Mortgage ramblings brought to you by Beth

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Top 5 things I don't get about Active Rain

I'm not complaining. Really I'm not. I'm just lost or confused or both.

5) Why can I organize my associates but not the blogs I subscribe too? It makes no sense. My list of blog subscriptions is varied. I subscribe to some because I work with them (Bill), some because the author usually makes me laugh (JL), others because the author is very informative(Scott).It's very vexing that I can't put them into categories.

4) Speaking of associates and blog subscriptions, why can't we anonymously delete or unsubscribe? Come on, you know what I'm talking about. Someone added you as an associate and you don't want to be associated with them for whatever reason but feel no real animosity to them and don't want to hurt their feelings. Or after reading a particularly good post you subscribe, only to find out it was a one off. Most of what they post is drivel. How do you unsubscribe without saying "Hey you! You bore the heck outta me"! (Sardi)

3) The points. The freaking points! I'll bet there is a very good explanation for it but the blogging point system is over my head. Not hard to do since I'm only five feet tall but still... Here's an example: Total points 475. 68 comments of which 9 were from the author. Post was featured. Total points 517. 38 comments of which 12 were from the author. Post was not featured or reblogged. I just don't get it unless the AR gods are giving out consolation points??

2) Feature me???I know this has been blogged to death already but I still don't get it. Now the AR gods will probably take away my meager supply of pretty gold stars for questioning it but it still makes no sense. One person gets featured twice in one day, another never gets featured at all. Similar content but unequal gold stars. Again, systems been good to me so far but it seems like a game the AR gods play to drive the rest of us crazy.

1) Why are Loan Officers, Inspectors, VAs etc the red headed step children of AR? If you are not a Realtor you know what I'm talking about. We don't get any cool tools or toys. Maybe this is just a microcosm of the industry as a whole in which we non Realtor types are considered hangers on?? Why isn't there a place for loan referrals or leads? We Want TOYS!

 

27 commentsBeth Forbes Your 24/7 loan officer • December 11 2008 06:37PM

Comments

Beth,

I don't have a clue about the scoring and I have almost a quarter of a million points.....and I have associates and subscribers but I am not hear to earn anyone's approval......but what I do have because I spend my time in Localism are closed sales, pending sales and buyers I am working that made first contact through Active Rain or Active Rain's Localism.......

 

Posted by Julie Chapman Realty Homes Brunswick Georgia 11 months ago

Beth, somewhere early on I read about the points system, but I have never been able to figure how points are calculated when you receive comments.  It seems to me that I get many more points than I thought I would, so that's ok with me. :)

Posted by Ann Allen ~ SRES ASP e-PRO REALTORĀ® ~ Birmingham Alabama Luxury Homes (Keller Williams Realty) 11 months ago

Like the Blog subscriptions sorting idea! Capitol in fact. As far as Toys, We love toys! Bring em on!

Posted by Scott Geary Your Pennsylvania Mortgage Source (Infinity Home Mortgage Company Inc) 11 months ago

>>>>Working on my dull and uninteresting personality<<<<

I will be back.  I really need to get away from this online contraption.

Posted by Jason Sardi, Mortgage Banker (FHA-VA-USDA-Conventional-Pennsylvania Loans) 11 months ago

We aren't the redheaded step-children.....We just don't need to be coddled.

 

Posted by Tom Burris | Texas Mortgage Dallas Mortgage FHA (DallasLoanGuy.com) 11 months ago

@ Tom - Apparently you don't know Jeff;)

Posted by Jason Sardi, Mortgage Banker (FHA-VA-USDA-Conventional-Pennsylvania Loans) 11 months ago

You want toys? And I suppose you want them to run on batteries too? (Sounds to me a little like Scott's falling down on the job ;-0)

 

Posted by Allentown PA Real Estate Broker * Jennifer Monroe * 11 months ago

LMFAO @ Sardi!!

(see? he can be interesting once in a blue moon)

Posted by Allentown PA Real Estate Broker * Jennifer Monroe * 11 months ago

I'm reminded of a song.

Okay, I'm seriously getting away from this thing.

Posted by Jason Sardi, Mortgage Banker (FHA-VA-USDA-Conventional-Pennsylvania Loans) 11 months ago

Hey now... I go out for the night and I come to see that I am being talked about?   lol   Hey, for you Flyers fans out there, I saw the best Flyers game in person...   down 5 to 1 going into the 3rd period... tied the game at 5-5 with 1 minute and 44 seconds left in the game....  went into overtime... tied still... and won it in a shootout 2 goals to none...

In any case Beth, I love the little rants.... in regards to the associates, you once were able to move them around. Not sure why you can't now...  and yes, I agree..  even though this is a real estate site, I feel like loan officers are just peas in a pod at times, on here. And the features.. kind of funny. I was told several times that they like to give people a chance, especially new people... but then you see some that get featured twice in 48 hours.... and this has happened more than 4 times just this week...  okay, nite nite...

jeff belonger

Posted by Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com -- FHA Loans -- FHA mortgages - USDA loans (Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc) 11 months ago

What no star?

lol @My Jen

Posted by Guilford Connecticut Real Estate Agent, Sandra Cummings (William Raveis Real Estate) 11 months ago

Julie- I quite agree. Obviously the business I have generated is the important thing. Participation on this site has gotten me a number of leads either directly or indirectly, I just needed to vent...

Ann- It's a big mystery to me! I guess I don't care, I'm just a curious person...

Sardi- I was just funnin'...

Burris and Sardi- Belonger IS pretty high maintenance...

