I am constantly amazed at how many people take swipes at ActiveRain, especially by those who either have never actually participated on this network, or by those who haven't actively engaged in the community for several years.
Just as a matter of background, I joined ActiveRain shortly after it launched in the Summer of 2006. It was a wonderfully small and intimate group of early adopters. Since then, many veteran members have moved on to their own WordPress blogs, but their contributions and impact here will always be felt and appreciated.
So it's rather disappointing when someone like Jonathan Dalton, a highly respected real estate professional and accomplished blogger publishes an article on his blog that equates the discount brokerage Redfin to ActiveRain.
Apparently, Jonathan interviewed with Redfin about the possibility of helping field some of their leads generated in the Phoenix AZ market. During the interview process, the folks from Redfin asked him if he blogged on ActiveRain.
Jonathan then segues from there into a critical tongue lashing about ActiveRain's current practice of showcasing member's successes from their involvement on ActiveRain (he calls it 'smarmy'). He states that "ActiveRain is to real estate blogging what America Online was to the Internet back in the day - simply a safe haven for those unwilling to leave a secure environment and see what the real world's like."
One of the early veterans of ActiveRain, Mr. Dalton moved on to author his own blog, and very successfully, I might add. He currently runs somewhere in the area of six separate websites, not including the single-property WordPress blogs he builds for his listings. Obviously, he doesn't need ActiveRain, and that's fine.
For the record, I have the utmost admiration for Jonathan. I have always enjoyed his honest candor and quick wit. And he is certainly entitled to his opinions, ones that I genuinely respect. But it saddens me that people like Jonathan so quickly criticize a network that has benefited so many and continues to do so.
ActiveRain isn't the same as it was back when we first joined. Nothing could ever recapture or repeat that incredibly special time and the unique experiences we shared.
But just because ActiveRain isn't the same as it once was doesn't discount the value it continues to offer its members today. There are still hundreds and thousands of real estate professionals out there who have never blogged, and can greatly benefit from the encouraging environment it provides to get their blogging feet wet. ActiveRain is still a great place to network with other like-minded professionals and pass referrals back and forth. The steady stream of excellent, timely, relevant information being shared is like a non-stop continuing ed class on steroids. And the deep, meaningful relationships (just like the ones we developed in those early days) continues to occur each and every day.
ActiveRain played an important role in the lives of so many of us who joined early on, both personally and professionally. I, for one, will forever be indebted to ActiveRain for the significant positive impact it has had in my own life, for the way it revolutionized my business, and the wonderfully rich and intimate friendships it has made possible.
ActiveRain will never be the same for those of us who helped begin its journey, but to those who now actively participate, it is 'their' valuable community. And it's probably to them now what it was for us back then.
And again, let me reiterate, I have nothing but the greatest love and respect for Jonathan. We usually agree on most things, but allow one another the right to share our thoughts and feelings openly. I think our friendship can handle it!
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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Windermere Real Estate, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SoundBiteBLog, and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail: kitsapagent@gmail.com
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49 Comments on Taking a Swing at ActiveRain
Rich, I wasn't there in the beginning like some of you. But I have come to love and appreciate aall AR has to offer currently. Sure we have had issues with the website from time to time, but who doesn't? And now with the change in regime, I think it's still an exciting time to be here. Everything I learned about blogging, SEO, etc. I have learned from AR. So yea and yea for me for still being a loving member!
And BOB: Great idea. I was never really a fan of pictures with checks, etc.
Hi Rich! Well, you know how I feel about ActiveRain--I agree with Bob that those who find me here are searching for specific terms and land on a blog post that suits their search criteria. I don't see the harm in the motivational 'check' posts because I don't think that the general publc lands there very often.
As for Jonathan--the only thing that I have to say about that is...
I wonder where he learned to build his WP sites? What sparked his curiosity about them and what led him to take the action to build his own sites? My bet- right here on ActiveRain!
At Texas A&M University, we like to say that if you’re not an Aggie, you can’t understand, and if you are an Aggie, you can’t explain. It’s a camaraderie that doesn’t exist anywhere else and lasts a lifetime, and then some.
I can say the same thing about ActiveRain as it has fit into my life the past three years: “If you’re not at ActiveRain, you won’t understand, and if you are at ActiveRain, you can’t explain” although you make an admirable effort.
Been here since 08. Learned so much that positively influenced my business and my life. Loved it then and love it now. To each his own.
