New Members Guide To The Forum Community
79HubPages- A User Friendly Publishing Platform with Forum Community
Guide To HubPages Forums For New Members and/or Existing Members
Welcome To HubPages!
I know that may sound strange, especially if you've been on HubPages for a while now and we(you and I) haven't crossed paths. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. If you have in fact been on HubPages for a while and never have posted to forums threads, then this guide is for you, just as much as it is for the new members. So sit tight.
If you're a new member, then I would say you're in the right place. Yes, that may come across as arrogant and yes I have been told that I am by many people who presently use the forums. If you, as a person, have thin-skin then I suggest you stay away from the political and religious forum threads. The word "insult"? It is constantly pushed everyday in both types of threads. Some find it "insulting" because someone else won't agree with them. Some claim "insult" when a simple question is asked. So, tread lightly.
The FEED offered by HubPages
The Forums Main Thread Page
Guide To HubPages Forum Threads
Okay, since we've established that the forums can be a little rough. Let's take a trip and get you started with "how" you can follow along and watch the forums before posting. There are two sources you can use to follow and watch the forum threads- (a) the FEED and (b) the Main Forum threads page. These are the only two sources and free to access.
The FEED: It is a on-going running feed of all HubPages activity with two exceptions. Those exceptions are two forum threads which will not appear on the FEED at all ever. Those two forum threads are (a) The Hubber's Hangout and (b) The Sandpit. The Hubber's Hangout is a generalized conversation about anything and everything, excluding politics and/or religion. Once a political argument or a religious one ensues, it is moved to another location more suited for the discussion. The Hubber's Hangout is about interaction with others, being civil, getting to know other members and the alike. Share ideas, talk business, talk socially and absorb the interactive nature of HubPages.
The Main Forum Threads page: This page can be broken down into several components, which is what I have done to explain. The picture off to the side is just a snapshot of what the present Forums page looks like. What you see in the picture might not be there when you decide to go to the forums. Just a little warning. The "Blue" highlighted section at the top of the Forums threads are Major Announcements and Special Contests( WTI(weekly topic inspiration) and HubNuggets). Time to time, you will see Major Announcement threads not highlighted blue. Don't ask. I don't know why it happens. The "Blue" highlighted threads are supposed to be a "sticky" post. Which means, it doesn't move. However, you will see it happen.
HubPages Announcement Forum Threads
New Members Top 5 Forum Mistakes
Believe it or not, new members jump into the fray without truly understanding a few things about HubPages, it's rules or guidelines. Which tends to get them into trouble before they even get their feet wet. So, before I go any further let me leave you with a link to the forum rules.
The rules for the forums at best are interpreted by the community(the people who use the forums and the moderators who read flags/reports). These rules are in place for a reason, what those reasons are for is not your concern. You are expected to obey the forum rules or be banned from using the forums. I know, as of me writing this hub, I have been banned for 3 months from posting to the forums. Before I discuss why I was banned, let first discuss the Top 5 Forum Mistakes.
- Gender and Relationships
Dating, romance, weddings, and what men and women want - Health
Disease, fitness, allergies and anything that makes you feel better - Holidays and Celebrations
Birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, and other holidays around the world - Home
Home improvement, home furnishings and appliances, and real estate - Personal Finance
Loans, insurance, retirement, investing and saving money - Pets and Animals
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, lizards, and just about anything that moves - Religion and Philosophy
World religions, theology, metaphysics, and the paranormal - Sports and Recreation
Football, basketball, baseball, and other sports as well as hunting, fishing, and the outdoors - Technology
Apple, microsoft, google, online and gadgets - Travel and Places
Local gems, far away hideouts, tropical vacations to African Safaris
Categories For Your Topics of Choice
- Arts and Design
Crafts, design, photography, drawing, painting, and anything artistic - Autos
Cars, motorcycles, boats, and RVs. If it rolls, flies, or floats discuss it here - Books, Literature, and Writing
Writing advice, poetry, books, newspapers, magazines, and the written word - Business and Employment
Big business, small business, marketing, and job discussions - Education and Science
Schools, education, history, law, science, and the humanities - Entertainment and Media
Music, movies, and oh yes, gossip - Family and Parenting
Parenting, children, babies, and pregnancy - Fashion and Beauty
Clothes, shopping, jewelry, body art, skin care, hair styles, and accessories - Food and Cooking
Diets, recipes, and other tasty goodies - Games, Toys, and Hobbies
Video games, online games, board games, toys, hobbies, and other fun
Mistake #1) Opening Duplicate Threads:
This particular mistake is one of the most annoying mistakes out of most. Some people come directly to the forums right after they have signed up and open a thread. If their thread isn't recognized or answered or no one posts to it, then they open a duplicate thread, as if it is going to help draw attention to what they want to discuss.
Yes, they are right in one aspect. They most certainly do draw attention to themselves, but will get the wrong result. Not to mention, HubPages has been in existence just over 5 full years and will short be celebrating it's 6th year online. You might be thinking...yeah so what?
Well, to be honest, there are thousands of threads in existence before YOU became a member and most likely everything or anything YOU want to discuss has already been discussed at some point. Which means, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by searching the forum threads before attempting to open a thread on a topic. To do that, use the "white" box in the upper right corner, punch in your topic and it will give all the information you could possibly need via Hubs or forum threads.
Official Help Threads - Use ONLY For The Express Purpose They Are Labeled!
