Comments on: An Interview with USAVoice http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/ Rants, raves, and writings for your reading pleasure. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:56:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Sharon http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12213 Sharon Mon, 09 Oct 2006 20:53:50 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12213 Deb, sorry if we're too pessimistic for you. But I think most of us can agree that it's just really hard to trust any corporation and person nowadays. It's a dog eat dog world. If you're not the one being screwed, you're the one doing the screwing. It's just how it is. It would be nice to be proven wrong about this kind of thing for once in my life. but I have found that.. if it looks shady.. if it sounds shady.. it is shady. Deb,
sorry if we’re too pessimistic for you. But I think most of us can agree that it’s just really hard to trust any corporation and person nowadays. It’s a dog eat dog world. If you’re not the one being screwed, you’re the one doing the screwing. It’s just how it is. It would be nice to be proven wrong about this kind of thing for once in my life. but I have found that.. if it looks shady.. if it sounds shady.. it is shady.

]]> By: deb http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12205 deb Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:19:48 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12205 When I first started participating in this conversation I assumed that people really did want to engage in intellectual discourse. I figured that I would give it a try and report back what I found out. Sorry The lack of respect I have been shown and overall juvenile nature of the latest round of comments shows that I was too optimistic about YOU. Figure it out on your own. When I first started participating in this conversation I assumed that people really did want to engage in intellectual discourse. I figured that I would give it a try and report back what I found out. Sorry The lack of respect I have been shown and overall juvenile nature of the latest round of comments shows that I was too optimistic about YOU. Figure it out on your own.

]]> By: Sharon http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12203 Sharon Mon, 09 Oct 2006 17:40:56 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12203 Ok .. now I do NOT feel sorry for the people who got sucked into this and when paycheck time comes.. nothing arrives. There are still things that any respectable company would give you.. and yet, you have to get your own business cards (and you can order it through them.. which many will probably do because they're lazy). And you're also suppose to have a different line that is dedicated to USA voice and you're suppose to mention USA voice in the voicemail and when you answer the phone. Plus, there's some press pass you're suppose to print out or something like that... which I'm sure people will just laugh at when they see you try and talk to them with it. Honestly, all this stuff are things that company would just give you. Anyway, I just went to the site.. wow there are actually people posting up stories. When I read the stories, however, it's like I'm reading my high school newspaper all over again. You have got to be kidding me. No one is going to take a newspaper seriously if it still sounds like a 16-year-old or 10-year-old wrote it. Ok .. now I do NOT feel sorry for the people who got sucked into this and when paycheck time comes.. nothing arrives.

There are still things that any respectable company would give you.. and yet, you have to get your own business cards (and you can order it through them.. which many will probably do because they’re lazy). And you’re also suppose to have a different line that is dedicated to USA voice and you’re suppose to mention USA voice in the voicemail and when you answer the phone. Plus, there’s some press pass you’re suppose to print out or something like that… which I’m sure people will just laugh at when they see you try and talk to them with it. Honestly, all this stuff are things that company would just give you.

Anyway, I just went to the site.. wow there are actually people posting up stories. When I read the stories, however, it’s like I’m reading my high school newspaper all over again. You have got to be kidding me. No one is going to take a newspaper seriously if it still sounds like a 16-year-old or 10-year-old wrote it.

]]> By: don http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12200 don Mon, 09 Oct 2006 16:05:00 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12200 Deb, Are you for real? The flat earth society is seeking members, no dues required, only that you believe... Actually I'm not sure if they require dues, I haven't checked them out thoroughly. Just to note, usavoice.org seems to be down at the moment 10:47 am mon. morning. Must be all the traffic over there...I stand corrected they are up, but you have to be a little patient, to the tune of 180 seconds or so, then if you want to read anything, another 180. This could be a good thing, we all need to just slow down a little, take it easy, why in such a rush anyway. Oh, you say they are a start-up, they are in the throws of a great new adventure, they assuredly will have some hurdles. That link has not timed out yet, how could that be, it's been almost 5 min.s', oh, there it is the old "cannot find server", did I really want to read that anyway? This is a new form of editing probably, and throw in some self help for good measure. Just read some headlines, and stare at the monitor, just sit there, calm down, take a deep breath. Try another link, just for kicks, and then stare, and breath. I'm starting to understand this all now. Wow this is revolutionary, I'm sure it will take the web by storm, to think I passed up getting in on the ground floor. What a pity. Please Deb, don't spend all those wooden nickels in one place, ok? don Deb,
Are you for real?
The flat earth society is seeking members, no dues required, only that you believe…
Actually I’m not sure if they require dues, I haven’t checked them out thoroughly.
Just to note, usavoice.org seems to be down at the moment 10:47 am mon. morning. Must be all the traffic over there…I stand corrected they are up, but you have to be a little patient, to the tune of 180 seconds or so, then if you want to read anything, another 180. This could be a good thing, we all need to just slow down a little, take it easy, why in such a rush anyway.
Oh, you say they are a start-up, they are in the throws of a great new adventure, they assuredly will have some hurdles. That link has not timed out yet, how could that be, it’s been almost 5 min.s’, oh, there it is the old “cannot find server”, did I really want to read that anyway? This is a new form of editing probably, and throw in some self help for good measure. Just read some headlines, and stare at the monitor, just sit there, calm down, take a deep breath. Try another link, just for kicks, and then stare, and breath.
I’m starting to understand this all now. Wow this is revolutionary, I’m sure it will take the web by storm, to think I passed up getting in on the ground floor. What a pity.
Please Deb, don’t spend all those wooden nickels in one place, ok?
don

