eHow? Anyone Used It?

[GoGetta]

Hey Warriors,

I have been researching keywords for a new niche site I am currently promoting and while researching to see if there are web 2.0 properties and articles already on page 1 of Google for my chosen keywords, a website known as eHow.com is continuing to come up!

Now, I took no real notice of it at first as I was looking out for the usual article directories and web 2.0 properties, but as it was continuing to appear, I thought I would take a look.

It seems that you can contribute to the website with articles, but I haven't signed up and have never seen this before.

So, just wondering if anyone on here was using it, or has used it, and is it worth looking at????

GoGetta

[dsmpublishing]

Hi

I actually got kicked off a week after using it saying that i had copied the content from someone else even though i had written it myself from scratch i then put it through copyscape and it passed so i dont know what happened.

My hubby uses it for the food niche and has got really good rankings from it even though he didnt even backlink them at the time.

kind regards


sam
X

[GoGetta]

Interesting, Thanks Sam,

Just out of interest! Does it work like an article directory in that you have a resource box that allows links etc.???

GoGetta

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by GoGetta

Hey Warriors,

I have been researching keywords for a new niche site I am currently promoting and while researching to see if there are web 2.0 properties and articles already on page 1 of Google for my chosen keywords, a website known as eHow.com is continuing to come up!

Now, I took no real notice of it at first as I was looking out for the usual article directories and web 2.0 properties, but as it was continuing to appear, I thought I would take a look.

It seems that you can contribute to the website with articles, but I haven't signed up and have never seen this before.

So, just wondering if anyone on here was using it, or has used it, and is it worth looking at????

GoGetta

GoGetta,

From Warrior to fellow Warrior,

I would tread VERY cautiously.....

I've been following their forum for a while, and it seems like several members there have legitimate concerns over what they perceive to be ethically questionable behavior...

Surprisingly, the issue is becoming to take hold with some pretty prominent marketers and bloggers....

http://www.conversationmarketing.com...l-bull****.htm

(NOTE: It appears that this link won't clickthru, when clicked, because of safeguards on the WF, so you may have to search "eHow, I call bull----!".....

I'm not sure that eHow can recover from this....I would not be surprised if lawsuits were filed soon (even though, I have heard that at least one lawsuit has been filed already).....

THIS blogger has posted probably 10-15 different blog posts tracking this ordeal...

Announcing: eHow PROMISES to Compensate Writers for eHow UK Cloned Articles – The Content Writer | Writing Online for Residual Income

You can find posts about it before, and after, that one....she essentially gave a 'play-by-play' as the whole ordeal was unfolding.....

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Here's another blog with Interesting Info, GoGetta...

Freelance Writers Wanted

[GoGetta]

Thanks for the info buddy,

Ill check this out in more detail!

GoGetta

[H.Miller]

I submit articles to ehow on a regular basis and they are a great source of traffic. People love "how to" information. Besides getting a decent amount of traffic they also revenue share so you can make a little extra every month.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by H.Miller

I submit articles to ehow on a regular basis and they are a great source of traffic. People love "how to" information. Besides getting a decent amount of traffic they also revenue share so you can make a little extra every month.

It is true that they are a great source of traffic....at least for now.

....eHow was an ingenious concept when it was first introduced a few years ago, however, the internet has evolved...

Unfortunately....I believe they are in a serious predicament because the fundamental structure of their website is inherently self-limiting....

I'll explain....

While it is true that many search queries are "How-to" in nature, this is essentially ALL eHow does (well, I believe they do allow contributing writers to write about anything, however, residual everyday writers, that supply most of their content, are limited to just a "How-to" format.....

....competitive websites have recently emerged that offer a variety of formats for writers to write in.....analysis of those site's growth trends REALLY indicate that eHow may not be a super-power in this industry for very much longer unless they somehow adapt and innovate...

unfortunately, their very name, I believe, is self-limiting in accordance with the content they require....