- Need Help? Ask here. Forum on HubPages
Stuck? Lost? Ask for help from more experienced Hubbers here (Please check the Help tab to the upper-right first!) - HubPages Tutorials and Community Forum on HubPages
Share tips and tricks with fellow Hubbers on how to attract traffic and make money from your Hubs. - Report a Problem or Suggest a New Feature Forum on HubPages
Let HubPages know about problems on the site, and what you'd like to see added to HubPages. - Extreme Hub Makeover Forum
Need constructive criticism on your Hubbing technique or some advice on how to make your Hubs even better? This is the place for you. Just remember, you asked for it ...
Mistake #2) Opening Threads Under Wrong Topic
Now this particular mistake is almost as annoying as mistake #1, but much easier to handle.
Granted, both mistakes can be fixed by reporting each mistake to HubPages Administration. However, the reason you give HubPages' staff will be different.
When someone opens a thread under the wrong category, then it is suggested to report the thread immediately to Staff by clicking on the "report" button on the Opening Post(OP), select "Wrong Category" and write in an explanation if you want. It's optional and not really required.
Staff will look at the title and the OP and then make a decision on whether or not the thread needs to be moved from it's location. If it does, then it's moved.
(*note: if you're reporting mistake #1, then use "other" to report the thread and type in the space provide "duplicate thread".)
Mistake #3) Using Chat Talk
Using "chat" talk in a forum thread is not going to make you any friends and will most likely get you reprimanded by many different people. If you've managed to read this hub before reading my other New Member hubs, then you are likely to have not learned that HubPages isn't a dating site or a social networking site. It has no chat feature and has been voted down by the community of existing writers.
The forums threads move fast enough to carry on a conversation which renders any chat irrelevant. So don't ask. Secondly, using "chat" talk will speak volumes about you as individual and probably will get you very few responses, except as I said. That means, you do not use "u" for "you" or "ur" for your or any other shortened version. There are a few exceptions and those would be ROLFMAO, LOL or LMAO and from time to time, you will see some people use IHMO or IMO. Other than that, forget it.
The only other thing that works in the forums are a "smiley". Yes, HubPages has incorporated the usage of a "smiley", so interactivity can be construed and possibly understood more easily. Please, whatever you do- USE the Correct Smiley! You will find them when you decide to post to a thread. When you either click "reply to post" or "post a rely"(*note: these are two different things which will be explained in mistake #4.), you will be given a large white box to post your reply. In the lower right hand corner, you will see the word "formatting" in gray next to add photo.
Mistake #4) Post a Reply and Reply To Post
As a member of HubPages forum community you can post to any thread. There are two ways to do this (a) Post a Reply and (b) Reply to Post. These two things are not the same thing.
Post a Reply: This means that you are posting a comment to the thread you are attempting to reply to and technically you are talking to the individual who posted the forum thread. Meaning, you are talking directly the person who Opened the thread or who wrote the Opening Post(OP).
Reply to Post: This means that you are posting a response to the individual who already posted a response to the Opening Post(OP). Which means, you are then talking directly to that individual and not actually talking to the person who wrote the Opening Post(OP). You are attempting to talk with the individual and you are addressing something stated in their post.
Click to enlarge
Mistake #5) Viewing Forums
When you click on a forum thread to read it, you will be able to determine which way you want to view the thread. You have a choice between (a) Threaded and (b) Chronological. If you attempt to read a thread via Threaded, then there's a higher chance that if you attempt to post a reply or reply to a post, that you will be making an error.
The best and most optimum way to view a forum thread is via Chronological because the forum thread will be display based on when each post was posted to the thread and tells you who is talking to whom. You can follow along the conversation much easier. So save yourself the trouble and click on Chronological as soon as you open any thread. After you have done it at least once, then it should return to the same format, each and every time, you view a forum thread. Properly understanding "Post a reply" and "Reply to Post" will allow you to interact with the community members and cause less confusion.
Other Hubs About HubPages
- How To Create a Hub : Hub Creation
A New Members guide on How To Create a Hub - Hub Creation. It's a step by step guide on the initial steps required to create a hub, using HubPages Platform software. - New Members Guide To HubPages
An article for New HubPages Members as a Guide To All Things HubPages. As a member you gain access to many different features and an entire community support system. You'll learn about Feed, Forum, Online Writing Platform and many other really great - New Members Top 10 Most Common Mistakes
A New Members guide explaining the Top 10 Most Common Mistakes made by New HubPages Members. Knowing what mistakes have occurred in the past by other members will guide you through HubPages. You will have an advantage before you even begin to Publish - Women Writers In HubPages Community
A Dedication to Women Writers within Hubpages Community. Each Women writes about various topics, such as religion, politics, medical advancements, wellness advice and ideas. Each is an author from Hubpages Community. - Women Writers In HubPages Community Part Deux
This hub is a continuation from the First Hub of Women Writers In Hubpages Community. Each of these Women writers writers about various topics, such as poems, recipes, politics, laws, science, medical information and religion.
Why I Was Banned?
Okay, as I said earlier in this hub, I would explain why I was banned from the forums and I will attempt to explain. First off, let me share with you the past of posting to the forum and to be honest I have 43,813 posts, which is more than any other member in HubPages history. In the past when I first started on HubPages members were allowed to post links to the forum threads, as long as the link was on the topic of the forum thread. If it was not, then posting a link would be stupid and not permitted. This particular rule changed. And, no I was not banned because I posted links to my own hubs.
