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Son Of Hubber : A New Chapter
Honor Among Thieves? Yeah Right!
It is a perfect time to try out the new Stellar Hub Template I suppose. I'm not even to go into what the word "stellar" means either. It should be entertaining to fool around with the template this time around, so I'll just let my imagination flow.
I'm telling you one thing though, I'm still angry about HP putting their "Related Search" ads on my hubs during the time my codes are displayed. I charge that they are compromising the agreement they made with us by doing so. I cry foul!
Look out for more of their tricks to get around keeping their word and you won't be disappointed. It can only get worse instead of better since they've apparently gotten away with it. They will surely see this as an encouragement to do even more draining away of our earnings. Count on it.
Son Of A Batch
Greetings Hubsters. Once again it is time to create another place to vent and complain, as well as, visit friends, poke fun at other people and ourselves, and of course, solve the problems of the world.
Once again I'm going to place this hub under the Creative Writing classification to help ease it through the so-called QAP. But bear in mind the word "quality" doesn't mean the same thing on HP as it does everywhere else.
In fact, the word "quality" is very subjective on HubPages with apparently only those on HP staff using the word to describe what they desire as a hub.
No, they are fooling no one except those who don't know any better. And really, these are the sort of people HubPages wants right now. It is what it is.
The Town Common
There wasn't much a 14 year old boy could do for entertainment in the small town of Clear Springs Georgia in the summer of 1921. The dusty red clay streets and almost deserted stores made the rural hamlet seem like a ghost town during the noon hours.
I--I being Dickey Cross--was dozing in the shade of the awning which graced the front of my grandfather's grocery store. When I heard the sound of an approaching wagon, I quickly awoke to the sight of an old caravan style wagon pulled by 4 beautiful horses.
The two lead horses were pure white in color with the two hindmost creatures being as dark as ebony. The wagon itself was painted a bright green color, with yellow spoked wheels to complete the color scheme.But all this paled in significance to the driver of this remarkable assemblage.
A beautiful, dark haired lady wearing a burgundy dress held the reins, controlling the great beasts with hardly a struggle. Her wonderfully dark eyes looked in my direction, sending a thrill through my soul. Her smile made me blush, even before I returned my own expression of delight.
Consulting With The Gypsy
"Vere is ze town common?" she asked in a foreign--but still enticing--accent. I stammered a bit until I finally pointed to a vacant lot on the edge of town. Clear Springs didn't actually possess a town common, but we used the vacant lot for various revivals and medicine shows which occasionally passed through. "Right down yonder, thuh other side o' the barber shop, Ma'am," I managed to say through my grin.
I couldn't tear my eyes from her face with her olive complexion contrasting with the large gold hoops adorning her ears, moving as she tilted her head, as did the long dark curls framing her perfect face. The red of her full lips, the white of her teeth when she smiled, made my heart hurt. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my rather limited time on this earth.
I didn't notice the sign painted on the wagon until she drove away. SISTER DAGMAR the sign read, and beneath it in smaller letters, FORTUNES TOLD. Of course there was a representation of an open palm rendered faithfully in pink beside the words, there always is.
Dagmar set up her wagon, staying 5 days and then moving on to the next town. I believe every adult female visited her during that time, along with a few men folk too, if the truth be known.
There was always a short line of ladies waiting for their turn to have their fortune told, or to ask for advice from the mysterious beauty. They invariably came out of the wagon with a smile on their faces, with their heads held high, and seemingly happy with themselves all at once. Yes, the Clear Springs town common had quite a spate of business that summer.
Brother Rhymes'Tent Revival
The Faith Of Man..er..Woman
Two weeks later a tent revival was set up on the vacant lot--or town common, as we now referred to it--and it was an overwhelming success as far as saving souls was concerned. Brother Rhymes--the revival preacher and owner of the huge tent--seemed to know everyone and their problems, just as if he'd lived in Clear Springs himself.
It was his first time entering the small burg though, causing quite a stir among the religious and heathen alike in Clear Springs. He was a very handsome and charismatic man, was Brother Rhymes, with some suggesting it was this effect which caused so many members of the town's gentler sex to reaffirm their faith in the almighty. He wore his hair long, to his shoulders it was. Dark as a raven's wing, it shimmered under the lantern lights as he strode the wooden stage, looking intently into the congregation's eyes as he preached his message of sin and redemption.
It did seem as if most of the men folk weren't affected by the preacher quite as much, furthering the rumor around town about Rev. Rhymes' power over the fairer sex. When the tent revival finally left after two weeks of saving souls, Brother Rhymes was richer in spirit and pocketbook too, as the collection plates yielded up a bonanza for the pious reverend. Clear Springs would never experience such a forthcoming of religious fervor for decades to come. Some thought that was a good thing. My father and I were among them.
It'll All Come Out In The Wash!
One reason he thought as he did was because a few years later I went with Pa to Macon to visit some relatives, and to conduct some business at the same time. We were eating at the hotel when a couple came strolling through the door and was seated at a nearby table.
Pa suddenly started chuckling softly and was obviously trying not to burst out in uncontrolled laughter, not completely accomplishing his intention, but he covered up as best he could.
Yes, it was the gypsy and the preacher sitting there, and without the disguises they once wore when on the circuit. There was no mistaking those dark eyes, those red lips, the gentle laugh the former palmist exhibited for all to admire.
The former preacher too looked the same, even without his somber wardrobe worn during his short visit with us further south. His former long dark hair was now trimmed neatly, a slim mustache made him even more charming than when he played the part of the preacher. They smiled and laughed together easily, as if life was simply a game to be played. And I suppose for them, it really was.
No, neither Dad or I ever told anyone back home about seeing them. The gypsy was sent into town early to gather info the faux-reverend would later use to manipulate the church folk into giving up their coins. Her talks with the town ladies revealed much her partner-in-crime could use to convince them of his personal favor with God. You had to admire them for their gall.
Pa said, "No need to ruin everyone's feelings of joy, not even the handsome couple who was the cause of it." Pa was always right about such stuff, so I readily agreed to keep their secret. Besides, Mamma would've worried herself sick about it.
Rip off, or Tip Off?
Do you believe the "Related Search" ads displayed on your Hubs breaks the HP agreement?
Very clever story and you are right on about HP. Thankfully, I don't take anything they do seriously. :)
You wascally wabit!
Randy, I would really like to read some new good works, as I have always been a big fan of yours. You have far too much talent than to let the little HP gods drive you nuts.
Revenge is not becoming to your creative abilities.
You have almost a thousand followers. That is a lot of power.
Play it to your advantage.
My best to you, my Georgia friend.
Paradigmsearch was here.
Did you turn off the ads on this Hub? I'm confused.....I don't see any "related searches" on here, either.
Oh well, good to see you, friend from Georgia.
Excellent story, Randy, but.........no Hitler? Somehow it doesn't feel the same.
Checking in! No time to read the story at the mo, but want to reserve my place on the "forum" :))
Make a good film with, of course, Brangelina starring. Hub Pages masters have done little to engage my interests lately.
I like the story very much. Reminds me of Satan and Jesus working the same circuit.....hehehehe
Well, folks. Nothing better to do, so I thought I'd give everyone a heads up about FB. The times, they are a changing... http://www.websitewithnoname.com/
FB sux!!!!!
I've been thinking of closing my FB account; I never go there anymore anyway. Plus, I'm still ticked at them for a stunt they pulled awhile back.
Ohhh, do tell. I had to make a new account and ow I just got flagged for spamming or being spammed...I didn't do any spamming that I know of.
Interesting. Awhile back FB kept sending me emails saying I might know so-and-so, etc. They were all hubbers. So, per FB's suggestion, I sent friend requests to those hubbers I recognized. Next thing I know, my friend request privileges were suspended. Morons. That's when I disabled my email notifications and went away. Don't think I've been back since.
That is why I had to get a new account. To explain that thing better is like this: You send friend requests. The program keeps track of how many that you send. Those who don't confirm your request will sit is some que on FB. When that que gets full there is some kind of glitch that makes you account disabled until your que is emptied. I don't know how many are permitted in the que and FB NEVER says that in their TOS or anywhere else that I have seen. So as soon as you send a request go to that person's message box and tell them that you are requesting their friendship. I know it is all pretty stupid if you ask me.
Lady G, thanks! Glad to know it was a glitch, instead of some kind of human-based stupidity. I guess I'll have to remove FB from my S list. LOL
Funny. But you know, for me FB is still pretty much the way it was a few years back. I don't have many friends, but I actually know the ones I have. I post personal updates and photos, so do my friends.
I hardly ever post any of my online stuff. The occasional Zazzle design, very infrequently. I follow very few pages or communities. I'll sometimes like something political, but that's it. My friends are the same. They can't actually force all this stuff on you, unless you let them
Like the story, Randy! :)
I tell ya, I'm having one of those days where I simply cannot read nor write. Today, I have been mulling over and I'm still mulling over, whether the correct expression is :"had a pivotal role in" or, "played a pivotal role in". Tomorrow I'll know the answer, but today I just can't write or think!
Also, when I read this new hub, I had to do a double take when I thought I'd read "controlling the great breasts with hardly a struggle" I had to read it three times before I could differentiate between breasts and beasts. Jeez!
HollieT, I thought that it was just me and now I know it is not.
Hmmm, Hollie, to be honest I would think that both playing and having a role are acceptable. But I might be talking rubbish.
Cousin and family coming tomorrow. I offered to cook this time as well (the last few times he brought over food and cooked it).
So...need to start tidying up now. And there is a hub I have almost finished......and was going to put some stuff on Zazzle.....and have just received a new game (an old game really that I haven't played yet).......why do people need clean houses?
LG, I think I need a stronger prescription for my specs and an early night!
I think you're probably right, aa. But once I start to question something like this, I drive myself mad with it. Tomorrow it will flow, unlike today.
Housework's over rated, I'm pretty sure we need to have some bacteria around- and besides, just think about all that oxygen you'll be burning, by having all those concentrations about cleaning!
I received a pop up tent today- don't ask! lol.
Lol Hollie. Popup tent....I think I used to have one of them when I used to take my Mum queuing for Wimbledon tickets.
They are really excellent at the beginning.......takes a minute to put them up, and a nightmare to pack down at the end. I used to have to stand like an idiot in the morning in the Wimbledon queue and beg some man to help me fold the bloody thing. I just couldn't get the hand of it!
I'm going camping with some friends in August and just couldn't bear the thought of wrestling with a "conventional" tent.
I took my son and daughter camping in north Wales a few years ago, and I'd bought a two bedroom tent with "living space" It was huge, but I was confident that I'd erect it alone, in no time. My reasoning was "if my first husband could do it, how hard can it be?"
Anyway, I couldn't bloody do it and had to get some man to help me, too! *was thoroughly embarrassed*
As long as I can get the damn thing up, I don't care. I'll take a bin liner and stuff it in if any problems with folding up arise! lol
Randy, your story speaks of the Tom (and Theresa) Foolery that went on back in the day and still continues today. Anything to pull on people's heartstrings to make a buck.
As far as HP, I'm here for the friends I've made and the creative writings I'm free to post (as opposed to SEO and content writing). I gave up on making money here long ago.
Also, what's up with the ads that are now being subliminly placed by adding hyperlinks to certain words and phrases in the hubs? They have nothing to do with the content of the hubs. We should be given the choice of adding keywords again.
Does anyone know how to get an email to the HP gods?
They just notified me that my 'stellar commenting abilities have kicked me up to Level VI of the Great Commenter Accolade.'
Problem is.......I have been at level VI for about three months.
I'm ready for VII. Yes, I feel like I can fulfill my VII Commenter obligations.
Thanks for an email address.
I was a good girl and stayed off the forums all evening. My fingers are itching to reply to someone who I previously considered to be a friend, but I won't. Those of you who read the forums will know what I am talking about. But now we know that we can have a keyword-researched title in a hub that does not reflect the title. But hey who cares so long as it brings in search traffic!
Randy, there are several hyperlinks in this hub. Do you not see them? Many words are in blue and underlined. When you hover over the word, an ad comes up.
bravewarrior, I did once see hyperlinks in my blog, where I was sure I didn't put them. It appeared that my computer became infected with some kind of malware that generates ads on computers (the malware producers earn from that I guess, even though it is not their content).
I wish I could remember more about this and how I got rid of it. I reckon you should google something like "malware hyperlinks" or something.
If HP put hyperlinks on our hubs, that we couldn't control or earn from, I would be all for taking up arms against them! I hate the stuff.
It must be my computer because I can't see video in any of the YouTubes posted on HP, but it's only this site. Hmmm. I'll have to see if I can figure it out, but I do see hyperlinks in every HP post I've read of late. I'm using my laptop (desk top is in the shop) which uses Windows 7. I don't know what's going on. For instance, your phrase "large gold hoops" is hyperlinked. When I hover over the phrase, an ad for Yellow Moxie comes up. The word "complete" shows an ad for colleges. Weird!
@bravewarrior, Same think happened to me a couple of weeks ago, I'd inadvertently downloaded a stupid toolbar and it had infected my computer. My hubs were hyperlinked etc.Uninstall any recent downloads which may be suspicious and empty your cache.
Check whether you're infected with "text enhance" adware. There is some info about it here:
But, it probably isn't the only one of those programs that does it so you have to figure out which one you've got first.
Spybot Search And Destroy will get rid of all those and it is FREE.
So......the flat is cleaner, the shopping is done, the moussaka is cooling in the over.....no sign of relatives. They always come much later than they say they will. I suggested a trip to regent's park to admire the roses, I've been meaning to get some photos done for a while now. But I don't want to be in a rush.
Meanwhile I've washed the kitchen floor, and have started on the wine......but basically a whole day gets wasted for a half day visit. Would have been perfectly fine if he'd said.....expect us by 4 pm.
I don't get visitors at my house. I have to almost beg my daughters to come vixit. You are lucky.
I am glad that you cleaned and got ready for them anyway, even if they don't come. When you clear out clutter you also clear out space to do things like write. So they say......lol
Oh my, moussaka and wine- all is well :) Have you taken pictures of the moussaka? Always good for a hub when you're at a loose end, might not be a wasted day after all! I once had a vegetarian moussaka recipe hub which did ok, but deleted it after a quality drive on my other sub.
hola!....good morning everyone
Randy, good story!
...off to cut grass!...i need a couple of horses to drop by again and take care of it for me
Updated 7 hubs today. I am a legend in my own mind...
Your story is very entertaining and I enjoyed in thoroughly. As for HP, you are spot on.
