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Let's Begin - The Hidden Secrets of Active Rain - Exposed!

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Crye-Leike, Realtors

tell a secretWe've all been there... you've been blogging on Active Rain a while and you stumble across a feature you never noticed before. Or you see someone else use something cool in their post that you didn't know was possible. Or you learned about a not so obvious way to earn points. I think we can all think of at least one of these.

Thus, the idea behind the hidden secrets of Active Rain.

Let's expose those secrets.
Let's collect them all together in the same spot.
Let's make a place where Active Rain Newbies can visit to easily find these secrets.

Here's the plan....

  • Write a post about one of those features.
  • Choose just onehidden feature' (or maybe a couple of related items per post). The idea is that a newbie will eventually be able to scan through the collection and quickly find out interesting things, mainly by titles and quick glances.
  • Tag your post active rain hidden features'
  • Come back here and leave a comment with a link to your new post. This will help give a road map to the collection.
  • Invite (challenge) another person to write a similar post. So this collection will grow, kind of like meme's.

An example to get you started...

What we have so far...

Dave Werth
WERTH REALTY - Fargo, ND
FULL TIME REALTOR

 

IM LISTENING

Jan 29, 2008 02:13 AM
Linda Sanderson
Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific - Benicia, CA
What a great idea.  Thanks for getting this started.
Jan 29, 2008 02:13 AM
Patricia Aulson
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES Verani Realty NH Real Estate - Exeter, NH
Realtor - Portsmouth NH Homes-Hampton NH Homes

Thanks for the time to write the post today.

Patricia Aulson/Hampton NH Real Estate

Jan 29, 2008 02:16 AM
Christy Powers
Keller Williams Coastal Area Partners - Pooler, GA
Pooler, Savannah Real Estate Agent
LOL...It sounds like a very interesting idea. I think there will be a lot of learning going on!
Jan 29, 2008 02:32 AM
Dalp Pearson
Dalp,Inc. - Los Angeles, CA
Oh, THANK YOU .... this is really great!  I'm a newbie and it is excruitating trying to navigate around AR in the beginning... everyday I learn something new/different in addition to the info on the blogs...
Jan 29, 2008 03:17 AM
Gary Bolen
McCall Realty - South Lake Tahoe, CA
CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information
this one is a lot of fun. we followed your link to the top blogger list, which we didn't know about. good idea you have here, and it's appreciated.
Jan 29, 2008 03:46 AM
Virginia Hepp - Mesquite NV REALTOR
Desert Gold Realty - Mesquite NV Homes For Sale - Mesquite, NV
Mesquite NV Homes and Neighborhoods - Search MLS
Great idea - I will be back for the list!
Jan 29, 2008 03:50 AM
Maria Boghi
Doral, FL
P.A., TRC, REO - Doral Pinecrest FL Real Esta
Uhhh, great challenge............here I go!!!
Jan 29, 2008 04:12 AM
Crissy Baker
Brio Realty - Birch Bay, WA
If this doesn't get me going nothing will...thanks
Jan 29, 2008 04:23 AM
William Johnson
Retired - La Jolla, CA
Retired

This was an interesting exercise. I remember last year being in the top 100 bloggers list and was pleased to see that I was still there. There are some remarkable writers and it pleases me to be in that elite group. Thanks for that link.

One of the features I like best is the Preview. That is the little icon between adding a photo and the spell checker. I use this quite often. When I am writing a long response and knowing how fast one can loose the comments content, I will make a copy of the preview and in the event that I have to leave the site temporarily prior to finishing, at least I don't have to start my comments over. Some of my comment post are longer than most of the regular posts on ActiveRain.

Internet Explorer is very unforgiving these days and it shuts down almost on a whim. I did notice that if you are using Mozelle Foxfire as your browser, it allows for restoring where you left off ( restore session) and the comments don't disappear as they do with Internet Explorer.

Having that preview icon and the ability to copy your comments before posting them, has saved me many hours of frustration.

PS, I also have set up on the tool bar at the top of my screen, an internet spell checker and I have many less problems with the AR system freezing and losing the comments. I have the Google Task Bar activated and I believe it is a part of the options there.

Jan 29, 2008 05:00 AM
Mary Bowen
Coldwell Banker United, Realtor - The Woodlands, TX
Real Estate At Its Finest!!!
I updated one that I wrote about getting featured. Its based on information straight from Rich.  Here's the link ActiveRain Hidden Features--How To Get Featured
Jan 29, 2008 05:05 AM
Heather Fitzgerald
REALTY WORLD-Harbert Company, Inc. - Greenwood, IN
REALTOR Greenwood Indiana Real Estate
I am looking forward to hearing this information.  Thanks for posting this blog.
Jan 29, 2008 05:11 AM
Matthew Rosov
Amerisave Mortgage Corporation - Laurel, MD
Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist
Look forward to following this and contributing where I can.
Jan 29, 2008 06:04 AM
Angie Vandenbergh
Crye-Leike, Realtors - Memphis, TN
A Crye-Leike Blogger

Hi William Johnson - Thanks for sharing your tip about the preview button and about the browsers and google bar. I think that will give some people ideas.

Mary, thanks for including the link to what you wrote about how to get featured. As the membership grows I think it gets harder and harder to get featured, just because of the sheer volume of writers out there. So I'll add in that once you have the great content, appealing layout, current topic, inspiring conversation or community building etc, you'll need a little luck :)

For all the newbies who commented here... glad you like the idea. Hopefully we'll get some good quick posts collected together.

Jan 29, 2008 07:12 AM
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

I don't really have any 'secrets' because I already tell it when I learn it (I get so excited!) but, I surely will enjoy reading others' secrets!!  shhhhh...


Jan 29, 2008 01:13 PM
Dick Betts
TOUCHSTONE REAL ESTATE - The Villages, FL
REALTORĀ® The Villages, Florida
Great idea, let's see if it works!
Jan 29, 2008 02:44 PM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

I have lots of hidden secrets, most of which I've shared in my blog posts, and will be watching to see what happens here - for sure!!! ;-)

Pepper

Jan 29, 2008 03:04 PM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com
I discovered a secret last week. It's so secret I can't find it anymore... but when I do you'll be the first to know.
Jan 29, 2008 03:09 PM
Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes
Didn't know there were secrets. So this will be interesting to come back and read.
Jan 29, 2008 03:30 PM
Jonn Ross
Raeford, NC
Everyone have secrets! LOL
Jan 29, 2008 09:56 PM