.....ALSO......there is great indicator that length of articles play a role in SEO and how people's articles will rank in the search engines.....Survey their forum and you will see their very own staff actually encouraging people to write shorter articles.....

Paraphrased: We encourage writers to write short, How-to articles, that are roughly 1-2 sentences per step.....

This open encouragement of shorter articles, I believe, is counterproductive to their growth and viability. I have tested this theory out on my own, with several other competing websites, and have found that my longer articles, with the exact same article title, actually ranks higher than eHow's very own articles....

lol...I could go on forever about this.....

....then, throw on top of that this recent scandal, as well as, rumors of lawsuits having been filed.....

....well, I'd stay clear of them.... (lol...and, I'm not saying that because I'm a competitor or something like that....).....just looking out for a fellow warrior

[npsol]

I have a few articles on eHow for about a year now. You have to write the article as a "how-to" and in a way that fits their structured template. You can add your resource in the resource section below the article.

The only people that can comment on your article are other eHow members. So you spend some time networking within the community and asking to befriend other members.

Then you'll notice that in your eHow inbox will be receiving emails from your "friends" list saying something like " I read articles written by those who take the time to read and comment on mine. Here's my latest...I just posted an article about..."

This "you read mine / I'll read yours" is mutually beneficial -- you help them with comments and ratings; they help you. Also they can "recommend you".

eHow has the final say on your articles. One of my highest rated - and a genuinely positive feedback article - was removed by eHow after a few months. They didn't offer much of an explanation.

eHow used to have a "requested article" section that I liked - infact one of my higher paying articles is from writing such an article. But they have "temporarily" removed that feature.

Hope this helped

Good Luck,

Lynn

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by npsol

I have a few articles on eHow for about a year now. You have to write the article as a "how-to" and in a way that fits their structured template. You can add your resource in the resource section below the article.

The only people that can comment on your article are other eHow members. So you spend some time networking within the community and asking to befriend other members.

Then you'll notice that in your eHow inbox will be receiving emails from your "friends" list saying something like " I read articles written by those who take the time to read and comment on mine. Here's my latest...I just posted an article about..."

This "you read mine / I'll read yours" is mutually beneficial -- you help them with comments and ratings; they help you. Also they can "recommend you".

eHow has the final say on your articles. One of my highest rated - and a genuinely positive feedback article - was removed by eHow after a few months. They didn't offer much of an explanation.

eHow used to have a "requested article" section that I liked - infact one of my higher paying articles is from writing such an article. But they have "temporarily" removed that feature.

Hope this helped

Good Luck,

Lynn

...I wonder what % of eHow's revenue comes from internal members "helping" other members with no real interest, or intent to purchase/act, when an Ad is clicked on....? I bet it's pretty high....

"One of my highest rated - and a genuinely positive feedback article - was removed by eHow after a few months. They didn't offer much of an explanation."

ah....their infamous "article sweeps"....is that the only article you have had deleted, Lynn...

I know someone who had upwards of 30 articles deleted in ONE article sweep....like you, with little to no explanation or opportunity to correct or revise....

This is occurring for a reason, and it stems from the very founding of the website.

[npsol]

Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x

...I wonder what % of eHow's revenue comes from internal members "helping" other members with no real interest, or intent to purchase/act, when an Ad is clicked on....? I bet it's pretty high....

Good Question - I have no idea.

ah....their infamous "article sweeps"....is that the only article you have had deleted, Lynn...

To date - yes - only one article removed. And like I said - it was quite popular.

This is occurring for a reason, and it stems from the very founding of the website.

Not sure what you mean - care to expand on that thought?

Thanks,

Lynn

[Terri LC]

Ironically, I just signed up yesterday.

Being Canadian....earning $s has no bearing on me, but because I have a "How-To" site I find that eHow ALWAYS comes up in Google Alerts and search engines. So I joined yesterday and it seems to have potential. I have a ton of ideas, so we'll see.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by npsol

Good Question - I have no idea.


