When I joined in February of 2007, Active Rain had about 20, 000 members. In hindsight, the rain was in its infancy. During the time I was very active here in the rain, I was fortunate to enjoy having several featured posts. I would choose topics that were interesting, sometimes controversial, but always entertaining. I didn't have to compete with thousands of qualified posts for a spot on the board. It's amazing to me that things have changed so much here and in other ways, not at all. We have some 92,000 + members here now and in spite of that incredible number, the quality of featured posts is still extremely high.

I believe there is a secret to becoming featured. It's about visibility and transparency. When you are active in the rain, you earn credibility here, visibility here. Friendships and even relationships are forged here in the rain, on common ground, with people who share your ideals and values. The concept isn't new. We all count on our friends and family to support our endeavors and the rain is no different. Your friends and family will support you here. The key to finding your time in the spotlight is to make your relationships here count and to be real. People here will accept your quirks, outlandish behavior and questionable posts  and even your absences as part of who you are, and they will love you for it. If you think I'm wrong, go check out some of Rich Kruse's posts or Bryant and The Lovely Wife's posts. Crazy stuff, I tell you. But the reason they are both well respected and well read is not because their content is always about real estate. While this is a forum for real estate professionals, we are all so much more than that. We are mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, and like all families...we share the triumphs and disappointments of life together. The tie that binds is not real estate, it's our humanity.

Though it is virtually impossible to sort through the thousands of articles and information posted here each week and still work, I have some advice for those of you new to the rain. Find your following here. Cater to those people who care about what you write and stay active as much as you can. Join groups that interest you and connect with a smaller amount of friends rather than to try and convince the masses of your worthiness to be featured. Trust me, if the content is great....a feature will come your way. In the meantime, don't make that your priority.