Well the flat is no longer clean, especially the kitchen looks a bit like a battlefield, but when you look more closely it's just that every surface is covered with unwashed dishes.
Took some photos of roses on regent's park, but not sure if my camera macro mode is good enough for them to be useful.
I was a bit embarrassed because I wasn't the only person doing this, except the other people were using proper DSLRs with huge lenses and there I was with my little point and shoot.
Going to a park with a 4 year old is really exhausting. I've always thought this was a particularly spoilt 4 year old, but I don't have many others to compare them to.
Mark Ewbie has reopened his blog. Found this description of his encounter with David Icke.
Morning everyone. Marking for future reference!
LOL @ Mark's David Icke post. I can just imagine the waiting room at the vet's... "Jimmy Savile to Surgery One Please."
Happy Sunday all! I needed a giggle this morning, thanks Mark.
Now in other news, I might be going to Lanzarote in three weeks. :D
Iain Banks is dead. Very sad.
Deb and aa lite, thanx for the info. I'm on it!
Just reading about it, very sad indeed.
Yep. How come you're going to Lanzarote? Holiday? Sounds very nice!
My ex husband (the second one) is taking my son, daughter and her friend on holiday. I've jumped on the bandwagon and asked if I can come if I pay for myself, he's agreed. Was worried at the prospect of dealing with two sixteen year old girls, on his own, in a foreign country. We've not booked yet, and it's starting to look like Sharm El Sheikh. Not necessarily somewhere I would choose, but it's a nice cheap gig if I 'm only paying for myself! I sooo want a break.
I get on well with my second ex (not so when we were married, however) so no problems there. I'm really quite excited now :)
That sounds great for both of you. I'm supposed to be booking a flight to Grenoble to see my sister and her kids, but she can't find the time to tell me when it is most convenient for me to come............and the ticket prices are rising alarmingly.
My niece who will be 2 soon is too cute for words. Last time on skype she was asking my mother whether I was "Teeta", which is the name my nephew invented for me when he was little.
I've decided that I will double the money I am earning here..............by mining bitcoins (nothing to do with HP but I expect to make pennies there too).
The person who designed the bitwallet is an absolute idiot. I know he's considered a genius but I beg to differ. I've downloaded the software for the wallet...........and before I can use it, it has to download masses of data to 'synchronize' it. Can't it just know that I have never used bitcoins before, so there is no data for me? It's taking hours, and I don't seem to be able to progress until its finished.
That was so fast with Iain Banks...
Re tents: for me, the best option is a small canvas bell tent. You peg it out on the ground, then crawl in with a single pole and lift the tent onto the pole - job finished in 5 minutes or so. The reason I say small is that I do not have the muscle power to lift a large model like that alone. However, even my small one lets me stand upright in the centre, which is a big plus.
I did try a pop-up once, needed help to pack it up, and later elder daughter broke it totally while trying to demonstrate how it should be packed up LOL!
Just back from yesterday's church crawl with my West Gallery group. This consisted of visiting four pretty churches in Wiltshire. We played and sang a few tunes in each, to a random audience in three of the churches. The day was broken with an excellent pub lunch, and finished with tea in a lovely cafe. Us band players were then invited to a band member's home for a convivial buffer dinner and much laughter. Best of all, two friends from the group invited me to stay overnight with them on Friday and yesterday. This meant I was able to enjoy the day without worrying about a long drive to and from the area. Today, I took an extremely leisurely drive back, hunting for a couple of geocaches and then diverting off to visit Tintern Abbey and explore the back roads of the Wye Valley.
Sigh... but I now see what must be at least the fifth deliberate fire on the mountainside across the valley.
Aa, someone I know via Bookcrossing keeps going on on FB about bitcoins. I did a search and followed up leads and am still no wiser. All I can fathom is that most proponents seem to be very geeky, which puts me off immediately.
Randy, Jamaica is on my bucket list. I rarely get out of Europe because I have to pay for both my son and daughter- so long haul is usually out of my price range. I don't have to pay for my son, he's 21, but would feel really mean excluding him. Since his accident, he's been applying for dozens of jobs every week, doesn't receive a yay or ney. I think he's getting a bit depressed about it all.
aa, the conning so and so's who track cookies put the price up when you keep revisiting the site and they know you want it. Tried it with my car insurance, by the time I was ready to buy had gone up by £45, in just two weeks! I've been thinking about bitcoin, I asked about it on one of Randy's hubs a few weeks ago- but I don't really understand the concept either. From what I've read however, it's more profitable if done in "mining groups" But, as I say, I'm not really clear about how it all works. Grenoble, that sounds lovely. I look back and the age of two was the most interesting time in my kids development. Hard work, but they're developing their own little characters and making sense of the world- the tantrums are quite funny too. :D
WA, it sounds like a little tipi. I remember seeing the tipis at Glastonbury a few years ago, they look great. You sound like you've had a great time! Why are they deliberately starting fires?
So.......bitcoin. The mining group is not a problem, I've already signed up for one, just waiting for the bloody data to download. The problem is processing power and my video card, apparently Nvidia is much worse for this than Radeon, and I've just bough an Nvidia card for gaming.
Basically you need a lot of processing power, which funnily enough is done by your video card rather than your processor. The faster you can process the data, the faster you get bitcoins.
Now the ingenious thing about it, is that the algorithms are made in such a way that a bitcoin is "discovered" every 10 minutes. If there are more people looking for them or computers improve then they make the algorithms harder. As usual I've missed the boat, apparently not very long ago it wasn't that hard to find them. 1 bitcoin, I think, is equivalent to around $100, perhaps more.
Now, some companies have built special adds on to your computer that are dedicated to doing the bitcoin calculations. I've see them on Ebay for around £300. According to my quick calculations, they would pay for themselves within a month........then there are better add ons, that are much more expensive, but process even faster. So soon nobody with just a computer is gonna be able to make any money.
And of course the price of bitcoins goes up and down, and they might completely disappear and and I might be wrong about what I'm writing here because I've literally heard about mining them earlier today.
I definitely feel a hub about this topic coming, once I've done a few days of mining with my computer. But whether I should invest any money in this..................
Is always the dilemma.... Frankly, I'd have given bitcoin a wide birth, but the people discussing it over the last few months are not just some random jump on the bandwagon, there's money to be made types, which has piqued my interest. There's no doubt about it, the bitcoin phenomena is growing, due in no small part to Max keiser and Stacy Herbert, they are so pro-bitcoin. People are also, clearly, looking towards a new currency. And I, too, quite like the sound of that.
Idiots set fire to the mountain because they have nothing better to do and I suppose it amuses them to see the emergency services rushing out to deal with it.
I've listened to Max Keiser on YouTube a couple of times. I love his ranting.
Regarding Bitcoin, I also thought about mining but came to the conclusion that I would be one of many at the base of the pyramid rather than the apex. I do like the idea of alternative currencies though. Actually, money per se fascinates me and I've read up a bit about our banking and financial system. Ponzi scheme? We've got one.
Well the great advantage of just mining it with a computer, is that there is no time investment once you've set it up. Except for the electricity, which actually might not be insignificant. The problem is that you might not make many coins.
Unlike other pyramids, in say online writing, or Zazzle, it doesn't seem to involve knowing the right people, or tricks, or lots of friends on social networks etc. etc. It's just a question of processing power.
But it could disappear any minute, or really crash in price (but the opposite is also possible if more people start using it). So if you buy the stand alone chips that mine it, that purchase could prove a waste of money. But it doesn't sound like it would take it long to pay for itself.
Anyway I will try a few days of low tech mining and see what i think then.
I have to say I also never bought expensive electronics from ebay, seems more risky to me than from Amazon, although I think these people offer a warranty.
I like Max Keiser, he's so un PC. I like the way he says what most, thinking, nonconformist types have been thinking for years. Just amazed that he's not been murdered for it! EF, he's on Russia Today about three times a week. I miss most and catch up on Youtube. And yes, the biggest Ponzi of them all!
I think I'm up for bitcoin. Was thinking that a few weeks ago but no one seemed to know anything about it, so questioned whether I was just completely mad for considering it in the first place.
How ironic that Russia Today is more likely to "tell it like it is" than Western media, when Russia is hardly known for being a bastion of freedom for its own citizens.
RT used to have this great financial programme called Capital Account presented by Lauren Lyster, but they pulled it. Can't understand why.
Speaking of non-conformists, I occasionally listen to a guy named Gerald Celente on YouTube. Italian-American ranting this time, but highly articulate and often bang on target.
Randy, I honestly don't believe they are; Ebay and Amazon obtain the lions share. I suppose, if we want to fight the F******, we shouldn't include their capsules.
Perhaps in our own little way, we can make them kiss the groove, baby :) Not left nor right, but in the groove :D
@EF, I remember it, at least, I think I do.
I know, what does this say about the societies that we live in? RT, those bloody scoundrels, provide the news that we can't consume here!
But we can be amused about the related ads that are showing up on this hub....very strange. Truly I wonder whether Christ should be used as a gateway to a page full of horrid ads.
I have finally sold something on Amazon, which brought my rate to 1.5%, wonderful. Really worth it to write Amazon related pages (Not)!
Conversion rate, I think Randy.
I meant conversion rate, sorry. But with this kind of conversion rate, I doubt I will sell 7 items this month. Absolutely abysmal. I had a 6% conversion rate in March, then it dropped like a stone.
The thing is, I used to sell multiple items, at least some of the time. Now it is only single items, and only once that are on my hubs. But there is nothing in their policy about a change in the rules, they are supposed to pay for any purchase when somebody comes with your cookie.
Plus I sold a laptop from a Squidoo lens (about laptops) and didn't get paid for it.
Ok I've started mining! My hash rate is abysmal, 96 Mhash/s :( This will be a couple dollars a month.
Yep, except running my computer at high levels uses up quite a bit of electricity, so I might actually lose money if I keep this up.
And I would have to be running this 24/7. Plus, it makes the graphics card wear out.
Now the stuff I was looking at on Ebay, for about £300, possibly a little bit more (there is customs to consider, it's shipped from the states), mines at 5 GMHash/sec. According to bitcoin calculator that translates to almost $500 a month.
So if it all worked as advertised, I would make back the price in a few weeks.
The really super expensive stuff, which isn't shipping yet, is $2500 (plus god knows how much for shipping, and I assume 20% VAT when it passes through customs).
However, if calculator is correct, it should mine $4900 a month. So from that point of view, it makes perfect sense to get them.
I've added my 2 cents to the thread (no they were not about related ads, sorry). Actually I don't think my suggestion, proper 'exclusive titles' that were actually kw researched, was really the kind of thing that they were looking for.
But I have very little belief in the feedback (either from staff, never gonna happen, or from other hubbers) idea. In the apprenticeship program I am getting personalised feedback about everything I write. There wasn't actually much of it, Simone was very kind.
Very good for the ego.....except I'm hardly making any money, so obviously I'm not doing "it" right. It's probably the topics I choose.
So......after my first night of mining.....I've earned my first BTC (bit coin)! I now have:
0.00009288 BTC, ok lets say it is 0.0001. So if you for simplicity take a conversion rate of 1BTC=$100 I appear to have made 1 cent!
However, I haven't really been mining all night. My computer has serious problems and keeps switching itself off (this is really worrying incidentally, but I think there might be a problem with my graphics card, it's so heavy that I don't think it's held in position properly. Am considering taping it down. Either that or there is a problem with my PSU, which would really p$%£* me off cause it's brand new.
But ultimate conclusion is that mining with just a computer is not worth it, if one wants to have a go at this one needs to invest in an asic miner.
PDS, just saw your contribution to the "how can we help you" forum. Brilliant!
Admittedly I think that thread is being derailed. I think Paul E. wanted ideas about how they could help us be better hubbers. Instead he is getting lots of ideas about how they could be better TPTB :)
Thanks, aa lite. I'm feeling particularly inspired today.
I would give better odds than that. I'm pretty certain he won't address it.
So....on a completely unrelated topic. I put some stuff on RedGage, when it was recommended for link building a year ago, but truly thought the site was awful, and haven't been there for months.
Well I just found out that they completely redesigned their site. Now it actually works! Don't expect it's going to be any better at money making, so won't use it again, but still!
I heard about redgage, because of this new site, that seems to be exactly like it, teckler. It's started by the guy who ran matchdotcom (or something l ike that, never heard of it). It will probably be as much a failure as redgage, but I've made an account and will post some pictures there.
The big improvement over redgage is they pay through paypal, although I can't believe the earnings will be at all worthwhile. I intend to only post photos and my fractals, they might as well sit there, even if they just make pennies. But if you decide to put your photos there, lets connect, we can look through each others' stuff. Maybe there is some advantage to joining a site right at the beginning?
Hello, is anybody alive here?
You can check out teckler, and my new ultrafractal doodles, here:
To be honest I think it will be mainly for spammers. Seeing how many of them have found their place there.
But I think you can also post text, or whatever you want there. You get paid (very, very, little, probably) by impression. But I suspect the impressions will all be internal. It looks like it's going to be very much like redgage.
Although it is so new that you never know how it will develop. hopefully eventually it will speak English as well as Spanish.
I thought I would upload some pictures there, and let them sit and collect fractions of cents every day. Perhaps in a few years time, I'm really gonna need those $5 :) But I don't really expect it to be at all useful.
aa lite, can you give me a direct link to teckler's TOS? Unable to access via their site menus.
Some Teckler notes for folks:
Owner is in Brasil. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
Server located in Arizona, USA.
Beta is right. The site is extremely squirrelly.
For a brand new site, the traffic seems to be increasing nicely.
Revenue split is 70:30 in the user's favor.
I think aa lite maybe onto something. But I'll need to see that TOS first before proceeding.
Ha! I don't think anybody's been able to access the ToS. I will have another go. You are right though, we might suddenly discover that we've signed up to give him the rights to our bank account. Or, more probably, the ownership of our stuff.
I stumbled across their FAQ, http://www.teckler.com/index.php/en/faq Still looking for their TOS though.
I continue to be a legend in my own mind... Here's the TOS: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cac...
That is very impressive PDS! Anyway I managed to read through it, I could still be giving him the rights to my bank account and not know it. I find the legalese incredibly confusing.
Anyway, as I said, I don't think this will make me rich (or even earn dollars rather than cents). But it's fun to join a site right at the beginning.
I've signed up. And I'm learning Portuguese. LOL
aa lite, want to do a challenge with me? Who can make a 100 Teckler posts first?
And trade advice? I've already figured out that it is best that an awesome pic be included with each text block.
