Are the beBee waters getting choppy? Time to launch a rescue vessel? - don kerr - Canada

don kerr

7 years ago · 2 min. reading time · 0 ·

Blogging

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Are the beBee waters getting choppy? Time to launch a rescue vessel?

Let me answer my own rhetorical questions: HELL NO!

By my count, in the last couple of weeks, there have been a tonne of postings about bullies, trolls, meanies, trumped-up b.s. artists, love bugs, pseudo-intellectual brats, alcoholics, geezers, burnt out former dopers, ersatz writers, and cynical bastards intent only on driving the innocent from the garden of beBee.

Perhaps, since I was adorned with the beBee Ambassador ribbon (for which I am grateful and pleased and proud and enthused), my sensitivity has risen.

But, I don't think so. Because at the same time I have read some wonderful posts and comments. I have enjoyed intellectual stimulation and earnest provocation. I have laughed so hard water came out of my nose. (If memory serves it was @Randy Keho who made that happen.) I have seen a Raging Introvert do a live buzz from the shores of Lake Ontario. I have witnessed emotional vulnerability and genuine compassion. It was my great honour to be supported in a Kickstarter campaign by Bees from America, Canada, Holland, South Africa, Israel, and Spain.

So, then I thought I should do another sort of reality check because I had also come across some controversy about whether the numbers beBee was claiming to pull for writers were reflected in reality. I am so not gonna wade into the relative qualitative and quantitative value of view v. likes v. relevants v. shares v. comments. There's a whole lotta folks on beBee who can do that way better than I can and some day they may even publish something that is meaningful! (That last bit of cynicism was just for you @Aurorasa Sima!)

Anyway, based upon my experience alone here's what I learned:

I first posted to Producer on April 6, 2016. Since that time I have posted 39 times. Nowhere near as prolific as many Bees but who cares. That replicates, sort of, what I would previously have done on LinkedIn - except I joined LinkedIn YEARS ago!

I digress.

Those 39 postings on beBee generated 60,300 views or an average of 1,546 views/post. Now, this pales compares to Alan Geller cranking out 50,000 views for one post but for this old fart that was a pleasing and surprising result.

The postings received 681 relevants for an average of 17.5/post. Again, I suspect this may not hold up against many other Bees but remember - I, at this point, am interested only in what I experienced.

Now, whether or not these numbers in the great world of social media are good, bad or indifferent - the kick the shit out of anything I ever came close to on LinkedIn.

And, while I can't track comments, I will tell you this: the commentary threads and their quality have far surpassed those I ever enjoyed on LI.

AND, so far, no one here has told me to commit an impossible physical act upon myself which did happen on LI!

In summary, beBee works for me.

I view it kind of like the small town in which I grew up. There were some wonderful people and some real arseholes. There were people you loved to talk to, some you tolerated politely, and others you crossed the street to avoid. Some you just didn't get at all and consider them to be either mentally damaged or just too spaced out to engage on this plane.

My efforts to promote beBee will continue and despite concerns about the tone of some of our discourse, I would rather risk slight offense for banal indifference.

Let the waves come on. Let the rescue vessel stand ready but firmly moored.

Let's rock the beBee.

#LinkedIn #LI #HELL #Bees #Ambassador

Comments

Jerry Fletcher

7 years ago #56

That small town comment is perhaps the best way to describe this wonderful meeting place. It' like the barbershop my Dad introduced me to as a pre-teen. There was a floating poker game in the back room but the real entertainment was the buzz between those seated in the three barber chairs, the barbers and those awaiting trims. Social media doesn't hold a candle to the sanity of a room that held folks from divergent points of view listening and responding to one another...usually without rancor about any topic you can imagine.

don kerr

7 years ago #55

#79
Obviously, I agree. Thanks for making the time to read and comment Migdalia Burgos

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #54

#77
Well, Michael, I didn't know The Bard either (whether he was actually Will, Chris, or Francis), but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express in Stratford, Ontario, along the banks of the Avon River.

