How long have you been using HubPages?

1. 67

   Charles Baumertposted 8 years ago

   Hello everyone,
   
   I am new to HubPages and I want to hear how long you have been using HubPages and what your experiences are like using the site? Also, do any of you have your own domain and blog? If so, what is it about? I would love to hear your feedback!
   
   Cheers,
   
   Charlie

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   1. 48

      erorantesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Hub pages is the best place to learn. It is a fun place to write. If you want to enjoy  your time with hub pages; you need to participate in everything; you can.Your writing will be excellent if you participate in forums and other things we do here at hub pages. You will learn everything with time. I glad you are here with hub pages. I am looking forward reading your hubs.

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      1. 67

         Charles Baumertposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you for the feedback! So far it has been a lot of fun to get some thoughts down on paper and connect with other people. How long have you been using HubPages?

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   2. 70

      wrenchBiscuitposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      
      I have been here for 3 years. I assess Hubpages on two levels.
      
      Level I:
      
      The people who put the whole thing together appear to know how to drive a car, and how to keep the engine running smoothly. I like the layout, and find the overall look of Hubpages to be aesthetically pleasing. From my own experience I feel anyone can make money here if that is goal. That was not my goal. Obviously, if you want to make money with any online writing community you must necessarily write about topics that a majority are interested in. I do not write about those topics, but to my surprise I have had many featured Hubs , and have actually made money. However, I have not made enough to have a significant impact. Since I am an Anarchist, and a believer in free speech, I often find the moderation used throughout the site can be a bit tedious, but I have met the challenge and figured out ways to work around it. For instance, if I write an article that requires keywords such as "rape" and "sodomy", I commonly use the phrase "intimate violence" or "violence of an intimate nature". Apparently, there are bots at work here that moderate the Hubs and look for certain keywords. Of course I don't know the percentage algorithm being used, but I have seen how such words can trigger these bots.
      
      Of course you can still publish such articles, but your article will not be eligible for monetization. And this is important to know because it is simply a waste to write a great essay, only to find  that you are unable to capitalize on the article. What if the article becomes "evergreen", and remains very popular? I see no need to waste such an opportunity simply for the sake of a few keywords that can be easily omitted and replaced. Another workaround is to simply preface an article with an instruction to the reader that you are going to substitute a certain word, or certain words for another word. For instance, if I needed to use the dreaded N-Word in an essay more than once, I might approach it in one of two ways. I might simple use the term "racial epithet" as a replacement, but if that is too cumbersome and interrupts the flow, I might instruct the reader as follows: "I will be using the term "nice person" to denote the N-word. I don't like being censored, but if it must be this way, then I will maintain the freedom of choosing my own style of shackle and chains".
      
      
      
      Level II:
      
      This assessment is based on the character of people who write for Hubpages, as well as the greater reading audience. When I started writing for Yahoo some time ago, Yahoo stated that the average person online is operating at an 8th grade level. Prior to that, I never gave it much consideration, but I have since realized that this is a pretty accurate assessment. Many of the people writing for Hubpages, as well as the general readership, seem to be at this level. And I am not only talking about the level of reading comprehension, but also the level of maturity. Also, it appears that there is an abundance of writers on Hubpages who are middle aged or retired, white, and wound up very tight. Any critical thinking, abstract ideas, or "thinking outside the box" is generally not welcome, or encouraged. If you stick to just writing Hubs this won't be much of an issue. But if you venture out into the Forums, make no mistake, if you step outside the prescribed guidelines of the social norm, they will attack you like a pack of hungry wolves. I recently experienced this in full force after starting the Forum topic: " Men! Women! Improve Your Sex Life! I Will Show You How"  My purpose was to explore the general reaction of a conservative audience to an unusual discussion. I purposely divorced myself from all of the social restraints concerning self-confidence, self-aggrandizement, and narcissism. I am quite fascinated by the results.  I wouldn't be surprised if I am attacked here as well, as a result of the fallout from that experience.
      
      But as an artist, and as someone interested in activism, anthropology, and philosophy, I find all of this to be a plus, and not a minus. We can learn a lot through adversity, and I often feel it is the best way to learn. Of all of the sites I write for, Hubpages is still my favorite. Osiyo!

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   3. 51

      Evaneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      About a year on HubPages now.

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2. 76

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 8 years ago

   6 years. I just wish I had got here sooner.
   
   People come and go and things change but good articles rise to the top and always will. And yes, this is the best place to self publish if you don't have your own website. Hands down.

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   1. 67

      Charles Baumertposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Wow that is a long time it seems. How has it been so far for you? That makes sense, it seems you have quite the extensive amount of great articles! Do you only publish to HubPages?

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3. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 8 years ago

   I've been here 8 years.   I joined when HubPages was at its peak, with many Hubbers earning over $1,000 a month.  I had an exciting couple of years of watching my income rise exponentially and thought I would join them one day!
   