I'm thinking this site can be fun and profitable. I intend to enjoy the ride until Google tosses them in the doghouse. At which point we can find ourselves another new site.
Ok challenge accepted, although you will probably win. I feel very unmotivated about everything.
I was actually just planning to spam them with pictures rather than putting any text in. But I guess I might reconsider.
Are you paradigmsearch there too? I guess we should follow each other. Incidentally I think they only count unique views.
Hello peeps, I'm up for it too. Although can't be bothered to post anything tonight as I'm shattered. Have lots of good intentions for tomorrow though. :)
Have signed up and found aa, next, PDS, I will stalk you!
One done. 99 to go. Some bad news... If select photo format/option where picture is displayed up front: text formatting, titles, adding links, etc. is not allowed. If select text format/option then the photo is not used as the lead in, your title is used instead. So it has to be an awesome title when going the text route for views, though I'll still put a decent pic above the text, both for purdiness and in case Teckler changes this restriction in the future.
aa lite. btw, I'm not seeing ads. Nor can I find where the heck to tell them about my paypal account.
PDS are you yourself, or are you perchance "researcher" writing about South American travel?
I think I already have my first spammer follower. First post is about payday loans, with a whole bunch of views and likes and comments (presumably a spammer with multiple personalities
I see ads, but only when I look at a post. There are two, one above the post, and one to the right, above the "you might also like". They actually look quite good, not annoying.
As to paypal, click on the little arrow next to your avatar at the top of the page and go to "manage account". On the right there is a green thing of your account balance, and underneath that there is a "connect with paypal", which I assume connects you to your paypal account.
I see that the ones just posting photos are the ones getting the shares. So, guess I'll do a two-pronged approach until I figure out what the heck is going on.
Text is far more likely to get Google traffic, but honestly I'm not having great hope for organic traffic for this. Apparently the lower CPM is 40 cents per 1000 views. Hmmm.
I reckon you should post memes.
Also what is interesting is a picture with some text (like the guy who has Hannibal Lecter). You don't get to see the whole picture, or all of the text, so you click and view it out of curiosity to see what it says.
Nope, not seeing ads, nor even seeing the phrase "you might also like"; not on mine or anyone else's posts. Not concerned at this point; I'll see what tomorrow brings as to browsers, reboots, etc. As to paypal, I decided to hold off revealing that when I saw, "Right now we\'re working on the transfer feature, and soon you\'ll be able to transfer your earnings to your Paypal account. Stay tunned!"
aa lite, re: "I reckon you should post memes." You read my mind...
Hollie, found you and followed you.
aa lite, found you and followed you.
PDS, are you still Paradigmsearch (with the cheeky memes that we know and love, or, do you now have an alter ego?)I will find you!
aa, I love the description of waxy monkey; hippy paint at a party. Can just imagine him strutting his stuff, getting on down to the music and drinking lager in the kitchen. lol!
PDS is "TheResearcher", look at the people I followed, and you should find him.
Ya know, I've been thinking (and thinking doesn't come easily) I write a hub, put some effort in; research, images, keyword research, etc. etc. I try to make my hub attractive, interesting (I struggle with this bit) of some value to the reader. And now, I find that my biggest obstacle is not pleasing Google, or outranking other sites, but competing with HP's related adds, I do the keyword research, they use the keywords and lure them off my page- I don't even get a cut!
Hey all....whatcha signing up for?
anyway, i'm checkin' in....was booking a flight to fly to my hometown to bury ma mere's ashes with pa pere....i'm also heading to California - road trip for about a week at the end of the month...hope to catch some of the American July 4 celebrations as i scoot along the west coast....think they'll let me into the US of A?????...hope so!
Completed post number 2. Went the meme route. But they went and chopped off the top and bottom part of the pic, including the meme. LOL. So, I tacked the meme into the title and the caption. It's amazing how much more cheerful I am about problems when the time investment is minimal to begin with. I'll keep throwing stuff on there for the remainder of this week. If I see revenue by the end of the week, I will conclude the site knows what it is doing and will continue. If I don't see any revenue by the end of the week, I'll move on to something else, but will check back often.
Randy, these are my thoughts!
Saw that! I think Paul might be a bit frustrated, I don't think he's getting answers to the question he asked. Although he's definitely getting answers to important questions.
I mean some of the stuff that some people have suggested is fundamental SEO. Like Greek's suggestion about alt tags for pictures. Everywhere people tell you to make sure you give your pictures tags, because they will mean more to Google but HP doesn't give us the chance.
...mmmmm....my stanley park is tasting good tonight....nice warm evening...hanging out on my back deck...banging away on my keyboard
i am chillin'...it feels good...considering it's Monday....i'll send you a message...gotta get back to the 'stand your ground' thread......
Hmmm, on the one hand, I really hate the way Google treats us. On other hand, very often when I read something published here or on Squidoo, about a topic that I like, I am rather disgusted with how shallow it is.
Squidoo's weekly topic inspiration was about superheroes. So this woman writes about JK Rowling as her favourite superhero, ok.
And it's all about how she wrote the amazing Harry Potter books, and her rags to riches story and she's so successful and she had so much belief in herself.
Nothing about her 'casual vacancy' book, which I didn't think was very good, but I thought had some very good parts, nothing about Rowling's left wing politics.
I very strongly suspect that the writer doesn't even know that Rowling wrote a book for adults after Harry Potter. If Rowling was my superhero I reckon I would know that (in fact I know it even though she isn't).
I remember watching a (I thought) pretty good speech Rowling gave at Harvard graduation on youtube, no sign of that on the lens (which won a purple star and made the lens roll).
It was all about "rags to riches" and super successful and the amazing Harry Potter books. I mean I guess a Martian who had just landed on earth might find that page useful.
The floating ads were mentioned a couple of times, by PDS and Hollie.
Actually I feel Paul is not happy with this thread. Instead of us being grateful for the benevolence and telling him how he can help us improve, everybody is telling him how he can improve.
The thing is, I bet you most of the people on that thread already write "high quality" hubs. The purveyors of Enrish wall of text, don't post on these kinds of forums.
Apparently we are at 2 in quality behind wikihow. I'm not sure that is something to be pround of, and I'm not sure if we became better than them that we would outrank them.
Google talk about quality, but the evidence of mine eyes says something different.
"endangered means that something is getting extinct and is likely to be vanished soon" is still 1# Google.
I published a hub on Friday, and only the topics page and my profile list the page in Google's index. Hub still not indexed :(
Epic Max Keiser ranting about ten minutes in:
I love Max Keiser, hate being a Google slave though!
Finally made a nice sale on Amazon yesterday. However, I sold a 1,500 laptop on Squidoo and haven't been paid for it. So pretty pissed off about that.
re: teckler. Well, have made 6 posts so far. Slacker that I am, I've decided to stop at 10 for the time being. If there are any signs of traffic and earnings, I'll start up again; otherwise, it's just sit back and wait. Accomplished major cleanup on my main blog; deleted posts that the search engines have already decided to permanently ignore; deleted God-only-knows how many broken links I had going to HubPages. Turning into a very productive week. Randy, feel free to use http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/113562?page=2#post... on your hub. LOL
re: teckler. Got the 10 posts done. The next step is to wait and see how long before Google indexes them; or even if they get indexed at all...
Started writing a tackle? about bitcoin mining, but it was way too long so transferring it to a hub now. More of a chance of earning something here.
Let me know when it's published. I'm starting to get curious about that. I'm always interested in free lotteries. :-D
Yep, now trying to write something intelligent about how the system works. Won't put too much about that, it's probably not the main thing people are interested in, but at least trying not to get it completely wrong.
Traffic yesterday was rather disappointing for a Monday. But today it is doing fairly well, might be higher. The types of frogs hub that I've been bitching about got 33 views, which it used to get when it was #2 in the SERPs. Has Mr. Google finally come to his senses?
What is Teckler? It looks like a cross between Pinterest and Bubblews. I actually got a payment from Bubbs without doing much work, so I won't make fun of it too much. My MO was reposting gross recipe links with some commentary. Do you think that would work on Teckler?
re: "It looks like a cross between Pinterest and Bubblews.". Imho, that is a very astute analysis. All I can tell you so far is none of my posts have been indexed yet, been over 24 hours for some of them.
Started putting Hubpages into Google search box. The first option that came up in the auto-complete was: "hubpages hot aunty photos" I guess that is what most people search for with respect to this site!
Lol WA that is pretty funny! I reckon you should post that on the forum thread about improving quality. Where Janderson talks about searching for articles within HP.
I activated that Google search. It led me to a profile here with literally hundreds of aunty hubs, nearly all with watermarked/pixelated images, nil content and really awful Engrish: user name: mplgmg I have spent the last half hour flagging the first 50 or so. It will be interesting to see if this profile is banned. The really sad thing is that this tripe is accessible from Google, while so much well written HP content is not because of the stupid idling for "non-engagement" policy.
I was reading a hubstaff member's post on the forum where they say that lack of Google traffic means 'low quality' in the eyes of Google, or words to that effect. No-one says that anywhere else. A quality hub is still a quality hub even if Google doesn't send traffic. By de-indexing it, Google will never have the chance to realise it was quality and not some two line answer that the SERPS are full of just now.
HP should stick to de-indexing crap - the empty circle hubs. God knows I have a few of them myself, but then again I knew that when I wrote them. They hold more information and therefore are still better than some of the SERPS that outrank them. It's all about money folks. The big sites are back in business and HP is not big enough.
I've gone back to just writing about what interests me, when I have the time, that is.
I'd still be better off expending my energies into writing a book, but I've been telling myself that for years. I just don't have the imagination to write fiction, nor the knowledge to write a factual book, so am kinda stuck.
Might be worth mentioning that profile in the "how can we help you write better hubs" thread. Something to point out that evicting hot indian auntie could be a really quick way of improving overall quality.
Have you been on the squidu forum lately WA? Funnily enough there is a big discussion about Great Aunt Bertha there now as well. Although this time the auntie is a shortcut for something else.
Writing a book is hard, Izzy. Plus apparently most self publishers sell 200 copies. 2/3 of that to family and friends (I don't have that many friends!). I started one but then got stuck with the storyline. But I've just had a thought about proceeding, which was to write a really unrealistic and weird last chapter, without having to figure out anything.
Then all I would have to do is decide how to connect the beginning with the end.
Finally finished that bitcoin mining hub. I f*&^ing hope that is rated as a Stella. Almost 2000 words long!
Having a quick look.
Check first figure caption: you have fist instead of first
"have a chance earning" - need "of", also suggest comma after "all"
"In a pool you when a block is solved and new coins created you will only get a tiny fraction of a BTC." - huh?
"However there only sell batches of the miners," - they?
"On the other hand, if you won't to invest some money "
Not being mean, just wanting Stella to materialise for you!
Thanks very much WA. I see I really need to proofread stuff before I hit the publish button.
Ok corrected figure legend, now will go and deal with the rest.
Since we don't get the scores, whether this is judged as a Stella or a subNorma, I will have no way to know.
Lol. This is from Paul E. on the helping hubbers thread:
we try and show people everyday what a good Hub is with Hub of the day,
Izzy, it's funny that a Hub staffer should say lack of traffic means low quality in Google's eyes, when Derek Gulbransen, Simone and Paul Edmonson have all admitted that's not true, and also admitted that good quality, low trafficked Hubs are "collateral damage" of the "lack of engagement" policy. Easy for them to say.
As for writing an ebook - there was a lot of hype that ebooks were the next big thing, but of course that has inevitably led to so many people jumping on the bandwagon, it's already old news. If you can create a blog where you can sell an ongoing series of ebooks to a loyal following, you're in business - otherwise forget it.
As for Paul Edmonson - he never impressed me. I don't think he's trying to manipulate anyone, I just think he doesn't know what he's doing.
I'm with Marisa on this. I've always thought of Paul E as a guy who randomly chucks half-cooked spaghetti in the hope that he'll end up with pasta-based wallpaper.
Hi y'all! I've been busy goading a few folks in my office. Haven't been around. Randy, are you OK buddy? Hey para bro!!!
Is your forum-posting business going well?
I went to see the HubPages' 'Success Stories' page, to take some inspiration and all (you know what I mean!), and lo! They are missing! Who is making $3800 per month from HubPages currently?
aa, That's kind of funny about what paul things a good hub is. I had a hub of the day....and it didn't get many views that is for sure...so how would that be considered what writing a good hub is all about? That makes no sense...at least in my case.
Personally I think HP was doing just fine in the first 3 years and then they tried to get up on the GOOGLE (all might GOD) search engines and had the first 30 day hub challenge. All of a sudden someone was fired, who started that in the first place, and things got way out of hand for the management of this site. I don't think they were really ready for the drastic change that had occurred. They can't go back so they are trying to move forward and they are finding that very difficult. EGO always ruins the best of intentions. Now since the first 30 day challenge they have had lots of crappy hubs and I think they are trying to control this, but it has become a monster now and it keeps growing. I don't know what the answer is, but there has to be one.
I watch Charlie Rose the other day--never watch things like that, but it was on when I sat down to watch some TV....anyway he was interviewing someone and it was mentioned something about GOOGLE. They said something like Google is trying to stay up with the market trends. I thought that odd because isn't Google THE market trend? Aren't they confident enough to be who they are and not try to be or make others be like them? That is what I see in all this. Someone is not confident and it passes through the system...leaking down to those who put them there in the first place.
I am rambling here....I can't sleep so I write .....I better go back to bed now.
Hi Izzy, if you want to write fiction, why not start with some short stories? CW no longer welcome here, but there are plenty of writing sites like Wattpad, where you could post your stories and garner some feedback
This post from the Bloggess about Alexa and keywords made me smile:
You know how Paul E. said that hubscore is going to reflect the QAP rating more. Well my hub from yesterday has a score of 44 today! I don't think I've ever gone this low 1 day after publishing. I guess no Stella then.
This is surprising, I mean I thought it was a bit long, perhaps I need to break it up into more text capsules. But really I was rather proud of it. I found the whole question of bitcoin mining very interesting. I did my own investigation (how well can I mine with my computer).
I don't think I tried to sell a Ponzy scheme to anybody. I clearly explained what all the problems were. And it is not a topic that is written about to death on the internet. I had to dig quite deeply to find some of this stuff, mostly on bitcoin forums etc. (which are not that easy to read for people who know nothing about the subject).
And, WA helped me by proofreading it. I made all the corrections!
Unless it was treated as just another "make money online" hub. But that's the thing! it wasn't! I don't think there is another hub like the this on here, or on Squidoo, or e-how (ok I'm not sure about the other sites, but I don't there are).
