I recently did a post regarding the Q&A link (read the comments) that's at the top of every ActiveRain page. I was pointing out that consumers are coming here to ask questions from our Real Estate Industry Experts and Professionals. I spent this week researching many pages of questions from consumers, spammers, and other ActiveRain members. Today alone, I spent 10 hours cleaning up the entire Q&A section on ActiveRain. That's just from May 1st, 2008 forward. I removed hundreds of questions.
ActiveRain Members: PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR QUESTIONS HERE. In the future, use the "CONTACT ACTIVERAIN" link at the bottom of every ActiveRain page. This will help us and you immensely. In an effort to keep this link for consumers ONLY, we'll need your help.
Your questions WILL BE answered quicker if you use the methods that have been setup for you here. These are just some of the questions I spent literally hours deleting today:
Q. How do I add a red arrow to a post?
Q. How do I post my picture on my profile? I have a picture and I have tried to upload it but no success.
Q. how do I post things on localism
Q. Where are the Active rain Templates that I see popping up everywhere?
Q. How do I change my category? Right now I am in Real Estate - Other but I would like to change that.
Q. What are bonus points and how do you get them?
Q. How do you search for a person by name?
Q. how can I upload my photo to my Profile?
Q. Do you get points for starting a group?
Q. What does it Cost to do this or is everything free?? Are there any catches with cost or subscriptions?
Q. I need to change my user name to reflect my business. I put my name in and I want to change that.
Q. Is there anyways I can post my listings on active rain?
Q. how to add an associate
These are all great questions, but when consumers see these, what do they think of the "Experts" in the "Ask A Professional" forum which reads:
Ask a Real Estate Professional
"Have a real estate related question that you want answered? Ask a local expert who is part of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network. Providing a region will help us route the question to the most appropriate local expert. Your email address will not be made visible or given out to anyone."
Here's just one of the questions that was asked that made me really think about this and take action, and I quote, "How does one remove their questions from the Q&A list? I was not aware that these questions appear on Google with our names associated with them. Is there a way to delete the questions so they don't show up next to that person's business website?" Now that grabbed my attention, and yes, I deleted it for them.
So where do you go with questions like these? "CONTACT ACTIVERAIN", there's a link to us on every page in the lower right corner of every screen, or you can email support@activerain.com. You could also join the Newbie Group, we have many helpful members there. Another way to get your member questions answered is to contact Me, Rich, Bob, or Nicole, that's why we are here, to help members. Please help make it easy on us all by using these contact methods for your questions in the future, and NOT the Q&A. They will get deleted going forward. Thanks for understanding and helping to support this effort.
BTW - if you are ever in the Q&A section looking to answer consumers questions in your area, we have a "Flag Question" link for you to use when finding spam or questions that don't belong there. We'll do our best to keep it clean, but if one or two slip by, do your part, and "Flag" them for our review. It's only a matter of time before that Q&A link becomes a "Goldmine". It already has for some.
We may not be Trulia Voices, but we are ActiveRain Voices, strong in number, and here to be heard.
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