To date - yes - only one article removed. And like I said - it was quite popular.



Not sure what you mean - care to expand on that thought?

Thanks,

Lynn

Sure, Lynn, I'd be glad to....

Demand Media built the eHow website on a massive influx of cash directed significantly towards advertising the website, and growing it. Unfortunately, while they injected all this cash, they totally neglected any real semblance of an adequate quality control process.

....what has occurred now, with random article deletions and 'sweeps' is their attempt to gain control of their website, long after it had been developed into a website with tens of thousands of pages....advertised heavily to work at home moms and people hoping to make money from writing simple "How-to" articles....

The fundamental idea behind the site is great, however, their primary neglect (whether intentional or unintentional) of a real viable quality control process has lead to where they are today: having to back peddle big time.....

With their massive database of articles, there really isn't a 'best' way to weed out all the crappy content that has penetrated, without hurting writers who had invested a significant amount of time and effort towards building the platform (with their writing).

Many writers have lost a ton of articles with little to no feedback, or any opportunity really to correct or modify their writing. This is heart wrenching to those who have spent quite a bit of time writing their articles, yet, don't receive any adequate feedback on what they need to do to be better contributors to the website.

Instead, while you have only lost one article....there are many people out there who have been hurt....unfortunately, there really isn't any other way (that I can think of) that eHow can addressed the issue of poor quality content.....

What worked years ago when they launched, I believe is being addressed 100% better by similar, emerging, website platforms....like I said, they will really have to innovate to remain a leader in this industry....unfortunately, these article sweeps don't do much to reinforce trust and credibility and communication.....

[delta_secret]

eHow is a very nice service, but may require some experience of its usage itself before you start posting. cheers!

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by delta_secret

eHow is a very nice service, but may require some experience of its usage itself before you start posting. cheers!

...the website itself does have a warm aesthetic appeal to it, however, go to their forum and survey their "Bugs/Glitches" forum....

there must be 10-20 glitches just posted in the last 2 or 3 days....some of the same publishing issues that bothered me back when I wrote for them last September/August are STILL issues that have yet to be resolved....

I'm just warning fellow Warriors to tread cautiously.....

AND....if you do write for them....

Before you hit the "PUBLISH" button....PLEASE, make sure you save all your work to an external Word document...

eHow has been known to glitch up as writer's are about to publish....wouldn't mention it had not tons of other writers experienced the same thing....

[TiffanyB]

Just so you are aware, starting now you can no longer include affiliate links in your resource section at eHow. Check out the new guidelines that have been posted. Scan all the way down to #14 which was just put into place on 2/8.

Forums | eHow.com

Just in case you are not an eHow member and are interested, this is what it says:

"14.Affiliate Links - We haven’t had an official rule that forbids affiliate links in the past, but we are officially adding this to our Publishing Guidelines. The reason is because we want to provide our readers with an unbiased experience when they come across our content, and affiliate links undermines that goal. So, going forward you may not add links to the Resource or Reference sections that will profit you financially when people use them, even if the link is relevant to the article. If you have been using affiliate links in the past you do not have to worry about being penalized for it. This is a new rule and we will only be enforcing it going forward for all eHow content."

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by TiffanyB

Just so you are aware, starting now you can no longer include affiliate links in your resource section at eHow. Check out the new guidelines that have been posted. Scan all the way down to #14 which was just put into place on 2/8.

Forums | eHow.com

Just in case you are not an eHow member and are interested, this is what it says:

"14.Affiliate Links - We haven’t had an official rule that forbids affiliate links in the past, but we are officially adding this to our Publishing Guidelines. The reason is because we want to provide our readers with an unbiased experience when they come across our content, and affiliate links undermines that goal. So, going forward you may not add links to the Resource or Reference sections that will profit you financially when people use them, even if the link is relevant to the article. If you have been using affiliate links in the past you do not have to worry about being penalized for it. This is a new rule and we will only be enforcing it going forward for all eHow content."

hm.....I can see the PROS and CONS of this, but, if done correctly, they could manage quality and still allow a few self-serving links.......

geeze....for a website that is ranked top in the World, it appears like this site is run by some serious amateurs....