It did pass the QAP, so it must be at least 6 average.
Of course it is possible that hubscores don't reflect quality scores yet. But it is my lowest scored hub. Even idle ones have a higher score. Weird.
Oh lawdy. I pissed Simey off today in Marisa's thread about changing the term "engagement" to "traffic" when explaining why good hubs get idled. He deleted all his posts in that thread and is suggesting I do the same...
According to Teckler, my account balance is $42,513 (unaudited). That place is a mess. I wonder where the decimal point really is... Probably $0.0042513.
Bloody hell! I am jealous! According to them my balance is 2 cents!
How many views did you get?
34,572,378. Looks like Snooki is a hit. LOL.
Just kidding. I'm not telling. :-D
Well Teckler is very new, so obviously it is going to be hugely wonkly. I don't really expect much of it. I actually think it is a lot more like redgage than pinterest or bubblews. I suspect most traffic will be internal. To earn anything meaningful, you have to run around like crazy, getting followers and commentating, so people come to see your stuff. And then you earn tiny money.
So I'm not planning to make much of an effort with it. But will post some pictures, and perhaps some text, now and then. Just in case I'm wrong and it takes over the net. Then I can be an early member and have an advantage.
Have just been told by an online acquaintance that Zurker (you know the FB wannabe that is not the evil empire) has released a rival bitcoin, called the Zen. Wouldn't it be nice if we were all earning and spending zens in the future?
On a serious note, I just learned that some countries use commas in place of decimal points. Brazil is one of those countries. I'm all straightened out now. My account already has some money in it after only 48 hours, how about that? Not going to be a barn burner, but looks like the place might be worth having fun with.
My hub still isn't indexed even though it passed QAP on Friday! :(
Maybe the spiders went on strike!
Bloody spiders, never there when you need them!
Or, maybe check to make sure they've removed the no-index tag from it
How do I do that?
If it's Heroes, there is no noindex tag. However, you are right. Still not indexed as of this post. :(
Yes, it's heroes! Clearly not heroic enough. :)
Matt of Google released an interesting video. Apparently they will now actually tell you in webmasters tools more specifically if there are pages that are getting a penalty on your site.
Of course no one knows how detailed that info. will be (Cutts says it's not going to be all of it), but this could potentially be very useful.
There is of course the problem with all the subdomains of HubPages, will they tell us, or will they tell the mothership? I would actually hope that it is the latter, and that they will pay attention to it.
If Google tells them "hot auntie hubs" have low quality, or that some pages have bad linkage, that might tell our glorious panda fighting team where to idle.
Wondering whether to make a forum post about this, and ask HP whether they see anything, or whether they reckon it will be in the subdomains. Don't think I can be bothered, but if PDS or anybody else feels inspired, go right ahead.
My forum posts are ignored, as are my threads, so it's a bit pointless me doing it. I was sent to Coventry years ago.
Two thoughts come to mind: If they inform HP about our sub-domains, we are then left to rely on HP to relay that information accurately and without the usual "saying so much and meaning so little" that HP are famous for. Secondly, if Google really are going to/do treat each subdomain as a separate entity, I'm only really interested in where I might be going wrong. Sounds very selfish, I know, but HP have been told time and time again about the hot aunty hubs and other crap, and have refused to address the problem, they haven't even taken them down when they've been flagged. So it's their own fault.
I'd love it if G dropped me notes at WMT. They don't even have to go into detail, just say, "We think so-and-so page sucks". LOL
Me too, beats stabbing around in the dark! I hope it's the latter, and they tell us.
Meant former, am idiot.
Now we have a fifteen year old, with fifteen hubs and sub that is two years old, with less than 10,000 views, and, wait for it, six badges, telling us where we're all going wrong- she's worked with SEO experts, for goodness sake!
Yep, and those experts taught her that she needs to choose a narrow niche, use the keyword phrase a bit on that page and write quality stuff.
Nobody told us to do that! No wonder we are struggling.
Well I checked my WMT and no interesting messages. To be honest, I don't think there is anything wrong with our subdomains. I reckon it's just the general Panda penalty.
So TPTB being told about where the problems lie could be more useful. Because I bet you the people with the problems aren't checking their WMT. We can keep reporting the bad stuff, but they might take it more seriously if Google points it out to them.
I have to believe that TPTB want this site to do well, it just doesn't make any sense otherwise. They just need more guidance, and it will be more effective if it comes to Google.
Just had a skype with my sister who was rather in a panic, because she needs baby sitting next week. So I'm going to Grenoble on Saturday. Pretty exciting, I can't wait to see nephew and niece, although I've just been warned that my angelic two year old bites and kicks and scratches.
I need to find gecko sitters in two days, otherwise I am going to be in a major panic! The petshop refuses to board the klemmeri because they keep escaping for them.
Fantastic! See, if you didn't live so far away I'd take the geckos, have never cared for geckos before but would dutifully follow instructions.
Re nephew and niece, the violence is often punctuated by brief out bursts of "why, what for, when, are we there yet?" Honestly, it's a long time since my kids where at that age, but I'm pretty sure that's the age when they constantly JUST HAVE TO, ask so many questions. Whatever teaching experience you have, this will probably be the most challenging role you've ever held. It's a great age, especially when you can give them back! lol.
Well as an added complication the kids speak French, and I don't. My sister promised to talk English to them, and she does when we are around, but still. Alois my nephew, who's 4 is apparently starting to speak in English, he tried to teach me French last time I was there, but was very frustrated by my thickness.
The geckos will be ok as long as my neighbour is here. His kid pops up to spray them with fresh water everyday. However, if they are away, it will be a problem.
I think the school year hasn't finished yet, so they should be here. They are Japanese so I'm sure they don't take the kid out of school early just to get cheaper holidays.
It will probably be so much easier communicating with children who speak a different language than adults. They wont care about making you feel silly, they wont be thinking on that level. Honestly, I think young children can be the best teachers, they say it like it is and just want to get the job done. Your nephew sounds very bright:) Be prepared for questions that you cannot possibly answer. :lol:
Example (this was one of my son's when he was around(?) three years old: if women have breasts for feeding their babies, why do they have breasts before they have a baby, what's the point?
"Mummy, what are those things hanging from that cow?"
"They are udders"
"other what?"
Amazing isn't it, people who are born here don't value education for their children? It can wait till they've been to Benidorm. My daughter's last Gcse on Friday, she is sooo pleased!
Lol about the udders!
Good luck to your daughter with her GCSE's
She already has what she needs to study her chosen course, the rest is ...because she can. I'm so proud of her :)
Re: TPTB, I think they want the site to do well too, but, I think they came into the "internet frenzy" when they just needed the financial backing, not the the know how, or the expertise. I think Paul E wants the site to do well, of course, but, I also think he's (was)a little naïve. Now, he does appear to realise that asking *us* might be part of the formula for success, but will he truly take it on board?
Where's Randy?
Yep haven't heard from him for 9 hours. Not a peep about related search. Hope he's alright.
Just heard on the news about flight disruptions because French Air traffic control is on strike! However, it sounds like it will be over by Saturday (please!). It's not just a holiday, I'm going to babysit!
I ALL ALL. I like that.
don't get me wrong....
lol i read that smarmy angryelf thread. while i don't think that number of hubs and hubpages views is indicative of SEO smarts (maybe she just doesn't get much out of this site), i don't think having written web copy for major companies is indicative of SEO smarts either. If she's a freelancer as she claims to be, she just takes orders and delivers what the clients want, she doesn't offer them SEO advice. Companies have their own ideas (often bad ones) about how to optimize content for search engines and their freelancers just write to the given specifications. Little sweetheart is certainly giving herself airs. Oy jeebus-freaking-christ vey
Hope your eyes recover soon, Randy. I knew someone with a similar condition who got injections into his eyeballs every month or so. Don't know if he also had a surgery. But his vision recovered back to normal with the drugs.
I also saw the optician today. I'd started a trial for contact lenses 4 months ago, but the sudden death of my father put that on hold. Yesterday, I decided I wanted to try the lenses again. It was raining and I wanted to garden. Come about 4pm, I thought it a good time to try and remove them. For some reason, I find this procedure extremely difficult. I thought with the opticians being opened till 5pm, 4pm was a good time to try. Well, by 5pm I got one lens out OK, but couldn't get the other one. Then again, I couldn't see out of that eye so assumed I'd dropped it. But even with my glasses on, I couldn't find it.
Went round this morning just for a check, and hadn't the lens folded itself in half and stuck to the white of my eyeball, at the very top. No pain. Knew it wasn't on my eye because I couldn't see. Optician man took it out with tweezers or something, God Bless 'im.
Randy, I have no idea what type of drops you are on, or the level of your vision now, but I do sympathise with everything you say. My eyesight has deteriorated exponentially since I turned 40. Old age, they say. But I always had perfect vision and this a damned nuisance! I am allergic to metal and plastic, so wearing glasses does not sit well with me. Even then, most of the time my prescription glasses don't allow me to see well all round, something always seems to be out of focus. Then when they get adjusted so that I have perfect vision, something happens and they go out of focus again. Everyone says it is old age. I think I should take to wearing a chain with my address on it, so that folks will know where to return me to!
Good Golly Miss Molly you 2. I do hope that both of you get your eyes corrected. I know what it is like Randy with that optic thing messed up. I was born with an Optic Pit and though I never noticed it before as I age I notice it more and more. They can't do a thing for it.
what do what right.
1 hour.
Hey.. all you old folks.. morning...the folded lenses on the eye sounds terrible. .Lester..gaters..
Oops..later....gaters ..couldn't see my phone with my sunglasses on
OMG, I just noticed that my Squidoo Zoidberg lens has 220 pins! I think I pinned it, but I never thought pinterest would work for me, so I didn't even look.
It's a bit over a year old, so I guess it is not such an amazing achievement, but it is nice to see that social media can (sort of work) without having to put a huge amount of effort into it.
WTG, aa!
Does any squid here have a lens that could be described, even vaguely, as summer-themed. If so, let me know so I can visit and like it for the Summer Sunshine quest, which ends tomorrow BTW.
Hmmm, nothing comes to mind. I thought all they were interested in now was "Great Aunt Bertha".
Yippee, my neighbour (and his kid) will be at home for the rest of the month so the geckos will be taken care of. I should clean/pack but am so relieved I think I'll just sit here and waste time. There is always tomorrow.
Rupert Murdoch is divorcing Wendy! After the way she leapt to defend him from the foam pie!
I've just started a thread about that. I'm a cynic, there is more to this than meets the eye! Probably a RM in association with WD ploy, for what, I'm trying to work out!
Great stuff about the neighbour and geckos. I have to wait until my son, x and daughter's friend receive their new passports before I can book my dog into the kennels, before I can even book the holiday!
Off to watch QT!
Melanie Philips next week, and I want be here to have my (much needed) hour of hate!
Just got stuck in the HP reneging on their promise thread (no it isn't about the related ads its about idling of hubs, I think).
As usual the OP has many complaints but won't answer any questions. Wonders why HP doesn't have an algorithm for ranking in Google, wouldn't that be nice. Everybody's algorithm seems to involve listening to Matt Cutts, who according to Mark Ewbie is from another planet and wears skirts (which makes lots of sense).
Anyway I just used a Cutts video to support my argument. Wonder whether OP will respond.
Melanie Phillips and Boris Johnson. Oh my!
Was looking at that thread earlier, I have a theory (yep, and it's unique, honest!) People don't like change, and they are stressed because of finances, so they need somewhere to vent, it's here!
Cutts should be fired. What, precisely, has he done to improve the searchers experience? What, precisely, has he done to enable G to retain it's market share?(it certainly hasn't increased)
To the gallows with Cutts, I say!
Yep, sometimes I imagine writing to his Q&A sessions: pointing out some interesting results on the first page of G.
I can fully understand people being angry, and venting. I myself feel pretty disheartened some times (most of the time?). But even when venting people should make some sense.
This person has been here for 15 months, has 30 hubs, and feels it's entirely HPs fault that she doesn't get traffic.
But if you look at her hubs, honestly they have no chance to rank (imo).
Hp have peed me off in many ways in the past, but to assume that HP makes the decisions when it comes to ranking in Google is ridiculous! She may have been here for fifteen months, but she has clearly learnt nothing!
Yep, but then it is a bit the fault of HP as well, the way they advertise themselves. I mean nothing unusual about that, everybody does it. It's just that when they say "write about anything you want, earn money", they fail to mention that if you just write about anything you want you will earn cents.
Then there were the "success stories", which they have thankfully now removed, but they should have removed them ages ago.
I think rather than being desperate for fresh meat, HP should try to market themselves as a place with high standards. The problem with that is that it will only work if it is a "place with high standards, where you can get a lot of traffic because google loves us because we have standards".
And the second part of the equation is not exactly materialising.
True, on the front page though they have started to say " write long form, media rich etc. " or some such. Maybe they could say something like "write about the topics that people are searching for and earn a passive income"
Google will never love them when hot aunty hubs are still around, and lousy HoTDs.
Jeez! If HP are looking for a place to start when it comes to QAPing older hubs, then the ones which have been flagged must be a great place to start.
Indeed. Are hot aunties still featured though? I know WA found a bunch of them the other day. Going to check now.
Obviously I think idling them is not enough, they should be unpublished. But if they are not indexed, then presumably they are not hurting us (although sometimes I wonder about that)
Whether published or otherwise, if I sought information from a site which, presumably was trustworthy, or quality, I would be immediately repelled if I stumbled upon a hot aunty hub. Enough to make me boycott forever!
Hot aunty hubs do not belong on a site which is trying to market it's long form, media rich content. In other words, quality. They can't have it all ways. Hot aunty hubs should go the same way as Cutts- gallows, stocks, let's tar and feather them!
I absolutely agree. But from a quality point of view, they I think the number of people who stumble on them accidentally while looking for something quite different is pretty small, so they are hidden from the casual visitor. And if they are idled they are hidden from Google.
If they are still allowed to affect traffic, however, then there is no explanation than that TPTB are insane.
The OP on that thread has just sent me an email offering to teach me how to get more followers in G+. She is in the circles of 4000+ people.
However, since I'm going to France, and since it doesn't seem to be helping her get traffic to her hubs, I've sadly declined.
Hmmm, this has reminded me of Mr. Hat
re: teckler. Well, my 11 posts still seem to not be indexed. However, I am now the proud owner of 16 cents.
