Why Do Good Social Blogging Networks Fail?
I just heard that World Famous Writers (formerly Elite Visitors) has been shut down without notice. Yet another writing site has failed, and writers are again left out in the cold. Apparently in this case, it was one of several co-owners and administrators who took it upon himself to delete the site without consulting the others. The other owners are left with no backup, so they can't just buy a new domain name and move.
The site had already changed its domain after one of the original owners ran off with funds that were supposed to pay users. After that, things were rocky. The site had actually stopped paying users altogether, and was asking them to continue posting content in the hopes that things would soon turn around. From what I hear, things were getting better.
Writers Have Good Reason Not to Trust
Social bloggers and web writers have been hit very hard in the last couple of years. Plenty of sites have closed. Some have failed to pay users monies that were owed. New and promising sites have failed to get off the ground, and even more established sites have had to make hard decisions about who can earn, and just how much traffic to their content will pay.
It's sad, because in many ways the hesitance to commit ends up hurting a site that started off well. And the fears of not getting paid turn into a self-fulfilling prophesy, because the site owners have promised to pay out more than they end up earning. Too many writers use the site as a personal diary, and their content has no SEO value. The only traffic on the site is internal traffic, and if a fair number of users come from regions of the world that pay little to no advertising revenue, even that traffic can't bring in enough money to pay what's been promised.
| Closed | PaidToWrite | SocialWriting | Blogging | Content | SEO | FOPP |
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Image Credit » http://pixabay.com/en/by-wlodek-old-close-hack-closed-428549/ by jarmoluk
Comments
CoralLevang wrote on June 13, 2015, 6:01 PM
By the way, I think that Sweebleapp will take off with this new young crowd and all the shi* that Bubblews' folks have been through probably helped to fund it. It's a shame that there is such unethical behavior that goes on. All the money still on the books there, will likely go with the Sweeb group eventually. I've been to their Twitter page and all seems so rosy and the fervor is building.
I wonder if there isn't something that we (as writers) can do, without putting ourselves into a legal bind doing it. If you know of anything, or write something, let me know. I can't do the writing right now (medical issues), but will gladly share on my blog.
PriscillaKing also had something going, I think, but I haven't seen her lately; I'm not sure she knows of Sweeb's launch.
There needs to be something someone can do to stop the bs. Or call attention to it. ??
valmnz wrote on June 13, 2015, 6:18 PM
It seems that not even renaming could save that site. I think too many start these sites up, believing they will be easy pickings and know all the answers. They dare to think they can succeed when others haven't. It seems a risky business to me.
Kasman wrote on June 13, 2015, 6:24 PM
It seems that writers have limited choices. We either write for nothing or we write for whatever is on offer and if we don't like it then that's just too bad. We could, of course, set up our own website but many can't be bothered with the potential hassle (I can't). If online earnings are important to a writer then a rethink of how and where they write is definitely overdue.
Ruby3881 wrote on June 13, 2015, 6:34 PM
I know some people were talking about notifying the Attorney General of the goings on. I tried contacting a person that another writer said was organizing something, but I never heard back.
Ruby3881 wrote on June 13, 2015, 6:37 PM
There are ways to cut the risks, but that would make it harder to recruit writers....
MegL wrote on June 13, 2015, 6:48 PM
I have several blogs up and running but very little content because I don't have time at the minute. I think blogs need to be targetted at a particular theme or problem, rather than just be random musings. I created a blog for my sister because she is a very talented funny writer of a certain age. I want to monetise it for her but she hasn't signed up to Google adsense yet, though I could add clickbank products.
1MelissaE wrote on June 13, 2015, 7:21 PM
The best money is on your own site. There is no answer.
DanieGirl8587 wrote on June 13, 2015, 7:28 PM
I'm still new this this whole social blogging, so I am trying to trust which sites will be good for me.
CoralLevang wrote on June 13, 2015, 7:50 PM
I think that has happened, but there are too few people (in my opinion) who would follow through. There are strength in numbers.
BarbRad wrote on June 13, 2015, 9:34 PM
I'm in the process now of writing a blog post about what the victims of site closures, notable Squidoo, are doing with their content now. I just may put in a link to this article. Zujava just closed suddenly ahead of when they said they would, and I'm afraid HubPages is on the way down. They are discontinuing their video hubs and it appears polls will also be disappearing.
1xstitcher wrote on June 14, 2015, 1:28 AM
*Too many writers use the site as a personal diary, and their content has no SEO value.
Not everyone is good at (or has time to) write about national news or politics or whatever.
scheng1 wrote on June 14, 2015, 4:44 AM
This just shows that money can corrupt people. I think the owners learnt a lesson about trust, friendship and money.
1WordChazer wrote on June 14, 2015, 10:43 AM
Must remember to remove my work from that other site so it can benefit my blog or here, depending on where I decide to put it. I noticed when I logged in last that I'd finally rolled over to another dollar but really, it's exactly what you were saying. Many people use the site as a blogging diary rather than an earnings potential (guilty m'lud) but if you want to earn you have to post usable SEO keyword content of some sort. On your own site you have to adhere to inbound marketing rules in order to get traffic. I'm far from convinced that blogging pays but I'm pretty certain that niche content does. At least in some areas of the world, as you rightly point out.
Gina145 wrote on June 14, 2015, 7:48 PM
I can't say I'm surprised. I stopped contributing there a long time ago but hadn't deleted my content as I hoped they'd eventually sort themselves out. Thankfully I learnt a long time ago to keep copies of everything I write online that might have some use later on.
agvulpes wrote on June 15, 2015, 12:29 AM
This seems to be the way the Web is 'evolving' ! In my opinion it will only get worse for the 'content suppliers' . Writers like us!
I have a 'feeling' that Google has something up it's sleeve that will cut the 'publishers' percentage even further!!!