DocAndersen
First of all, I wanted to iterate something I brought up. Views have traditionally gone down in July/August, at least on this site since I have been here (roughly four years). It is a normal thing as people head off towards vacation in several parts of the world. Hopefully, my mentioning that views were down overall didn’t alarm anyone. We are down since November of last year, but we are also down now because it is the July Doldrums. I am not sure why this site has done that, but it has every summer I’ve been here. So don’t worry, lower views in July usually is.
I have over the four years, or so I’ve been here offered advice and help to anyone that reached out to me. I realize that people don’t always want help, so if they don’t reach out, I tend not to offer anymore. Based on that, I have had two authors that I helped, resent the one-way relationship that creates. First of all, as a human being, I do not assume that because I help someone, they are inferior. I do not consider myself superior; I try to help. I have personally helped more than 40 authors on this site, two authors got angry with me and based on the response of the two, it was wholly my fault. I realize that it is very vague in the way I described this situation, but that is on purpose.
I believe it is essential to help people. I know, based on my community call to action of a couple of days ago that many of you do as well. There are those authors who don’t, and I do understand that. No one says you have to participate in a community. In the IT world, we call that “show and throw up” or seagull consulting (swoop in, leave something, fly away). Not everyone has to be the same for a site to be successful.
But I do want to caution the readers and other authors that there are people who are here on this site to benefit themselves. I can tell you, from personal experience, that there are people here on this site that genuinely care about both the site and the other authors here. I would even go so far as to the same some of them are indeed the kind of people I cherish as friends.
- So here are the rules by which I am operating now. If you comment on my post, I will reply, plus I guarantee I will find your post and comment there. If you respond to the comment on my post or your post, I will reply. Until, as another author pointed out to me, we get to the Thank you, no Thank you part of a conversation.
- If you ask me for help, I will do what I can do.
- I will read posts that I find interesting (even if the author doesn’t comment on my posts), but I will not read posts by people that never comment on posts anymore. I am trying to cut my time here and focus on other things. If I read your post and I’m afraid I have to disagree, I will tell you in a comment. I may, if I have time, even include links to information sources that contradict what you posted.
This work is Copyright DocAndersen. Any resemblance to people real or fictional in this piece is accidental (unless explicitly mentioned by name.)
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Question of
Do you have rules you follow here?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Do people here often ask you for help?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Since the poll monster got my poll should i buy a poll monster trap?
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Yes
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No
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We lost an author last year. He reached out to me about payment method. I sent him the admin contact email. I think he discontinued because his country is eligible for PayPal payment.
Like you, I read and comment on those who read and comment on mine. But also, like you, I comment on posts of authors who don’t comment on mine or of other users because their posts attracted me.
i make sure i read stuff that is interesting
I recognized the dogs as being yours even before I saw your name. You are a good guy. You always comment when write something and when I go into your post I like to comment too. Thank you for being here and on other sites we are together.
Ditto – I enjoy our conversations. That for me is the real value of a community like this the conversations!!!
I am more of a rule bender by nature. I take after my Mom. I will push it to the limit and often get burned. I do try to mind my manners here.
perhaps I should have called them a code of conduct rather than rules. I suspect you are right in the sense that rules are often not something to accept.
I should simply learn to be obedient like my father. (If he went over the speed limit he mailed in a check explaining he had broken the law.
we have to do the things that make us happy!
“First of all, as a human being, I do not assume that because I help someone, they are inferior. I do not consider myself superior; I try to help.”
This is generally how you come across to me too. You are a genuine person.
Our style of writing can sometimes belie our thoughts though.
Sometimes, I come across, as opinionated, and too one-sided, or as a know-it all.
I am trying to alter my own style of writing, by adding things like, “I see it like this, or this is only my opinion”, instead of stating it as what looks like an undisputable fact.
Instead of bluntly saying, “God exists”, I try now to say, “I think that God exists, and would operate like this, if he did exist.”
i have found you willing to ask and answer questions. In my code of conduct, i am most happy when I find people that let me ask questions without becoming angry. That I can carry a different view of what they say or are doing to them and they will say, oh.
No respond with a series of angry messages.
I find you are someone I can have those conversations with and I welcome and cherish those.
Yes, I like to discuss things with someone who can match me, and make me think on both sides of an issue, as you do.
I try to stay calm, as, as soon as we get upset, our (clear) thinking goes out the window, mostly too.
I try not to have any really fixed opinions; if we have those too strongly, and feel challenged, perhaps this is why we get upset, or angry.
I try to remain open to all ideas, but I do like to not be swayed too much, and to keep thinking for myself too., as I see that you do too
The reality of opinions is that they trend towards permanent if we let them.
People often get wound are the reality of argument. My favorite is, it is ok for me to say you did something wrong, it is not ok for you to say I did something wrong. I’ve encountered that here on this site many times.
We do need to have a certain level of awareness, mixed with humility, to see and to say that we were wrong though.
Otherwise, we just go on defending our own wrong position, ad Infinitum.
i love the way you said that, it resonates. We do need to as Stephen Covey said “enter the room with the heart of a servant.”
Thanks. I like and appreciate that quote from Stephen Covey too.
He has my first name, and I covey his words there, and I wish I had said that…lol…
i do worry about the world because of that right now. Many believe the world should serve them.
I watch the mask protests and I think. all that energy wasted.
You are the lucky recipient of random comment number 130 “It would be nice to spend billions on schools and roads, but right now that money is desperately needed for political ads.” – Andy Borowitz
ok that random quote made me laugh out loud! I am giggling right now.
I love your random quotes!
I am glad you are out there Doc pitching for everyone. I am sorry to hear the views are down but as long as the ship stays afloat I will be here.
i think we have a normal July/August dip. Lots of people go on vacation. So overall we often see that. But I do agree with you, as long as the ship if floating I am here rowing!
It is nice that we have many shipmates. I guess I need to share more of the posts, even the old ones and see if we can get some traffic. I am open of any ideas.
i think that is an awesome idea. we need more traffic!
Some are really acting a little weird. I always like to accept help. You have helped me and others a lot.
i can honestly tell you, that you are one of the people that I would be honored to help. When you were unable to publish here, I felt so bad. I consider you a friend and that means a lot to me!
Thank you very much for your kind words. I remember this well and your help for which I am very grateful. In such cases, we meet a true friend. And you are a true friend, at least to me.
i agree and it is important. Friends stand with friends! my grandfather taught me that what we take from the world, we have to give back. That at the end of our lives we have to have given more than we took.
I totally agree with your grandfather’s words. But there are few such good friends.
when we find them, we create a band of people, a group. I have friends that I cherish from a previous writing site. We read, comment and share each others posts. It is a friendship I cherish, even though that site is gone.
All you can do is all you can do Doc. And you have helped many, and are continuing to do so.
Hoping for a better day.
thanks – you have helped many (including me) so I return the thanks!
I am struggling trying to find something different here.
so am i but i keep rolling
I find you are as helpful and informative as you can be
thank you very much for those kind words!