Well, posts I make on my main blog are invariably indexed by Google within a couple hours. So, I went and posted the link to my Teckler subdomain there to get Google's attention. If anyone else has trouble getting indexed, let me know.
LOL aa, I was thinking the OP of that crazy thread must be a troll. I lol'd at her offer to help you with Google +!
I thought some of you are still making like $3800 per month (Really?), or $1500, or something similar.
Gosh! -you are all shouting here how Paul E is a batch!
Nice match!
"Earned $235 Dollars Last Month on HubPages and Squidoo and Bubblews"
OP (Mark Ewbie)- I earned a load of money by just writing stuff!
It goes to show if you put the work in or lie through your teeth - you too can make money.
If you want to know how I did it then send me some money or read my crap.
I will change my profile picture to that of a young lady very soon.
^.5 .5-Hour Window...
Amazing! :-D
@PDS, Heroes still not indexed. :D
Google is seriously acting up. They've really changed the SERPs. The "types of frogs" hub I've been bitching about......it's off page 1. However, they have another HP "type of frogs" hub it its place. Then they have about 4 different question and answer sites.
Ok, I now I'm not objective about this, but honestly I think my hub is better than the one that's taken its place. I am willing to bet quite a bit of money, that the hubber who's now ranking for the kw, is not a frog keeper, doesn't have any special frog knowledge, hasn't used any of their own pictures, and hasn't organised the "types" into any kind of logical groups.
It's just like Google personally hates me.
However, there seems to be so much upheaval, that hopefully this is not a permanent thing. Although it's been going on for over a month now, so it's not that impermanent either.
It's all very well saying well google is up and down, but for me it's mostly down, with the occasional brief, happy period.
Google mess around so frequently now that we don't even have semi-permanent positions anymore. The other hub might burn and die shortly though, if it's poorly organised and offers little if any value.
Well, I've seen a lot worse on this site, and it definitely is better than the answer sites. But if Google says it wants "authority", well I might not be an authority on much, but frogs are one of my "things".
I wonder if it's because it's listed under the Hubpages domain (as many older hubs now are), rather than a subdomain.
One thing that worries me is that, every once in a while, Google blacklists me. It just doesn't show anything that i've published for a week or 2, then we are friends again. Perhaps it's about to do that now, which would be terrible timing, because I have a seasonal hub about Wimbledon, which is just about to come into season, and was doing extremely well last year.
Are you still receiving .com traffic?
Hey Chip....where've ya been?....good to run into you here
Yo Randy :)
off to work.....see ya later
...yeah...too bad i have to work for a living.....i have to pay for Raven's food, toys and social life now....i'm wealthy in spirit...
AA, the sad thing about the frog hub that has outranked you, is that the owner lost his Adsense account and so can't make any money from his exalted position in the SERPS. I looked at it via Google and there were no adverts on it. I felt really sorry for the guy actually. A lot of his hubs rank really highly, and Adsense took his account away for nothing.
No sympathy here. I reckon it was copied out of a textbook or encyclopedia. Also, the writer lives in a country known for Adsense cheating so might not be whiter than white in that respect either.
re: "If you have health, then you are indeed wealthy. :)" So totally agree. If I can find an appropriate forum thread, I'm going to plagiarize this into a meme.
Haven't been into the forums lately. I think I will venture out there and start a few threads.
The title: "Do you think Paul E has OCD like Simone?"
or, a better one: "What do you think Paul E is going to do after his retirement?"
Personally, I imagine Paul Edmondson would make a handsome beekeeper, after his lactating capacities dry out.
Robin has been doing it all the way, though (here is one of her weird hubs on beekeeping)-
"Treatments for a Bee Sting by the Eye"
@Izzy, you are right, the hub has no ads on it, not even "related ads".
I don't think just because he is from Pakistan we can assume that he cheated. Then again, if he lost his Adsense, there might have been a cause to it. Everybody I've ever heard of whose lost their account always claims their innocence.
Anyway, whether he deserves to outrank me or not, I hadn't seen that hub in the first page before. I think the SERPs are changing almost daily. To me that suggests that Google isn't happy and is testing out different arrangements.
You would think that after 2 years of us being pandified and penguified, we'd get some kind of stability. I mean obviously I don't expect the SERPs to be set in stone, but they seem to be really fluxing, at least the keywords I follow.
Are you serious?!
Attention fellow Tecklers. I am at http://www.teckler.com/en/TheResearcher If I know you, I will follow you back.
I don't know if any of you read your newsletters from HP or ot but this is what was in my newsletter:
Quality Assessment Process FAQ
Simple answers to common questions about the QAP changes on HubPages
As many of you have already read in our Blog post and Forum thread, the Quality Assessment Process is being applied to older Hubs in order to enforce more uniform quality standards on all Hubs and improve the overall quality of the site. Here are a few common questions many Hubbers have been asking about the changes:
Why does HubPages keep changing its quality requirements? Online writing is an inherently dynamic process. As search engines refine their results and make changes, HubPages needs to change as well in order to keep our site (and our Hubbers) visible to readers. By staying on the cutting edge, HubPages is better able to provide Hubs with search traffic.
What scale does HubPages use to determine the quality of Hubs? There are two separate rating scales used by the QAP; one for informational writing and one for creative writing (which includes humor writing). These are the scales used to rate all Hubs. It's a good idea to aim for an 8+ Hub on the scale that represents your type of writing to ensure that your Hub will be well above the requirements to be Featured. It's also important to correctly categorize your creative writing so that the creative writing scale will be used in its assessment.
Have my older Hubs gone through the QAP yet? Most Hubbers think their Hubs have either been through the QAP or not, and that some Hubs have either "passed" or "failed." But this isn't really an accurate way to look at the process. Rather, we constantly collect data and improve our algorithms to feature deserving content.
Is my Hub safe forever once it has passed the QAP? Unfortunately, no Hubs are safe forever (though shooting for an 8+ rating should future-proof your Hub as much as possible). The QAP is a constantly-evolving process that we're regularly improving as we learn more about what makes high-quality, successful, search-friendly content. We can't promise there won't be more changes, but we do promise to arm Hubbers with as much knowledge as possible in the Learning Center to improve older Hubs and create sparkling new ones. We truly want you to succeed and grow with us.
I am following you. Following is not enough. We must view each others techles and vote em up.
We get paid per view, but I don't think repeat views count. Also voting up prolly increases visibility within the site (but don't go overboard and make it absolutely obvious). Ok lets subvert this medium!
I've read it, but it's what they've been saying all over the place all over the time. It's all really good, but I don't think Google cares about quality.
Unless I offended the beast in some way.
Must really pack (not that there is much packing). And clean a bit so neighbour doesn't faint when he comes to water geckos. But for some very bizarre reason I've decided to join zujava and write my first leaf, today of all days!
Hmmm I think it is all BS and they are just trying to find more brown nosers for this site. That is one thing that I am not...a brown noser. Zujava is not getting me any views...just an FYI.
Yep, I don't expect anything amazing from it. But it might grow in the future.
What I like about it is the "petting zoo". Ok it's a pain if you like instant gratification, but it should prevent all the engrish people from writing there.
Always good to branch out, aa. I'm going to write some more on Wizzley next week to bring my grand total up to 50 pages. Possibly Zujava later, after I've produced a few more hubs. I need a body of work everywhere, methinks.
Don't forget the protective clothing aa, a must have during any tantrum. Have a great time :)
Though this link goes to the forums, it is also my latest teckler post. LOL http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/113694#post2419836
No stats update for the last 6 hours...
OMG! I see Beth in the forums frequently, but I've never read her hubs.
Will Apse on the forums has suggested this: http://beth37.hubpages.com/hub/Silo-Daydreams
So funny! Doesn't really match her profile very much.......
@Chip....thanks for the laugh...."are you serious"....mebeeeee it's supposed to make us laugh.........hope so!
re: teckler. The good news, I'm up to 15 decent posts. The bad news: traffic has stalled; earnings have stalled; the site is so buggy and functionality so limited it is starting to be irritating.
"an innocent youngster"? Get over it!
The proud founder, and 'Gigaverse Queen'....
Here is the short version biography of the next Bill Gates of the internet. Attention paradigmsearch!! Here is your chance to grasp a million bucks!
"Simone is eccentric, but very organized and cheerful. She doesn't leave home without a black fascinator on her head and collects pink knives. She loves the internet and through Gigaverse hopes to make it possible for people to more easily use the internet to launch new lives and careers."
Go for it Randy, and treat yourself to a couple of Fuzzy Navels as well! :)
beautiful day here too!....morning all.....heading out to beach comb with Raven...later maybe a ride or maybe do some work outside around home....either will be enjoyable....
...have fun hangin' out around the pool Randy....
I wonder if I should throw another 5 short posts on teckler today... Would a total of 100 posts get me a steady $10 a month? Apparently, my 15 existing posts are STILL not indexed by Google. Has Google already made its decision to hate Teckler, and we are already too late to the party? The internet is a pain in the...
...........love :-D
"T' usual reprobates, I see. Ahoy! How's t' wormhole?
Just a couple questions: did PDS get banned? Also, I have t' ask does the old dog know what a happy endin' is? "
(I be usin' a pirate translator so that your scurvy crew of free thinkers will feel comfortable)
The weather in Britain is crap as usual, but... I will be in Egypt in a few short weeks, so not to worry.
PDS, I'm still not indexed, I fear the sweaty beast Goggle hates me too.
Will give a Tetler ago. Can we also post links there, or do they have to be posts?
Dirt dauber, in a Knight Templar's bathroom.
Oh, it's free willed!
Aha! It's a chip off the old block.
I promise ye all, I ent about no trollin' ere.
Ahh, you be tough old salts an' that's a fact.
Well, that's enough pirate. Hope PDS didn't fall foul of the matrons. He should know better, anyway.
"Is this your method for disrespecting people? No wonder why many people on HP don't like you."
@Randy, I can still drink Fuzzy Navels though, or at least I could if I had some Schnapps.
Egypt?....have fun Hollie....i'd luv to see Egypt......
Thanks Someway, we're not going to Cairo or Luxor (sadly) but the Red Sea Riviera. Well, may possibly go to Cairo if the excursions are not to expensive. We haven't even booked yet, waiting for our passports!
Laters Randy. Actually, Someway, I've just been looking at the excursions to Cairo, only £37. I'm going.
"Okay. No problem.
Highly unlikely.
Untrue. Because we've had discussions in the past. None that you were on the winning end of, but still.
Is this your method for disrespecting people? No wonder why many people on HP don't like you."
Hollie, the functionality of Teckler is so lame, I wouldn't know where to begin. Do a photo option, and then do a text option; you will quickly discover the site's limitations. I've done another 3 posts so far this morning, but I am quickly losing my enthusiasm. I am becoming reasonably certain the site is a time sinkhole, without any offsetting monetary compensation.
I'll give it a try, PDS. We'll see how it goes :)
Hollie, the Egyptian museum in Cairo has some wondrous stuff, but it is poorly organised. King Tut collection is an obvious section to visit. Look out for some of the very early statues, inc. wooden ones, on the ground floor. They seem to live and breathe. There is also a beautiful large Khons on the ground floor (greater than life-size if I remember right) from a later period and a fabulous life-size grouping of pharaoh (can't remember which) flanked by Horus and Set. A fairly routine seated Sekhmet statue (730 of these were found in Karnak temple alone) stuffed into a corner in a corridor on the ground floor drew me for some reason. The couple of times I was there, She was unhappy and crying. I made a point to sit close by and send love and appreciation to Her.
Hope your Cairo trip will also include Giza and/or Saqqara. Be warned, the pollution in Cairo is abysmal. My last trip to Giza was in smog. If you have asthma or other resp. problems be sure to have an inhaler with you, BTW, you can buy them very cheaply in Egyptian pharmacies. Sound and Light show at Giza is OK, but rather pushes the Heretic (Akhenaten). If you do have a choice, Sound and Light at Karnak is a lot better.
If you can get to Luxor, I do recommend it, because you get the full scale of stuff at Karnak and Luxor temples. However, if it costs a lot, don't bother. You can pick up low season package deals for a week in Luxor very cheaply, so put that on your to-do list of holidays. If trips to the West Bank are not included in said package or if they are offered to you at a high price, you can hire a taxi for a day for about £20 and have it take you wherever you want.
WA, I was hoping that you'd intervene, this (if it happens given that three out of the five are waiting for passports) will be my first trip to Egypt. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have a nice, cheap, relaxing break- but I'd have chosen Cairo for us all if funds allowed.
The trip is to Cairo and Luxor. One day, and a eight/nine hour trip by coach through the night, with a local company and not the major First Choice/ Thomas Cook etc. My daughter doesn't want to go because of the amount of time spent on the coach, which is fine because she can stay with her dad, but my son does.
I was reading that Egypt is comparable in price and cost of living to India and Thailand. So, this got me thinking. When in Sri Lanka (comparable to India when it comes to costs etc) A five hour trip by taxi and an overnight stay in a hotel which included evening meal, breakfast, and packed lunch, plus the hire of a jeep and entrance to Yala National Park where we going on safari (also including the five hour trip back to our hotel) cost a mere £40 each for myself and my daughter.
The driver who arranged it all for us was also a driver for a major tour operator. He usually received £3.00 for that return journey. I was more that happy to up the price and cut the big boys out, they make more than enough.
I think this will also be my strategy whilst in Egypt. I may get to see more of this amazing country than I'd hoped.
Your description of the Egyptian Museum, Giza and Luxor has me quite excited. I honestly can't wait! :))
I remember visiting Candy when in Sri lanka, and they were using some form of (?) insecticide, which gassed us all, to kill the mosquitoes. I'd never experienced anything like it, I was choking!
Well there is no deep history or culture here, but it is hot and sunny outside, but pleasantly breezy inside. I have a fabulous view on distant alps, with the morning coffee, and the chiddlers appear to really like me. Lola particularly seems very happy to see me, I don't think she remembers me from the last visit in October.
Alois has really improved his English so we can communicate better.
We'll see how this keeps up when I am actually looking after them, but so far things are excellent.
aa, sounds lovely. I expect you'll snap some nice pics too.
Yep, I expect I will bore you with pics of the kids. Also being extremely mercenary, I'm considering how to turn them into pages. One thing I've meant to right about is cameras for kids. I bought nephew one last year. The other option is their trampoline.
Both sound good, especially the cameras for kids. You wont bore us with pics, they'll be interesting.
Google is frantically testing. Yesterday my endangered hub outranked the rubbish animals getting extinct, Yahoo crap which was dropped to position 10, I was at 8. A couple of hours later I was at 10, they were#1. Today, they are at #1 and I'm at 2.