]]> By: Deb http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12197 Deb Mon, 09 Oct 2006 14:50:32 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12197 Jack, Have you even looked at the site? The ads are for national companies. The ads are placed by Google. They have nothing to do with the accompanying stories. Before bashing someone, perhaps you should do some more research. Jack,
Have you even looked at the site? The ads are for national companies. The ads are placed by Google. They have nothing to do with the accompanying stories. Before bashing someone, perhaps you should do some more research.

]]> By: jack basura http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12022 jack basura Sun, 08 Oct 2006 23:23:49 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12022 here\'s how it works - a person writes an article for a website that is currently sensational assume the website is usavoice.org assume one of the backers of that website, or the brains behind that website also owns a termite company assume the article is entitled \"obtaining a piece of the american dream\" assume the termite company does a lot of advertising on a bunch of their web sites every advertisement warns about termites and how their damage to a person\'s home can rob them of \"obtaining a piece of the american dream\" naturally, everyone who reads the sensational article on the sensational web site is going to tell their friends - they might not remember the name of the website but they WILL remember the title or part of it. they will go searching for the title or a piece of it. they will find: <ul> <li>... a usavoice article with that title</li> <li>... pages of ads for the termite company</li> <li>they may find the controlling force of both to be a man in florida who owns both usavoice and the termite company</li> <li>... that man may have said in an interview something like there are still web suckers out there and i am going to find them and take their money</li> </ul> another example was a couple guys who went around the country selling a get rich on the internet package. for $500 bucks (sale price) you could attend the seminar and get a software disk that would guide you through to your riches. mind you, most of the people in that seminar are people whose IT skills add up to the ability to maybe write a short webpage in html with help. the software package is gobbledegook. you would have to be a genius with years in the biz to install it to find it did nothing. they cannot reach support (there is none) and they give up. but all through the \"documentation\" the esteemed seminar instructors who have \"gotten rich\" with program tout the phrase \"most used keywords\" you cannot make the software work but the phrase \"most used keywords\" is stuck in your brain. when you search the web for \"most used keywords\" you find many sites saying they will show you how to get a list of most used keywords. and they will sell you some other stuff while you are there when you look closer at those web sites you will see they are all from the same template. they look exactly alike. they don\'t have independent urls/domains. they are domainname clones. you have to follow the crumb trail all the way, from the chicken to the chicken feeder caveat emptor, everybody emptor, wear your high boots. if yo momma says she loves you, check it out! here\’s how it works -
a person writes an article for a website that is currently sensational

assume the website is usavoice.org

assume one of the backers of that website, or the brains behind that website also owns a termite company

assume the article is entitled
\”obtaining a piece of the american dream\”

assume the termite company does a lot of advertising on a bunch of their web sites

every advertisement warns about termites and how their damage to a person\’s home can rob them of \”obtaining a piece of the american dream\”

naturally, everyone who reads the sensational article on the sensational web site is going to tell their friends - they might not remember the name of the website but they WILL remember the title or part of it.

they will go searching for the title or a piece of it.

they will find:

  • … a usavoice article with that title
  • … pages of ads for the termite company
  • they may find the controlling force of both to be a man in florida who owns both usavoice and the termite company
  • … that man may have said in an interview something like there are still web suckers out there and i am going to find them and take their money

another example was a couple guys who went around the country selling a get rich on the internet package.

for $500 bucks (sale price) you could attend the seminar and get a software disk that would guide you through to your riches.

mind you, most of the people in that seminar are people whose IT skills add up to the ability to maybe write a short webpage in html with help.

the software package is gobbledegook. you would have to be a genius with years in the biz to install it to find it did nothing. they cannot reach support (there is none) and they give up.

but all through the \”documentation\” the esteemed seminar instructors who have \”gotten rich\” with program tout the phrase \”most used keywords\”

you cannot make the software work but the phrase \”most used keywords\” is stuck in your brain. when you search the web for \”most used keywords\” you find many sites saying they will show you how to get a list of most used keywords. and they will sell you some other stuff while you are there

when you look closer at those web sites you will see they are all from the same template. they look exactly alike. they don\’t have independent urls/domains. they are domainname clones.

you have to follow the crumb trail all the way, from the chicken to the chicken feeder

caveat emptor, everybody emptor, wear your high boots.

if yo momma says she loves you, check it out!

