Home > Blogs > Juliet Johnson > Jacksonville Social Media Marketing

Let's Clear the Air! 'Interview with a Moderator' Wed at 7 p.m. EST. What questions do you want answered?

Services for Real Estate Pros with Vizzitopia

June 10, 2008 04:05 AM

If there is an upside to the way certain stagers consistently stir up things on Active Rain it is that it polarizes an issue to the point where, eventually, you can see where the underlying misunderstanding originates. Home Staging Secrets Exposed!

From this weekend's version of "Why can't you all play nicely together in the sandbox" the question that I believe would benefit us all is:-

How is the Stage It Forward group moderated?

Most members know that Craig has some folks who assist him in moderating the group. These people are UNPAID volunteers. They do it out of respect for Craig, his vision for the group and the overall benefit of all involved.

Haven't you always wanted to talk to them and ask them stuff? I have. My questions start with:-

Who are the current moderators?

Why do they do it? - it must be hugely time consuming.

What is the criteria for a "feature"? Does it change week-to-week, season-to-season? Or even, as we change?

How much ---- er, well, frankly, crap (but you might read that as "heat") --- do they have to put up with from all of us wanting to know why a particularly poignant piece of brilliance wasn't featured?

Is there any kind of tracking system to make sure that certain great writers aren't featured all the time while the illiterate never get a look in? Or, perhaps a better question might be:- do you take off points for abysmal grammar, pppor speelink and irrevelant pictures?

Is there any kind of bias that you notice amongst yourselves and how do you police each other? Can you, even?

Well that's my first batch of questions. I'm sure more will come to me. What do you all wanna ask 'em? Let me know, and I'll ask them for you. Or you can join us, and ask them yourself...

Because this Wednesday, June 11th at 7;00 p.m. 2 of the 4 SIF Moderators are prepared to go public!!

They are ready, willing and able to answer any questions we have. if you want to tune in, call in and/or be in the chat room with us... you may do so by registering at www.blogtalkradio.com and or click the button below.

_______________

Juliet Johnson is a leading authority on the topic of Home staging, and runs one of the most enduring staging practices in New Jersey, servicing luxury real estate in the $1 - 3 million niche.

Featured

Comments (22)
Subscribe to Comments Comment

Show All Comments

Sort:

Maureen Maureen

Orangeburg, NY

BTW my spell check has not worked since AR's last update so I'm not sure if schmeatured is spelled correctly. :)

Jun 09, 2008 11:15 AM

Anonymous

Hi Juliet, I too, would love to see SIF allow personal/human interest posts.. It helps us all bond a little better from afar !! Thanks for setting this up, I will be in church - hopefully I can access afterwards.. BTW, anyone else have problems all afternoon with accessing AR ??? I had a post somewhat related to this issue but could not get it edited... Just moments ago, I was able to get on the site.. hope this comment goes through.. God bless,

Jun 09, 2008 11:57 AM

Juliet Johnson

Vizzitopia - St Johns, FL

Jacksonville Photography & Digital Marketing

Yes, Kathy, love, you can submit any question you like, and I'll ask it. So can anyone. Remember the fun of BTR is that there is a chat room that runs concurrently with the show.

Now, Maureen, if you're going to make up words, what's the spellcheck to do....? My understanding about the human interest stuff is that it's rerouted to the SIF Lounge - is that Stagers Koffee Klatsch or something? But I'll ask them.

Is it true that you get more points for a featured post... or is it that more people read it, and so therefore your points go up from that?

Jun 09, 2008 11:58 AM

Charlene Storozuk

Dezigner Digz - Burlington, ON

Home Stager - Burlington Ontario

Juliet, this is great idea for a topic. I sure wouldn't want to have the moderators' job. As I said in a post I wrote yesterday, it's a volunteer position that sometimes lands them in hot water when it shouldn't. I'm wondering, like Kathy, if I'll be able to listen to it afterwards if I can't hear it live. Let us know, because I'd really like to listen in.

Jun 09, 2008 11:59 AM

No Longer Active in Staging. No Longer Staging

Hickory, NC

Hi Juliet,
I too, would love to see SIF allow personal/human interest posts.. It helps us all bond a little better from afar !! Thanks for setting this up, I will be in church - hopefully I can access afterwards..

