I suspect these so-called "drama queens" are only visible on the boards because Helium refuse to let them delete their work and move off.

If Helium were more open to proper account closures (i.e. complete deletion), then it's debatable whether you'd even see them on the forums at all.

It was account closing woes rather than deletion of individual articles and the subsequent replies from members all-too-willing to toe the Helium line that prompted this thread in the first place.

I can see why they would want to hold on to content they perceive they are paying for...as they are all about content. Whether their terms and conditions are deemed fair and above board is another question.

However, I would want the right to remove reviews from time to time - heck they go out of date for a start. I have removed probably half a dozen on ciao over the years, perhaps a few more for genuine reasons I felt. (including the fact I wasn't happy with the articles five years later!)

So I feel this rule needs greater flexibility.

Not that I go there so I just thought I would put my tuppence in for no reason...(still cannot get past rating those damn "top ten places to see in Europe" reviews...it even managed to bore a regular travel writer/reader like me to death! )

Hmmm... I'd question the statement that they're all about content! Given the amount of drama queen behavour about the standard of writing, I'd say that Helium was a writing site. Content is secondary.

When I first joined Helium, it was a place to share knowledge. I don't believe today's Helium is the same site I joined. I'm nearly sure that the focus on writing ability was not as apparent when I first joined and this is something that's only been apparent over the past 10 weeks or so.

It's this kind of thing that should allow members to delete their work if they close their account. If they sign up to the site and the site is not what they originally thought that it was, then why not have their work deleted if they close their account?

Interesting term there, Helen: "they would want to hold on to content they perceive they are paying for". Do you disagree that they're paying for content?

Well, they are all about "knowledge", which is the new black.

Quality of content, and quality of "knowledge", I agree is questionable, given the standards I have seen (in my limited rating sphere of travel etc...!)

I dont know if it is the same place or not, as I go there very infrequently...in fact, I dont know if I have earned a penny or $100, it has been that long..

no I dont disagree that they are paying for content...that is exactly what they are doing..same as all sites of this type. Whether they ever pay out on that content (i.e. how many members ever reach it over the threshold), is another matter.

Like Ciao, if I earned 4p from them 6 years ago for some review, I would hope they would delete it if I asked them to..(without paying my 4p back!) but I can see why they "perceive" that they shouldn't have to from a payment point of view - but if payment hasn'tbeen made then they don't lose financially.

I imagine most members (like me) decide it isnt for them and leave our content there and it isn't (or shouldn't be) a huge issue for them to manage a few members that want a few reviews deleting.


as a "non-writer", I dont know what the heck a writing site is. I know what you mean, but I just dont think a professional writer needs sites like the ones "we" all write for.

it might be a "Wannabe" Writer site however....

Ah yes. I getcha. That does make sense.

Oh, and I agree wholeheartedly on the "writing site" thing, though that's probably a complete thread on its own!

The way I see it is: If people agree to let helium have control of their work, then they have no right to complain later. They supposedly read the TOS and had no problem with it then. They knew what they were getting into, even with the possibility that they would find themselves not liking the way the site was run.

That being said, I do think that Helium should reconsider this aspect of the TOS. I can see why they do it, but it doesn't necessarily have the writer's best interest in mind.

"I disagree here. Many people don't know what they're getting into with Helium. It's a site that quite's different from others in vaguely the same areas (Ciao, Dooyoo, Epinions, Wikipedia) and before you can take advantage of all the site features (inc. the rating mechanism) you have to post at least one article, so you're locked into the site before you know it. As can be seen from the various threads on the forum, an article might not find its natural place in the topic until maybe six weeks after posting. The 'full' Helium experience, therefore, is not apparent until then. On other sites, this full experience is available almost immediately - a few days at most."

What I meant by "they knew what they were getting themselves into" is not that they knew what the site would be like. I mean that they knew that they may or may not like the way things are run. Yet they still agreed to the TOS anyways. It was a risk that they had to be aware of.

But that kind of thing isn't immediately apparent, even if you've had a look at the site from a non-member's perspective and the T&Cs are vague as well. I doubt it's something that crosses most people's minds until after they've joined any site and start experiencing things firsthand.

Which I kinda disagree with... Unless the "revenge rating" thing is so bad that they have to implement it, which probably says more about the people that frequent Ciao than it does about Ciao itself.

I can't seem to get a straight answer from Helium. They keep referring me to the instruction page but I don't quite understand.

Question: At one time I had two blue stars then it went to one now I have none. I've written up to 20 articles so far. I read where you get one blue star beginning writing at 4 or more. Can anyone out there give me an answer? Thanks.

ethel
www.helium.com/users/405876

You cannot have your work deleted from Helium. However if you want those stars back, you can write to mentors@helium.com and they will help you to develop your articles and get those stars back.

I don't want my articles deleted, I just don't understand why my one blue star is gone!

Your blue star will disappear if too many of your articles drop beneath the center of rating. Look at all articles below this point and leapfrog them, making them better and the star will come back.