Michael D. Davis

7 years ago #53

#76
Yeah yeah I've heard it all before. I was just yankin' yer literary chain. Which really does make me a wurdwanker doesn't it? You think you've got a stigma to overcome? Hey pal you may feel like your riding a dangerous beast into poetic purgatory but I literally live a dozen miles from Shakespeare Central of America. That's the Oregon Shakespearean Festival in Ashland, famous for making Shakespeare and Chautauqua nearly synonymous. Born there actually. Didn't actually know the Bard. Not quite that old... yet.

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #52

#75
Ah, Michael, Michael, to wit: "Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet..." from The Ballad of East and West by Rudyard Kipling. I hope that by disclosing I've read some Kipling, I have not ridden into the Valley of Death on beBee. But then, if so, tis not ours to question why, tis only ours to do and die. :-)

Michael D. Davis

7 years ago #51

#74
Twain Phil? As in "Mark Twain"? Some of us twains are just tawdry at best! Sorry, just couldn't resist being my normal smart-assed wurdwanker this lazy Sunday afternoon...before all hell breaks loose during the mega-reporting mayhem this coming Tuesday. I hope you're having a pleasant one yourself. - MDD

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #50

Lada> "But, like Don said, there are wonderful people and there are a...holes." Yes, I agree and add, "And on beBee always the twain shall meet." :-)

Lada 🏡 Prkic

7 years ago #49

#68
Phil, I'm always for a healthy criticism which is a part of the constructive discussion, not for the criticism, which is a goal in itself. That is why I like when someone conducts a healthy discussion on his or her posts. But, like Don said, there are wonderful people and there are a...holes.

don kerr

7 years ago #48

#65
I do agree - mostly. I have harped on and on and on about mutual respect. It is a cornerstone of productive conversation. Where I get a little nervous is with imposed definitions of what that entails. Again, I would hate to see constructive debate and exchange stifled on this platform by restrictive algorithms or policies. We're all grown ups here (most of the time!) and should be able to self police. However, to Javier beBee

don kerr

7 years ago #47

#60
Thank you Franci

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #46

#65
However, Lada, to be fair to what Don is saying, it is not sufficient for some bees not to have critical comments made on their posts; they want ALL critical discussion and exchange to be snuffed out.

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #45

#65
Hiwever, Lada, to be fair to what Don is saying, it is not sufficient for some bees not to have critical comments made on their posts; they want ALL critical discussion and exchange to be snuffed out.

Michael D. Davis

7 years ago #44

Congratulations Don! I haven't come close to brushing the hem of any of those numbers with my feeble keyboard antics. I've resigned myself to a more holistic approach to my postings. Call me a "naive goo goo eyed optimistic", if you will, but I believe my posts will reasonably resonate with those folks who are in need of whatever message I may be sending into the great social media void. If only one person is in some way encouraged to introspection, motivation or elation by something I write I'm considering it to be a good thing and worth my time. Relevants, comments and views are a nice perk, but not my motivation in sharing. I'm not a seasoned writer, just a hack with a heart. Keep writing my friend and all the very best to you! With encouragement, gratitude and a Smile, Michael #michaelddavis #thedailychalkboard

Lada 🏡 Prkic

7 years ago #43

Don Kerr said, „You can agree or disagree but Respect is a must on beBee.“

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #42

So, Don, am I a bully or a troll for tongue-in-cheek objecting to a haughty comment by another user about how he doesn't read any comments showing less than four likes (plusses), and then, when he says his comment has five likes, pointing out to him that, no, my comment has five likes, but his comment has zero, so by his own standard, we should not even be reading his comment? Does it make me a bully or a troll because that user then decides to delete his two comments, I guess because he sees how silly they were? I guess my question is, do people get to freely make whatever comments they wish, however potentially insulting, whilst those of us who object, however mildly to such comments, become classed as bullies and trolls for objecting? People not only have to develop a thicker skin about their ideas and opinions, but they have, I think, to have a bit of a sense of humor about essentially silly exchanges, don't you think?

