what I don't like about ActiveRain!

Lenn wrote "I was censored on RealTalk several times. Yet, some members posted seriously offensive attacks of me with impunity.  Now I'm a grown up and can take it.  But, I always thought that if RealTalk was going to censor me, well. . . . . ."

My pals and I would forward one another our posts and say "this will never get posted" or "this will get edited."   It actually made it more of a sport.

Part of the reason I like Joe Pryor's comment is because he is from Oklahoma.   I loved to needle Tom... I forget his last name?  Owner of the EBA franchise? Not the Cbus EBA but the fella from TN? or Mississippi?   Pam had his franchise B4 I was on AR.

I can not even remember what exactly it was about his story of his agency battles in Oklahoma which would set me off?  They would not publish anything I wrote with "O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A"  I thought I was pretty nice to him really but perhaps he felt attacked be me singing about OKLAHOMA.

I learned an awful lot about agency on RealTalk.    More than I could learn in a lifetimes of continuing ed classes.  I really did not like the rancor. 

I tried NOT to get caught up in it but when I did I wanted to sing "Oklahoma where the"  I forget the words.

Lyn's comment "Someone asked me today why I talk with realtors all day on AR? I answered, I don't, but obviously YOU think I do." might just be MY  next post about talking to other members on ActiveRain.   I try to only do one or two posts a week in a professional channel on ActiveRain now but I had basically the same question... via email only a lot more hostile and it was over a comment I left on one of Lenn's posts.

"ActiverRain is for talking to other agents."   The ActiveRain Heresy...   some of the  real estate social media gurus peddle that idea as they sell something else.  

Personally NOW I spend most of my time on AR posting content for consumers.  Yes I will post a tutorial about Outside blog or

Russell The WordPress group has been here since 2007 and some of the power users do not contribute anymore which is sad. 

Sometimes it is all a bunch of beginners.

Sometimes the group is besieged by members who are selling their WP expertise and will answer every post with "I can fix that for you... for $$$$"   Then there are people like Inna who posts really good content as a vendor.  She shares ideas... about WordPress for real estate.

Sometimes Cheryl Johnson will go on a tutorial tear and post lots of great content in the WordPress group.   She is amazing. She actually also was on TypePad originally.  Since day one on ActiveRain we have been able to talk about our other blogs. 

BlogTalk expelled those who would not sign up for an Internet Crusade blog in early 2006.  Dustin Luther had been talking with us about blogs...   It was kind of like "please, please, please just sign up for a blog so we can enjoy your input... " 

but they were unsubscribed.  So we could share inside stuff about the RealTalk blogs?

Richard I agree "it is worth it."  Members will get frustrated though and cranky if it gets to how it was last spring. Seems to be working well this morning.  I am taking no chances though of writing a long long response and losing it.

Pam wrote of RealTak:

"So much of the conversation on Real Talk seems to be people attacking each other instead of speaking to the issues."

When were you reading it? 

I think if more people contributed there would be less of that. Or it would look less like the Jerry Springer Show.  The same people say the same things over and over and over.  Some of it is personal attacks and the way they edit it and they did edit it greatly.

Tim It is not just criticizing them but that is a big part of it.  It is not having a party line.  Not saying you an not share a story about your experience with a vendor.  There was no transparency on RealTak because you could say nice things about the sponsors...  but you could not say this is my story....

AR I sometimes got concerned and blogged about it when Zillow, or a FSBO company (for example) had a yellow post and all the comments were "booooooooo!" 

I want AR to have someone paying for sponsorships... it's a business.

Or when the Redfin guy posted (I can not remember if those were yellow sponsored posts or not) and there was a rallying key to gang up on him.  ActiveRain is not just for a traditional business model

Joan Colored print?  I don't like colored print usually.  I like color in photos on AR but I think most who try to use colored print or fancy fonts fail for me.   Perhaps others love their content.  I think it is usually more distracting.

Joyce  Relevant is a good word for AR.

Yolanda  There is a lot to read here.  Can you imagine the frustration of those who don't like reading?  Or those that know it all?

Jack  I have only been back a couple of times since August 2006.  What era did you read RT?   

Julianne The nice thing on ActiveRain is your posts won't disappear because you recommend a product which is NOT a paid vendor.

I will go back and respond to the middle comments later today...  gotta do some work... 

I am disappointed no one will contrast AR with their

• brand
• brokerage
• office
• local  board
• state board

Can you say anything critical about those organizations? Not attacking them necessarily but having an opinion about them. Or is saying you don't agree with something, or had a thought about something....  mutiny? Are those at the helm cool like Matt, Caleb (gone now), Jonathan, Bob... do they have any interest in transparency?  or in maintaining the status quo and they will tell you how to think, more important to them?

Just wondering...

I want to thank Joe Pryor for commenting and for allowing me to use the "Loading, Loading, Loading" snippet of the Oklahoma sky... from his AR blog.

Missy  the whining about features is wearing and has been since the beginning. 

Irene  I think you barely do Twitter? (I friended you the other day), do you do Facebook, have a FB page?  Does AR satisfy all your RE social media needs.

You tore into a vendor on AR once...

hmmmm thanks Lorraine or Loretta,   Delete comment strategy would be us censoring or controlling our own blogs, rather than AR censoring posts which is a bit different IMHO.  We have the button to delete comments as you do on any blog as the owner of the blog / blog post. 

Some commenters will think they are being censored if they are deleted by a member  and scream they are being denied free speech...IMHO, no the owner has just said "No Thanks, that is not welcome here..."  OR "move along"   Usually the comments I would delete are more spam than difference of opinion.  Or a local freeloader trying to comment on posts for consumers, to say "Hey Look at me....I am a RealAtor and I am so smart..."  If an individual wants to post that on their OWN ActiveRain blog, a Blogger.com blog,  a WordPress.com blog, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr... they can, they are not being denied freedom of speech. 

I think the network (platform) censoring is different.

Tni wrote  " Sometimes I think AR needs more censoring especially when people give TMI."

Really?  I prefer that ActiveRain, most sites I visit,  the Internet let me decide what to read, rather than deciding for me. Yes there are sites I have no interest in visiting, seeing, knowing about much less reading but I like to make that decision for myself. 

There is plenty on ActiveRain I don't agree with or even want to see but...

The funny "Lost in space" emails for Lori and Gary's comments just came through.... # 1 and #2 comment...

Lori I think the "Lost in Space" comment notices may have to do with "Loading, Loading, Loading"   There is only so much a system can do and I think "Loading, Loading, Loading" is the most important.  On our Outside blogs in particular.  Someone told me our Outside blogs are not doing "Loading, Loading, Loading"  and I think he is right.

For anyone old enough to remember the TV show Rawhide... I only saw reruns of course... but "Loading, Loading, Loading"  is sung to the Tune of the Rawhide music at the beginning of each episode.  As I remember the song it was "Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Keep those doggies moving....  Rawhide!" so if I have to watch "Loading, loading, loading"  that is what I think of... when AR comes up... it is "Rawhide!"

Got an email of Gary Pikes comment... None for Lori's comment today. Probably too small to see... comments are delayed. 

Part of the charm of ActiveRain. 

Go check your posts.  There may be surprise comments.

Emily that is wonderful synopsis of AR!  That's a post. I wish I could Re-Blog or Like your comment.

Lori's # 47 just showed up on my comments at 01/25/2011 09:55 AM