Hubpages Lurkers, or Invisible Followers
I don't think it's anything I've particularly or recently noticed with my own account - but I don't pay attention to a lot of things as far as my account goes. I think it's very common for people to sign up with the site, thinking they'll read and get an idea of what Hubs should be, and plan to only later start writing their own stuff.
What you describe, though, might be the kind of thing I'd consider doing myself if I weren't a member of HP myself; and if I found a person's writing and liked it.
As a reader, I'm not someone who tends to tends to comment on stuff I read. I do it on this site because I'm a member and "it's part of the deal" on this site. As an Internet user, I've set up all kinds of accounts that would look like "dummy accounts" or empty ones, just for the purpose of my own ease of finding someone/something on a site.
My point is I'd think there's a good chance you just have a reader who "isn't all into Internet-type stuff", who just wants to read stuff and move on. Of course, there's also the chance you've attracted a potential thief. It no secret that a whole lot of followers are hardly there to read what people have written because they're interested in it. Of course, stuff can be stolen without someone's having to become a follower. .....and my whole reply here remains un-helpful, I know. I suppose I'm trying to be reassuring that all lurkers/"lurker-seeming" people aren't questionable.
Same thing goes for my referrals. Out of less than 50 sign ups, only 2 are active.
I was thinking of something catchy for my username and this phrase just popped through my head.
Haha! Any of your guess may apply, but what I had in mind was the 2nd to the last one.
It's like saying "Oh, you got me there!"Ok good. I needed clarification so that I could better analyze your posts. lol
- Beth37posted 10 years ago
0 - epsonok0posted 10 years ago0
Yep this happens to me at times Genna...
I then realized that sometimes;
it is someone who follows me on other sites, or
It is a stalker, or
It is because I'm so hot in my 'Thunder DownUnder' bow tie and gear, or
It is someone who genuinely has a problem and only wants to let me know that they are stalking me!- cjaroszposted 10 years ago0
- Scott P Williamsposted 10 years ago0
Wow....
And I thought that WikiLeaks was still running
Are you sure you aren't unwittingly or indirectly promoting secretive article reading aka mattress lurking Scott??
- ahorsebackposted 10 years ago0
- ahorsebackposted 10 years ago0
I don't see any insurmountable problems with the current system.
I wrote a hub about the easiest to clean the glass on a wood burning stove, another about my easy way to make newspaper fire bricks, and a bunch of other hubs about my off-grid lifestyle. A person who lives locally read them and then saw my fire-bunker hub and guessed it was me. (There's a limit to how many people would have built a fire bunker just like mine so it was a pretty good clue. lol.) When he asked me to tell him every time I write a new hub, I suggested he just sign up and become a member and follow me. I said he could also follow other writers whose work interests him, without having to contribute hubs himself. Oops. I helped create a ghost. But he's harmless and a very nice man.
When I see people who don't write hubs but just leave derogatory remarks on someone else's hubs, I report them. I don't think I've reported anyone who has commented on any of my hubs, but this is a community and I am happy to participate in 'neighbourhood watch'. (Global neighborhood.)
I also reported one hubber I can think of who posted one hub years ago promoting their product (which wasn't even a good or safe one) and had no activity in the past few years. HP staff kindly removed it.
Instead of expecting HP to monitor absolutely everything that happens here, why not use the existing button that draws their attention to a problem?
I don't care who your followers are, you still have to check whether or not your hubs have been copied. I don't believe every thief leaves a business card. Having to accept or decline followers just creates more hassle. How many people will be unintentionally offended by hubbers who don't happen to notice there are new followers waiting for the tick of approval?
Life's too short for me to lose sleep over who might be a ghost follower.lol. I'm not sure the traffic would be worth the effort, bat115.
- Beth37posted 10 years ago0
Something was kind of needling at me and I was searching thru the threads trying to find an appropriate place for this question when all of a sudden I realized this was perfect, so thank you op.
If someone did a search of, say the pic I have up now, could they find me here with no other information at all?Stop and think first, Beth37 before you do anything!
Follow the link I added above and read the page. It says at the bottom ...
"When you search by image, any images that you upload and any URLs that you submit will be stored by Google. Google uses those images and URLs solely to provide and improve our products and services."
So if you don't want to be found, don't search with your photo.
This is precisely why I do not use photos showing the faces of my family.No wonder the chickens get taken by the foxes. You have to move fast to beat them.
Nice pic, Beth. Hold your head high. You do fine here.
Remember, there's always email if you want to email different hubbers and ask for advice. I'm sure you've made lots of friends at hp.
- ahorsebackposted 10 years ago0
Thank you kindly, Ed.
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