Jenn- Scott likes toys too...

Jeff- You are now dubbed the king of OT comments...

A Sandra Sighting A Sandra Sighting!!!

Posted by Beth Forbes Your 24/7 loan officer (The mortgage help you want when you need it.) 11 months ago

hey...commercial real estate agents are stepchildren here too...it's all about the houses...

Posted by Tim Bradley, CCIM Jackson Wyoming Commercial Real Estate (Contour Investment Properties) 11 months ago

I have not figured out the points myself.  I don't even know what a star is or how you get one.  Toys?  Bring em on but honestly I probably wouldn't be able to figure out how to use them anyway. 

Posted by Dean Akey (Akey Financial Services) 11 months ago

Beth...

These are valid points, but don't try to understand the points for comments ... there are both computer and human awards that just depend on a lot of variables. My highest pointed post was not featured, and that's fine with me.

Some of these sound like good questions for "Dear Richard!"

Posted by Richard Weisser Coweta Fayette Real Estate ERA United Realty 11 months ago

Tim- Good point! Hadn't even thought about the commercial guys...

Dean- You get a gold star on your post if it gets featured. The rest of it I can't help ya with :-)

Posted by Beth Forbes Your 24/7 loan officer (The mortgage help you want when you need it.) 11 months ago

5- Thanks for mentioning me. While I shutter at the thought of being categorized, I can understand where this would help people.

4- I too have been trying to find a PC way to ditch Sardi, if you come up with something before me, let me know and I'll do the same.

3- Points are a way of insuring commpetitioin amongst us. As for how they score things, that's a whole other drunken story.

2- I only have a few Gold Stars, and how any post becomes featured is beyond me. Some are really great, some fit the theme of the day, some are just because there was nothing better going on.

1-Alright, all I can say about this is that I have Red hair and a step father. So yes, I am a real life red headed step child and believe it or not, I have always been treated well despite popular belief.

Posted by JL Boney, III Columbia, SC Real Estate (Russell and Jeffcoat) 11 months ago

OT comments?  Overtime comments?  Me confused and I haven't had a martini yet.. lol

jeff belonger

Posted by Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com -- FHA Loans -- FHA mortgages - USDA loans (Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc) 11 months ago

What  is all this nonsense regarding a "Sandra Sighting"? I would be around more if I could freakin log in!

Posted by Guilford Connecticut Real Estate Agent, Sandra Cummings (William Raveis Real Estate) 11 months ago

Hi Beth,

I don't get why we can't get the comments numbered. I think they'd be so much easier to wade through. JMHO.

Posted by Lanette Branch, - Bel Air, MD REALTOR (RE/MAX 1st Advantage Realty, Inc.) 11 months ago

Good points Beth.  I think you should have referral toys too!  Put in a suggestion on the bottom - Contact ActiveRain, the whole point of this community is to get business! 

Posted by April Hayden-Munson Realtor, Southeastern Wisconsin (RE/MAX Realty 100) 11 months ago

Beth -- very clever post -- "redheaded step children" pretty funny -- best of luck in the New Year! JE

Posted by Jason Ellis (Coastal REO Solutions) 11 months ago

Beth, Merry Christmas and here is my spin for you.

Associates--well I ran into this issue already. One would think we could just move them around but it takes a ticket to "help" and then you may accidentally block someone while trying to move them around. 

Unsubscribing--this seems like a great idea if one falls out of the rain. (I admit to not producing daily nor am I trying lately)

Points---Perhaps "Dear Richard" can help you.

Feature--"What is that?" (blogging is an artform that takes one time to perfect)

Toys/tools---It has always been my experience that is so very hard to get a realtors attention and oh so easy to lose it, especially if we provide bad service. As loan officers we don't need all the bells and whistles really--do we?

 

Posted by Eric McGowan 11 months ago

Hey, Beth.

I have some help for you. For an explanation about points, go here:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/669649/How-the-system-works

For some other explanatory posts, see these:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/776291/Active-Rain-tags-are-very-powerful-Heres-how-to-use-them-effectively

http://activerain.com/blogsview/752229/10-ways-to-get-a-featured-post-at-Active-Rain

http://activerain.com/blogsview/759142/How-to-keep-people-from-reading-your-Active-Rain-blog

For others that might interest you, see my "Marketing & Business Consulting" personna at:

http://activerain.com/russelray

Scroll down to the bottom of any blog of the blog posts and click on the various links for help in understanding the ActiveRain system and working that system for all it's worth.

Merry Christmas!

Posted by Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector (Russel Ray, Property Consultant) 11 months ago

Bravo Russel, You beat me to the punch. I was just fixing to look up some of those links for Beth also. Beth, it doesn't get easier than is.

                               ~ Life is Good

 

                                                         

Posted by Roy Peterson P.R.E.I. (Domicile Analysis of Texas) 11 months ago

I see Russel was here on December 25, so you have all your answers. Russel's posts help you understand how ActiveRain works and then work it for all it's worth. It's quite fun, and I was a naysayer when I first got started.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life -- make it a good start.

Posted by Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor (Century 21 Award) 10 months ago

Beth, you listed absolutely five very great valid points about this crazy place. It is not perfect, nothing ever is. Sometimes I think things are improving, other times I think they are going backward. You are not a red headed step child with me in the loan field as I have subscribed to you and you are an Associate of mine. You get the respect you deserve from some of us ; )

Posted by Gary Woltal - Associate Broker REALTORĀ® Dallas Ft. Worth (Keller Williams Realty) 9 months ago

Participate



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