The situation for which I was banned is a bit more complicated, but I'm sure you grasp why. I like to help people and my urge to help people led to me writing 3 hubs to help new members. These 3 particular hubs are to the right and you can read them when you're finished with this one. But, I digress. Recently, HubPages moderators are clamping down on those who "self promote". Meaning, you are not allowed to even HINT that you have written a hub on a topic to another member. Why not? Who knows. However, a new member opened a thread and she wanted to make her presence known to the community.
Well, I posted a comment in that forum thread and stated "Welcome to HubPages! If you need help, I just recently wrote a few hubs to guide new members. From what I've been told, they're must reads". You can view it by clicking here. And, now to complicate things. About 2 years ago, I did a set of hubs about the Women Writers In HubPages Community and I opened a forum thread to get women to grant permission for the usage of a profile, a profile link and a real-life picture of each of them. At the time, this thread was seen as "spreading hublove" to the community, and I recently had a woman comment on one of those hubs.
She asked me if I was going to do another set of hubs and if I was, she wanted to take part. So, I decided that I would again open a forum thread announcing that I was looking to do another set of hubs about Women Writers In HubPages Community. However, the first time I limited it to those who were actually taking part in the forum community, but this time I didn't. Well, it is safe to say that apparently I pissed off quite a few people by doing it and my thread was reported to staff as "self promotion", which is a lie, yet HubPages Administration(Staff) believed it to be true.
I was banned for my initial comment to help the young lady and my ban was for 7 days. However, my thread for the women on Hubpages was active for 9 days before I was again banned. I know, how can you be banned for more than one offense at a time? Don't ask. However, the offenses are accumulative, so my 7 day ban was extended to 3 months. The Staff closed my thread about Women on Hubpages and increased my ban. So be careful how you act in the forums, otherwise your posting privileges will be revoked.
Thank you for your time.
Raymond Choiniere II - Cagsil
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Hey Lady G, I figured taking this approach would probably surprise a lot of people. I'm very glad you found it informative and I appreciate your compliment. Not to mention, I appreciate you reading and commenting. :) :D
Thanks for clearing up how and why you were banned. I have on ocassion mixed up #4, accidentally of course.
Other issue you do not mention:
I find that lots of people change the topic of threads too. I found that happened with a thread I opened. It was changed totally. Then when I made a comment in frustration directed at the person who changed the topic, someone other than her -two people actually- who had not even commented on the thread before and had never read any hub I wrote told me I was trying to make myself out to be a victim and got my nationality all wrong. The one eventually did read my related hub but the other continued to be nasty and I had to block her from my home page.
In retrospect, I wish I hadn't answered simply with "I'm Canadian, not American" but had further said: "The statement should then read..." and then write exactly what she said with Canadian in the title instead. That would have been better and reminds me of an episode of Poirot in which a criminal is apprehended and ticked off at Poirot for catching him. Poirot being Belgian speaks French. A derogatory term for a Frenchman is a frog.
The criminal called Poirot "A bloody little Frog."
Poirot replied. "I am not a Bloody little Frog. I am a Bloody little Belgian."
Hahahahahahahaahaha!
Cagsil thank you for sharing your insights on HubPages Forum do's and don'ts.
I am however a bit unclear as to what to make of all the hard to understand rules.
Maybe it is best to avoid the snake pit, I wouldn't want someone to get their panties in a bunch and ban little ole me.
Enjoyed the read, make it a great day. Mike
Hey Flora, there's a lot about the forums that I didn't mention, but could have. I mentioned about the changing of topics and how they can be moved if put under the wrong category. There was no need to address people posting to a thread and attempting to change the topic in that manner. It's actually irrelevant. Thank you for reading and commenting. You're also welcome on the explanation on why I was banned. :)
Thank you Mike for checking out my hub and commenting. I appreciate it. I'm not sure why HubPages has made their rules open to interpretation, instead of making them more clearer to members. I don't work for HubPages, but if I did, the rules would definitely be clearer. As for avoiding the forums, that's sound advice for some people. I'm glad you enjoyed the read. Many thanks. :)
Hey Cags, I am sure we will be treading lightly in the forums from now on. Great information by the way and I do see people here a long time making mistakes like opening up new threads.
Hang in there, we miss you!
Huge help for me; I'm going to dive in tonight after I get done making some money. Thanks for the hub and the advice.
Some People that go into the forums just LOVE to bully and twist things around. I was bullied and told HP Staff and they turned it on me. I have not been in the forums, except to stick up for Ray, since. That got me looking like the fool who was born an hour ago in a barn.
Another very useful hub from you Cagsil for a newbie like me. Got your points! Glad you always share topics like this one. Thank you very much! Marked useful and awesome! Voting up!
Thank you Cardisa for stopping by, reading and commenting. Members should tread lightly now that HubPages Administration(Staff) has changed the rules. Or should I say that they are interpreting them differently. I appreciate your kind words with regards to missing me. However, it's going to be a while. :)
Hey billybuc, I'm glad you found the hub helpful and remember to tread lightly in the forums. And, if you're thin-skinned, stay away from the political and religious threads. LOL! Other than that, enjoy yourself. :) Thank you for reading and commenting. I also appreciate the compliment. :)
Hey Lady G, I don't doubt things were turned around on you by Staff. It is sort of what has happened to me at this point. Their part in my ban and the supposed new interpretation of the rules is ridiculous for what is supposedly a writer's community. Yes, the forums have plenty of bullies and I might even consider writing a hub on that in the future. LOL! I do appreciate you posting in the forums recently and attempting to defend me. I'm very grateful for that, and again for you coming back and leaving another comment. :)
Thank you very much sunasia for the awesome, useful and vote up. I'm glad you enjoyed the hub and as you know, I'm grateful that you took the time to read and comment. :)
Hi Cags, I just drop by the forums once in awhile but don't do the debates thingy...I don't have the time! :D Sorry about you being banned but this is a pretty helpful hub! Happy new year to you and love and blessings always.
