This article grows out of a discussion I was having elsewhere about what happens when you write for Hubpages and your article is ‘non-featured’.
In many cases you will write, post, the item would be published, and getting some hits. Then, suddenly, it is non-featured.
The first time it happens to you the feeling is that you did ‘something wrong’. Spelling? Grammar? Some infringement of something?
The first time it happens to you, the instant response is to go back to the item and ‘fix it’. You’ll go over it line by line, changing a bit, adding a bit, and after all this editing, publish it again and….it is non-featured.
Eventually you realise this being ‘flagged’ this ‘non-featured’ designation is often done by other writers on the site. You stop paying attention to it, and realise if it is ‘not featured’ then it can’t be seen. If it can’t be seen it isn’t published. If it isn’t published then a plagiarism checker won’t find it, any more than they would find it on your computer unpublished.
Hence you can publish it elsewhere.
However, sometimes it isn’t you.
I had written a short story on Hubpages, It was up, getting reads and hits, then it was ‘non-featured’.
I couldn’t understand what I did wrong. I went over it and over it, and then thought that maybe the name of the protagonist was someone’s name; someone who was upset. I did a search of the name. Up came my story. But NOT on Hubpages; on another site, under someone else’s name.
Imagine this happens to you.
You posted an item on Hubpages, but it was flagged, non-featured, not ‘good enough’.
But!
On another site, under another person’s name, it is doing just fine!
This is one of the’tricks’ of Hubpages. They allow other writers to ‘hop the hubs’ and ‘judge’ your work. If they can get your work non-featured, they can copy it, and either paste it, as is on another site, or do a bit of juggling and post it.
You are getting zero revenue. Your item is unread, unseen, but someone else is collecting the coin.
I am not the only one this happened to. A number of others have had the same experience. Some have taken the item and posted it elsewhere quickly before the people who flagged it post it.
It is not only on Hubpages, there were other sites which had this kind of ‘voting’ so that people could push you down, and stand on your back. But today, it is pretty much the capital of stolen writing.
What is the Main Cause of a Heart Attack? What is its Solution? A heart attack is the blockage of… Read More
In the vast economic arena, one term that often takes center stage, inciting extensive debates and discussions, is the "debt… Read More
De-Dollarization: The Changing Face of Global Finance The financial landscape is in a state of flux, with an intriguing economic… Read More
The curtains closed on a dramatic Bundesliga season with Bayern Munich standing tall once again, clinching their 11th straight title.… Read More
The Unfolding Story of Celine Dion's Health In recent news that has left fans across the globe stunned, iconic singer… Read More
As the echoes of the recent NBA season start to fade, the attention of enthusiasts is firmly glued to one… Read More
View Comments
WOW! I've heard various complaints about HUBPages but this is my first time ever hearing this one. That's a very sinister and devious trick. I find it hard to believe hopping HUBBERs would do that.
I know what “flagging” is for but I rarely use the feature. In fact, I can't think of when I've ever used the feature unless it was to flag a comment that looked like spam or was offensive. As for published content by fellow writers and bloggers? I would have to think long and hard before I click on a flag.
I am extremely cautious about flagging a person's content … that is to say their “hard work”. Especially flagging it so that I could steal it!
Of course, it should be easy to track the tricksters and expose them. Don't you think?
At any rate, this is a matter HP management and staff should review thoroughly. Do you know if it has been reported to them? I should think they would want to examine and put a stop to it. It gives the entire site a bad reputation for allowing unethical behavior.