My poor hub is dizzy!
Randy, and everyone else, don't know if this will be of any interest to you but discovered yesterday that I could have free access to London Review of Books database of essays and articles etc. Useful for research purposes and for anything else that might interest you:
No probs, I've used a a couple of essays already for an article I'm working on. Much better than the nonsense available through Google.
I don't understand, Hollie. When I follow that link, it asks me to pay for a a sub to the magazine.
I'll find the right one, WA.
Just discovered that it's only free for twenty fours, (no obligation to subscribe) I've used this link: https://www.lrb.co.uk/register/free
Even though it states "if you already subscribe" (which I didn't notice initially either, must have been tired) I was able to register using this link without a problem. The 24 hour period starts when you activate your account. I might actually subscribe, depending on the cost. It's been really useful for the article I'm working on.
Sorry WA, thought it was free indefinitely.
I was offered a sub for £12 for 12 fortnighly isses, then £17.28 per quarter.
Yes, I've just read the same thing- I'm particularity interested in the access to the 2,500 essays and reviews. Just started following them on Twitter, where they have tweeted some articles and reviews, (free to read) in their entirety whether you have registered or otherwise.
Another slow forum weekend. Got my Teckler count up to 25 short posts; maybe I will make it up to 100; be interesting to see what it earns on a monthly basis with zero support on my part after I've reached 100. Wrote another hub, but haven't published it yet; it's another non-Pulitzer, and it's probably another non-SEO barn burner, unless the right news story comes along, but it does give the reader useful information that could serve them well; it's also another short one, but it's got purdy pictures and a table; if QAP rejects it, it's my last new hub, though I'll keep supporting the existing ones, since they are earning me income. Got a bunch of life-problems to deal with this week; everything is 10X harder when lack of money is an issue. Continuing to plod along...
Paradigm bro needs money,
But he doesn't it, honey,
So he asks Simone to lend some,
Simone say: "You're a bum!",
Paradigm feels hurt,
He want to give life a new start,
He deletes his HubPages' account,
And real-life turn to be sound,
But a strange aching starts the other day,
What is happening in the forums, by the way?
Did Randy publish a new hub?
What's happening with all the grubs?
Life is sad suddenly,
Paradigm has lost his key.
He returns to HubPages the next day,
And Paul E gives him a free stay.
In the final analysis, we all die anyway. So who really gives a flying **** about any of it. "Suck it up, buttercup" is the rule of the day. LOL
Apparently, some of us don't.
Takes all kinds I guess... And then there are those who outright lie, cheat, steal, and do violence at the drop of a hat. All one can do is try to avoid those kinds of people.
Avoid Paul E.
I disagree. And your comment at http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/113755#post2420936 was extremely inappropriate. I'm outta here.
Myyyy Comment?? You schizophrenic, hallucinating bum you paradigmsearch!
@PDS, I believe these people are looking for editors and I'm told the rates are quite reasonable. Haven't worked for them myself so can't confirm either way. Might help you out temporarily:
The atmosphere on this chat seems to have stormified a bit. Like the weather here. Still hot but very windy. I reckon there might be some thunderstorms.
Apparently I should take my passport tomorrow when I go to pick up Chiddler the Younger. How exciting, I could be accused of attempting to kidnap her!
Yes! At least it's warm there.
Please take passport aa, wouldn't want you to spend the remainder of your visit in a cell!
Have you heard about the changes at Zazzle aa?
If not, as from the first of July designers can now drop their commissions to 5% and there will be no more volume bonus (the latter does not affect me because I haven't sold enough to earn one. )
Actually, that's not quite correct. The volume bonus will remain but only for sales from your own(?) referrals.
I did see that Hollie. Also saw somebody commenting on squid forum that they reckon Zazzle is struggling for buyers.
I can well believe that, why are there prices so high? I mean an iphone or iPad case, is basically a piece of plastic.
I very much doubt that most people will actual reduce their royalty to 5%. Do you really think that many people would buy a $40 iphone case, but not a $45 case. If they really preferred the $45?
I noticed the volume bonus. I got in December, the time when I was pretty happy with sales. The thing about it even at that time, was your sales had to be all from the same country. Which made it a bit harder to reach than it sounded. I guess it makes it that much harder now.
But really I am far from worrying about such details. I'd just like to make more sales.
Obviously I have to make more funny cute animal cartoons. Sop
far I have sold colored simple cartoon frogs, several versions of the owls, I sold cartoon penguins on a cushion and yesterday, in cafe press, somebody bought by colored cartoon elephants. I think there is a pattern here.
The only thing nobody is buying is the cartoony pattern that I actually like:
I like that too! There is a definite cute or girly pattern when it comes to sales at Zazzle. They are also way too expensive and I've noticed that for me, most sales occur when there is some kind of promotion, so I receive less commission anyway. Kind of makes the whole reducing commission drive a bit pointless really when that's happening anyway. I know we receive the same percentage, but if the goods are discounted less dinero.
I doubt that people will reduce their royalties, I get then impression that the more established designers are much more perturbed about the volume bonus then anything else. I've uploaded some images to Cafe Press, been meaning to do it since you suggested it but didn't get around to it.
Ha! Interesting. My hubs also lack the Adsense block. I guess after they introduced the side skyscraper ad people started complaining that HP was ad heavy. I did think there were a few too many ads right at the top, the one we don't see and then 2 ads right next to each other.
Of course the central problem is the 'related search' ads. But I can't imagine they will ever be taken off.
Me too. I just noticed the main block of ads top right is missing. Now there is only the sidebar ad, and the ad at the foot of the hub. The others are 'related search' which we don't get a share of. Hubads earnings have not changed, but my Adsense earnings disappeared a long time ago. Maybe another way to force us all over to using Hubads, which we have no way of checking is accurate or not.
Yep I was thinking the same thing, Izzy. On the other hand, most people agree that HPads pay a lot better than Adsense. For me absolute earnings are more important than making sure I wasn't being scammed (and you can't really be sure Google isn't, I've heard they consider a lot of clicks "invalid", although according to them, they don't charge the advertisers for those clicks, so they don't earn from them.
Which is probably true, I think because of widespread click fraud, google was sued (or came close to being sued, or their reputation was suffering). I think right now they've overreacted and are too cautious, but I've seen very good clicks disappear from my Adsense account.
There is actually an ad at the top of the page, which we don't see when logged in, which is why I thought the top looked a bit ad heavy. And that in-page ad was causing me problems with formatting sometimes.
Had a couple of good Amazon days, today especially. However they haven't been shipped yet. I'll be most pissed off if I never get the money from them, especially since I've already "lost" a laptop sale from Squidoo this month. But perhaps the Amazon 'lean' period is over. Please, please, whatever saint is looking after Internet Marketeers, some help would be most appreciated!
Writing a hub about kiwis. Cause my sister has some in her garden and I took a couple of photos, and I can't thing of anything to write. #5 result in SERPs is a blogspot site, which is an almost exact copy of #2 result. Way to go Google!
I have to say the new layout looks great from a reader point of view, but I can't imagine it will improve matters for us, earnings-wise.
Am more and more convinced that earning online via sites like HP is a mug's game. It's digital sharecropping, really. Before 2011 I wouldn't have said that, because I was seeing a nice part time income building up from my online articles. But since then it's gradually got worse. Which is why I am looking for a real-world job. I already have a (very) part-time IRL job, and now I want another job to supplement or even replace the first one. Trouble is, having endured office politics in the past, I am feeling very unenthusiastic.
At least if it's only part time, EF, you can retain some sanity for the a greater part of the day. Full time sucks when you have to spend it with complete nu tjobs!
I fear you are right EF. Which is pretty bad because I can't tell you how much better I feel now then when I was working. Mental health has returned with a vengeance!
If I get any big clicks (for a dollar or more) they inevitably come from one of my sites. Anytime I get one from HP, Adsense always removes it, usually inside half an hour of it appearing in my Adsense account. They've been doing that for well over a year, yet I remember when I used to earn between $10 and $20 a day on HP with Adsense. Now I am lucky to see 50 cents in total. Hubads pay more than Adsense now, but still only a fraction of what I used to earn - and across all my accounts I have roughly the same views as before.
Yeah, tell me about the mental health thing. Almost all the "real" jobs I've had have involved mental stress to a certain extent, and one in particular still makes me shiver when I think about all the issues involved (some of which were self-inflicted, but still).
Life. :-D
And it's another Teckler entry, got that up to 28 posts now.
I'd have put it in the forums, but not sufficiently motivated. Troll incidents have reached an unacceptable level. For that matter, this hub thread has also reached borderline status.
Meanwhile, this week has already started off as extremely productive. Getting things done.
Hurray! My new hub passed QAP in only ~3 hours. Even better, the noindex tag got removed before Google discovered it; that's the first time that's happened in my last 10 hubs at least. Now the index wait begins... Actually, this one has no viral potential; so nothing to be tense about. :D
It's definitely a lot better than it was this time last year. The few hubs, bar one, which I have published here in the last couple of months have passed QAP within a couple of hours, and been indexed very shortly after. My heroes hub is now indexed, that's the only one I've had a problem with.
paradigmsearch just wait til the 4th day and see if there are any problems with it. That is my complaint--they pass my hubs and then on the 4th day there is something wrong with them or they unpublish them. No consistency at all--that drive me nuts and why I am finally moving my hubs to other places.
Added not to my post above.....I would share my new hub all over the place and then had to tell them that it was unpublished. grrrrrrrr.
So were they passing the hub through QAP, LG, then unpublishing it within days?
Yes. It has always been that way, at least for me. Some of my questions were done the same way. I had many comments on one and then they said it was something or other and took it down.
I don't understand how the hub can pass QAP, then within days be unpublished. Wouldn't they have to QAP them again in order to unpublish them?
Good Question.
Hollie. I noticed you dropped by the land of good karma. :-D I liked your pillows; I repinned 4 of them; each on a different board. You sure have put a lot of work into that site. I hope the 2013 holiday season is a true bonanza for you.
Thanks, PDS, for you too :) Which pillows? I've been trying to pin my cute kitten pillows for days on Zazzle, but every time I do, the window closes before I can "pin it" Or, it's a glitch and I've pinned it several times. In which case I'll probably get banned from Pinterest very, very soon! lol
I've seen the repins, thanks PDS :D
Extreme LOLs in the "Asian Writer" forum thread. Recap: Hi I am noo hubber from Asia I haven't seen other Asian writer on hubpage am I alls alone here???
I've been confused all day (nothing new there!), but why do my stats show a massive increase in views, got loads of double red up arrows, yet Analytics and Adsense show the same as normal? I think stats are a bit f*cked up. (My star)
@worst - the standard of English on that thread makes me despair! I read a hub tonight about bananas which was thrust uninvited into my feed, and felt that the author should have learned English before he wrote it. He tried really hard too, with loads of non-attributed photos and details and his hub may well do well. Unfortunately, banana was singular throughout, including the title. I don't know why HP allows these people to publish at all. Then again, I remember reading the hubs of a 'successful (US born-and-bred) author' on HP where she described herself as a 'writter' and kept up the error with 'writting' lots of words. I am told that Google will ignore the error so long as the letters are in the right order. It still sees 'W R I T I N G' in the correct order, and will ignore the extra T. This thinking actually suits me when I write C O L O U R.
Randy, my skyscraper ad seems to be a Google ad, even though I haven't looked up anything Google-related recently. It is appearing across all the hubs I looked at. What is anyone else seeing? An ad related to hub content, or not?
When I said Google Ad, I meant an ad for Google and their services.
I never check codes anymore. There is some software you can get for free that will highlight your code being displayed. That would be handy nowadays because you could see at a glance if your code was on, without having to look it up. It's one of those browser-related add-ons.
I have no doubt that HP are creaming it for all it is worth, and that they always have been. Then again, it is their site to do what they want with. We have the choice to write here or not. I have my own sites, and I really can't be bothered with them. I actually like writing here! I might change my mind, of course. I reserve the right, in fact.
But I am mightily pissed off that on a slow connection, which mine seems to be tonight, that the damned 'related search' ads are the first to appear. I am still waiting for the skyscraper. Maybe they have removed it and not changed back to the older version? I never did crack Adsense. I cracked Amazon, but Google is no longer sending visitors to those hubs so I am screwed. I am glad there is too much going on in real life to be bothered with it all.
Now this thread is amusing http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/113736 an apprentice graduate (aka Ph.D. in Interwebsology) has an unfeatured rate of 50%. Weren't APs supposed to learn how to make content that gets featured? Come on, that's just ridiculous.
King Whinge Mark Ewbie is inching ever closer to his inevitable flounce now that one of his masterpieces was unfeatured despite having over 2000 words. I will bet $10 he just categorized it wrong. I can tell you from experience playing around with dummy HP accounts that as long as you put stuff in the creative writing or humor categories, any drivel will pass QAP. And I mean anything. Mturkeys are harsh on miscategorization but forgiving of other sins and seem to pass any creative writing that has at least 200 words and a picture. Whether it will stay featured by getting enough traffic is another matter.
I think the PhD in HP writing teaches people to write hubs that pass the QAP, but not to pick topics that will get traffic. The most important bit of successful online writing is not covered by the curriculum, and I suspect the apprentice is suffering from a lack of engagement.
Also he might be from the lot who were forced to use exclusive titles, so really it is hardly his faulty.
At the same time, I find it strange the numbers of people who complain in the forums, who don't really understand how the HP system works. I mean all of us have a pretty good idea about the ins and outs of the idling system. I can understand some people just writing and not really caring about it. But if somebody cares enough to start a forum thread than it is surprising that they are not au kurvant with the latest developments.
Deposited chiddlers in their schools without major mistakes (afaik). They are surprisingly well behaved. I was worried that the younger one would have a tantrum when her father left earlier.
Thank you so much Apple for the iPhone and whoever made talking cat tom and all the other animals! Their diversionary power is miraculous!
I feel so exhausted from all the tension!
The Teletubbies used to do it for my daughter every, single time. Honestly, she could be in throes of a mighty rage but as soon as she clapped eyes on Tinky Winky she was mesmerized.
I think my Heroes hub is going to be a mighty flop. If I don't get any search traffic within the first few days of being indexed that's usually a sign of things to come!
Anyway, don't care. I'm off to buy sunglasses and some new T-shirts and shorts for my jollys!
It is obvious that paradigmsearch is obsessively compelled to inject into the forums on a daily basis.
But now, he has his head spinning without a gear-box. I feel paradigmsearch needs better drugs. Will crash it, bro!