Hey Ripplemaker, it's great to see you. I know you don't do the forums except for the Weekly Topic of Inspiration and the HubNuggets, and don't do debates. Don't be sorry about my ban. It's not your fault unless you were one of those who reported me for self promotion. However, I would think that you know me better than that to begin with. I hope you have a great year too. Thank you for reading and commenting, as well as, for the compliment.
Cag's you don't need to self promote, you are a legend at the Hubs. LoL
Who was it, Groucho Marks, who said he wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have people like him for a member....if you got banned you must be doing something right! Keep up the good work!
Cagsil, I most certainly voted this hub UP AND USEFUL! I have been on hubpages a little over a year now, and by all means consider myself a newbie; although I'm unsure what the measure of time is between a newbie and a non-newbie!
I am grateful for this hub for a number of reason's. A few are:
When I first joined I was unsure of how to adequately use the forums.
I have posted questions, and have had unfavorable responses (still my overall opinion of HubPages did not waver)...the Muva can handle herself.
New people make honest mistakes, and should not be responded to in a derogatory manner...simply show them the way...those who do this were new once, and seem to forget.
You mentioned that you alone have had 43,813 posts. Well combine that with the other thousands of posts, and the answers to questions, or at least appropiate answers can be challenging to find. Just because someone answered a question, doesn't mean that it IS the right answer. It could also mean that it IS the right answer, but written in a way that's impossible or near impossible to understand...so folks need to lighten up.
I appreciate this hub, and will venture to your other related hubs, for what you discuss is very much needed.
I thank you! (BOOKMARKED)
Hey Vincent, I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm a legend in the forums. LOL! But, I do appreciate you saying it though. :) Thank you for reading and commenting. It made me smile. :)
@Billybuc- I remember him saying that and there's more humor in it than there's truth. ;) Thank you again for coming back and commenting. Much appreciated. :)
@imatellmuva- thank you very much for the vote up and useful. I'm sure the forums can have a negative and positive effect. Yes, it's true that we were all new at some point and new members should be given a little leeway. Yes it's true that people are going to make mistakes, but a little common sense goes a long way too. I'll also agree that many people who are in the forums need to lighten up. I appreciate you reading and commenting. I hope you enjoy the other hubs as much as you enjoyed this one. :)
Very civil in tone. Much more so than I would have been in your shoes. I commend your restraint.
This is another great and informative hub. Thanks so much for SHARING your knowledge in this area.
Most informative and useful hub! Thanks for taking the time to present this information to us. I am in and out of the forums, more out of late. I think I get upset too easily when I see new members being talked down to and belittled by "some" of the veteran members. This has had the effect on me to simply avoid going there. I can only try to imagine how a new member feels to be talked down to, possibly tossing in the towel.
Voted up, useful and of course interesting. :)
Hey Shadesbreath, it's great to see you on my hubs. It's been a while. ;) And, yes I chose the better path and I appreciate you noticing. Thank you for reading and commenting. Enjoy! :)
Thank you homesteadbound. I'm glad you found it informative and I appreciate the compliment. You're welcome. I also appreciate you reading and commenting. :)
I too expected something more tongue in cheek...as I would have written had I been in your position. The fact that you have chosen to take the higher road says a lot about you. Nice job.
Thank you Dale for reading and commenting. I appreciate your compliment as well. Yes, the forums can be rather intimidating to new members and some veterans are abrasive. I would not be surprised if a number of new members came into the forums, were treated badly and left never to return. There are some veterans who have left the forums because of the ignorance of some of the others. I appreciate the vote up also. I'm grateful. :)
Hey spryte, nice to see you again. It's been a while. :) And, I'm sure a lot of people are going to be surprised by the manner in which this hub was written considering the events that have recently transpired. Thank you for reading and commenting, as well as, the compliment. :)
Hi Cagsil - Very informative and helpful for a newbie like me. I read a lot in the forums but don't bother posting anything. Too much nastiness from what I have seen. Your tutorial hubs are always great...keep them coming.
Hey Angela, thank you very much for the compliment. I'm very happy to hear you found it informative and helpful for new members. I am positive you've read some of the nasty posts written by some members. And I'm pretty sure it would be one reason to stay away from them and that's a shame. If you need help with anything, you can use the contact Cagsil link on my profile and I'll do what I can to help you. Thank you for reading and commenting. I do try my best to provide good tutorials for new members. :) I appreciate your encouragement to write more. However, I'm not sure what more to cover after this particular hub, but your encouraging is nice. :) I'm grateful. :)
Cagsil, it's really nice of you to share your personal experience as well so new hubbers can see a practical example of why one might get banned from posting to the forums. I still think it would be best if HubPages set the default view of the forums to chronological, because I can imagine new hubbers might not even notice they have the option to change displays. Great hub! Thanks!
Hey Haunty, I did have a different approach to this particular hub, but since my ban from the forums, I decided to take this approach. I think it might be best for HubPages to change the forums threads as a default to chronological also, but it isn't my concern at this point. I just wanted to make new members aware that they would have to choose one or the other. Thank you for the compliment, reading and comment. :) Much appreciated. :)
Ray, What a great hub on the forums. I am positive that this will help all the newcomers and some that have been here on HubPages for some time. Great information my friend!!