This move pretty much makes eHow useless to internet marketers and just about anyone else trying to tackle affiliate marketing....hm....

If done correctly, affiliate links can add significant value to the user....especially when the end product helps to solve a solution....

Say someone finds an eHow article about "How-to Properly Trim Toe Nails"......I'm sure most readers may be welcoming to an affiliate link to a product that enhance the toenail cutting experience....if done properly, affiliate links could enhance the experience, while also serving to provide value and opportunity to contributors....

Users earn a commission....readers find a product that really helps them....everyone is happy....

[mlord10]

I love ehow.com. I got involved with it not too long ago when I met a local internet marketing consultant who uses it as one of his top methods of promotion. The site has a page rank of 8, which is awesome.

I have noticed that many of my articles are getting listed on the first page of Google for targeted keywords, which I love. I think it is a great website and can give you some serious link juice to your websites.

I would recommend it, and I have not experienced any of the problems that others are talking about. I am sure every website has some problems, but I have loved using ehow.

[Mike24]

hey thanks for the website, will check it out..never thought of checking out ehow before

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

...obviously they did something right in order to secure such a high pagerank and favor in Google, however, there are some SERIOUS moral and ethical issues that have arisen lately....

Yeah, I know...money is money....but, an overriding sentiment right now by MANY users is that this website is destined to collapse, and that they want to milk the eHow cow for all they can before any one of a number of unfavorable outcomes occur....

....to all those reading this thread, it would seriously behoove you to familiarize yourself with current issues revolving around this website before taking the plunge.

If you are making alot of money from them, that's fine....or if you are in the financial situation where you MUST keep your articles there, however, you cannot deny the outright shady things that have occurred.

Among the other links I have posted, I would highly recommend reading this as well:
The eHow Community Resource | Regal Legal | Regal-Legal.com

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by Mike24

hey thanks for the website, will check it out..never thought of checking out ehow before

Mike24,

The eHow Community Resource | Regal Legal | Regal-Legal.com

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

looks like eHow decided to "generously" compensate its writers for 6+ months of using their articles, as clones on their UK site, without compensating writers...

Prepare for a rise in Membership - InfoBarrel Forum

sigh...this is VERY disturbing...and, people are justifiably furious...

[nickrees]

I submitted an article today to eHow, got a message stating it would take about 10mins to approve my article, 10 hrs later nothing & I cannot find my article, I contacted eHow, & was informed they were having problems , to please have patience and it will be sorted...
nick rees

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by nickrees

I submitted an article today to eHow, got a message stating it would take about 10mins to approve my article, 10 hrs later nothing & I cannot find my article, I contacted eHow, & was informed they were having problems , to please have patience and it will be sorted...
nick rees

nickrees,

You are from France? I'm not sure that they even allow Sign-ups outside of the US...

...they 'attempted' to expand to the UK, however, you see where THAT got them.... (read previous posts/links on this thread if you don't know what I mean....)

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

I apologize for the 'bump' on this thread, however, as of today's events (11Feb2010), I DO think that fellow Warriors should be warned....

EHow is About to Have A Lawsuit on Their Hands | What's Good Blog - The One Stop Site For Reviews of Everything
Is the eHow UK Compensation Enough?
Prepare for a rise in Membership - InfoBarrel Forum
http://www.conversationmarketing.com...l-bull****.htm

....I'll post more blog posts as they become available (and, I'm pretty sure they'll become available...)

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Does this whole debacle here BOTHER anyone?

This site is one of the Top-ranked websites in the world, gains millions of visitors a month, and revenue generated in the millions, as well....

Yet....THIS is what is occuring....

It is very unfortunate to see people utterly suffer like this.

