Forum Moderators: open
Lately I’ve been thanking members personally with a sticky for their posts. Especially for those jumping in to help in the forums I moderate. Maybe it’s the Boston conference coming up, my first and I am so excited to put faces to nicks, and then names on top of that. I am overwhelmed at the thought that I get to meet Brett finally, a person I deeply admire and respect. So many mods coming, around 25 of 41 so far I think, and I’ve never met one.
My two partners and I are meeting up at the conference, one a member I met here at Webmasterworld yet this conference is where we’ll finally shake hands for the first time. That’s exciting stuff. I look through the list of people coming in PubConference IV, Confirmed Attendees [webmasterworld.com]. I don’t think everyone has signed in yet but so far this quite an amazing group. Seriously, this is an event you don’t want to miss, if you can still get in.
The purpose of my post though isn’t Boston specifically but rather what effort do you put out, beyond the terrific posting, certainly I’m not discounting that. Someone started a discussion recently about how much do you use your sticky. Really, the sticky is great but Boston, well… Again, have you reached out to another member and what kind of response did you get? {Don't pick on me if I haven't responded to your sticky yet, I get quite a few} Have others found business partners, like we have been so fortunate with, or friendships? If you’re going or wish you could get to Boston, members you really want to meet, talk to even?
This is Friday right? Can we can ponder in Community now to balance the Foo play? ;)
Ive made a few contacts through this site - the enormous wealth of talent here is second only to the information that they contribute.
Ive found that everyone (Mods / Admin / Brett in particular) is excellent at responding to sticky's promptly and accurately.
A particular mention should be made of the mods and admin who sticky members to let the know a post has been moved or changed for any reason.
In terms of contacts made, one of the moderators on my own forum is a member here, and a few other members have shown interest in helping out too (but have yet to register - you know who you are! ;)).
Also, Ive had a few people contact me when I had a site listed in my profile, regarding content, linking or other types of business partnerships.
It's good to be able to do a bit of background on the people you are communicating with too - you can read their posts and check their profiles, etc.
I think the easy use and functionality of the sticky system helps a lot - makes it much more convienent for members to communicate privately with each other.
I'd have liked to get to Boston, but Ive got a lot on over the next few weeks. :(
I am definitely making a bee-line for the next conference though! :)
Scott
I've found some folks will go out of their way to assist in whatever fashions they can. Indeed, some go beyond that via sticky.
On the other hand and for whatever reason, quite a few questions/posts do go unanswered from time-to-time.
With the exception of a few snots, my generalized WebmasterWorld experience has been...well on a scale of one to ten?
mebe a five.
Just too many factions. (A group of persons forming a cohesive, usually contentious minority within a larger group.)
Pendanticist.
joining Webmasterworld was a real eye opener.
attending PubCon London was amazing.
sharing info in Supporters Forum is breathtaking.
suffice to say, I am grateful to be part of this community, and will never be able to give in, as much as I get out of it.
without a shadow of a doubt, the cream of the crop across the world are here in 1 shape or another.
I get quite a few stickies every day and always try and assist if I can, I actually find it a pleasure to be able to help a fellow member 6,000 miles away. at the same time I have stickied many members asking for advice/help in situations where I have been in trouble.
Shak
Pendanticist, interesting perspective and another thing that makes Webmasterworld so interesting. Even though you rate it only a five out of ten it still draws you to post nearly 600 times. Amazing. I’d love to see what kind of enthusiasm you would put behind a community you really like. It’s those extra insights you get from the personal posts. I guess I don’t spend enough time being silly in Foo.
Right Marketing Guy, the business opportunities when you reach out, and if someone trys to spam it’s quickly subdued so we’re cushioned a bit with the sticky system.
It's true that the sticky help a lot when people have particular problems and I'm always glad to help if I'm asked to. Most of the time I do the first step though, because I find it easier to 'see' the actual problem.
It amazing the amount of stuff I've learnt here SEO-wise as well as other stuffs. Thanks everybody for sharing your knowledge (I hope to be able to do the same).
