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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

No, no, no. I meant, is there something the site can do

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Hello again, WG:

Who do you mean when you say "the site"? You and me, or the devs?? You and I can't do squat. The devs can, if they knew how. Like I said. Somebody here KNEW how to do it once. THAT'S why we were busy. Google changed their algorithm, and somebody HERE needs to write one that counters it.

If they don't know how, they can certainly show their prowess by giving us cool skins...

excon

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Originally Posted by excon

Hello again, WG:

Who do you mean when you say "the site"? You and me, or the devs???

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Dear excon:

Sorry. I got real excited there for a minute and wasn't clear. I meant the devs. Certainly they know all about algorithms, especially Google's. Isn't there a way to circumvent it by changing how the site looks? (rhetorical question maybe)

WG

The SEO for the site is working well. You can copy/paste bits of a post and it'll turn up the AMHD link pretty high up - the site is getting indexed. People are choosing not to stay once they get here.

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

The SEO for the site is working well. You can copy/paste bits of a post and it'll turn up the AMHD link pretty high up - the site is getting indexed. People are choosing not to stay once they get here.

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Even though a random keyword search doesn't work well in finding this site, a specific content search does.

When I Google keywords out of a user's searching-for-a-book post, I usually get that particular question at the top of my hit list. When I search for "cat peeing on couch," I don't; AMHD doesn't show up at all. Why do eHow and cat vet sites show up first?

How can we get people to stick around and/or return? Aren't we warm and fuzzy enough? If we were, would that solve the problem?

Hello again, NK and WG:

I'm a businessman - not a computer guy. So, I couldn't tell the difference between an algorithm or an SEO. I don't know particularly WHAT the site needs. I just recognize that it needs something... And, WHATEVER it needs, needs to be addressed by the owners/devs.

It's MY view, as a simple contributor to the site, that messing around with skins, and reassuring us that the comment feature is really good, when we ALL know it stinks, very well may BE the reason why we don't have any retention... Instead of that, they should have been writing ALGORITHMS..

I've not been shy about sharing my views with the devs.. Of course, I AIN'T a PAID computer consultant...

If MY income is decreasing, theirs must be plummeting..

excon

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Aren't we warm and fuzzy enough?

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Hello WG:

We ain't CLOSE to warm and fuzzy. We're actually a**holes.

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If we were, would that solve the problem?

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In a word, YES!

Have you ever been to a store where you KNEW you were welcomed? That didn't happen by accident. Have you ever been to a store where you KNEW you better not break one of their rules? THAT happens by accident. Or, put another way, if you don't manage your people, some of your peoples a**holeness will come out.

Excon

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Originally Posted by excon

Hello again, NK and WG:

I'm a businessman - not a computer guy. So, I couldn't tell the difference between an algorithm or an SEO. I don't know particularly WHAT the site needs. I just recognize that it needs something... And, WHATEVER it needs, needs to be addressed by the owners/devs.

It's MY view, as a simple contributor to the site, that messing around with skins, and reassuring us that the comment feature is really good, when we ALL know it stinks, very well may BE the reason why we don't have any retention... Instead of that, they should have been writing ALGORITHMS..

I've not been shy about sharing my views with the devs.. Of course, I AIN'T a PAID computer consultant...

If MY income is decreasing, theirs must be plummeting..

excon

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Let me clear something up. Its not "our" side that has the algorithm it's the search engine filter. What needs to happen is for this site to decide and trim where needed so we don't get classified as spam. One of the things you may notice is that when a post is made the related content shows up as an ad. It takes a person away from this site. And that is exactly what the bots and algorithm is looking at and classifying as social spam. So far the lay out doesn't look good to the search engines. Lots of tags but the content is pushed away by ads. See where this is going and how we got here.

And the dumbest thing is we have been using Google adsense here and its Google that is bending us over. How dumb is that ?

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Originally Posted by excon

It's MY view, as a simple contributor to the site, that messing around with skins, and reassuring us that the comment feature is really good, when we ALL know it stinks, very well may BE the reason why we don't have any retention...

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Well you know I agree with you there.
I don't get a paycheck from here so I really don't care if the site kicks *** or not. This one of my many pit stop diversions. I just know that I've seen too many new users express confusion.

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Originally Posted by califdadof3

Let me clear something up. Its not "our" side that has the algorithm its the search engine filter.

And the dumbest thing is we have been using google adsense here and its google that is bending us over. How dumb is that ?

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Hello again, dad:

It's not going to get clear, no matter how hard you try... But, it doesn't matter. I don't know WHAT feature/algorithm this site had WHEN we were busy. All I know is the site had what Google wanted, and we were busy... Now Google changes its algorithm, and SOMETHING needs to be done here to counter it. Whatever we did once, we can do again.

In terms of adsense, are we contributing to those who are plotting our demise?? What do we do about that?

excon

I have been and shopped at many stores, I think of McDonalds where employees have to say "do you want fries with that" or at least they used to.

Did anyone ever think those employees really cared if you took fries. Or the post a few week ago about someone having to sell extended warranties to keep their jobs.

A company can change all the rules they want, they can make employees do things a certain way, but if the decission or choice they made * or changes* were wrong, at some point the store suffers.

Good managers will at some point admit mistakes and either change things back or attempt to change things for a better choice.