[satrap]

I have been using ehow for about a year now, mostly for learning things myself. But I also have about 15 how-tos on it that didn't earn me much money, but I still get some traffic from those 15 articles that I posted a long time ago, about 3-4 visitors a day. Which isn't much, but considering only 15 old articles, I think its good.

I have heard many horror stories about ehow not paying the writers, so I wouldn't suggest counting on ehow as a means of making money, but its a good way to get some traffic, since it usually ranks high.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by satrap

I have been using ehow for about a year now, mostly for learning things myself. But I also have about 15 how-tos on it that didn't earn me much money, but I still get some traffic from those 15 articles that I posted a long time ago, about 3-4 visitors a day. Which isn't much, but considering only 15 old articles, I think its good.

I have heard many horror stories about ehow not paying the writers, so I wouldn't suggest counting on ehow as a means of making money, but its a good way to get some traffic, since it usually ranks high.

True. However, this will be very difficult to sustain, especially with competitors who do just about every core business function better: from lack of transparency in earnings compenation to zero customer service and persistent bugs and glitches that significantly impact the user experience, eHow is a site I would NEVER recommend to anyone.....ever.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Sorry.....I just can't let this one die....

...anyone with any sort of moral or ethical code should see how extremely disturbing this entire situation has become....

Here's another thread I feel obligated to share....to serve as a warning to fellow Warriors who may consider investing a significant amount of their time and energy into writing for such a corrupt website:

FYI ehow UK news (bad) and affiliate changes (also bad) - WAHM Forums - WAHM.com

[blakesmommy21]

I love Ehow! They have had some problems lately...I'm well aware of it, but I still get a nice payment from them each and every month. Earnings have remained steady for me and I love linking to my articles from related niche sites to get backlinks.

@Soldier...I do believe you're bashing Ehow anywhere and everywhere you can. If you aren't happy with them, simply leave it alone. Let other people decide for themselves whether it's worth it to them or not. I personally like my recurring monthly payments without even having to write more articles, though I continue to do so to increase earnings there.

[Mohammad Afaq]

Ehow is actually pretty good. You can get ranked very easily for How to terms but I don't use it too much because I find it exteremly hard to write How to Step by step articles.

I think it's worth a try

[Freeman77]

When I first started writing online and I had no idea what I was doing, I started writing articles for eHow. I stopped after a couple months, but my earnings built up to where I'm getting $30+/month automatically deposited in my Paypal. It's always a nice suprise to see I got a free 30 bucks.

Eventually, I went back and put some Clickbank links at the end of the articles, so I've made a few sales from that (not many).

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by Freeman77

When I first started writing online and I had no idea what I was doing, I started writing articles for eHow. I stopped after a couple months, but my earnings built up to where I'm getting $30+/month automatically deposited in my Paypal. It's always a nice suprise to see I got a free 30 bucks.

Eventually, I went back and put some Clickbank links at the end of the articles, so I've made a few sales from that (not many).

You are no longer allowed to include Affiliate links, as per their new policy.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by blakesmommy21

I love Ehow! They have had some problems lately...I'm well aware of it, but I still get a nice payment from them each and every month. Earnings have remained steady for me and I love linking to my articles from related niche sites to get backlinks.

@Soldier...I do believe you're bashing Ehow anywhere and everywhere you can. If you aren't happy with them, simply leave it alone. Let other people decide for themselves whether it's worth it to them or not. I personally like my recurring monthly payments without even having to write more articles, though I continue to do so to increase earnings there.

I recognize your screename elsewhere, and quite honestly, I don't have the time or energy to give you a crash course on the extremely moral and ethically questionable behavior that has occurred in the last few months.

When readers, of this thread, read previously posted blog posts....with factual information.....some by very prominent and influential bloggers....they will only look back at your post and laugh.

Just because you make "recurring monthly payments" doesn't make their actions correct or ethically sound. Even though you choose to turn a blind eye to it because it is your monetary best interest to do so, doesn't mean that others have to, as well......