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #41

#61
No, Jared, MY comment on not being able yet to read your comment has +5 likes. So by your standard, my comment should be read. But YOUR comment by your criterion still cannot be read, because it is at zero likes. Can you spell reductio ad absurdum? :-)

Jim Murray

7 years ago #40

#56
Naaa it's a chumps game. They promise you the moon and then give you the Trump treatment.

don kerr

7 years ago #39

#44
why thank you sir

don kerr

7 years ago #38

#46
yup.

don kerr

7 years ago #37

#48
Jim Murray can ya make any money doin' that?

don kerr

7 years ago #36

#53
😜

don kerr

7 years ago #35

AMEN#51

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #34

#49
I think a comment on your comment, Jared, will have to wait until we read your comment. Unfortunately, your comment does not meet your own requirement for being read, as it does not yet have the requisite number of pluses, according to your own criterion.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #33

Yeah, I'm with @Phil Friedman in that I don't really see as lot of bullying or trolls. There are a few, but there are always going to be. What I do see are a lot of bows to political correctness. This is a bit of a cross to bear for guys like Phil and I, who really prefer to post unvarnished opinions 100% of the the time. But there is, as Javier says, room for everybody here, and that will work just fine as long as everybody accepts the reality that some people carry a box of tissues, some wear tinfoil hats and some carry a hammer. Good shit, Don Kerr. You should try writing as a profession.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #32

Yeah, I'm with Phil Friedman. You should try writing as a profession.

Robert Cormack

7 years ago #31

I agree, @Don Kerr. So much of what we do requires some form of interaction. Choosing where you post makes all the difference. I like it here, both because I CAN have an audience, but also because I enjoy the audience. I enjoy the posts, the comments and the overall enthusiasm. Take that from someone who's posted over 138 full articles on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #30

#38
Don Kerr it is the beBee redline. We will not accept scammers spammers or people that is disturbing on the platform. We will be expeditious. You can agree or disagree but Respect is a must on beBee.

don kerr

7 years ago #29

#41
Understood and I know you're not dissing the platform.

don kerr

7 years ago #28

#22
Donna-Luisa Eversley although that's a pretty big stretch. An 'arse' is much more accessible!

don kerr

7 years ago #27

#22
We can kick some 'stars' to Donna-Luisa Eversley although that's a pretty big stretch. An 'arse' is much more accessible!

don kerr

7 years ago #26

#27
Javier beBee You have a tough row to hoe on the redline front. One person's redline may be someone else's neutral zone but if we're talking the difference between clearly abusive and foul commentary and simple difference of opinion the point of demarcation becomes more clear. I still hope that we'll come to a point where this can be a self-policing function and not one which requires intervention at a corporate level.

don kerr

7 years ago #25

#26
Michele Williams. Thanks for your commentary.

don kerr

7 years ago #24

#28
Thanks

don kerr

7 years ago #23

#30
Tony Rossi Indeed. Appreciate your perspective.

don kerr

7 years ago #22

#31
A healthy perspective here Praveen Raj Gullepalli

don kerr

7 years ago #21

#32
Apples and oranges is a prudent approach and one which I endorse. I also entirely agree on the vagaries of what constitutes a 'view'. Clearly, many views are just that - a quick click and exit to the next shiny object. Thanks for your always insightful commentary John Vaughan

Mohammed Abdul Jawad

7 years ago #20

Don Kerr What a post for pensive reflections! :) Wishing beBee more stability, success, with sensible content.

