StumbleUpon Blues - What’s Right and What’s Wrong
By Phil Butler on Feb 11, 2008 in Featured, do-no-evil
All is fair in love and war right? We are all in love with social networks and particularly when they do stuff for us. Well, StumbleUpon is perhaps the most rewarding of the social networks - but alas not without its detractive elements. There is a big difference between wanting or needing exposure on these sites and “gaming” the networks for disproportionate gain
Any blogger or publisher (at least the honest ones) will readily admit that they need traffic from these networks, but beyond viable and correct marketing of one’s wares, some people will do anything to beat the system. Where should we draw the line between being a good community member and our own needs?
Gaming Is Just Bad
Just the other day I ran across a “StumbleUpon Card” proclaiming that I was the lucky collector of something of value. I cannot tell you how excited I was to find the cute little iconic devil in my browser, even though I could not ever ascertain exactly what it was good for, I still gave it a thumbs up and went about my Stumbling with a smile Then I ran across someone else’s Stumble about some clown gaming the system by using these cards to direct traffic to his website. This really angered me, especially when I consider all the friends who actually add value to the network and play fairly too.
Stumble Behavior
I don’t know about everyone else, but my strategy for being a community member is pretty simple. If someone asks me to do something - nearly anything - I try to do it. I guess I expect the same and usually am rewarded by my “oh so” reciprocating friends. Just like the “Stumble Card” creator however, there are many who abuse the system out of overt acts. So, watching people “game” everything to death tends to get a little frustrating.
Wandering The Stumble Streets
In case anyone wonders at my community habits, I simply wander around and hit the buttons. I know this will seem idiotic to the “advanced” StumbleUpon user, but what the hell is wrong with just being honest? If someone has a great story or simply one that they want people to see, send it to me. I expect I have been in the Stumble algorithm cross hairs a time or two without knowing it over being overzealous about this story or that, but isn’t just honest enthusiasm obvious? I watch (and know of) dozens of people manipulating every network known to man, and in the end their activity is fairly obvious. I never call them on it, but it is a small thorn in the side of a rather random social networker.
A Place In The Sun - StumbleUpon
Most of the people I know really just want to be creative, to interact and to an extent - be recognized. There is no wrong in this, but then there are some who make it difficult for the rest of us. I must say it is most difficult to just “wander” around (or should I call it Stumbling around) just being one’s self. Perhaps being existential is quickly becoming a “no no”, but I really think overly manipulative people just make it hard for the rest of us. If I am wrong, so be it - but I hope at least some of you can identify with my logic here. The bottom line in any social endeavor is really about intent. Most of our intentions are really good, but “gamers” intent on essentially undermining the structure of things are another issue.
I just don’t know if those cards are a game or a way to drive traffic. If they are a way to drive traffic, how is that accomplished? They’ve been, per what I’ve read, distributed for free.
Seems silly to object to them. Is money at issue here? Can’t figure out how this could be a spamming thing.
momof5 | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
What a nice refreshingly honest perspective! I love the community aspect of social sites but it only takes a few abusers to ruin it for everyone.
FFB | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
Great article.. Good points… Alison Angel and the countless webmasters that spam her on stumble all day really were the first people to do this with the stumble network.
logan | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
I couldn’t agree more! I too have a few cards, play fair, and am annoyed in the same manner as you by those who hack, and take advantage. Sure, If you are advanced, Stumble smart, but don’t be a spoiler!
Two2travel | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
I agree completely. Social sites are not about directing traffic or milking the system in any way. It is sad that a platform for individuality and creativity is being abused for commercial purposes.
Great post, too bad you are one of the only people that realise the importance of your statement.
ak5 | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
HI Momo….I understand your postion..essentially the person creates a page with a mashup on it that links to their site and gets it into the engine. From there traffic is driven to their site, which contains nothing (or it could contain something). There is no money in this scenario but good intentions are abused and the system is at risk.
I appreciate your view and hope I made it more clear
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
Thanks Ak…yes just play fair is all..simple.
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
Thanks FEB….just honest is all .. I just Stumble ..never pay that much attention to the methodology!
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
Bravo Two2 ….just how hard can it be..I just got 4000 hits on the previous article and did nothing!
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
Couldn’t have said it better. I enjoy SU just looking around and every once in a while I find something that really interest me.