Debe wrote: "I wonder where he learned to build his WP sites? What sparked his curiosity about them and what led him to take the action to build his own sites? My bet- right here on ActiveRain! "
I don't think so. I can not see an archive on his site (I think this was his first WP blog) but I think he started that site in late 2006 or early 2007 and there was not a lot of "how to" about WordPress on ActiveRain. He may have been inspired by Jay Thompson, the BloodHound blog and a other Phoenix re blogs. RE blogs outside Phoenix too but I doubt he learned much on ActiveRain, there just was nothing here about "how to."
He had an RT blog and we talked about WordPress a little bit there before there was an ActiveRain.
Most of the big push in 2006 and 2007 on ActiveRain was "buy a Tomato Blog" or "buy an RSS Pieces blog" which were both on WordPress.org blogs and there was talk about "you gotta get you a WP blog" but there was not a lot of info about WP. There still is not much, here but there is so much WP info online, on WP.org and elsewhere. He and most of the early adopters were more willing to go outside ActiveRain for information. ActiveRain was less insulated.
I did read his post.
Active Rain has the reputation of being a quasi-cultish platform on training wheels among the too cool for school crowd (RE.Net), all of whom have their own Wordpress site, an unspoken online back slapping agreement and thousands of followers because they follow thousands. They are as incestuous as they think people here are. And they probably spend 10 minutes here to form their judgement.
How many houses does the guy sell. That's an incredibly underdiscussed metric. Not how many conferences the guy attends.
How is the guy to work with in a deal. Those are more important things to me.
I was the first Redfin Referral agent in New York. I was very supportive of them. I can drop their name just like Dalton can. Big deal.
I think it is silly to be critical of Active Rain unless they did something wrong to you. Jonathan is a good guy, but he's wrong in this instance.
All that said, we really should dispense with the commission check sidebar tomorrow even if it means replacing it with a test pattern. It isn't smarmy, but it is tacky.
I guess I'm in the dark...I've never heard anything bad about AR, other than in some recent posts about it. I think it's wonderful. How could it possibly be anything but? Wait, don't answer...I'm going back in the dark again!
Rich wrote; ....And that, my friends, is exactly why I truly love this place! How many other social networks are there out there were the powers that be actually engage and respond personally?
❦ Pretty cool indeed Rich! And I couldn't agree more!!!
Thanks Bob. I think you and Niki made a wise executive decision on this one...
well done.
Pamela
Rich, ActiveRain has grown and changed just like the Real Estate industry. If the "older" agents don't adapt and change, they become irrelevant. They like to talk about the good old days, but that's not how real estate works anymore. This person got their start here. They've moved on, God love them. But there are thousands of agents that actually need AR!
Rich, I too get so irritated when I read how AR is a joke, for beginners, etc. That is SO far from the truth. I did learn to walk here and then took off running. If I've said it once, I'll say it again. I have made a great income from Active Rain. That is not the reason I am here. The relationships are priceless....I haven't been very active lately. Business is booming and I'm on overload. I know when I do come back, I'm always welcomed with open arms.
The knowledge that swirls around the community is staggering to say the least. Let these folks poo poo AR all they want....I never will and I"m never leaving :)
By the way....you are my idol, but you already knew that :)
Elizabeth: It's incredibly amazing people like you who keep drawing me back to this place. Thanks as always for your wonderfully kind thoughts and support!...How are things in your neck of the woods?
Connie: How nice to see your face pop-up here! It's been interesting to observe the cycles that AR has gone through since those early days. But the value and benefits are still very much alive and well to the new members. Hope you're doing well!....
J. Philip: Thanks for your comment. I have enjoyed reading your stuff for a while now. Can't believe I hadn't subscribed to your blog though! Jonathan is a good friend and someone I greatly respect. I think he just misses the way things used to be around here. And yes, there is most definitely an air of superiority among certain members of the RE.net concerning the use of WordPress versus platforms like ActiveRain. I have four WP blogs, but continue to find tremendous value in my involvement here. To each their own. I just don't think it's fair to diss ActiveRain because it's different than it once was.
test
Test, One, Two, Three....Mike Check, Mike Check....
Lenn: Sorry that your previous comment on my earlier post got the deep six. I was having formatting issues and had to delete the entire post and start from scratch!...
I subscribe to Jonathon's blog, so I read it the day it came out. His point seemed to be that AR is deteriorating from the original program, and that the commission check on the front page reinforces the public perception that we are all about the commission check.
Rich - AR revolutionized my business too. It gave me the confidence to be the one-woman brokerage operation because I had AR. How empowering. I'm also glad to see you back writing more often.
Rich, I was just telling Margaret Rome, who had responded to a comment of mine that I had been MIA, I got too caught up in the blogging everyday challenges and trying to help the newbies, that I didn't "see" any of my friends for a few months!
Nicely written Rich. You handled that message very well. Keep up the great work!