Javier Cámara-Rica 🐝🇪🇸

7 years ago #19

Don Kerr beBee is rich and diversity is a must. You can agree you can disagree but beBee will not accept crossing red lines. Some of them crossed and their accounts where closed. Thanks !

don kerr

7 years ago #18

#24
as usual you offer valid and thoughtful perspective Phil

Phil Friedman

7 years ago #17

Don, you make a lot of valid points. I personally don't see a lot of bullying going on, nor many trolls --- unless you define "troll" as anyone who disagrees with you. But here is the core point, which I think you make admirably: beBee is supposed to have room for everyone. I know, for example, that some people don't like what I post. Fair enough. Nobody makes them read it. Nobody makes them comment on it. I now almost never go onto the posts of others to make critical comments anymore, in deference to the sensitivities of those who appear not to be able to deal with disagreement. The only time, generally, that I exchange with someone is when they come onto the comments thread of one of my posts. Which, again, nobody is forced to do. Or when the author of a post tags me and so effectively asks for my comment --- as you have done here. But I agree with you completely that in recent weeks we've seen a burgeoning of meaningful conversations and engagement at a level that distinguishes beBee from all other social media platforms. Plus a level of more "creative" writing (and posting of original art) also unparalleled on social media. In general the platform is growing by leaps and bounds in terms of richness and diversity. It is that diversity and richness that will differentiate beBee from its competition and deliver the lion's share of market share to it. To quote Javier beBee, "There is a place for everyone on beBee." Cheers!

don kerr

7 years ago #16

That Is true although I suspect little used. Good thought though Paul Kemner#19

don kerr

7 years ago #15

#16
D'accord.

don kerr

7 years ago #14

#13
thanks

Graham🐝 Edwards

7 years ago #13

I already used this great Hindi Proverb once tonight so why not again... "Help your brother’s boat across, and your own will reach the shore". Cheers everyone!

don kerr

7 years ago #12

#10
merci

don kerr

7 years ago #11

Huh? You got a point in here somewhere Robert? I fully recognize the absence of quant data v.v. views but at a basic level of engagement this site still outperforms others in MY experience. Others experiences will surely be different. #12

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #10

Nice post, Don. First, I totally agree with you about more blogging engagement on beBee, as I wrote here back in April 2016 here https://www.bebee.com/producer/@dbgrinberg/user-engagement-satisfaction-bebee-beats-linkedin-in-landslide Second, as I noted earlier in a post by Chas Wyatt: Users will always come and go. However, it's imperative for all bees, especially ambassadors, to be extra vigilant regarding their language on this site. beBee is a kind, courteous and welcoming social platform in which everyone should be engaged in constructive conversation in an open dialogue -- albeit without insults, bullying, etc. I would also note beBee growth in the USA stands at over 145,000 users, which cracks the Top 10 list for countries with most users on beBee -- and that's out of about 100 total of countries. Thus user growth in the USA is trending upward. So let's accentuate the positive and "kill 'em with kindness" to coin a term.

Paul Walters

7 years ago #9

#8
Don Kerr bring your swimming gear...it's HOT here!!!!

don kerr

7 years ago #8

#4
I am available for all functions Paul Walters especially now that the snows are threatening.

Kevin Pashuk

7 years ago #7

#4
"Here, here!" they said as they raised their glasses in a toast to the words so eloquently spoken. Nicely said Paul

don kerr

7 years ago #6

#3
Thanks RI Kevin Pashuk

Milos Djukic

7 years ago #5

Don Kerr :)

Paul Walters

7 years ago #4

Don Kerr Thanks for this, I think you have summed up the situation perfectly. As a newly appointed ambassador I felt honoured ( although methinks the head honchos at beBEE might not approve the invoice for the new embassy I have my eye on...you know the one, on the beach with 5 acres of garden for beBEE functions!) I thought I would share my thoughts on all the recent negative publicity with a little snippet from one of my first posts on this wonderful site. " Self-opinionated people? Toxic people? Sour, spoiled people? These days I simply walk away; I have no tolerance left in me for those sorts. I know now that friendships have ebbs and flows. I used to think that one didn’t make friends as one got older, but I’ve learned that the opposite happens. Sometimes, unaccountably, a new person walks into your life, and you realize that friendship is a glorious gift.

Kevin Pashuk

7 years ago #3

Some excellent pondering here Don.

don kerr

7 years ago #2

Phil Friedman When I refer to my numbers paling in comparison to others it's you guys I was thinking about!

don kerr

7 years ago #1

Randy Keho Since you're mentioned in here I thought it only fair to share!

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