   Then in 2011, Google declared war on "content farms", i.e. sites like HubPages which allowed anyone to write about any subject.  HubPages lost about 75% of its trafffc (and its income) overnight.   At that time, I switched my focus to my own websites and since then I've written only a few Hubs for fun. 
   
   HubPages has been trying various strategies to get back to profitability since 2011, and just recently they decided to try the obvious solution:  Google wants specialist sites, so they've decided to split HubPages up into specialist sites.   This seems to be working well so far (touch wood) so it's an exciting time to join HubPages as it goes through this major transition. 
   
   They are still setting up the niche sites so we don't fully understand how the system will work once it's in full operation.

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   1. 67

      Charles Baumertposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the response Marisa. Are you a blogger and do you have your own website and domain?

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      1. 85

         Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, in fact at one time I had several, but I felt they were sucking too much time away from real life and I was spending all my time on the computer!    I now have two main dance websites (not blogs) which are designed to earn income from eBay, and a site in my own name which is just to establish my identity really - just in case I ever finish my novel!

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4. 60

   Mark Ewbieposted 8 years ago

   I joined 37 years ago.  Of course that was pre internet.  We used to mail our articles in to Paul who would bind them into a monthly magazine and stand on street corners selling them.  When the talking pictures came along they got distributed free with the break time ice creams. Those were the glory days.  Lots of views and the writer of the month got a free ice lolly. 
   
   The war started and things were sad for a while but we realised those bombers could distribute our material worldwide.  Suddenly my articles on cat husbandry (still illegal in some States) were being read or at least used to keep bottoms clean across Europe.
   
   At our weekly get together at the Edmondson Clinic we reminisce about those days.  How it used to be until Google got jealous of our success.  That was when my monthly income dropped from nearly five dollars to less than nine tenths of that.  I can't quote exact figures due to the contractual blah.
   
   Nowadays I stand on street corners telling people what used to be.  "We were great" I shout at young women.  I can't write any more.  Finger cramp from holding a pen was the diagnosis although it is more likely years of self abuse.
   
   I do sometimes dictate a small message such as this for old times sake.  The woman who types them in to the computer for me only asks for five dollars an hour and that I keep my hands to myself.  "No problems there" I told her which is my way of being amusing.

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      Solarasposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for this.

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5. 61

   FatFreddysCatposted 8 years ago

   i joined in 2011 - which, as fate would have it, was right when the now infamous "Google Slap" happened. I knew nothing about that at the time, though. I was just looking for a place to post some of my goofy sh*t.
   
   Prior to HP I had been writing album reviews for an e-zine which closed up shop unexpectedly. When they shut down I still had a half dozen or so finished pieces in the can that I'd never had the chance to turn in to them. I came across HP thanks to an ad on Monster.com and liked what I saw, so I posted those "leftovers" and that's how I got started. 170-something articles later, I'm still here.
   
   From day one, I went into HP with no expectations and have always treated it like a hobby. It's less stressful that way. I don't have the time or the patience to sweat over SEO tactics or Google rankings or any of that techie crap. I just post goofy sh*t when I feel like posting goofy sh*t. If a piece happens to take off and gets views, I go "Yay!" If it doesn't, I go "Oooo-kay, Internet, so you didn't like that one huh? How'bout this?" and post something else. 
   
   I'll never get rich of this site but I get pizza and beer money out of it a couple of times a year, so I'm good.

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   1. 67

      Charles Baumertposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      This is an awesome response! I so agree with you! I think this is a great hobby and a good way to keep my writing skills sharp. The internet is a huge place and trying to make the magic $10,000 a month is not what I am trying to do.

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6. 92

   Sue Adamsposted 8 years ago

   Mark you are so funny
   
   Hello Charles,
   
   Welcome to HubPages.
   I have been here six years and enjoy HubPages more than ever.
   I also have my own website but I'm not putting any ads on there, so I rely on HP for earnings.
   
   Not that many people participate in the forums though. If you want to connect with more people on HubPages, go to:
   http://hubpages.com/authors/best/
   Then you can go to their profile page and find out how long they've been here. It is written just under their name.  You can read articles that interest you and leave comments, and follow those you like.
   People's websites can also be found on their profile page.
   
   The best thing about HubPages is the very kind community. I have learned all I know about writing for the Internet from other helpful hubbers.

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   1. 67

      Charles Baumertposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Great advice Sue. Thank you for the link and I will definitely go check it out.

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7. 84

   NateB11posted 8 years ago

   I started a little more than 4 years ago, though I used to read Mark Ewbie's work in the old print mag decades ago.
   
   It took me about 2 years to make any kind of money here, but I had been writing kind of what I wanted to though the articles were detailed and full of info on subjects with which I have expertise. I probably would have made more money faster if I'd studied SEO early on.
   
   Generally, I consider this the best site of its kind with a user friendly interface that makes it easy to publish articles, with a sleek look to the articles and I think admin are very smart with their innovations. I've tried other sites and still consider HP to be the best. And there is definitely income potential here; you won't be rich overnight and might never make enough to make a living, but it is very possible to earn a little spending cash.
   