Thank you Mark. I am grateful for your kind words and appreciate you reading, as well as leaving a comment. I certainly hope it helps new members. :) Many thanks. :)
I am sorry that you got banned, but every cloud does have a silver lining, and in this case the silver lining is this very helpful and informative hub! Voted up, useful, and interesting. Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Then delete the comment. I delete irrelevant comments. But my topic did not need to be changed to a different forum thread. It was in the correct forum and stayed there. Thus it was different.
Hey K. Burns, please don't be sorry about my getting banned. It has given a silver lining, and that lining isn't this hub. It's motivated me to taking my business and my writing elsewhere and spending less time on HubPages as a whole. I was already in the midst of writing this hub before I received my ban, so this hub was going to be written regardless. I appreciate the thought though. :) Thank you for reading, commenting and the vote up, useful and interesting. And, you're welcome. :)
Hey Flora, I didn't mean your comment on this hub was irrelevant. And, I wasn't commenting on whether or not YOUR thread needed to be moved. I was making reference to the area that the hub talks about. I'm sure that you put your forum in the correct topic. I wasn't making light of that. My hub talks about moving forum threads started that are wrongly categorized and putting them into the correct topic. I don't mind your comment and I don't plan on deleting it. Thank you for coming back and explaining, but it seems as though you misunderstood me. Which is not unusual for me. :)
Well, I don't think that I'll every challenge you for Forum King. I might eventually wind up as the guy who's answered more questions than anyone else has though...but I don't pursue that at all either.
You know...this was over a year ago, probably closer to two years ago, but the first time I was banned from the forums was for posting a link to an engineering site that I'd joined, and asking about whether anyone was using that site for information, backlinks, etc....and I was told by a moderator in an answer to a totally separate question that I was banned from the forum for that.
I never got an email about it...just that answer from Norah on a question.
She just said, "you're banned from the forums."
Dude, I thought I was banned FOREVER! I didn't know, I'd only just then ever stared using the silly things.
So I don't know how long later it was Susan S or WryLit or someone told me to please post a specific hub of mine in the Extreme Hub Makeover Forum....and I was scared to even try.
So I mailed team@hubpages.com....and I could practically feel whoever it was that emailed me back laughing - I told them, "look, I was told I was banned from the forums!"
They mailed me back, "you were banned for three days a year and a half ago....it's okay, really!"
LOL!
Hey Wesman, I never expected the "Forum King" title to begin with. I'm still not sure why I received it to begin with. I don't know what they criteria was needed to make it. As for being banned from the forums, well you made me laugh on that one. The first time I was banned from the forums it was for 3 days and it was for a personal attack on someone. Not that that's hard to do. LOL! However, thank you for reminding me of a forum thread which I left out of this thread and that's the Extreme Hub Makeover. I appreciate you bringing that up and will make it a new addition to this hub. Thank you for reading and commenting. I'm grateful. :)
Ray ~ What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Look how much you've learned and experienced. Now as you turn your attention to writing hubs, you're still sharing and helping others. Blessings, Debby
P.S. What a great story, Wes. Really, the things we think to ourselves when we don't have all the information. I would have crawled in a hole, too, if someone told me I was banned. Kind of harsh.
You are better man than I am Cags, I would have let rip and burnt all bridges if they did to me what they have done to you! I find it petty and disturbing that they have to censor to these depths, there is nothing wrong in anything that you did; you have only tried to help and to raise some community spirit, something that the moderators now seem to be hell bent on removing.
This is a very interesting hub and you make it so by incorporating your own experiences. Anyone who does follow your advice is assured a fruitful experience not just on HubPage Forums but any forum as you have presented the correct etiquette and pitfalls beautifully. Thank you.
Hey Debby, everything in this hub was already learned and it's nothing new as with the experiences either. I guess you could say that the newest experience is the length of my ban. I've not been banned this long since starting on HubPages. My longest ban was 1 month(4 weeks). As for writing more hubs? Well this hub was already started before my ban, so it was going to be published anyways. :) Thank you for reading and commenting.
Hey LeanMan, yeah I can understand what you mean. I had considered it and rejected it. I'm not presently ready to leave HubPages completely. I don't care much for censorship either and honestly all I was doing was raising community spirit. I was also drawing people who don't normally post to the forums, to the forums, which I thought would be beneficial, but apparently not. Thank you for reading and commenting on my hub. Much appreciated. :)
Thank you Spirit Whisperer for the compliment. I appreciate you reading and commenting also.
When there have been so many comments and everybody has said all that I want to say, what more can I add? Only that it is hugely informative. Just now, in trying to play around the sandpit I was getting all a-sync when I read that little note on rearranging the forum threads chronologically, and wow! I got it..I had missed noticing there were the two options and I was using the default one..always. :)
I would definitely not want to be banned from the forums, and thanks for letting us know of the rules in such crystal clear directives. Voted up. Voted up.