BTW, anyone else have problems all afternoon with accessing AR ??? I had a post somewhat related to this issue but could not get it edited... Just moments ago, I was able to get on the site.. hope this comment goes through..

God bless, sorry - forgot to log-in the first time..

Jun 09, 2008 12:00 PM

Karen Otto

Home Star Staging - Plano, TX

Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

Love the Interview with a vampire theme going here Juliet - as a moderator myself of a local group, the Collin County,TX Real Estate Professionals, I kinda have a method to the madness. However I feel fortunate that the volume and membership of my local group is no where near the numbers here. I cannot fathom how one does it on a group this size.

Part of how I feature blogs on that group:

Would everyone benefit from reading it?
Does it celebrate a victory or share a defeat?
Is it newsworthy for our area?
Is it a positive contribution to our group?

What I don't feature:

blogs that have nothing to do with the overall theme of our group
Personal ads or listings for sale
Anyone selling something to promote themselves or their business
Negative unconstructive banter and personal grudges and gripes

Now I'm pretty lenient with what gets posted but featuring something I try and keep it under these guidelines.

Enjoy your interview - should be lively!

Jun 09, 2008 12:41 PM

Kym Hough

www.Staged-to-Sell - Danville, CA

Staged to Sell East Bay - Danville, CA

What a great idea Juliet. One question I have is for you. This weekend I noticed a different photo on your blog and now this one is back - what's up with the photo?

My spell check has not worked for weeks - driving me nuts.

I have no questions for the Moderators as I think the do a hum dinger of a job and can't imagine it going any better. I am so glad they pick through to pull in the ones that are interesting and well written. That's the key interesting and well written...Kym

Jun 09, 2008 12:43 PM

Kathleen Lordbock

Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN

Keller Williams Realty Professionals

Good questions - now let us hear the answers. Will it be door number 2? Wrong show?

Jun 09, 2008 02:48 PM

Susie Blackmon

Ocala, FL

Ocala, Horses, Western Wear, Horse Farms, Marketing

Hi Juliet, I'm amazed people find time to moderate! Will look forward to your post with answers.

Jun 09, 2008 09:01 PM

Maureen Maureen

Orangeburg, NY

You get more points for a feature post from the Rain Gods - being featured within a group doesn't get you more points. The more comments you get the more points are awarded also.

BUT... I still don't see the point of points. WHO CARES? It's not like you can trade them in for fabulous prizes or anything. What is the point?

Jun 10, 2008 12:48 AM

Cari Pilon

RE:STYLE Home Staging - Brighton, MI

RE:STYLE Home Staging

The good thing about points is that it keeps you higher up in your particular area. I actually got a call from a seller because he said I was the featured stager (I must be good huh??? lol).

I'd be interested in hearing the radio show, but can't make it.. will it be available to listen afterward?

Jun 10, 2008 12:56 AM

Jennie Norris

Sensational Home Staging - Littleton, CO

Denver Regions Premier Home Staging Resource,

I would like to see the personal posts allowed too - there seems to be an inconsistent way things are "edited" off the site - you allow "Tag" posts that are personal but not anecdotes or other personal things - and that is inconsistent. Either allow it all or not at all -but don't allow some and then remove other posts. As I wrote in another post, I think that it should be up to the audience whether or not we want to read about personal things - and I, for one, enjoy learning about the human side of people.

It reminds us that even if we don't agree with someone, they are just like us - with a family and a side to themselves that is not just about Staging. It actually offends me to have something I want to share with my friends here - removed - because it makes me feel like I don't matter and that what I shared is not important. When I share personal things, to me, they are very important and help with the process of creating connection points to other people. And isn't that what this site is all about?

Actually I think the whole idea of "featuring" a post over someone else - is really not needed and creates a feeling of bias and favoritism instead of harmony. Anyone that takes time to contribute on the site is worthy - and we all have something of value to share whether brand new or and "old timer" in Staging, or a friend of Craig or the moderator, or a buddy, etc. Relationships aside, the issues of comparison and bias would be gone and we would all be on equal footing in the eyes of each other and the public. - Jennie

Jun 10, 2008 04:53 AM

Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty

Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL

Florida Space Coast Homes

I wish I had the time to join in. Sounds like you really love what you do.