I kinda like paradigmsearch. He's a pumpkin. But he is losing his sense of reality at a severe rate. Gotta feel for the mad pumpkin! Sorry, it's inedible!
"I disagree. And your comment at http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/113755#post2420936 was extremely inappropriate. I'm outta here."
He needs treatment either for his eyes, or for his brain. And we can only speculate!
I spoke too soon about earnings not having dropped. They have adjusted HPads earnings for the last 4 days, and they are all adjusted downwards across the board. Hmmm! Dare say 'related searches' have brought HP's earnings up. Pity about the rest of us.
Anyway, I need to tell you Randy, that I'm doing my best to get the Muse site ready by the end of this year. Yankees are a lot of pain!
HubPages has been a sophomoric trip!
Chip6, I don't know if you are a 12-year-old kid with a 12-year-old sense of humor; or if because of you being previously account-banned, you are a vengeful adult that has decided to go the troll route. You really should have shut up about what you originally said in the "bereavement" thread, I was willing to let it go, but now you are making false accusations. On the one hand, you are to be commended for realizing what you did was thoughtless and deleting your picture of the gun target with the bullet holes in it and your accompanying statement complaining about how you missed the bullseye by 2 inches; but for you to then lie that you never made the post in the first place... Whether you are a 12-year-old kid with 12-year-old humor, or an adult with severe issues relating to basic ethical conduct, either way, you have permanently lost me. Oh, well... Too bad, really. Whatever your problems are, I hope you can confront the root cause and make things better for yourself. Take care. And good-bye.
Paradigmsearch has gone completely nuts.
Your failures in the forums, and your failure as an 'intellectual' HubPages forum poster - well, if you ask me personally, these issues do need some serious confrontation, Mr. paradigmsearch.
If you are seeking a displacement, then you are in the wrong place. I've a pretty good streak for those who seek an easy substitute.
HubPages is a sucker's game, Randy. They are licking Google's feel to earn a dime. I wasted a year on this gig. Well, I don't regret that. They caught me by their cheap advertisement, and their 'community' swallowed the rest of my doubts.
How much do these internet tapeworms earn through this site? I think this is becoming a dangerous infection in our culture, we spend loose too much of our efforts into the master's field, and spare our gardens. If anyone is really serious about making money online, or want to become a 'writer', then they should think about setting their own website. HubPages is a time waster. These wannabe, typists should collect tin cans or serve tea on an editors desk, that's real career for them at best.
I have some business still undone here, the overbearing racoons and the sweetfaced pandas owe me courtesy. My art sites have improved. There is a great deal to come, and I'm learning from my mistakes. I'll drop you the links soon!
I've years of experience in the field of mental health issues. I worked side by side with psychologists to build better lives for damaged adolescents.
These tykes have some unusual characteristics. They used to get furious if anyone caught them smoking in the back of the garden, or putting a fly on the cooking pan. Most of them have an grandiosely inflated self-image. And they can't let it go. It takes years of hard work to wash all that crap out of them, and turn them into anything constructive.
I am tempted to take this bum paradigmsearch to Devereux, florida. We can assess how much has his manic disorder possessed his brain. I'm not sure of the outcome, but it will definitely save some forum space!
Just been offered a post in Cumbria, the position: Probation Officer!
Methinks not!
lol @ Chip, there are oodles of people on the forums who could use a change in medication. My favorite is Jane6 who admits to having mental disturbances and doesn't give a **** when she's trolling for Jezus. I'm not so fond of realschoolgirl who has confused the forum with her private medication diary. The forum needs more trolls.
I heart trolls.
mas trolls por favor!
Ok here are where my blogs are and you can comment on them: http://pinterest.com/debbieallen3/blogs/
Man do I have to do some cleaning on my Pinterest. Half of those posts are not even there anymore since I took them off of HP.
just noticed the in-text block was revived in a few of my hubs, at least when I viewed them logged out. Not all of them though. I too think removing them was a revenue killer.
I still have this troubling problem of Hubpages showing a massive increase in views, that doesn't agree with either Adsense or Analytics. I know who I believe.
Anyone else her pissed off with a hubber who is full of her own self-importance? That many good things simply do not happen. I have given up believing her. I think people who fantasise to this extent have severe mental problems which should not be encouraged.
I think Google are doing some experimentation.
I expect to see my hubs bottom of the SERPS tomorrow, while the likes of ask.com rise to the skies with their one sentence answers.
Then again, I hold number 1 positions for keywords I have no right to. In global terms, I should not be noticed at all.
Very few of us should, by that definition. Are you expert at all you write about?
IzzyM, I don't know about anyone else here but I write from my heart and what has happened to me and in my world. That does not make me an expert, but it has personal validity and hopefully it will help others in some way or another. I do lots of research on most of my health hubs/articles.
" Are you expert at all you write about?" This question is directed at all of us, not just Randy.
I am pretty certain he is an expert in his field. I am 'expert' in some fields, but master o' none. Hate the fact that the SERPS are full of results from interested amateurs or content thieves.
@LG, I don't know what to say, hun.
At one time, those personal inputs were invaluable. They still are, but without the correct titles who is going to find them? HP actively discourages personal input, yet that changes with the trees because when Paul E put down my hub, he actively promoted one by RyanKett that spoke in the first person. Obviously, mention of your own situation will set you out as an authority, but not everyone has that experience. Then again, should we be writing on topics on which we have no experience?
I have a lot of knowledge on certain topics, without photos or personal tales to back up everything I might write.
Are we being told now to take such articles elsewhere?
I think that we are being told that in not so many words. I mean there are other writing venues who actively pursue personal experiences. Yes it does validate the experience in that others will know what course of action they wish to take or not take.
Another thing that just popped into my mind was those who made it big with personal stories such as Erma Bombeck. She's a hoot! Who knows what those kinds of hubs would have brought to this site? We will never know with the puritanical mindset this site has taken.
@IzzyM, my suspicions have been piqued as well re that particular hubber. The latest announcement was of a nature that cannot be easily verified without sifting through vasts amount of content. I found it odd that she did not say which one it was, because that would have been natural. Perhaps she did not want to entice copycats?... Some of the other announcements are verifiable, others not so much unless you were to dig deeper than it's worth. I realize I am guilty of saying much that cannot be verified either, but to be fair, nothing I say is that remarkable.
I had been teaching Cagsil how to behave like a human being, for months. Now that he has been permanently banned I guess. It's sad to see his proxy crash too.
Will JS Mathews give me a follow? The scammers still think I'm missing on facebook, ha ha ha.
The 4 year old childdler is now walking around saying "f***, f***" angrily. Well my sister wanted me here so they could improve their English.
Hmmm I see I will have to look in the forums.
The angry, mad, unrestrained, uncivil, irrational bum is saying everyone else is unreasonably angry but itself. haha
Spit on!
Need a chill-pill bro? A lite fly gotta hum higher!
@worst, you got it! Anyway, I was out of order voicing my concerns on an open forum, so least said soonest mended.
Chip, what is it with you and Para? Come on kids, let's not fight. Not that I have any idea what it is about anyway, if anything at all.
I'm just after putting a full load of washing back out on the line. Lovely sunny day. Pegged the washing out. Mum took it all back in again 10 minutes later because she thought it was evening. The joys!
@ UK hubbers, what is the average home building insurance (not contents) costs these days? I used to pay about £300- £400 per annum, but Dad just got a renewal in for £1500 which has left me choking. Is this the big boys ripping off the oldies again?
Time to bag me a Meerkat toy methinks. http://www.comparethemeerkat.com/
Paradigm had developed four legs and three extra hands. I've trimmed those a bit and he's angry and shouting at me. That's the case, Izzy.
I'm gonna forgive that bum if he bows down 16 times before my dog, and says: "Your master is God!".
I'm thinking of phoning up the insurance company and asking for a quote for the same property. Same address, different name. I read recently about an old lady who had been with the same company for years and never made a claim. Her premiums were well over £1000, so her daughter asked for a quote and was quoted something like £200. They rip off their steady customers to attract new ones. This is the Santander Bank, and if I get a cheap quote they will be hearing all about it. Even although, or perhaps especially because, I have shares in their company. Then I will be going with Direct Line or whoever else is the cheapest.
Had to press the long nose into dirt. And back again!
Izzy, I pay £167 per year for house and contents, which also includes £1000 cover for my laptop inside and outside the home. I then pay a further £180 for insurance to cover plumbing/electrics/boiler emergencies and repairs. So that makes £347 in total per year. My insurance is from Saga.
You didn't focus on the name. Chip6: says it's 6 times more effective! April is on a trekking trip. If she had seen me like this, she might have had taken me in!
It's always good to have a young, handsome dad!
Hey all...I go away for a day or so and thar's fightin' and teasin' happening.. whatup?....group hug...xo
@WA, you have mentioned Saga before. I will check them out, thanks! I have until the middle of July when the renewal comes into force, unless I cancel it before then. Next I will look at the house contents insurance, then the car insurance. I guess I should have changed it already, but I have no idea what company he is with for that as I haven't yet come across the policy documents.
Izzy, they tried the same con with my mum. Some insurance company rang her up and guaranteed that they would reduce her contents insurance by £50 a year. With a glint in her eye she said "go on then", they took all her details and then asked what her current annual payment was. She said £49 per year, and pointed out that not only did they owe her a pound, but they had committed to insuring her contents for the next 12 months at no cost to my mother. They couldn't wrangle out of that one, so they hung up.
Anyway, my mum gets heavily discounted insurance through Age UK, Help the Aged or whatever they're called now. I'd give them a try too Izzy!
Randy, I thought I was already following you but I wasn't! You only need eight more followers, now! :)
The little monsters (errr...darlings) having a snack. They didn't go to school today so had to look after then for 12 hours. I'm completely brain dead! My God, why did I come here???
Can't access that link aa, says I'm unauthorised.
Anyone got any experience with using Amazon's next day delivery option? I paid extra 8 quid to get something delivered today and it hasn't arrived. Am I due a refund of the extra postage, or just put it down to experience? Am really upset burt will get over it.
Thanks for telling me about Age Concern et al, Hollie. I had no idea they could help with such things.
Ahh I changed the flickr permissions on those photos to 'anybody can view', was the first time I tried exporting directly from iPhoto. The link should work now.
Izzy, the next day delivery is a con! I used it just before last Christmas (late buying things, as usual) and it took three days to be delivered. They claim that it's only next day if ordered and despatched before a particular time, or something like that. Anyway, may as well just have used standard delivery.
They negotiate discounts with insurers because they they are basically buying bulk policies- then pass the discounts on to the elderly. I know my mum's insurance is really cheap, even though we live in Manchester which, let's face it, is notorious for buglary of dwellings.
They're worth getting in touch with Izzy for other things which your mum may need. I know they gave my mum thermostats for each room so that she could see then the room was at the right temp (not too cold.etc) And they have workmen, or at least they did , who could undertake different jobs around the house (putting shelves up and that kind of thing) and it was really inexpensive.
Don't know how they're fairing with the cuts though.
Bless, is that popcorn they're munching on?
@Izzy, Age UK Insurance:
ROFL Aa! I was never an earth mother type and must admit I liked my girls more and more as they grew older.
I actually really like young kids, they are very interesting, and it is fun to show them interesting things for the first time. We spent some time watching the life of birds, and I think they really loved it.
But.....the 2 year old is starting to be pretty bothered by the fact that her Mum has disappeared and her Daddy 'abandons' her for the whole day, only showing up to put her sleep.
Also they are having a 'great childhood' with a big garden, a trampoline, one of those blow-up 'pools' etc. Fantastic for them, but I feel I have to watch them all the time. Would be so much easier to plonk them in front of some cartoons.
Anyway, I just have to take them to school tomorrow, and after that my brother in law will be around to do the looking after. He just had some very busy time at work that coincided with my sister's computer course.
The pool, trampoline etc. are great but kids have skirmishes so it's only natural that you feel you should watch them all the time. Actually, when they are so young, even though enjoyable it's really challenging. You're watching them, spliting up the fights (if they have fights) running around making them things to eat and getting drinks etc. Answering their very many questions; puts multitasking on a whole new level.
In fact, it's bloody exhausting if I remember correctly :D
According to the HP weekly email, of 37 "problems" I reported, 9 hubs are no longer published. Actually, all 37 reports concerned to Indian aunty hubs with pixelated and/or watermarked images. I did not even bother the mention the low-quality Engrish, nor the fact the same sentences were duplicated between a number of these hubs. So basically, 28 of these remain published despite having at least one violation.
Don't think I'll bother again.
I hopped one hub earlier which consisted of one YouTube video and 5 Amazon capsules, no text. How can you rate grammar, substance and mechanics when there is no text?
Quite discouraging, I thought quality was improving across this site.
Watching Joanna Lumley's Nile (quite timely) and getting very excited about visiting Egypt :D
I have just read the most hilarious hub! Honestly, the man who wrote this hub has just summed up how utterly stupid the average internet searcher is. Covering questions such as: "Why is there fuzz on my tennis ball?" "How come there is no thirteenth floor in some buildings?" "Why is there blood in my stools?" And so it goes. Not sure that the average searcher would be pleased with his analysis, but still, he's spot on and very, very funny lol.
I'll have to try and find that funny hub! Glad to hear there are some good ones coming in.
AA, the kids are adorable. That age does require lots of energy, though. My own are growing up, so it makes me nostalgic for the little ones. Bittersweet.
Maybe they're packing for vacation! lol
I have just started writing a memoir from a friend who has no access to the internet. So have been very busy with that and moving my hubs to my blogs. That is time consuming. That and I have a sick cat and sick hubby.
Hola.... AA.. the children are very cute ......have fun takingpics.. wish I was packing or working on a tan. I see blondepoet started a thread...have noticed her around in ages..mind you I'm not as active on the threads.. have a great day all
Not yet...soon...wish I was heading out today. Need a break from work
Thanks Randy!
Tee hee, my son's passport has arrived, just two more to go then we can book! :D
OMG I'm left with the kids again. The 2 year old decided she had enough, there was no consoling her after her Father left again. She finally cried so much that she fell asleep.
Her 4 year old brother meanwhile went to play in the garden, where he used a rusty saw to cut through logs of wood (I think). I finally enticed him into the house with promises of snake movies. Unfortunately the internet in this house is so fucking bad that youtube barely works.
It's now 11pm, daddy still hasn't returned, and nephew still isn't asleep, perhpas because of the black mamba. I have to admit that I am becoming somewhat pissed off with their parents. Perhaps they need to choose between having children and their fucking precious careers.