What 'kills' me is that even if you are a newbie here(like everybody used to be, ... and I still am), you feel right at home on the forums. People greats you, they have a really profound and genuine meaning to help you, and I found that really great in this quite selfish outside world.
It's also great fun to 'share' your concern when things like late update happen, and see that you are not alone (despite what your girlfriend is shouting form the next door bedroom :))
The only thing I could say that is 'negative' about this forum is that it's too addictive, I spend my whole days on it instead of working and that's NOT GOOD (despite what my inner-self is shouting to my bank account ;))
Well that's it from me - see you around guys and great work to everybody who contribute in anyway to this great 'life experience'
Leo
A month ago or so I had it and essentially said so within a post. Heini soon after wrote me a note asking me to explain my position and reconsider. What a class act. There was no need for this person to do that. What it exemplifies is the character of the mods and the general charecter of most of those that have dedicated so much to this site. I must say, I was taken back by this, and soon there after began living on ACTIVE again.
I like many others don't really have the time to participate on WW with sincerity, but something keeps me coming back. I think it has much to do with the fact that Internet marketing and SEO is a LONELY world, and this is one of the only outlets I have wherein I actually feel that I am amongst peers. It is a welcome change from employees and clients.
I have signed up for Pub Conference, but still i dont know if i will go. I have this vision of me standing in a room full of people that know eachother and have established relationships. I wonder if by going I will further alienate myself or further solidify my dedication to this community. Why am I doing this, I ask myself again. This is unlike me...what is in this Kool Aid?
Regardless, thanks to all that take their time to participate with intergrity and sincerity, you are special people. Too many to mention.
Blah, blah, blah, Chicago....:)
I have this vision of me standing in a room full of people that know eachother and have established relationships. I wonder if by going I will further alienate myself or further solidify my dedication to this community
I had the same vision last year but this isn't the case. Nearly everyone will be happy to share a drink with you and talk. You might have to initiate some of the conversations but everyone was very open and friendly down in Irvine last year. If Paynt is busy look me up:)
Please consider answering some of these orphaned posts. Even if you don't know the answer, give the poster a welcome. At least that will bump the post back up on the active list, and give them a chance.
Cheers!
Jim
No pub conference for me :( but I won't be able to stay away for too long :)
I'm a relatively new poster as you can see. That isn't to say that i'm new to web development, just that I never came across WW until recently. And now i'm here, I have this unavoidable sense that I somehow belong. I'm not a sentimental person, and I tend to give praise less often than perhaps I should, but I feel like webmasterworld has been able to create a sense of community that can even be lacking in face to face encounters sometimes. Before I came across WW I had to learn things the 'hard way', by hours of searching, experimentation and self-teaching. Which I'm glad I did, because it taught me a lot. But I can learn twice as fast by interacting with memebers of WW.
I haven't really had much of a chance to 'reach out', but I try and do my bit by contributing where I can. My sticky mail count is currently 1 i'm afraid ;)
Long may WW continue! Expect stickies and posts from pixel some point soon!
hope this post doesn't make me sound like some kind of WW addict hermit nutcase ;)
Please consider answering some of these orphaned posts. Even if you don't know the answer, give the poster a welcome. At least that will bump the post back up on the active list, and give them a chance.
Jim, I more than agree with you. However, others do not.
I have to head out now, but please check your sticky.
Pendanticist.
What Jim said actually goes double for me. In my opinion - a post which lays dormant for much more than an hour is bad for business.
It is my belief that most first time posters hang around anxiously awaiting that first response to appear, and I also feel it should be acknowledge post haste. Notice I said acknowledged.
I usually peruse the Recent Posts and several times a day go back to Unanswered Posts. Lately, when I see a new post, I read it and even if I don't know anything about the subject matter...as long as it's the posters first post I post the Welcome to WebmasterWorld in a titled link.
Now that the residential heirarchy has expressed their displeasure with my doing that, I will discontinue the practice. <I just don't have the clout Jim does.>
pixel_juice you got style and I've enjoyed reading your responses as well. Enthusiastic and everythang. :) These forums could use about, well, ...more of 'yas.