Jun 10, 2008 07:05 AM

Juliet Johnson

Vizzitopia - St Johns, FL

Jacksonville Photography & Digital Marketing

I dunno, Jennie, don't you think a little friendly competition keeps all of us honest? Putting our best foot forward at all times?

Jun 10, 2008 07:05 AM

Kate Hart

Hart & Associates Staging and Design - Radnor, PA

juliet- you know I can always be honest with you and you know how much pain I am in and how hard it is to type but I have to be honest:

I am amazed by the amount of people's time that has been wasted on this issue this week. bless you for volunteering to be a moderator and to host the talk tomorrow, i wish you the best sorting it out.

seriously people- this is a venue to educate others on staging, to share industry news, to promote staging. I cannot believe the amount of energy that has been put into the debate over featured posts this week.

let's post on topics that will inspire others and educate the public. I hope my clients do not stumble upon the jumble of a mess that has gone on. i hope to god google does not pick it up.

Some things get featured, some do not. The quality of the post is what matters.

btw- sif was not formed to be a place to share personal things- I am not against personal info- it was a place for the industry to share things pertaining to the industry not people's lives etc.

craig any thoughts on this? kh

spell check not working so sorry if mispelled.

Jun 10, 2008 01:20 PM

Kate Hart

Hart & Associates Staging and Design - Radnor, PA

juliet- you know I can always be honest with you and you know how much pain I am in and how hard it is to type but I have to be honest:

let's post on topics that will inspire others and educate the public. I hope my clients do not stumble upon the jumble of a mess that has gone on. i hope to god google does not pick it up.

Some things get featured, some do not. The quality of the post is what matters.

btw- sif was not formed to be a place to share personal things- I am not against personal info- it was a place for the industry to share things pertaining to the industry not people's lives etc.

craig any thoughts on this? kh

spell check not working so sorry if mispelled.

Jun 10, 2008 01:20 PM

Jennie Norris

Sensational Home Staging - Littleton, CO

Denver Regions Premier Home Staging Resource,

Juliet,

Since you asked - I thnk that encouraging competition on the blog site goes against what others write about with promting harmony and making this a place where everyone is valued. Why do we need a moderator anyway? Except for trolling the site to make sure nothing nasty is being blogged or posted, the evolution of this role to one where now they are responsible for telling us which blogs we should read is interesting. It's a simple thing to just eliminate recognition of one post over another which would in turn make everyone feel as though their contribution is on equal footing. The ones that get the most hits and comments would be the ones that stand out - not ones based on the opinion of a person behind the scenes that is assigning a star based on a fluctuating set of criteria. Any time we involve the human factor in a process, there is bound to be bias because that is human nature.

And when a post is put in Members only it is not open to the public for viewing - so not able to "embarass" the collective group who is in fear of a post being picked up by Google. There is a lot of stuff on this site that has nothing to do with the business of staging - which is part of sharing. The site is not a pure business site, which is one of the attractive features of the blog site. As someone else wrote on my blog about being censored, "All work and no play makes SIF a dull place."

- Jennie

Jun 10, 2008 03:11 PM

Elizabeth Cooper-Golden

Huntsville Alabama Real Estate, (@ Homes Realty Group) - Huntsville, AL

Huntsville AL MLS

Wow, great list and it should be very interesting! Best of luck with your "meeting"!

Jun 10, 2008 03:17 PM

Tori Lynn Wallitsch

Prudential Ambassador / Ross Designs, LLC - Omaha, NE

I guess I would like to ask how they got such a successful group on AR going! This seems like the "place to be" for Staging posts and I love it.

Jun 10, 2008 04:08 PM

Juliet Johnson

Vizzitopia - St Johns, FL

Jacksonville Photography & Digital Marketing

Jennie, I respectfully disagree with you. And to share any more at this point, would be to ruin what I'm sure is going to be excellent radio this evening! Perhaps you will join us in the chat room, or on air, if there is an available phone line?

Jun 11, 2008 03:20 AM