....and, there are SO MANY great people on the Warrior Forum....I couldn't, in good conscience, allow others here to write for this site, especially when they have flat out stolen from innocent writers. People can decide for themselves, however, user posts are deleted as quickly as they are posted on the eHow forum.

There are MANY people who are upset and disgruntled, however, their voices have been intentionally quelled repeatedly. Yes, I do have proof of all the many posts that have been deleted by eHow management.

How are members suppose to express frustration and dissatisfaction when THIS occurs repeatedly?

http://ehow.regal-legal.com/ehow-community-updates/
eHow “Censoring” Vocal Members

...and, your solution is just to "leave it alone"?.....this is a very sad and an unsympathetic approach, especially with regards to passionate writers who have invested years/months of their hard work and labor towards building eHow into the website that it currently is.

Had you any tact or character, you would not just tell people to "leave it alone" or write for other sites, as others have suggested. That doesn't provide solutions...but, rather, masks the real problem at hand.

Many people rely on their eHow earnings to provide for their family. Some are in a position where it is very difficult just to walk away after so much invested. When eHow deliberately, and thoughtful, cloned their articles for 6+ months, and monetized them completely without any compensation whatsoever.....and, then, come back and give them a pittance of what they deem "generous compensation" for lost wages....that is a major major slap in the face.

I have never seen a company or website that is so disconnected from its users.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

P.s. "blakesmommy", I look forward to continued discussion with you, about this, so that we can keep this thread, and it's factual information, adequately 'bumped' so other members of this community can view it.

thank you.

[USGTMauthor]

I tried it as an experiment. I wrote an article on how to manage your time using a simple steno notebook. It got approved in a day and is number one if you search time management steno notebook. I have made 20 cents in a couple of days. So I do see some potential if someone uses keyword research and keeps at it. You can put a link to a website, but not affiliate links, so it may be better for pure writers and backlinking.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by USGTMauthor

I tried it as an experiment. I wrote an article on how to manage your time using a simple steno notebook. It got approved in a day and is number one if you search time management steno notebook. I have made 20 cents in a couple of days. So I do see some potential if someone uses keyword research and keeps at it. You can put a link to a website, but not affiliate links, so it may be better for pure writers and backlinking.

All the keyword research in the world will do you (anyone) no good if the website slips into oblivion under management that outright engages in very ethically and morally questionable behavior repeatedly.

MANY people have already completely removed their articles and moved them elsewhere....I removed 150+ of mine alone way back in August.....with the continual decrease in membership, and articles, search engine authority will also slip.

What we are seeing now is the emergence of similar website platforms that do the same thing as eHow, only with much greater customer service, integrity, and transparency.

Just because I am very vocal about this does not mean that I am the only one who is upset.

Unfortunately, as mentioned before, legitimate concerns posted by users, on their very own forum, have been outright deleted numerous times. Therefore, it is very difficult for a casual observer to gain any kind of insight into this situation unless former users, like myself, shed light on it.

Websites should not be allowed to operate in this manner, and, if we allow them to, there will never be any accountability....ever....and, new sites will believe that they can do the same and get away with it. Letting eHow off the hook here sets a major precedence for this entire industry.

Here are MANY users who are upset, however, are not given a voice, or are being quelled by those who say they should just "leave eHow if they are unhappy"....

Prepare for a rise in Membership - InfoBarrel Forum

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Also....be wary....eHow has intentionally structured their TOS (Terms of Service) so that they can intentionally pull out their WCP (Writer's Compensation Program) whenever they choose....

Note: Julie, Community Managers, Post HERE:
Forums | eHow.com

Pay particular attention to the responses.

This part of their TOS is quite akin to their intentional allowance of themselves to blatantly clone/reproduce articles, the world over, monetize them, and NOT compensating their original writers for the use of their content.

You can read about the eHow clone fiasco in previous posts to this thread.