Thank you sen.sush for the voted up. :) I appreciate you reading and commenting, and am glad it was helpful. The sandpit forum thread is for games. It's a pretty cool thread and I have played on them many times, which is one of the reason for my high number of posts. LOL! Yeah, it's no fun being banned, especially if you enjoy taking part in the forum community. Thank you very much. :)
Great hub and how-to for the HubPages forums, including an explanation of what has happened to you recently. I'm not a huge fan of the forums because I find that people are far more civil and polite via comments to hubs rather than in the forums. I tend to read through the "sticky" forum posts and comment on HP changes or proposals and that's about it. I also participate in the WTI (weekly topic of inspiration), which offers a new topic each week for hubs, suggested titles/keywords and a place to share hubs you publish in response. Anyway, good approach here. Best, Steph
Cagsil, I was so looking forward to the Hub on women writers of the community. That will be stalled for now I suppose? :(
Thankyou for this very useful hub!!
Hey Steph, thank you for the compliment. A lot members are not a fan of the forums for the same reasons and use them as you do. It isn't a surprise nor does it concern me any more. I took this approach to writing this hub because I figured it was best. I had written this hub 2-3 times and deleted it's contents because I didn't like the approach I was using. I appreciate you reading and commenting. It's always great to see you. :)
Hey sen.sush, my most recent attempt at doing the Women Writers on HubPages is still ON! Nothing has stopped, just because I am not in the forums. It is not stalled and it is not going to be stopped from being published. Thank you for reading and commenting. I am very grateful. :)
@Blondey- I am glad you found it useful. Thank you for the compliment, reading and commenting! :) :D
@Women of HubPages- Please continue to send me your profiles/bio and pictures. The latest to receive them is February 10th! I am still pushing forward to complete this years set of hubs. Make no mistake, just because I am not in the forums DOES NOT mean that I am not doing the hubs.
IF there are any ladies who want to sign up for the hubs, which has 101 Ladies so far, then please SEND a Freshly Written Profile/Bio, Profile Link and Picture to my email address: neonrtred@yahoo.com because that's the email I am using to accomplish getting information from everyone.
Thank you so much everyone for participating and I appreciate the support you have all given me through this trying time.
Very useful hub Cagsil! The forum is a bit confusing in the beginning and I must say I don't like the tone in some threads. I don't use hub pages to get upset so I mostly stay away from the forum. At least I know now how to behave in the forums, thanks to this great hub! You explained everything needed in a very good way!
Voted up
Tina
Thank you very much thougtforce for the compliment. I appreciate you reading and commenting as well. There are a lot of people who don't bother with the forums and then again there are about 100+ people who do use the forums. I appreciate the voted also. :)
Love this Hub Cagsil!
The idea of your Hub kind of reinforces the concept of the 'Community' which makes Hub Pages so different from the other writing sites. And incidentally, which is exactly why I am getting more and more intoxicated by Hubbing. :)
Thank you hippi. :) Always a pleasure to see you. I appreciate you reading and commenting, and also that you loved the hub. :)
@sen.sush- that was the purpose of my women writers hubs. However, it seems as though HP staff and many others don't share your feelings, and apparently don't want a community aspect to exist in the forums. It's a shame really.
Wow! Where to begin...I usually avoid ranting about something that bothers me, but, this time I can't help it. I would like to say thank you for the time you spent helping me with many of my issues I have posted in the forums. Most of the time I browse them to see what issues people are having, or the latest news on HP. I found that usually you were one of the first people to jump in and give a helping hand. That is going to be sorely missed. You may not of seen yourself as "Forum King", but I think it is a title well earned. Not everyone here is willing to set aside their differences to help another out without sounding belittling, abrasive, or agreeing to disagree. It is a shame when people get their hands smacked for sharing a little hub love or trying to bring the community a little closer.
In the last two years of my writing here on HP, I have seen many hubbers ran off for bullying, voicing their beliefs and opinions, or just not understanding the rules of the game. My hubby once used the saying, “Crying babies get fed.” I see that happening more and more around me. The forums just aren't what they use to be. It is too bad that the rules are becoming murky.
I am happy to know that your hub for the women writers is still on. I was very upset and offended that you were banned for trying to do a good deed. “What where they thinking?” is what came to mind when I had heard the news. I thought their form of action was a horrible mistake. What were you suppose to get out of it that was so self promotional? I think it is a wonderful gesture to the women of the community. It helps to shine the light on writers that might have otherwise passed through the cracks, along with bringing the community together. I could rant more on this, but it would be best to shut my mouth now, before I bury myself more.
Not matter what is next for you, you will always be a legend here at HP. Thank you again for your contributions to helping others like me, and for posting so many helpful hubs. I have never been banned from the forums as of yet, but after this comment, I may be banned from HP. :)
Hey tlpoague, you could have written a hub with this comment. LOL! LOL! (j/k) Having that said, I'm glad that my actions in the forums were seen by members as helpful. It was my intention. And, as someone else said, I didn't need to self promote. The fact that I was banned for self promotion is absurd and utterly ridiculous. Thank you very much for your compliment and kind words. I'm truly grateful. I also appreciate you reading and leaving such a wonderful comment. :)
You are very welcome Sir Cagsil! Your advice has been priceless. So...I have this problem with someone stealing a poem of my daughter's that I posted in her honor... :)
Hey tlpoague, if the poem has been posted somewhere else online, then you can file a DMCA to have it removed from the site it's on. And, if that site has Google on it or part of Google's network, then you can report it to Google.
Thank Cagsil, I am digging further into the situation.
You're quite welcome Tlpoague. :) Glad I could help. :)
Hi Cagsil
Banned for 3 months is harsh if you ask me. I don't participate in the forums. Maybe one day I will and your experiences and tips will definitely come in handy.
Voted up and awesome.