]]> By: CJ http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12013 CJ Sat, 07 Oct 2006 19:09:48 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-12013 I'm not sure why they even bother, I sign up, supposedly have a job, and every single link is an error message. Don't waste your time, I've been in business long enough to know that if their tech support doesn't work, not much else will. If I knew of what to do legally I would, just to shut them down completely. I’m not sure why they even bother, I sign up, supposedly have a job, and every single link is an error message. Don’t waste your time, I’ve been in business long enough to know that if their tech support doesn’t work, not much else will. If I knew of what to do legally I would, just to shut them down completely.

]]> By: Sharon http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-11985 Sharon Wed, 04 Oct 2006 20:33:39 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-11985 Deb.. I think you should start looking for a second job or I hope you got a job on the side as this is going on. There are other ways to get into the journalism. usavoice is not one of them. Deb.. I think you should start looking for a second job or I hope you got a job on the side as this is going on. There are other ways to get into the journalism. usavoice is not one of them.

]]> By: don http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-11984 don Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:29:20 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-11984 "Until someone gives me a real reason to distrust him or her, I try to remain open." To trust who? Him or her? I am brought to think of all of those people who held Enron shares, some had 100% of their portfolio in Enron. Most of these were employed by enron, and had the view that the company had their best interest in mind. Never mind that they had been made rich many times over on this stock, and wanted more of the same. The writing was on the wall for all of them, and when it all came down they cried, and wanted blood. Damb those rascals to the low level. For argument, it was they, the share holders who allowed it all to happen. Few things can be counted on in life, but greed, and vanity are solids. There appears to be no harm in jumping on this sham (usavoice.org} and letting it ride, but when it all comes down, it will be those who participated and should have known better that made it happen. “Until someone gives me a real reason to distrust him or her, I try to remain open.”

To trust who? Him or her?
I am brought to think of all of those people who held Enron shares, some had 100% of their portfolio in Enron. Most of these were employed by enron, and had the view that the company had their best interest in mind. Never mind that they had been made rich many times over on this stock, and wanted more of the same. The writing was on the wall for all of them, and when it all came down they cried, and wanted blood. Damb those rascals to the low level. For argument, it was they, the share holders who allowed it all to happen. Few things can be counted on in life, but greed, and vanity are solids.
There appears to be no harm in jumping on this sham (usavoice.org} and letting it ride, but when it all comes down, it will be those who participated and should have known better that made it happen.

]]> By: deb http://nocategories.net/work/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-11977 deb Wed, 04 Oct 2006 04:48:20 +0000 http://nocategories.net/journal/an-interview-with-usavoice/#comment-11977 I appreciate everyone's feedback. Susan also mentions some of the issues I have encountered on the technical side. I agree with her comment that the roll out was rushed. I think some of the hiring problems arise from dealing with the large number of applicants. They had a backlog of people to contact and apparently haved started speeding up things by having the Reporter's Back Office available before the prospect completes the multi-step hiring process (group conference call, one-on-one phone interview with an editor and group training call). For the Back Office to function, an editor still has to hire a prospective reporter by pushing a button that transfers the name to a separate file. That has been my experience at least. No one is being forced to activate the office. Editors don't get reimbursed by the number of people signed up as reporters but by the amount of traffic to the stories filed in their area. It is not to anyone's advantage to hire someone who doesn't write articles. No one told me this venture would be easy or would have a huge financial reward. The people who interviewed me and led my conference calls were very up front that the job would involve building the site. In turn, each person I have spoken to about a reporter's job knows that as well. It all comes down to expectations in the end. Personally I like being at the start of something with this much potential for changing how people get their news. I don't think that is being naive. Until someone gives me a real reason to distrust him or her, I try to remain open. As promised, I will let you know what I find out about the payments, etc., when payday rolls around. Thanks for being willing to share your thoughts with me. I appreciate everyone’s feedback. Susan also mentions some of the issues I have encountered on the technical side. I agree with her comment that the roll out was rushed.

I think some of the hiring problems arise from dealing with the large number of applicants. They had a backlog of people to contact and apparently haved started speeding up things by having the Reporter’s Back Office available before the prospect completes the multi-step hiring process (group conference call, one-on-one phone interview with an editor and group training call). For the Back Office to function, an editor still has to hire a prospective reporter by pushing a button that transfers the name to a separate file. That has been my experience at least. No one is being forced to activate the office. Editors don’t get reimbursed by the number of people signed up as reporters but by the amount of traffic to the stories filed in their area. It is not to anyone’s advantage to hire someone who doesn’t write articles.

No one told me this venture would be easy or would have a huge financial reward. The people who interviewed me and led my conference calls were very up front that the job would involve building the site. In turn, each person I have spoken to about a reporter’s job knows that as well. It all comes down to expectations in the end. Personally I like being at the start of something with this much potential for changing how people get their news. I don’t think that is being naive. Until someone gives me a real reason to distrust him or her, I try to remain open.

As promised, I will let you know what I find out about the payments, etc., when payday rolls around. Thanks for being willing to share your thoughts with me.

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