Input Requested

In the early days of The Rain, everyday suggestions came to us, and when we got those suggestions Ben and Matt went in and coded in your them right away, so that the next morning what you asked for was there waiting for you. Your input is extremely helpful in keeping things running here.

More recently our code base has matured and the details we are working on are less about features and more about deeper aspects of ActiveRain.

We are still listening, and we are still logging, reviewing and considering your suggestions, it's just going to take a little more time now. Please keep sending in your input.

We want you to know that we are listening, we do care. This network is large and there's a lot going on here. Some have members have opted to take the things into their own hands. And when it appears as if we don't care, I can understand why they would. But that's my job. We have asked and we are asking that no personal attacks are made.

I do care very much what goes on here, and I am listening. Contrary to popular belief we don't see all blog posts or comments that come up. We've always relied on your feedback to help us improve The ActiveRain Real Estate Network, and we still do.

Please inform me of what you see going on what can be change and improved and help me substantiate things. We're looking for information now to help make changes and to improve things. We can't do this without your help. Give me a call (206-406-6849) or send me a message, I'm here.

Thank you.

Posted by Caleb Mardini on 01/25/2007 08:50 PM

Comments (40)

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40 Comments on Input Requested

JAN

2007

Hi Caleb, thanks for posting. The natives are getting restless. Patience is my word of the week. I know you guys are doing your best. Keep up the good work.

It would really nice to be able to paste in the comments section. I have been on other blogs and it is really helpful to write your comments in your favorite word processor and then "cut and paste" to the blog.

Other than that - I feel this is a great blog. I very much enjoy being a member and am learning a lot. I like the overall helpful attitude and lack of strong personal attack (in most cases) which one so often finds on other blogs. I'm sure this results from the fact that, as real estate agents, lenders and other support individuals, we need each other to close transactions and can always learn from one another. I second Bryant's comment to "keep up the good work"!

Dan

You are brave to add your phone #!! Good luck!! (I'm still waiting for that darn back button to work...)

Thanks Damion for that excellent advice.

You just proved my point. We can always learn from one another. Some of us don't realize the things that can be done without the click of a mouse.

Dan

Thanks for your update. Shall we all play nice now???

I think that:

Tomorrow is Aloha Shirt Friday

Thank guys for the post!!! AR rocks!!! Keep up the excellent work!!! -Aloha

Caleb.... I have a question.... I guess we can't feature posts in the groups anymore? I just went into one of my own groups. Not only could I not feature a post, but also remove a post. Just wondering if this changed and when. thanks

With the thousands of passengers on this bus, you're bound to have some bickering. I say ignore it and go on...

with one exception. I wish you were more MAC-friendly!

We absolutely love this forum! You guys rock!

Caleb and others,

As a newbie, I'm still trying to figure who's, who, so I'm no help with comments/suggestions. Other than...there is not a day that's gone by that I'm not impressed by the people and what I've read on AR, it's been wonderful.

You're doing a great job thanks!

Thanks, Lynda Eisenmann, Broker/Owner

PreferredHomeBrokers

JAN

2007

Thanks for bringing the photo's back! AR is a resource that can't be matched and I love it here. Thank you soooooo much for creating a space that can grow as we grow and learn. Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely place and AR is a resolve and a door. Gracias!!!

Hear, hear! I second Lynda's sentiment. I've been here actively less than 2 weeks and although an awful lot has transpired, the overall feeling I get from this place is that the administration cares about what is happening here and the community, for the most part, is made up of caring professionals willing to help each other out. It's a shame not everyone plays nice, but that's nothing new anywhere. We've been dealing with bullies since daycare, no?

Suggestion:

I'd like to see a catagory for REALTORS, not just real estate agents. Verified by their NRDS number.

Caleb,

To me, the AR's staff commitment to the membership is self-evident considering the popularity and progressive growth of this community. The bottom line is that this community is still in it's infancy and there will be growing pains....to think otherwise would be ludicrious! If AR's demonstrated track record, inception to date, can't speak for itself to the membership individually then I might suggest that one might consider removing their earplugs!

AR Rocks!

Well said Ron! We have an amazing community here...

Thank you for keeping us informed. It would be impractical for you to implement all the suggestion or wants of the members, I am sure you have to look at the bigger picture. Great Job!!!

Caleb and Matt....

I believe there should be more guidelines as to what we are supposed to do when we come under fire from other members of AR.

We have no where to go and no one to report it to. We are left on our own "to deal with it"....

When we are left "to deal with it" ourselves...Well...You've seen the results of that.

I have been very patient with the personal attacks. The result of my patience is for other members to get carried away and go off the deep end with me.

Members should be held accountable for attacking other members via contact messages, emails and phone calls. I would like for the Active Rain Corporation to tell us how you want us to handle this crap.