Hey Sueswan, you're telling me. LOL! For doing something that is completely normal up until my ban. Ridiculous and absurd are the words I use to describe it. Thank you for the compliment, reading and commenting. Also appreciate the vote up and awesome. :) I'm grateful. :)
After being around the block several times... translation, I'm 'pretty old'...
having the Forum King banned for what you have so 'arbitrarily and capriciously' described...
is equivalent to a 20-something yo boss who once wrote me up for 'rolling my eyes'.
Now, I really am rolling my eyes and glad I don't participate on the Forums. But I'm glad to know you, Ray! Voted UP & UABI. Have a happy day, mar!
Hey marcoujor, I'm no spring chicken myself and trust me when I say that, only because my body feels it. LOL! I have come to understand that HubPages banning me from the forums for what reasons they did(which they have not actually explained to me(they never answered my emailed question) but told everyone else in the forums(which is ironically something they claim not to do)) is no better than giving a 5 year old a time out for something the 5 years never got into trouble for before. It's absurd. Thank you for the vote up and other marks. I appreciate you reading and commenting also. :) I certainly hope you have a happy day too! :)
Ray, several times, in the past, I had a problem understanding something on HP, and asked for help in the forums. You have been a great help, and I appreciate your kindness. Once in awhile I cruise the forums just to see if anything is going on that I'd like to know, but tended to avoid the whole scene due to all the nastiness and complaining. So much garbage in the forums, which are public, can give HP a bad name. But things seem to be calming down a bit. I hope.
Thank you Dolores Monet for your kind words. I appreciate your reading and commenting on this hub. Things calming down in the forums? It might have something to do with less and less people visiting the forums more than it has to do with anything else. Yes, I'll agree that there's a lot of garbage in the forums and there are plenty of people who have no clue what they are talking about. Thank you for reading and commenting. Much appreciated. :)
Hello Ray ~ I do agree with everyone here that you have been a huge asset to the forums and Hubpages. When I said 'learn' I meant learn how persons get treated by the admins here when they take certain initiatives.
In fact, I wrote you an email asking about the girl's special salute hub. Please check your junk box from maybe a couple weeks ago. Looking forward to learning more about your plans here.
Blessings
Debby
Hey Debby, I'm pretty sure that I received your email and wrote back. As for my plans? I'm not sure what you mean. If you're making reference to the forums? Then I have no plans as I am banned for 3 months and it hasn't even been a month as of yet. My plans on my women writers of HubPages, well that is what it is and explained in my other hub I just recently wrote about sign up and reminder. Thank you for coming back and explaining what you meant. Much appreciated. :)
Dear Ray - Very sorry. Just went scrounging through my emails and do not find any messages from you. Shall see what I can do. Thanks, Debby
Hey Debby, it's not a problem. I sent a reply the day you sent me the email. It's okay. As I said in my previous comment, my plans? are as it remains. I'm going through with publishing my new Valentine's Day Hub(s). I'm not divulging the specific setup I am using or what exactly is going to be done. I've told people that the format of the hub is going to be similar to the previous two hubs(my last set done in 2010), but it won't be the exactly the same. I appreciate your time and certainly hope you'll take part in the new set of hub(s) I'm doing.
Hi Ray ~ I always learn something from you, this hub is no exception. I am not sure if I will ever really get in to the forums. My first posts ever in the forums were when I was very new and no one responded to them. That bothered me and I stayed away for the most part. But I do realize now that there was probably something that I did incorrect, like posting in the wrong "area", etc. Thank you for again teaching me knew things about HP and for your honesty as well!
Sharyn
Hey Sharyn, I am very glad you learned something from the hub. Hanging out in the forums can be beneficial providing you stay away from the political and religion forum threads. There are plenty of people to get to know throughout all of HubPages. It has people who watch and learn from the forums without ever participating. They read the FEED and never enter a forum thread because they don't have to do so. If you didn't get a response from anyone in the forums? I guess that would include me as well, which is odd. However, I'm not perfect and been banned several times before this last ban, and it could have been when I wasn't in the forums.
Thank you for reading and commenting. I'm grateful for your kind words also. :) :D
Hey you,
Thinking back to the Valentines Day both of us were running the same thread you just got banned for makes me sad the community can't enjoy a gathering of fun. It only makes sense to me that a self-promotional thread would have to be something already published. Wow things have changed. As you know I have been banned a few times the last for our marriage thread, whatever.
Since we cannot do multiple emails to our followers how else could you have gotten the word out?
Makes me nuts, we'll just turn your hub comments into threads LOL
Hang in buddy,
signed, your partner in crime
Kimberly
VOTED WAY UP and thank you for such a great hub!
Hey Kimberly, I was wondering when you would stop by this particular hub. Yes, thinking back to Valentine's Day 2010, the rules were different. It's a shame that the Forum Community has transformed into at this point. And, your point is exactly correct. Since we don't have the ability to send out emails to followers, how else was it supposed to be known. Thank you for reading and commenting. I appreciate the vote up too. :)
Maybe one day they will change this. I have been seriously warned with threat of terminating my account from this;
Do not send the same message to multiple users.
If you want to alert users about new Hubs you've published, you should encourage them to follow you by actively engaging with them on their Hubs and in the Forums.
Do not threaten, harass, or spam our members.
Emails sent through HubPages are logged, and we will cooperate with legal investigations.
Violation of these rules will result in your account being closed.
Our mail is actually monitored very closely and I received my one and only warning for threatening someone, which I clearly did not. I started to email new hubbers that followed me offering help if needed and warned again, one more slip up they close my account. Also next ban will be 3 months as I have been banned 7 times in 33 months. I like how you have presented the situation and others will learn from it. I wanted to open a thread with a link to this hub as it needs yo be read. Is this considered a violation?