Oh dear, all not well. I'm sure he'll crash soon aa, but not very pleasant for you, obviously.
Not fair to them or you to leave you in this position.
Well their Dad just returned, a little bit after midnight. I was just thinking how bad I was going to feel when I find out that he was in an accident when on his way returning here!
What I really hate about this is that it I've snapped quite angrily at my nephew several times. It's not really his fault, but you've no idea what hours in the presence of a wailing histerical 2 year old can do to one (well you probably do have an idea, maybe not a completely fresh one).
Apparently having a 4 year old engage in sawing through logs of wood alone is perfectly fine, according to my brother in law. He showed him the right way to do that, and everything is fine. Either I am an overprotective fusspot, or he is nuts.
Next time read stories to them or make them up as you go. You will have a captive audience.
aa, I snapped angrily at my children so many times, because it's stressful when there are a couple of them to deal with and over the course of the day they chip away at you. I'm pretty sure there were times when I had to restrain myself because I felt like slapping them! Honestly, snapping at them is pretty standard behaviour, I defy anyone who has been around a couple of toddlers for prolonged periods to say that they haven't been driven to edge of sanity!
As for the saw, easy for him to say when he wasn't there. [Some] men have this attitude because they are not the primary care givers and are completely detached from the reality, sorry to say.
A 4 yr old and a saw is an accident waiting to happen! Might as well give him a box of matches to play with, which according to his dad's attitude, is OK so long as he was taught how to use them properly. Kids that age should be in nursery anyay. I couldn't wait for mine to be old enough to go. It's not that we don't love them, it's just that we need a break. They are great fun at that age, but also very hard work and you need to have the patience of a saint to cope.
AA, play the Silence Game with them. They are the perfect age to start. When they get really noisy, gather them round and suggest you all play the Silence Game. No-one is allowed to make a noise. You'll get peace and quiet for a couple of minutes, then one of them will forget and make a noise. They are then out. But they don't want to be the loser so you can start again and make it the best of 3 or 5. For some reason, kids love this game! Then in future when you feel your temper rising, you just say the magic words "let's play the Silence Game" and order is immediately resumed. Try it.
Me again.
Right that thing I wanted Amazon to deliver in one day was a mattress for my bed.Ok, it took 2 days, but I have suffered severe sciatica for 8 days and desperate for relief (I'll tell you tomorrow if it worked).
Does anyone know if it's OK to put a memory foam mattress (Silentnight) over an existing mattress? It's all very well to assume that a new mattress replaces the old one, but I am in no fit state to remove the old one, and have no place to put it either. House is full of Dad's junk (no exaggeration, and it is junk - he was an engineer) and can't carry it uphill for the Cleansing people. So it's still on my bed which is now quite high. Worst case scenario, I can put it on the spare bed.
I had a memory foam mattress topper, but no-one told me it needs turning every month, so after 6 months I found I was waking in pain every day. Then I turned it (because I read online it should be turned) and the pain went away. Then a month later the sciatica started.
I've had a Hellish week! My daughter is here, but she can't cook and she can't drive (she's 20) so I still have the workload even though as an extra pair of eyes she has lifted the burden somewhat. I have been hobbling to get around - I'm OK sitting.. Sorry to hear you have back problems too, but good to hear the extra mattress below is not an issue.
She doesn't want to learn! Her twin sister does, and I am paying for those lessons. I've no problem paying for them both. but their insurance costs will be prohibitive until they reach 25. Way of the world!
Randy, you would think in this day and age they could find a permanent cure for sciatica.
Mine's is caused by arthritic changes in the bones damaged when I lost 3 vertebrae 8 years ago, at least so the Spanish doctors told me. I haven't even asked this bunch of chancers here. Honestly, the level of care offered my mother is pathetic. Apparently if I phone this one or that one, she might get some help. I shouldn't have to. It's bloody obvious what is wrong with her.
The last doctor I saw was a visiting consultant, and she recommended specialist care. I am still waiting.
Knowing how they treated my father, and seeing how they are ignoring my mother, there is no chance in Hell I would trust them with my health. But I do need to push someone a bit, because if not, I am going to need specialist care. I am half-demented as it is.
I got a local plumber in a month ago to fit a shower for my mother. He hasn't been in touch since, even though I said yes go ahead.
The specialist offered 2 days respite care for my mother. I said yes please. Nothing since.
I am sick and tired of the system that obviously expected me to be on the phone every five minutes complaining, but that is not our style. I would happily pay for care for my mother. I am told it is available. She has gone into free-dive, mental health wise. But yet I am expected to lift the phone to chase the buggers up. Why? I have told them what is wrong. They have been sympathetic. They have told me help is there. Where the fuck is it then?
You can tell I am in pain! lol
I'm not very good at this 'going to bed' thing. Even when the bed looks inviting. When you are pain-free sitting, enjoy the moment!
We're getting a puppy dog in a week or so. My neighbours already told me to keep it out of their (shared) garden. Should be fun. Hmmm. I am glad it is an intelligent breed that should learn pretty quickly. I used to have its great-uncle as a pet. Best dog I ever owned.
Keil is going to b a great dog. He just doesn't know it yet.
Shame on that first doctor you saw. He could have done so much more for you, and helped prevent the second stroke. That is shocking, I hope he learned from it - at your expense of course. This fear of having a stroke scares most of us into doing exactly what doctors ask. For a week my mother refused to have her day medication, which was mostly high blood pressure tablets. Her swollen ankles reduced, and her dementia improved. But I had to put her back onto them, because not taking them leaves her at a higher risk of having a stroke. Then again, it leaves me thinking, why should her risk be higher? She was already having TIAs despite the medication. I already know that at least two of her drugs cause swollen legs. Her doctor said only one did (does he not read the internet?) and changed it. Made no difference. So the other is at fault. If she doesn't take any pills her swellings go down. One warm evening we were sitting in front of the telly when she told me her nose was sore. I went over to her and felt it, and it was like a block of ice. She was freezing all over! She didn't even know to tell me she was feeling cold, despite having three layers of clothing on. Her doctor argued with me that she doesn't have poor circulation. I said she does. He is probably ignoring me. In fact, I know he is ignoring Mum too. I feel like I am up against a brick wall. I hope Age Concern or the Alzheimer's Society are more helpful when I get round to phoning them. I need their help! For a caring country, I feel we have been cast out into the wilderness. It is my job to get the best care possible for my mother.
Randy you got that right about the health care in America being BIG Business.
Not just in America. Several pharmacists are now millionaires thanks to the UK policy of dispensing methadone to all heroin junkies. Then NHS picks up the tab, but the chemist gets a cut and Big Pharma get the rest. They are opening a methadone clinic in our sleepy town, just two years after Boots took over the local pharmacies. No-one wants it as we expect to see a flux of junkie incomers and a rise in crime. There are less than 30 addicts here, but a high percentage of the population suffer from cancer and other life-threatening maladies. These people have to travel over 100 miles for treatment. Why can't the junkies do the same? The Scottish NHS seems to have a huge budget as all medicines are free of charge. When I say all, I mean nearly all.
A young teacher at my kids' school has cancer and is dying. There is one drug that can prolong her life which she wants to take to give her young children a longer time with her. The Scottish NHS refuse to fund her it, yet it is available under the NHS in England and Wales. I believe a fundraising campaign has been started on Facebook to get her the drug privately. It is so unfair that a waste of space junkie can have all the methadone he wants, for as long as he wants, while good people with severe illnesses are dying.
By the way, I slept like a baby on that new mattress. It was like being wrapped in cotton wool. I woke a couple of times, briefly, and was delighted to note that I was pain-free even when I shifted position. Got up today and the pain is still there when I walk around but it is wonderful to be pain-free in bed for the first time in years.
Just noticed the lifeboat going out at full speed - my bedroom window looks over the water. Hope it is a false alarm.
That's pretty good to hear Izzy, that the memory foam mattress worked. Never have been sure exactly what sciatica is (nerves getting "trapped") and how you can tell that it is this, but my lower back and my legs, and sometimes arms are pretty painful.
It's gotten so I can't do the 15 min walk to the supermarket from my place, which is up a slight hill, without feeling almost paralysed at the end of it. Going back, which is down hill is perfectly fine though. I suspect I bend forwards when going up.
And I wake up all stiff and in pain in the middle of the night
Of course its entirely my own fault, I've seriously gained weight in the past year, and am not getting even the small amount of exercise I used to in the past. I suspect my poor bones have had enough.
I'm not getting enough exercise either, and so of course am gaining weight as well as developing arthritis but that's a family trait.
Sciatica is a bit like the toothache you get with a raw nerve. It's a screaming pain that shoots like electric shocks down your legs - usually just one or the other. I had right-sided sciatica. Now it is on the left and it is leaving me very short-tempered with everyone. I'm OK sitting but I can barely walk.
Maybe you need a new mattress too? I strongly recommend the memory foam ones. Try a mattress topper first and see if you notice the difference. I did, but like I said, I didn't know it needed turning every month. I got mine, a single, from The Factory Shop for less than £30. It's worth a try.
I am raging just now with that Spanish idiot that lived with me. Since returning home, Adsense decided to stop payments into my Spanish bank until I provided them with IBAN and BIC numbers. I didn't know them, didn't have my bank details or the phone number of the bank to hand, so just left it. I debated changing the set up to my UK address, but in the end decided it was easier to just leave the money in Spain. Before I left, I'd opened a new bank account in my local village so I phoned them up and got the IBAN and BIC numbers and put them in instead. Adsense then needed to make a test deposit before they can pay me what they owe, which is a tidy sum.
I asked him to ask the bank manager for this figure. Saves me a phone call to Spain as I can chat to him online.
75 cents he said, so I input 75 cents. Wrong, said Adsense, you have one more try. So I asked him again was he sure it was 75 cents and when he said yes, I put it in again. I am now locked out of Google. Then I said, are you sure it was 75 and not 76 or 74. He then said it was 74. Stupid bugger! Don't know what happens now. Google just return an error when I try to put in 74.
Honestly, men!
No way :D
Morning......good luck with the pup Izzy...i'm enjoying mine....she puts a smile on my face every morning when i open my eyes.....
...home care resources can't keep up with the demand and i figure it will get worse...probably not much there by the time i need it if i manage to grow old and need help....
....don't get me started on insurance co's.....was going to write a hub about my experience....one day i plan to write to the board of directors of two co's....they need to know my story; whether or not they'll give a shyte..is another matter....just have some things to get off my chest about how ins. co's treat their 'clients'......i'm not sure if they really know who their clients are...i think they confuse clients with shareholders....
anyway my 2 cents this a.m.
....have a good day all.....
Oh well, my mother is off out again, on her own. She announced at 4pm that she wanted to go the 11 o'clock church service, and I couldn't talk her round. So I locked the doors. My usual soft, gentle mother was really angry and even tried to hit me. I had to open the back door later to take the washing in, then I was cooking in the kitchen when I saw her leave sharpish. I chased after her, but she won't come back and so is off. No point in taking the car out after her either, as she won't get in. She will likely walk to the church, then hopefully come home when she finds it locked. Sigh.
A neighbour at the end of the road has just phoned to say she has my mother, but to leave her there a wee while until she forgets about going to bloody church. I love the people of this town!
It's not just HP. I have google adsense on my new blogs and they have gotten over 200 views yet that stats have not changed in 3 days.
I know what you mean. When I first joined it was like once a year that it did that and now it is once a month.
Di d you notice when stats broke last weekend, the views crept upwards, one at a time. This time they are creeping downwards, oneat a time. It' s almost as if a little program to steal or add views is running in the background, not destined to ever be noticed.
I'm bloody well sick of writing for a living, need a change!
I write for private clients, Randy. People I've worked for for a few years, they pay relatively well and on time but it means I'm keyboard bashing for at least 8 hours per day, usually six days a week. The HP, Wizzley and Zazzle stuff is in addition to all that!
Keeps the wolves from the door and puts food on the table, still bores me s******* though.
That reminds me of the time I ran a karaoke bar. Things were bad with the recession, and I had to let all my staff go. So there was me, singing a Neil Diamond number if I remember correctly, into a wireless microphone that I had tucked under my chin while I pulled a pint! It had a certain novelty value to it, I suppose, and did pull in punters for a while. I hate doing karaoke now although I used to love it.
I hate writing to order, it's a means to an end. Still, when I write about things which I think are interesting it's different (but they rarely earn anything, or not much) I think if I can build up a body of work on a few different sites, then build my Zazzle store, it'll take the pressure off a bit.
Thing is, there aren't enough hours in the day. Might realise my ambitions by 2020, if I'm still compos mentis that is :)
Izzy, I'm just trying to picture the scene. The things we do when our backs are against the wall! Have to laugh, or you'd cry :)
They're now running at ad at the top of the forum. Maybe HP can earn enough from it that they won't have to sneakily steal a little from us here and there.
Yep, this person is unhappy with HP either! sylvianenucciodotcom/beware-of-hubpages/
Nephew is taking part in some sort os "spectacle" at his school so I'm expected to drag myself to see it. Normal lise is pulling me in inexorably. Yikes.
But the black mamba made a big impression on him, hes been telling every body about it
An interesting point to note about both the post and the comments at http: //sylvianenuccio.com/beware-of-hubpages/ is that Hubpages is repeatedly described as an article directory.
I learned when I was first writing online that article directories are sites that allow you to publish your own content in order to promote your site. They should include a resource box. The content is written in the hope that someone else will copy it, resource box and all, and this creates natural backlinks for your site. Ezine is a perfect example. But Hubpages was never an article directory because our stuff has copyright and is not there to be copied.
If everyone continues to describe Hubpages as an article directory, it is no wonder our stuff gets copied all the time. The best we can then do is to make sure we have in-text links to other work in the hope that at least the thieves will provide you with an un-intentional backlink to another hub.
And what a shame that author got kicked off Hubpages without understanding why. I'll bet the dup content filter kicked in because too many phrases were similar even though she wrote it herself. The rest of her stuff got unpublished because she repeatedly sent in the same url that caused them problems. Did you note how she said you can't unpublish hubs? I assume she got that from the 'edit' page, which does not have an unpublish option. It should be there to be honest, IMO. That would have meant she tried to publish an article with the url having the words 'law of attraction' while the article was about something else entirely. What a shame no-one explained to her.
By the way, I am seeing squidoo high in the SERPS again. Is traffic recovering for those who write there?
PS just tried to make that link live and got the message that I cannot post links to prohibited sites. Now that's a slap in the face for a blogger!