   I have several of my own sites, none of which make much money...yet. I have one on marital arts, one on Hip Hop and one that is sort of philosophical. I also have a few others that I set up solely for the purpose of hopefully selling stuff and making money using mainly Amazon ads.

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8. 74

   Oztinatoposted 8 years ago

   I started visiting HP 3 years ago. For a year I didn't submit articles due to past experiences on such sites. After one year I realised HP was much better than other sites. I submitted hubs that I thought were important for people to know. Knowing well the dangers of others stealing my work I figured this tendency to steal work could actually help spread important ideas faster like filthy fuel does in an engine.
   After writing what I considered to be important info I wrote a few light hearted hubs.
   My goal is to write a lot more as I get older and older and older. As it is I'm still too busy with work. By honing and studying HP it may be possible to hit pay dirt years in the future.
   There are huge problems with making money in all the "arts" on the net: plagiarism and small returns.  The "money makes money" adage, wealthy connections, professional moneyed marketing, knowing the right people etc is how Big money is made.
   
   If "Mark Ewbie" can't make a profit on HP I don't think anyone can. A great writer of humour who I still firmly believe is actually Will Ferrell moonlighting on HPs..

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9. 66

   relacheposted 8 years ago

   My first Hub was published on July 31, 2006, which just happens to be ten years ago to the day.  The site had some huge highs in the 2008-2011 years but the decline over the last two really was about seeing the site fall to traffic and revenue akin to the first few years.
   
   In 2006, HubPages was starting with zero content and trying to become useful.  In 2016, they are starting with 90% or more garbage and trying to become useful.

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10. 69

    SylviaSkyposted 8 years ago

    I joined in 2010. I'm a professional writer who needed a place to discuss astrology and psychic sites, because doing it from where I was might have cost me my employment. HubPages has taught me that I succeed best when treating writing not as an ego thing for me but as a service for the readers. The more I served (researching and writing consumer reports), and the more I entertained, the more I was read. I made some Hubpages friends. After five years and a million views I was "discovered" and now write full-time for another site about astrology and occult phenomena.
    
    Hubpages compensation used to be about double and triple what it is now. We also used to be able to provide our own keywords. I added links to my related articles at the bottom of each article and these were responsible for more than 45 percent of views, but that's discouraged now.
    
    I never read any blogs and assume that mine is not read either. You should never write a blog for any reason except that it gives you pleasure to do so. What counts in terms of material is not the medium but thorough and evergreen articles that offer readers something of value. The recent emphasis on videos, visuals, polls, etc. is like playing dress-up.
    
    Hubpages.com dealt itself a serious blow when it allowed users to post their creative writings. Too many to monitor, but many of poor quality, swamped the site. Many veteran nonfiction writers bailed at that point; other sites were said to be more lucrative. But because it had been a place of discovery and growth for me, I stayed.

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11. 60

    Amit-Prasadposted 8 years ago

    Just got registered here. It's like you have discussed my needs. thanks!

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12. 69

    darrylcrawfordposted 8 years ago

    I have been on hubpages over a few years and hubpages is a great platform to gain an audience who share your interest. You can also learn a host of information and instruction because hubpages is a SUPER SIZED salad of many flavors with a host of wisdom when you are using sound judgement. It's always good to take your time and not to rush through just to get a following. Take your time and place blogs with much content that will add to the community and feed others with powerful truths. Welcome! God bless you!

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13. 64

    tlcsposted 8 years ago

    I have been with hubpages about 5 years now. As long as your not expecting to much (money) and you enjoy writing you cannot go wrong here. The team make sure that your hubs are up to standard and will not publish them unless they are. I also have a wordpress blog called chinwagwithme, however it is really hard to spend time on it as my time is spent on hubpages. Enjoy, I am sure you will, follow the tutorials and have fun.

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14. 76

    julieann26posted 8 years ago

    I joined about 7-8 months ago and have about 26 articles - all of which have been and still are featured.
    
    I also write articles and blogs for other sites as well as my own site (which is a depository for some of my articles).  At each website, I write about different topics and types of articles e.g. biographies, reviews.
    
    At the moment, I am not earning much from my writing but the view is to build my portfolio so that I can go for the writing jobs that pay a lot.  Without a portfolio you don't have much chance of getting the paid work.

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15. 73

    cheaptrickposted 8 years ago

    Hmmm,let's see now...I started at HP shortly after we invented fire...and right before I traded in my dinosaur...I'm pretty sure Moses was a member then too...

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16. 88

    Stacie Lposted 8 years ago

    I am about to celebrate my 8th year on Hubpages.
    This was a breath of fresh air for me as I wrote for others sites that seemed to be more interested in taking my work and making money from it.
    I found hp by doing searches for photography advice and found many wonderful,interesting articles and so I decided to give  it a try.

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