Jerold Lawrence | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
I stumble randomly most of the time. I thumb up my own blog on days when I either feel like I have said something worthwhile, or something trivial particularly well.
I don’t ask other people to thumb my site, and I don’t thumb when asked. I thumb when I like what you have written. I would never want someone to thumb my site because they know my name — because that screws up the feedback. I can create fake accounts and thumb myself all day if that is what it’s about — why bother? I’m sure not going to work that hard for ad-sense — if I wanted to WORK for a living I would be more aggressive getting tech support jobs.
I don’t like Stumble Cards because they just seem fake — if it is a good design, then just post the design. The last one I saw was a line art album cover from the 80s — why do I want to see that?
This is not the gold-rush, people, calm the fuck down.
James
James D. Newman | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
I started seeing stumblecards a few days ago and became instantly annoyed by them. They kept popping up despite my constant thumbing down.
A simple remedy: Firefox extension Adblock. Just open preferences and add a filter for ’stumblecard’ (sans quotations). Problem solved.
Nova | Feb 12, 2008 | Reply
Hi Logan…I know…..sometimes I feel badly when I get all excited and want to share something with friends..I too feel like a spammer..sending notes to friends to look at something. I expect that most of them know me tho..and just cross it off to honest enthusiasm.
Thanks for your comments and know that you are appreciated.
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 12, 2008 | Reply
Thanks Jerold …I love SU too ..perhaps the best network yet devised…thanks so much.
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 12, 2008 | Reply
This is most helpful Nova….thanks for the tip..I see more and more of them now.
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 12, 2008 | Reply
I am like you in that respect James…we should heavily reward great content, but acknowledge friends when we can also.
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 12, 2008 | Reply
Hello Phil: Very nice article. Like anything else, StumbleUpon has its limitations because it is closely monitored and if you exceed, I believe, 200 messages per day, then your messaging utility gets disabled by the “stumble devas”, as I found out from personal experience (and I was only socializing, mind you…). So, while I do love SU, it is not without its parameters for “specific behavior”. So, my advice to people, is take the middle path, lest you be unexpectedly “disabled”. Best Wishes, Keith Johnson, Author “365 Great Affirmations”
Keith | Feb 12, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for the great tips Keith! I had a similar experience early on as I submitted some stories I wrote and I think the domain got frozen for a spell or something to that effect.
Heck, I was just putting stuff there to fill my blog up.
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 12, 2008 | Reply
I don’t think that Stumblecards are bad, to be perfectly honest. They are only as detrimental as say, LOLCats or Demotivational Posters.
Let’s face it, how many LOLCats and Demotivational posters do you see when stumbling? How about the hordes of image repositories that have roughly the same images?
C’mon people. Viral marketing or not, stumblecards don’t deserve half the flack people are giving them. So what if a stumblecard on a server gets the rest of the site into the network? If the content is useless, then people will thumb it down and it will get knocked out again.
For now, I’ll collect these things, but now I’ll do so because they are a hotly contested item.
William Burns | Feb 15, 2008 | Reply
Good post! But I haven’t noticed stumblecards yet…I guess I need to look better:)
Happy | Feb 20, 2008 | Reply
DOTTED - http://www.newsdots.com/tutorials/stumbling-without-falling/
Geoserv | Feb 23, 2008 | Reply
I know exactly how you feel. I too just hit buttons and see where it takes me. I have my own blog site and write for two others and while I would like to drive traffic to my site I am still a novice at at everything but the writing. It has definitely been interesting learning. I do like to see articles like this and there the ones I usually try link to and come back to authors that write with this kind of honesty. It is to be respected and commended. I have seen too many that lack integrity. Keep up the good work.
Jim - Just a Guy | Feb 25, 2008 | Reply
A lot of times its forgotten that while stumbleupon is a great way to generate more traffic it is also a social media tool. Thanks for the reminder.
Megan
Megan | Feb 26, 2008 | Reply
Exactly Megan! These places are not just designed to help drive traffic - although I expect the developers don’t mind hundreds of bloggers hanging out.
The foremost purpose should be for people to interact in a positive and rewarding way. Thanks for your view always.
Always,
Phil
Phil Butler | Feb 26, 2008 | Reply
stumblecards are annoying. i wish they would go away.
t5 | Feb 26, 2008 | Reply