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Dashboard Changes

By Toby Barnett

Real Estate Agent with KW North Sound 103527

February 05, 2007 05:14 PM

I haven't been breezing around ActiveRain like it the past few months but some new information was just made aware to me that I feel that is worthly of an address. The Dashboard has been the subject of some "mass" debate and for me I have been wondering what is all the fuss about.

Orginally the dashboard was to feature bloggers that contribute regularly, provide quality and rich content and are a worth reading. After talking to the Rain Gods and reading their posts I learned that the dashboard was a complex algorithm that can't (or very difficult) to scew. But it seems it has been changed.

I like change, that is what blogging is all about, IMO, but the change took away something that people in the real estate industry thrive upon (and what I thought ActiveRain created a point system community) competition. I read to many blogs on ActiveRain by agents crying that there blog isn't being featured.

I've have felt this same way but never thougth of verbalizing this...why? Because my blogs weren't GOOD ENOUGH. There has to be a level of discrepancy and decision when featuring a post and by no means is that an insult to a fellow blogger to have there post not featured.

Not being feature is a part of the blogosphere life and if someone can't accept that their material is overlooked, crap and not worth reading then they shouldn't be blogging, period.

I would like to see a part of the old dashboard instilled on the new layout because I love the competition it breeds..."Go Big or Go Home" Goingbigger. There has to be a happy medium with babies and ones that do it because they enjoy it....Rain Gods...bring it back :)

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ARDELL DellaLoggia

Better Properties Seattle - Kirkland, WA

I'm having a hard enought time with the competition of the local and state blogs. I was hoping to take a break at #1 in Seattle :)

Feb 05, 2007 05:37 PM

David R. Fuller

RE/MAX - Anthem, AZ

Kind of new to the rain but I understand what your saying. I like watching to see if people respond/view your blog. It's kind of like getting graded and you know if it goes uncommented/unread, you got an F. I guess getting featured is an A?

Feb 05, 2007 05:40 PM

Sharon Simms

Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS

David - try not to look at uncommented blogs that way. Of course, it COULD mean that you have a bad blog, but it could also be that you're making a statement that people read, but don't feel the need to comment. It also depends on the day and time you post it, and how many people are looking before multiple other posts push it down the list to never-never land.

If you look back over the last months, you'll also see that sometimes there are posts on similar topics, and one hits it right and gets dozens of comments, and the other gets none or one or two. C'est la vie!

Look at it this way - a potential buyer, seller or referring agent may read your posts and contact you with business, but never comment on your blog. Which would you rather have?

Toby - I agree. It's nice to see new faces, but the Expert Bloggers we've come to know and love are really the ones who deserve to be on the Dashboard. They set wonderful examples for people.

Feb 05, 2007 10:42 PM

Caleb Mardini

Bellevue, WA

Toby,

Thanks for your thoughts. Well said.

Feb 06, 2007 03:05 AM

Toby Barnett

KW North Sound - Marysville, WA

Ardell, competition is in our very nature and i can see for someone new to AR (not to blogging) it would be more difficult to compete.

David, graded is tough for me to wrap my mind around. If I was going to view that way then I would look to the search engines for my grade. If writing good local content is getting good rankings then the grade it good.

Sharon, I love your comments and your touched on something that is often overlooked, similiar topics by many bloggers. I have written one then seen a similiar one getting a feature. With over 11K bloggers on AR it is easy to see how same topics can be covered over and over and over.

No problem Caleb...I just read a post last night that and noticed the changes and it sparked something. Everyone wants it there way and I know you guys love the feed back but some feedback I hear just sounds like whinning. The new look is sweet and I like the different segments on the dashboard.

Feb 06, 2007 04:58 AM

Jacqulyn Richey

Prominent Realty Group - Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas Real Estate

Because my blogs weren't GOOD ENOUGH

There are always those that are going to complain. To paraphrase Shakespeare, "the fault, dear Brutus lies not within the stars but ourselves" (sorry if I butchered that, but you get the point). Just like there are always going to be those that complain that they aren't listed as the top featured person....or those that are going to "game' the system by putting up junk posts, photos they stole from a developer or photo site and the list goes on. I'm hoping in the future AR will institute some quality control and only help promote those people that have integrity and deserve their help. Just my two cents. -Charles

Feb 06, 2007 06:57 AM

Dashboard Changes

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