Thank You for the compliment, paynt. One word sums up my domain, my existance here and my life in general.
Altruist.
<My (ex)wife used to say I'd make a good teacher. Yikes!>
Anyway, I hope this excellent topic paynt brought up gets to moving along again as I'm very interested in reading the experiences of others.
Pendanticist.
Have considered the idea but not sure how to deal with it. There are many members who have gained my respect and trust, a good foundation for a business relation. But I am very concerned with not abusing any written or unwritten rules, and I tend to doubt that any other member could gain any real advantage from a cooperation with me as a webmaster.
> suffice to say, I am grateful to be part of this community, and will never be able to give in, as much as I get out of it.
I'm in debt too, shak. And I'm not really doing anything about it lately. No hard work for the community, just an easy posting now and then if I feel like it. And I can't promise that this will change. Good that we are still getting new members who both will and can take their part of the burden.
Have others found business partners
Have considered the idea but not sure how to deal with it. There are many members who have gained my respect and trust, a good foundation for a business relation. But I am very concerned with not abusing any written or unwritten rules, and I tend to doubt that any other member could gain any real advantage from a cooperation with me as a webmaster.
I'm sure it depends of the situation in which you are, after all the 'Commercial Exchange' forum has 2377 posts, somebody must found it usefull.
If a potentially big customer came and asked you about a specific topic in which you know that one of the member you appreciate has a GREAT knowledge, and you also know that it would take too much time to gain this knowlegde by yourself (hence loosing the customer), wouldn't you try to ask him/her to become a partner/freelance working for you?
I know I would.
Leo
It’s a viable resource as is the sticky. I like people to contact me about work certainly, but also for help. Edited of personal information a help me question can be brought to the board. More people gain through those efforts than a direct response from me. Any time we can start discussions and get people involved, we all have a better chance of learning.
As far as doing business with each other, that’s the beauty of the place. The people you may want to work with prescreen themselves in public, isn’t that cool. It’s not about spamming though. I’ve made great connections because someone reached out from here to me and I’m very grateful. I’m excited about Boston. I get lost in telephone conversations with other members, imagine having dinner.
Many of the thoughts expressed in this thread have run through my head as well, however I have the attitude of nothing ventured, nothing gained, and so I am looking forward to meeting many of you at pubcon and learning and sharing so we may all better ourselves.
Let me assure you that PubCon is as friendly as it gets.
at the London PubCon, I had completly the same sick feeling of standing in the corner on my own, whilst "the community" chatted away.
I can assure you that I was welcomed with open arms by some very senior members, and treated like a part of the family.
No questions such as "how many posts you made" or "whats your nickname", the fact that I was there was enough to give me the welcome.
I made many "friends" there, friendships which have carried on through phonecalls, emails, stickies and even occasional get togethers. these include people from Germany, Denmark, USA, Netherlands, Australia, Portugal, USA, and many others.
As I posted after the last PubCon, it was 1 of those weekends I will NEVER forget, finally after 28 years I had found a group of people with whom I belonged and felt a part of, no bull**** or sales tactics required.
just being me was enough.
If anyone who is coming to Boston is still shy when you arrive, look me up, I will personally take you round and introduce you to people you would be shy of approaching on your own. Hey i may even buy you a drink called the "Shak Shot".
To be honest you will end up walking away saying "so many members to talk to, so little time"
Shak
Hey i may even buy you a drink called the "Shak Shot"
I'm getting really jealous now :(
As has been said, the friendliness of the community and the work put in by the admins, mods and senior members (all members!) made me feel welcome from day one and encouraged me to start posting. I imagine that we all felt slightly daunted in the beginning, posting on a board that is frequented by people with a staggering breath of knowledge. However, everyone has something to contribute, be it a new perspective on a topic to an innovative solution to a problem.
I feel envious of the people who are going to PubCon (while I'd love to hop on the 6hr plane ride across the pond, work constraints don't allow it this year). I couldn't make BarCon in London last October, but Hell may well have to freeze over to stop me this year!
