if it crappy or substandard, either do the work or pull it.   But if it is good, just do a little tweeking.   I did two of the following (that is all) to all three of my hubs.  Good luck.

      1)   Rework, rearrange the words in your title.
      2)  Add a famous (and brief) quotation (be sure and give attribution -  Alcott / Little Women)
      3)  Find two paragraphs and flip their positions (if the hub still makes sense and often it will)
      3)   Change what and where you bolded or italicized something.
      4)   Add or change your sub heading titles.
      5)   Divide long paragraphs into 2-3 shorter ones.
      6)   Add another links capsule (no more than 3-4 links per capsule makes the best visual impression)   I do one capsule linking to my other hubs and one linking to well written hubs by other hubbers.
      7)   Add a couple of pictures or REARRANGE the pictures already in the hub.   It works!   I did it!
      8)   Rearrange the order in which your amazon, links, ebay capsules appear and add a picture or two.
      9)   HP says don't use full width pictures.  They are wrong.  Use them, they are striking and people like them.
      10)  Rather than fix a link which HP did not acknowledge, I simply removed it.

      Good luck everyone.   Don't do more than you have to unless your hub really needs improving.

      1. profile image0
        Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I've been updating titles and the entire article and that is seeming to work.  But like you one of my most popular hubs was unpublished and 20 minutes later it was back again.  Computer issues maybe?  I just can't imagine someone sitting at a desk laughting and pushing a button to publish and unpublish a hub.  It's just so wierd it doesn't make any sense.  My crappy hubs are publised without a problem.  I'll tweek those and see what happens lol

        1. phdast7 profile image82
          phdast7posted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Sara -  That is funny!   Tweak your crappy ones a little, all in slightly different ways and see what happens.   If that takes care of it, I will enjoy laughing with you.   smile

          1. profile image0
            Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            smile  I have been tweeking all day long.  lol

          2. profile image0
            Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            well, my tweeking is finally finished.  everything is published again.  lmao.  just too funny watch them be unpublished again tomorrow ha ha ha ha

            1. Ceres Schwarz profile image38
              Ceres Schwarzposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              Um, when you say "unpublished", do you mean that your hubs are really unpublished or just not featured? I didn't know HubPages does that, I mean that they would just unpublish a hub with no reason. Won't you get an e-mail or something explaining why your hub is unpublished like if it's because of duplicate content or something? Maybe I'm just missing something? Sorry, I'm kind of confused about this.

              I only experienced 1 hub being unpublished and I got an e-mail explaining why. When it was published again, I haven't experienced having it unpublished again.

            2. profile image0
              summerberrieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              Sara, how can you tell they are unpublished? I was under the impression HP only unpublished hubs due to violations such as the one the OP has and tweaking would not get it republished only fixing the violation.  Did HP tell you which TOS you are violating? Maybe you should start a thread in the  technical problem thread.: hubs shouldn't just go unpublished like that....yes, if they are unfeatured then tweaking will get them featured again but not unpublished. Sounds like either a technical problem to me or you are a bit confused with the terminology~ and if that is the case who can blame you, it changes daily.

      2. mary615 profile image82
        mary615posted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I had read somewhere advice on photos:  said to place the photos to the right of the text.  BUT:  I used the new template and it says very plainly to use a full photo if possible.  What do you think?

  3. Pearldiver profile image66
    Pearldiverposted 10 years ago

    Sadly Sparkster...You don't have this problem on your own mate..
    I'm sure if you look closely you will also notice that your keywords relating to certain 'moderated' hubs were also raped at the time those hubs are 'taken down!'  These practices reflect only on ethics and depth of character of the party systematically bastardizing articles that are clearly above that party!  Even though it may feel like the 'insult' that it is... it is NOT a reflection on you the writer!
    I have had a highly significant work on WW1 poets taken down because apparently the human 'moderator' (no doubt a 20 something) found my original 100 year old war photos to be substandard! Unbelievable and just BS!  roll
    Perhaps the solution to all this lies somewhere in an episode of the Walton Family??  Do you think John-Boy will know??  lol

    1. profile image0
      Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      big_smile Well, if you think about it, these 20 somethings are only getting pennies on the dollar perusing through our hubs.  There has got to be a better way, there always is.  I'm not abandoning the 'sinking ship' I'll go down with her instead.  I just don't see other sites where you can make a few dollars writing content that is worthy of my time. 

      Maybe it's Grandpa Walton.

  4. profile image0
    Beth37posted 10 years ago

    When the big swoop down came recently, five of my hubs were unpublished. I just went in and changed a couple of things (broken links, thanks to Mark Ewbie messing about with his site, and some hubs categorized wrong, etc.) and now all of my hubs are published again. Just go thru the ones that are being singled out, see if there's anything at all you can think of to fix and then wait a day or so... they may be published again.

    1. profile image0
      Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I started tweeking them, changing the title, adding more content and pics.  Today they are featured again.  However, I had only worked on 2 last night, yesterday I had 6 unpublished and today they are publised again.  Oy Vey almost seems like some higher power is screwing with us.

      1. profile image0
        Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

        The ghost of Simone.

    2. Mark Ewbie profile image80
      Mark Ewbieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry about that Beth - I was doing some spring-cleaning.

