I posted this on my new blog "All Things Not Considered" located HERE .
Pluck (Noun): Courage.
Jane likes to grow plants...not just any plant...she likes to grow cabbage. Her family and friends all tell her she should share what she knows with the local community. Jane joined a local gardening club, and they asked her to write about growing cabbages for their website. Jane is happy as a cabbage.
Jane is encouraged by the outpouring of support she receives from the community. Jane decides to begin posting her articles about cabbage on Facebook. Everyone loves Jane, before long she has hundreds of avid readers. Jane is happy as a cabbage.
Jane notices that her local newspaper offers people the opportunity to post Blogs. Jane decides to post her blogs about cabbage on Florida Today. Shortly after posting her blog about "How to Prune Your Cabbage" it disappears. Jane's son explains that her blog will not stay in the "rotation" very long because of spam...he explains what spam is..and that if Jane gets enough "recommends" her cabbage blog will stay at the top longer. Jane thinks people should be able to have more time to see her blog so she asks friends and family to recommend her articles. Soon Jane's blogs about cabbage are always at the top. Jane is happy as a cabbage.
One day Jane goes to Florida Today and notices her blog about "How to Find Babies in the Cabbage Patch" is not number one. It has been replaced by Gertrude's blog about "Growing Gourds in a Bath Tub". Jane is happy to see her fellow garden club member getting out there. Jane is happy as a cabbage.
Everyday Jane checks the status of her blogs on Florida Today. She notices that Gertrude is always #1 in the Recommended Blogs List. Jane is slightly upset. Gertrude beats her by one recommend every day. Jane decides to drum up some help from fellow members of the garden club to put her blog back on top. Jane is happy as a cabbage.
The next day Jane checks her blog's position on Florida Today. She had just posted a blog on "The Cabbage Juice Diet". It was a big hit with the local garden club. Jane had gotten some of the information from The Cabbage Juice diet a magazine article from "You Are The Cabbage". Jane is confused...maybe she hadn't hit the Publish button...could be...she has done that before. Jane sees a message that says "Jane's profile is currently under review". What does this mean? Her son explains that someone complained about the information on her profile. Jane is not happy as a cabbage.
READ THE REST HERE
TO Capt. Black Eagle:
ReplyDeleteGreat article. Thanks for the time and effort. I wondered if a "report" on a comment or blog sent it to some electronic "bucket" or to a real person. Get flagged once or twice, and that commenter is in a special "bozo" bucket, I think that's what they call it. Send this to a human being for decisions is a problem.
You've described the way things work and identified the problems both FT and the users. I wondered how the Tallahassee version is doing, it went paid subscription. I've noticed that while the poofing hasn't diminished, the tone has been changing recently. I hope that lasts. Some of the bloggers have improved as well, which frankly is the part of the service I think is so great. Those (including myself) who did not aspire to blog, found ways to write as a form of expression in this new format. That's a good thing.
For me, I'm taking a break from the FT...it got tiresome when the conversation focused on missing comments.
I agree DFTTS...FT and Pluck are supposed to work together in cases where there is a "gray" area. They Seldom do. Paid subs are a great idea...you can then afford some real time moderation.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I mentioned but did not go into detail about is "Seeding". Pluck will seed comments, and articles in forums to spur interest...they are supposed to be zero outcome comments. However, I think we all realize there is no such thing as a zero outcome comment.
Capt. BE:
ReplyDeleteSEEDING, my my...that IS interesting.
On paid moderation, I wonder what type of training those folks have.
Thanks again for the insights.
One forum I belong too is a paid sub. The moderators are allowed all posts except nudity to stand.
ReplyDeleteI was banned once for posting a picture of crap on a toilet lid. My post was not the offending one...someone took it a few steps further..but my thread gave them the idea. I must admit I laughed..who would think crap on a toilet lid was offensive? ;)
Capt BE: That's definitely "guy" humor! I would have rolled my eyes at the photo. Perhaps a standard of "decency" was applied there. News outlets don't publish photos of excrement, dead bodies, mutilations etc.
ReplyDeleteSo, how does the paid community "behave?" Anything different than at the FT?
To Grumpy:
ReplyDeleteI checkout your two other blogs under construction. Just wanted you to know that I applaud your continuing efforts in the blogosphere.
Sorry to change the subject, but I have no other place to put this comment. You may notice I am still on FT hiatus. I noted, however, your comments today on SB6. Most people have no idea how ridiculous the whole bill was. Thank you for helping folk understand. SB6 author and major proponent John Thrasher was re-elected and is considering bringing it back. Haridopolos announced a Special Session to override Crist vetos, excluding the hot button issues, such as SB6 and deferring them for the regular session. In other words, we'd all better keep an eye on Tallahasse.
DFTTS;
ReplyDeleteI expected them to come up with a new porposal, one that might or might not make sense. I didn't expect them to try and resuurect the old one. Sheree might have been playing to the audience. Well see.
If they resurrect it as is, I'm really going to miss Sandra in Brevard. I've got a few old blogs I can dust off, nothing like she could put together. Like you in a way, she had a talent for finding and researching facts everyone else missed.
Right now the other two sites are cluttered with stuff I don't want post and didn't want to lose.
Grumpy - I read that Senator Paula Dockery was appointed to the Scott's transition team. She broke with the leadership and voted against the bill and was vocally against it. Fortunately, she can add and subtract. We'll see, as you say. There will be some political posturing and elbowing for influence and access right now, I imagine.
ReplyDeleteDFTTS, I wish Paula Dockerty had been able to say in the Governors race.. It would have prevented most of the mudslinging, and post election hard feelings. She routinely shows she's not a party flunky and she is a fiscal conservative. Before it was it was over she might have had the teachers and the TEA Party on the same side.
ReplyDelete