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Originally Posted by excon

Have you ever been to a store where you KNEW you were welcomed?? That didn't happen by accident. Have you ever been to a store where you KNEW you better not break one of their rules? THAT happens by accident. Or, put another way, if you don't manage your people, some of your peoples a**holeness will come out.

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That was my exact mission in Libraryland for thirty years -- to train library workers to manage our patrons so that they would leave our library smiling and WANT to come back. I would sit near the entrance at closing time, waiting for everyone to finish cleaning up their areas before we left for the night, and would listen to comments between/among patrons as they left the building. Very interesting -- and terrific fodder for future staff and volunteer training. Maybe someone needs to sit at this site's door and listen to members who use the site once and then leave, never to return.

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

I just know that I've seen too many new users express confusion.

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And how many times have Ben and Scott (and others) asked newer members to stop using the comment feature when they answer with new information or advice or a response...

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

And how many times have Ben and Scott (and others) asked newer members to stop using the comment feature when they answer with new information or advice or a response....

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Hello again, WG:

Are you saying it's the CUSTOMERS who aren't acting right?? Or is the site just not user friendly? Either way, the result is the same.

excon

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Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

A company can change all the rules they want, they can make employees do things a certain way, but if the decission or choice they made * or changes* were wrong, at some point the store suffers.

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Reminds me of a new library director we had. Our schtick at the front desk when checking out books was to talk about favorite authors, thus getting to know our patrons and their preferences. The director told us no more of that kind of interaction. We were invading a patron's privacy by asking them which authors they liked, and we had no business sharing our own favorites. We were to simply check out books in silence, and then thank them for visiting the library.

On this site, we scold them for texting and for posting in the comments field.

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Originally Posted by excon

Are you saying it's the CUSTOMERS who aren't acting right??? Or is the site just not user friendly? Either way, the result is the same.

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Dear excon:

Whether they are acting right or not, we tell them they are doing Bad Things. That's not good public relations. Maybe it's time we learn how to read texting. Or stop playing up to the tweeners with a glitzy-looking site.

WG

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Whether they are acting right or not, we tell them they are doing Bad Things. That's not good public relations.

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Hello again, WG:

We're saying the same thing. What do you do when a step is broken in your store... You certainly REMIND your customers to BE careful... But, wouldn't it be easier just to fix the step?

The comment feature is OUR step. If that were FIXED, we STILL might not be wonderful people... But, at least we don't have to START the relationship by admonishing them...

The skins don't work either. We've been telling them that forever... I don't know WHY they're NOT listening to us. Clearly, they don't think their customers are right. I AM a customer here, too, am I not? Who ARE they listening to?

excon

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Originally Posted by excon

Who ARE they listening to?

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Look at the new skin -- how "pretty" it is with all the places to go and things to do. Fun. "Dashboard" sounds like a control thing, like in a car where all the knobs and push-buttons are for controlling the car's interior temperature, the radio, the stereo system, even now with GPS where he is going and how to get there. The new member thinks he has control, but then is told he is doing those Bad Things.

I don't remember much texting going on before Go was made the default. Are we attracting the customers we really want to attract? Who exactly is texting? The texters and tweeners aren't the ones who tend to stick around; they are one-time users.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Look at the new skin -- how "pretty" it is with all the places to go and things to do. Fun. "Dashboard" sounds like a control thing, like in a car where all the knobs and push-buttons are for controlling the car's interior temperature, the radio, the stereo system, even now with GPS where he is going and how to get there. The new member thinks he has control, but then is told he is doing those Bad Things.

I don't remember much texting going on before Go was made the default. Are we attracting the customers we really want to attract? Who exactly is texting? The texters and tweeners aren't the ones who tend to stick around; they are one-time users.

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I thought the point of AskMeHelpDesk was to help people in general, not to target certain types of people to help?

Isn't a one time user good enough?

Step 1.they come here for help
Step 2.they get help
Step 3.they move on

And maybe if they thought they were treated fairly and got a good response theyd advertise the site through word of mouth.

"ive got a problem"
"try this site they were actually quite helpful"

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Originally Posted by albear

isn't a one time user good enough?

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Yes, but if he texts his questions and posts things in the wrong box and then gets yelled at, he won't come back. I do think the owners want repeat traffic as well as new traffic.

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and maybe if they thought they were treated fairly and got a good response theyd advertise the site through word of mouth.

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That's we are all supposed to do on GO -- advertise the site on Facebook and on Twitter and all the other social networking sites we hang out on. The plea is to advertise your profile and direct traffic (your Internet friends and contacts) to this site -- and if you sign up for Adsense, all the better because then you will earn money too. "Everyone wins" is the message.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Look at the new skin -- how "pretty" it is with all the places to go and things to do. Fun. "Dashboard" sounds like a control thing, like in a car where all the knobs and push-buttons are for controlling the car's interior temperature, the radio, the stereo system, even now with GPS where he is going and how to get there. The new member thinks he has control, but then is told he is doing those Bad Things.

I don't remember much texting going on before Go was made the default. Are we attracting the customers we really want to attract? Who exactly is texting? The texters and tweeners aren't the ones who tend to stick around; they are one-time users.

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Just wait until the new article feature kicks in and starts going full swing. I really do think they are trying to change it into a social networking site rather then what it currently / is used to be.