  5. sparkster profile image86
    sparksterposted 10 years ago

    Well, I've taken all comments into consideration but nothing mentioned here is the problem. I actually had one hub approved and republished and haven't touched it since yet they have unpublished it again for a reason which is not true. I tried contacting HP a while ago - no response. Additionally, I wrote a new hub from scratch and they unpublished it immediately wrongly claiming duplicate content, even tho it isn't. The site is becoming a farce, I simply don't have time for all this messing about. And yes, they have been unpublished, not unfeatured. I have over 100 simultaneously featured hubs.

    1. profile image0
      Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It seems to be getting worse by the day and I don't like it.

    2. Ceres Schwarz profile image38
      Ceres Schwarzposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Um, I'm still pretty new here but I previously had a problem with duplicate content. HubPages sent me an e-mail about unpublishing my hub because of it. I didn't know which part of my hub was duplicate content so I replied to the e-mail they sent me and asked about my hub.

      From my experience, HubPages does reply to e-mails but I think it takes some time so maybe you just need to wait a bit more before they can respond to you? Maybe you can also ask about the reasons why your other hubs have been unpublished?

      1. Pearldiver profile image66
        Pearldiverposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I think you will find that the OP knows exactly what the problem is!
        And... with over 5 years experience with Hub Pages, has stated part of it here... Accurately!

        HP is a site that has undergone a whole sequence of changes that have systematically undermined a whole sequence of things, extremely relevant to its growth that were ethical, non discriminatory and openly promoted throughout that 5 year period!  Take the quality of communication and engagement with the community throughout that period for example!  A huge amount of those members have left disillusioned, as a direct result of such issues and knee jerk decision making as the OP has referred to!

        On the other side of the coin (and another issue)... HP have also done a few things well...
        But ultimately if one makes a living from the efforts of other People...
        Irrespective of anyone's belief to the contrary, it is prudent to have and maintain at least the basic skills to communicate honestly, openly and respectfully, with those 'other' people!

        This sort of stuff is deliberate and often very personal, which in many respects resembles the bullying nature of the parties that endorse it! There are many examples here of Tit-for-Tat 'moderation' which supports a highly Autocratic management style! (A 'My Way' or the Highway Mentality!)...  In my view, people are worth far more than that style of BS... yep..even Grandpa Walton!

        1. profile image0
          Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          I was wondering about that Pearldiver.  It just seems odd after I post something that wierd things happen with my hubs.  Hmmmm  big brother is everywhere with the punishing stick.  I'm not a 'clicky' person and stick up for what is wrong.  Seems funny that with my traffic rising my hubs are being unpublished.  Things that make you go hmmmm.  What, no freedom of speech anymore no freedom of the press? or have I stepped on someone's toes that has to have the last word?  I'll go back to my cave and be quiet maybe things will change.

          1. profile image0
            Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Low and behold my 6 unpublished hubs, 2 of which were tweeked last night, are published again with people (person) visiting the hub.  Hmmmmmm  Do I need to send them chocolates?

        2. Ceres Schwarz profile image38
          Ceres Schwarzposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Uh, sorry, I wasn't implying that the OP didn't know what the problem was. I mean no offense. I was just sharing my own experience with HubPages because I also got a hub unpublished for duplicate content. It was the first time I got that e-mail from HubPages and the first time I got my hub unpublished so I had no idea which part of my hub was the problem and I didn't know which part I was supposed to fix to have it published again. So I replied to the e-mail they sent me and asked about my hub. In my experience, they did reply back to me though it took some time before they did. Actually, I also replied back to their reply e-mail and they did still reply to me again.

          1. Pearldiver profile image66
            Pearldiverposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            My apologies... no offense was taken... many of the points raised here come from the heart of several writers and sadly, fall on barren, infertile ground!  sad

  6. sparkster profile image86
    sparksterposted 10 years ago

    It's strange, the one hub in particular (wont say which because that would be self promotion on the forum!) has had nearly 10,000 views on its own. It's my 3rd most popular and gets (or did get) good traffic and generate income. I've waited for an answer for over 4 months now and nothing. This hub did also have many many comments, practically a discussion on it but now it's gone! HP need to realize this will ultimately lose writers which will in turn lose income and traffic to their site. I don't agree with penguin, panda, etc updates being the problem, these updates are routine and haven't really affected my traffic much apart from on the odd occasion (i know a bit about SEO). It's also high quality and was constantly featured until being unpublished again (and its not the only one).

    1. AlexK2009 profile image83
      AlexK2009posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      well with 12 million unique visitors a month they don't need to care about losing writers.

      1. sparkster profile image86
        sparksterposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        My point is that those 12 million visitors are coming here to see writers content, so without the writers there won't be the content and therefore there won't be 12 million visitors.

        1. AlexK2009 profile image83
          AlexK2009posted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Agreed, but I think a Lot more writers would have to leave to impact the number. 

          Otherwise I tend to agree HP does seem arbitrary and vindictive at times.  And total traffic seems to be drifting downwards

          1. profile image0
            Sarra Garrettposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            It's nice to see that I'm not imagining things around here.

  7. Aplethora23 profile image73
    Aplethora23posted 10 years ago

    I had no idea for the longest time why some of my Hub Titles were in purple and some were in blue.

    1. psycheskinner profile image83
      psycheskinnerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Visited links are purple.

  8. ChitrangadaSharan profile image90
    ChitrangadaSharanposted 10 years ago

    So this is happening to many hubbers here. When we submit a hub for publishing, it does go for quality assessment. It would be so nice if then only suggestions are made to improve them, as regards quality. Seeing already  'published' and 'featured' hubs, getting a 'non featured status' is so frustrating. You don't feel like writing a new one.

 
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