Basically, writers are outraged because, for the last 6-7 months, eHow made a complete UK clone website and decided to host original US writers articles.

Unfortunately, they continued to earn on these articles, while not compensating writers, while, in many cases, these articles actually competed directly in search engines with writers ORIGINAL articles....

MANY writers reported a noted decrease in earnings over this period.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by blakesmommy21

I love Ehow! They have had some problems lately...I'm well aware of it, but I still get a nice payment from them each and every month. Earnings have remained steady for me and I love linking to my articles from related niche sites to get backlinks.

@Soldier...I do believe you're bashing Ehow anywhere and everywhere you can. If you aren't happy with them, simply leave it alone. Let other people decide for themselves whether it's worth it to them or not. I personally like my recurring monthly payments without even having to write more articles, though I continue to do so to increase earnings there.

Any response to THIS blog post, "blakesmommy"?
eHow’s Lies, Promises, and Blaming the Victims

eHow’s Lies, Promises, and Blaming the Victims – The Content Writer | Writing Online for Residual Income

(Warning: a VERY long Post!)

[JadeDragon]

Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x

Any response to THIS blog post, "blakesmommy"?
eHow’s Lies, Promises, and Blaming the Victims

crunchydata.com/ehow-lies-promises-theft-resources eHow’s Lies, Promises, and Blaming the Victims – The Content Writer | Writing Online for Residual Income

(Warning: a VERY long Post!)

That post by Crunchy data is right on. Thanks for the link above to innovativepassiveincome.com and the many eHow related posts I've been putting up.

eHow/Demand has an ethics problem and a PR disaster in full swing.
The real answer is control your own content on your own site. eHow puts up so many distractions to click on it is a wonder if the reader can find something to click on that earns you anything.

[JadeDragon]

Originally Posted by GoGetta

Hey Warriors,

I have been researching keywords for a new niche site I am currently promoting and while researching to see if there are web 2.0 properties and articles already on page 1 of Google for my chosen keywords, a website known as eHow.com is continuing to come up!

Now, I took no real notice of it at first as I was looking out for the usual article directories and web 2.0 properties, but as it was continuing to appear, I thought I would take a look.

It seems that you can contribute to the website with articles, but I haven't signed up and have never seen this before.

So, just wondering if anyone on here was using it, or has used it, and is it worth looking at????

GoGetta

I also note you are in the UK. You can't join the US site and get paid. You also can't join the UK clone site (yet).

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by JadeDragon

I also note you are in the UK. You can't join the US site and get paid. You also can't join the UK clone site (yet).

Yes, this is true. eHow's attempt at 'expanding' itself turned into an utter PR nightmare. This is what happens when you take users for morons......

...I can't believe they actually believed that they could completely clone their article database, and launch it on an entirely new website, without compensating writers a single dime.

Their subsequent retraction (6 months later, when writers began to really have questions) and offering of "generous" compensation, is very very revealing of their inexistent business ethics. With all this factual evidence on the table, I cannot help but question the motives of people like "Blakesmommy" who consistently promote and support eHow, even in light of the massive corruption and fraud that has occured.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

MORE commentary on the eHow UK Debacle:
Niche Momma: Making money online between poop blow outs.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

I think the best thing we can do to help those who have been seriously wronged...is to help gain this issue as much 'traction' as possible....

Here is another thread started about this issue. Pay particular attention to alot of the comments....

FYI ehow UK news (bad) and affiliate changes (also bad) - WAHM Forums - WAHM.com

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

In order to provide information to fellow Warriors, once again, here is a bit more information....

My Work at Home Mom Blog

NOTE: This writer's compensation is significantly higher than any of the many people I have spoken to....

HERE is a comment on that blog post, written by my friend Kim, that I feel should be highlighted....

"Thank you for sharing the details of your compensation with us, Maria. Several other eHow members have compared their compensation, and have found that many of eHow's more prominent members who did not lose much, if anything, from eHow's article theft seem to have been compensated significantly more than many of those who did.