:P
Kimberly
Hey Kimberly, who knows if things will change yet again. You are more than welcomed to open a thread about this hub. You are not self promoting. You're posting someone else's hub to help the community. I don't see how you would break the rules. So, feel free. Thank you very much. :P :)
And yes, the forums are about as boring as I've ever seen them. As for the mods? I don't care for them ever since they accidentally banned me for a month and then merely said "sorry for the mistake." LOL! What a joke they are!
SSSSS
Hey Randy, good to see you. I know the forums are boring, I've stopped watching them. I really don't think the mods were even thinking when my banned was given out. I heard about your ban and the events leading up to it. If sorry is all they offered, then that's not cool. Thank you for stopping by my hub. It was great to hear from you. :)
At least they said sorry, but I had a week ban before that in which they never said why I was banned, and a 24 hour ban for a personal attack where they couldn't point out who I supposedly attacked!
Hall monitors, I couldn't stand them when they were children in school, much less children on HP! They obviously have a vendetta against some of us and it won't get any better. We miss you here.....at least some of us do! LOL! And I don't think the word "cool" has ever been used to describe any of the HP cronies!
SSSSS
Hey Randy, I know the feeling. I was also banned for 7 days, but wasn't given a reason or the post which supposedly was an attack on someone else. I was given a ban because I called someone "clueless". I knew from then on things were going to get stricter, but this was absurd. Thank you for your kind words and I miss interacting with many people also.
Thank you kindly Kimberly. LOL! :) Much appreciated. :)
One more excellent hub Ray. You have some real useful information here that will help many new Hubbers as well as helping some of the veterans here as well. Great job and very useful. Voted UP and Useful.
Great read, new here so this was very helpful! Thank you.
Hey Mark, always nice to see you. I appreciate your compliment and vote up, useful. :) I'm also glad you enjoyed the read and left a comment. Thank you.
@Jakebrap- thank you for reading and commenting. Welcome to HubPages. You're welcome too. :) It was my pleasure to write this hub, even though I am banned from the forums.
Hey Cags just went to bump your thread and I'm banned for 7 days due to my nothing thread started days ago
sorrry buddy
:(
Hey Kimberly, sorry to hear about your ban. :( Thank you for the thread. I appreciate it. :) (((Hugs))) :)
I just joined Hubpage, I appreciate you taking the time to write this useful article, thanks.
Hey LinksTycoon, Welcome to HubPages. I'm glad you found the hub useful and I appreciate you reading, as well as, commenting. :) I do hope you enjoy your time at HubPages. :)
Hi Ray ~ Back again to reread and learn some more goodies from you. Do you have a very special STAR AWARD next to your name for MOST FORUM COMMENTS? I guess you must be very talkative guy. What ever happened with the last idea for your favorite women post? Was that scrubbed, put on hold or posted? We're moving right along into March, so you're 3-month ban will be over before you know it! Blessings, Debby
Hello Debby. No I don't have a star next to my name with regards to the amount of posts I've achieved during my time. I can be a talkative person, but usually it's about the things I am passionate about.
As for the Women Writers hub, I have posted ALL 5 hubs and it wasn't postponed or even delayed. All 5 hubs were published ON Valentine's Day!
As for the length of my ban, well that's pretty much irrelevant. It will be over soon, but it no longer matters. Thank you for re-reading and again commenting. :) Nice to see you. :)
Hi Buddy Just finished my ban and they slapped me with another 7 days just now. Unjustified oh well. Hope you are well :)
You are indeed a naughty girl, Kim! LOL! I admire that!
SSSSS
Hey Kimberly, sorry to hear about your new ban. I am doing well and I certainly hope you're doing well now that you're a published poet. :) It's great to see and hear from you. :)
@Randy- you're too funny! :) :D
Miss you guys on the forums as they have been so boring lately with the many stupid bans by anonymous mods. At least they never tell me who is responding to me, if indeed they ever do answer my emails.
I reported a greeter--I refuse to refer to them as elite--because she called me neurotic, among other things and the report was ignored. If an Elite gets banned, it screws up their ability to be qualified for the silly badge. So the mods aren't gonna ban the free labor if they can get by with it. And they apparently do. What a joke! LOL!
SSSSS
Thank you Randy. Much appreciated. And, yes I can understand about the "Elite" status. If they get banned for any reason they would lose their "Elite" tag. I'm pretty sure that the mods would protect them more than average users. Hope things are going well for you on and off line. :) Nice to see you also. :)
To Cagsil: Very informative hub. Congratulations for your 43,813 posts. I also was banned for my inflammatory tongue. Well, I must be more civil in my response. Oh well, let me not digress. You are an excellent mentor to us all and keep up the excellent work.
Thank you gmwilliams for the compliment. I appreciate you reading and commenting also. :) I didn't get banned for my inflammatory tongue, but I'm sorry to hear you were banned. I'm grateful for your visit. :)
Cagsil, I Congratulate you for the Effort to Encourage and
Educate the new Forum Members.This Hub is Very Useful and
Informative to the Beginners to Learn about the Forum Rules,Postings etc. Thank You for Sharing Your own Experience with Us.
Thank you srbhadran for reading and commenting. I'm grateful for the compliment as well. :)
Lady Guinevere Level 6 Commenter 4 months ago
Oh I am surprised! This is a great informative hub.