My suggestion is for The Active Rain Corporation to post explicit guidelines that will let everyone know that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated by the Active Rain Corporation. I would like the guidelines to incorporate the steps you guys would like us to take in the event we find ourselves being attacked or harassed by other members.

This would solve a lot of these problems and keep people from taking matters into their own hands. It would also serve as a heads up "We have guidelines" in this community.

TLW...ROAR!

Caleb,

Thanks for the update. I have said it on numerous occasions, we truly appreciate the effort that you and the crew have committed to this undertaking, including being receptive to our suggestions.

Thanks everyone for your comments. Damion, I sincerely appreciate you answering those questions.

TLW, Thank you. The policy has always been if you see something let us know. We have been working on some of those things that were made known to us. ufortunately this hasn't meant all things have been brought to me. A more explicit policy will have to be created from this.

Thank you.

The dynamics have changed as AR has grown - well more than doubled since I joined a few months ago. I think it's to be expected that with all the changes, and the kind of people that are attracted, you will have differing opinions which will sometime get expressed on a personal level (and occasionally inappropriately)given the impersonal nature of the Internet. it's too bad people feel the need to do this publicly - after all, we ll can email each other offline if necessary. Perhap some issues are better dealt with that way. But it's to be expected. You are doing a great job - the tasks must be monumental - there have been so many great improvements. Keep it up.

Caleb,

I would like to know if there is a way that when someone posts in a group that you(I) have created, that an email can be sent. I am particularly concerned with my Newbie Group. I would like to be able to just have an email whenever a new newbie post comes up, if possible. Other than that, the job you guys are doing is still amazing!...With the amount of people and personalities that cavort through this site daily, there are bound to be problems. One at a time is all you can do.

You and the AR team are extremely responsive - and anyone who accuses you otherwise, just hasn't taken the time to investigate. Keep up the good work.

Caleb, glad that I called you yesterday and even more appreciative that you are now ON the case. I think that a lot of the time we as a community think that you are aware of a situation when in fact you may or may not be...as in this case. Although, there is an unwritten word of conduct, it seems that TLW may be on to something here just as MM also stated in her post. This would alleviate some of what is going on.

I think we are all very appreciative of what the "Rain Gods" do. Can't be easy dealing with some of this stuff. Keep up the good work and hopefully your article will entice some to come forward and get in touch with you regarding their needs, wants and issues.

Glad we talked. Have a good one.

I think Caleb & Matt and team have done an awesome job with the site! It appears to be much different than in the early days of AR. Many more conflicts going on...I guess that's to be expected with the amount of people on board now.

I think TLW's idea of guidelines might be a good idea (although everyone should know what is appropriate or not). It would serve as a place to refer to. I'm off to go read Damion's ideas for change...

I am still confused as to why our resident "non-person" Roger Louis could track down the IP addresses for the Codgers when they sent a private e-mail to him from Teresa's house, but Mary, who is so tech savvy cannot track the IP addresses for the harassing e-mails she has gotten. If she has, then she should file complaints with the proper authorities. It is very easy for a person to cut and paste a signature and create a falsely sent e-mail. It's done all the time. Phishing, spoofing, etc., are done by the tech savvy regularly so why is it this situation, and others like it, is not being dealt with through IP addresses? Mary's post about the person who is harassing her said it even made comments about her fitness business. The implications she made don't sound like a woman. Why is technology not being used to find this stalker before someone is judged as guilty? If the copying of the alleged perpetrator's contact info to make it appear genuine did not occur to Mary, who I hold in such high esteem for her technological prowess, then maybe someone else who is emotionally removed should research the e-mails and find the culprit. The third person's naming names without physical proof is a very dangerous action, not to mention damaging to the two victims involved (victim and alleged perpetrator) and the Active Rain community (some of that damage is already done). If there is no solid proof that the e-mails originated where it's claimed, then the alleged sender of those e-mails has been permanently maligned because no matter how much it is published in the future that she is innocent, there is still a seed of doubt left behind. There will be those who never read the retraction and continue to believe she was the perpetrator. This is permanent damage. I have no doubt that someone could be doing the very same thing using my information now without my knowledge at all. Every single one of us could be "perpetrators" without even being aware of it if our stuff is stolen. I'm grieving the loss of innocence on Active Rain and the harm done to two members whom I highly esteem. I'm not part of the solution, but I refuse to continue to perpetuate the problem by assuming one person is guilty with no proof.

Remember your 9th grade civics class. There is a presumption of innocence under our constitution.

I am saddened by the herd mentality and I feel like this is the Salem witch hunts. I am ashamed by the behavior I have seen here.

I trust that you, Caleb, will deal with it to the best of your ability.