For example, I deleted 20+ of my articles after eHow refused to divulge whether they were paying for the use of our article clones, and eHow re-published my deleted articles without my knowledge or permission on both sites. Yet they paid me NOTHING to compensate for that. Most of the people I know received less than $20.

And while I can respect your belief that eHow did not intend any harm I cannot agree with you.

Demand Media is one of the largest content providers in history. They intentionally created a fictitious, mirrored site, claimed it was an international site and that they were "unable" to pay for our articles there, even though it has always been located in the US.

They deleted all of my forum questions about the site's location, they avoided our questions for months about payment, finally saying "We have our own algorithm and it's based on that," and have behaved dishonestly about the entire mess for more than 7 months now, including with the so-called compensation.

I watched eHow manipulate SEO on at least one "UK" cloned article (and have screenshots to prove it). And I am positive that they intentionally deceived us. I believe they devised this "UK" scheme to make their Internet properties appear larger in relation to their expenses in anticipation of offering stock, as Richard Rosenblatt has stated publicly that he is considering.

Whether or not Demand Media/eHow intended to hurt their writers may be debated, but clearly they did not intend to treat their writers fairly or to meet their ethical and legal obligations to them, and neglecting to do the right thing is, in this case, as serious as intentionally doing the wrong thing.

This is not the first time Richard Rosenblatt has been accused of fraud, and it will not be the first time he has run a company into the ground. He's got a very small window to turn this around on his own now. Let's hope he surprises everyone and does the right thing before a court orders him to do so.

Thanks again for addressing this, Maria."

[blakesmommy21]

I'm happy with my earnings there. Is that so wrong? I'm not saying they're the best site out there at this point - I much prefer Suite101, but I am happy to keep getting a couple hundred bucks every month without doing anything.

[blakesmommy21]

Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x

Any response to THIS blog post, "blakesmommy"?
eHow’s Lies, Promises, and Blaming the Victims

eHow’s Lies, Promises, and Blaming the Victims – The Content Writer | Writing Online for Residual Income

(Warning: a VERY long Post!)

Yes, I've read it, I'm a subscriber there. I'm still not willing to delete all of my articles from the site at this point. I started there a couple of years ago and I have how-to articles that have earned hundreds a piece so far. I'd like to continue earning on them for as long as I'm able to.

[nickrees]

Originally Posted by nickrees

I submitted an article today to eHow, got a message stating it would take about 10mins to approve my article, 10 hrs later nothing & I cannot find my article, I contacted eHow, & was informed they were having problems , to please have patience and it will be sorted...
nick rees

The article I submitted has now been published , (yesterday)17th Feb
nickrees

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by blakesmommy21

I'm happy with my earnings there. Is that so wrong? I'm not saying they're the best site out there at this point - I much prefer Suite101, but I am happy to keep getting a couple hundred bucks every month without doing anything.

Some people have are in the financial situations where they have no other choice but to leave their articles up on eHow. They rely on that income. Unfortunately, eHow has put its writers into a moral and ethical predicament. It is as clear as day that they have blatantly committed some very ethically questionable things......and, just because you are 'happy' with your own earnings, doesn't mean others should have the opportunity to speak out when they see a clear injustice....

By allowing such intentional things to occur, you only set a precedence for the tons of other similar companies and websites in this industry. As a forunner in this industry, eHow 'should' be setting an example, however, their actions are very unbecoming of the leadership they should be showing.

P.s. Published on18Feb2009:
"The eHow Scam Continues to Grow"
The eHow UK Scam Continues to Grow – The Content Writer | Writing Online for Residual Income

Like I promised, I'll continually update this thread with new information.

[x3xsolxdierx3x]

Originally Posted by nickrees

The article I submitted has now been published , (yesterday)17th Feb
nickrees

When did you submit your article, nickrees, and how long did it take to finally be published?