I'd like feedback on my Hub: How to Choose an Aquarium Tank Size for Your Room

1. 60

   Edward Belliposted 8 years ago

   Hi Hubbers,
   
   I'd like some help with passing the Quality Assessment Process. Will you please give feedback on my Hub How to Choose an Aquarium Tank Size for Your Room (must be signed in to view). What can I do to improve? Thanks!

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   1. 98

      DrMark1961posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      The only problem I noticed is the unusual English syntax. I do not know where you are from but if you have a native English speaker around you might let him/her read over it and make some comments. It also helps to read it out loud.
      There are a lot of free spelling/grammar checkers out there but I have found that my best "free checker" is to close the word program, take a walk, and come back and check the hub the next day.
      This is an example: "You need to consider about your room space before deciding your tank."
      "If you want to keep the small fishes, then you just need a small aquarium."
      I am Brazilian so I bet a native English speaker would find a lot more that needs to be improved.
      Also, do a Google check and find out how many articles are out there like this. There are so many web pages out there that I think you really need to have a special point of view to get many page views.
      Good luck.

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      1. 60

         Edward Belliposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you very much for your advice.

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   2. 89

      Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      DrMark's advice is pretty solid. I would read about the legal use of images, too. Try creative commons or pixabay for legal pictures.

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      theraggededgeposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Looks like a rehash of: http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=166
      
      What's the point?

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2. 77

   psycheskinnerposted 8 years ago

   As an aquarium owner I found the hub contained very little helpful information. For example the top 5 things I would consider I choosing aquarium size would be 1) aesthetics, 2) exposure to natural light and challenges for temperature regulation, 3) traffic patterns and people using the room, 4) positioning tank for viewing, 5) accessibility for maintenance especially water changing as water damages flooring etc..  Beyond that I would also consider structural support for the immense weight of large tanks, need for landlord permission etc etc.

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3. 96

   PaulGoodman67posted 8 years ago

   Yes, the English is not good.  Even the first sentence is not how an English speaker would say it.  At best the sentences are awkward, at worst they are just wrong.  You can probably make yourself understood in an English conversation, but that's not good enough for writing articles.
   
   The information needs to be more detailed and comprehensive and split up into relevant sub-headed sections
   
   You need more pictures and maybe videos.
   
   If your English isn't good enough, however, everything else is largely academic.  You should seriously consider whether writing articles in English is the right thing for you.  If that's what you want to do then you would have to seriously commit to upping your language skills.  It's not just a case of twiddling with a few edits here and there.

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4. 89

   Will Apseposted 8 years ago

   I sense a hardening of attitudes.
   
   To me, ESL stuff is fine when it contributes to understanding other cultures. It is also fine if the page has a lot of detail that is useful. The ESL element only becomes annoying when the page is thin and it would be valueless even if the English was perfect.
   
   I don't entirely trust other readers to give any ESL page a chance and that worries me in that it affects the site as a whole as people click away.

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      SheilaMilneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I'd agree. For example, there are some wonderful Indian recipes that are probably not in perfect English to a British or American reader, but they surely have a place.

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         Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I like curry, and I actually like the cheerful butchering of the English language on my favorite, authentic, Indian curry recipe sites, lol.

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5. 77

   psycheskinnerposted 8 years ago

   I might focus on perfect colloquial English as a fine tuning issue.  But coming across as a person who owns an aquarium is far more important, preferably being an expert aquariist who has made this kind of  decision many times.  I am just not getting that from the article.

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6. 96

   PaulGoodman67posted 8 years ago

   I may sound harsh, but I actually think that HP have got it right on this and the hub should not pass QAP.
   
   Here's a reminder of eight key points:
   
   "What Are the Characteristics of an Eight (Plus) Hub?
   
   A clear and specific title backed up by a fully-developed message
   Generous use of concrete facts and figures to back up arguments or assertions
   Helpful and abundant supportive media such as images, videos, polls, quizzes, tables, and maps
   Clear, reader-friendly structure (descriptive subheadings)
   Visually attractive content (both regarding media and layout)
   No unrelated links or other spammy elements
   No spelling or grammatical mistakes"
   
   The hub in question fails on most of these characteristics, not just the grammar issues.  However, it is much easier to, for instance, add in things like photos, polls, or change headings, than it is to learn grammatical rules for a language like English.
   
   It's also very difficult to have a "fully-developed message" when your command of the language is questionable, even if you use a spell checker and get someone to check the grammar for you.
   
   HP's QAP has got tighter and tighter over time, because the entire site keeps getting hit by Google.  I think many people click away when they see something in bad English.  This hub lost me at the first sentence (I only read on because the hubber wanted feedback).
   
   I don't want to encourage somebody to write just for the sake of it, when there are so many problems, my instinct is to discourage them - unless they are really serious about fixing the problems. 
   
   Harsh, I know, but it's also harsh when you've put in a lot of effort over the years and seen your work get periodically hammered.  It does harden your attitude. 

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