I am looking forward to spell checking. Thanks for this great forum.

Less than a month with AR and I'm addicted. You are doing a great job in my book. My learning curve is accelerating far beyond my wildest expectations. Thank you.

Ozarks Joan

Hello Caleb,
thanks for letting us know, eventhough all the changes are clear indicators that you folks are working hard.

Is there any special way (link) to provide input or feedback?

As far as any personal attacks, I think it show a complete unappreciation of being part of this network and endeavor. sorry to see that this is happening and as a result we all pay the price of absent bloggers who have contributed so much.

thanks for the sites.. :)

Nick M

Active Rain has been a wonderful addition to my daily routine. My colleague, Leigh, and I were discussing "the changes" in AR while working out this morning. I am almost thankful for not having gotten on the AR train as early as she did. It seems there is a core group of agents who have gotten to taking things very personally on the Rain. Getting miffed when someone gets more points. Leigh even had someone earlier on in AR's existence email and tell her she wanted her to stop getting points because she wanted to own NC. This community is not about points. That is just something to make it fun and to motivate. If I am wrong on that please correct me. But no attacking. That makes people look petty.

I like AR for the support, the advice, the venting, the community. My only comment would be maybe the "local" articles about markets and value in my region,why to move to _______. Maybe those articles should be put only on Localism and have a seperate point structure for those articles aside from the active rain point system. Just a thought.

Glad to hear you care and are listening. Thanks for asking for our input. There are enough "regular" Active Rainers whom i trust to speak on the behalf of the rest of us.

I'm personally just grateful to be a part, and have learned how to weed out the stuff that hinders, and avert myself from stepping on "THE TOES."

Lord, raise up this community to be a light for your glory, amen.

I've wondered for quite a time when AR would hit "critical mass" and become a little large for easy control. You guys went a lot longer than I thought, and I'm impressed by the level of your commitment, both to this dream of yours, and to us, whom you have shared it with. I'm sure we'll all grow past the current struggles...

rmember folks, these are our BUSINESSES we're dealing with here.

I find things just fine. The wide pages are a bother, but shucks, I always wanted a 30 inch monitor.

I'm still concerned about copyright protected material on blogs and in phtos. Folks need to know that they don't copy photos off the Internet and post them - or recipes.

Lenn

TLW- I agree it would be good to have a complaint policy; showing that AR does support those who are unjustly criticized. However, it either needs to be very mature, or we need to be. I do not want in any way to diminish the unpleasant experience of anyone who has been harassed, but we must remember how crass any comments can come across in BW. I am positive that the two people I have read about who were harassed DID make those allowances and were very mature in their efforts to keep the problem under control. The AR guys just can't be the cops for ignorant sniping. Harassment is something different.

Bonnie- Headers on email often shows this information. If that doesn't make sense, it is suspicious. You are right, that this mustn't be 'tried' on the network as the 'testimony' is intermingled with vast amounts of other information. I thought I paid alot of attention to what goes on here and I missed all of that. Not that I am sorry. But, my opinions must be expressed very guardedly and with maturity.

Caleb I still have reservations that you all are real people! I don't know how you accomplish all of this and if we don't get the pettiness under control, I don't know WHY you wouldn't wonder about continuing. Sure it is about points. But, less and differently as the network sends out different tentacles.

I am a newbie here. The points are a hoot, but I see the network on AR as a place to exchange information and have learned extremely great things. Meanwhile, I am looking ahead to the benefit of Localism for my business, the community and the real estate community.

Keep moving ahead.

Personal attacks? That's no fun, how'd that come about?

Caleb,

You guys are doing a great job and, as the comments above attest to, we all appreciate what you collectively have created.

It is not a perfect world, and there will always be differing opinions...much like Diane Rice , I too, try to avoid stepping on toes. When a fight breaks out, I'm out!

From the comments that I have read lately on different areas of AR, it appears that there have been problems - deep problems. In my little corner of the Staging world of AR, there was a heated debate that started turning a little ugly, but it seems to be working itself out.

Now that the collective consciousness has been raised, perhaps we can all make an effort to be more tolerant of personal views and not feel the need to be the 'victor'.

Thanks everyone.

Bonnie, I have contacted Teresa directly regarding this.

Nick there is the "Contact ActiveRain" link at the bottom of every page. You can also as I've said, contact me directly.

Lenn, correcting for plagiarism is an ongoing and important thing and we are always working to improve that.

I've found nothing to substantiate some issues that were brought up recently.

JAN

2007

Caleb, I joined AR to learn and enjoy the comments of others - not to lash out and cause hate and discontent!! You guys are the best! Keep up the good work. I want to continue to learn from the best!

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Caleb Mardini

Bellevue, WA

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