Unlike AC, Newsvine Doesn't Want Your 'Seeds'

Okay, so I'm like most of the Associated Content Producers here. I have a desire to write. I have a desire to express my views.

AC provides a platform for both. WooHoo! I can hardly articulate how very excited I was to find this community, and then to receive payment for something I had produced. Like many would-be writers I plug along with a half-heart, half filled with the hope of finding the tremendous good fortune of J.K. Rowling, and half filled with disparaging knowledge of the stats of how very, very rare it is for such good fortune to find the hopeful writer.

That hope is not, of course, why most of us are compelled to write. For me it is a need, not unlike air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat. I need to tell stories.

I'm relativity new to AC and my page's low views reflect that fact. (I can't allow the thought that my writing isn't worth reading to deter me here.) So, what to do? AC says share your work! Well, sure! Of course! Therefore, naturally I look for AC articles on how to promote myself. Turning first to my fellow Producers, since I have this sense of loyalty . . .

I'd never heard of Newsvine, but it appealed to my love of current events. What a match we would be! I was sure. I seed and seed and seed. It is a site for news, and although my work isn't reporting the news, it is either relevant to issues and/or informative. (I also sign up on other sites.) A few days elapse and still I don't see any significant increase in my AC traffic. I go to investigate.

Articles seeded into Newsvine by new users are lumped into what they call the 'greenhouse.' In order for an article to get traffic, it must be voted up the vine. For votes, you must connect with other Newsvine users, make friends . . . network. If you are lucky, they might find what you have seeded worthy of reading, commenting on, and then give you a vote.

I've mentioned my predilection for the news, so I jump right into the mix. I read, comment and vote on the popular issues, and make a couple of friends . . . my articles remain overall, sadly, untouched.

It's not in my nature to 'blow my own horn' so I don't push anyone to go to my column. A good thing as it turns out; Newsvine frowns on 'self-promotion.'

The lack of viewers prompts me to join a few groups. Newsvine offers a plethora of groups, I found a handful that suit my likes, and I submitted my requests for admittance. It seemed to me, that this would bring my work to the attention of more people.

Then I get an email from one of the group leaders informing me that I am not permitted to 'seed' links to my own work, as this is deemed 'self-promotion,' and against Newsvine's 'Code of Honor' point #3; Which reads: "Newsvine is for collaborative discovery and discussion of the news, not self-promotion. Posting full articles which also appear on your blog is acceptable but seeding your own stuff is not."

I don't think AC is a blog-site. So I made this point, I'm not seeding a blog-site . . . I'm seeding articles from AC, that I happen to have written, which, by-in-large, belong to AC, not me, so it is technically not my own stuff any longer.

Here's the problem: If AC has paid for an exclusive article, I'm not allowed to post it anywhere . . . I can only, seed it - provide a link. Nevertheless, if I wrote the article, Newsvine does not want me 'seeding' it to my Newsvine column.

A conundrum that I posed to both Newsvine, and AC. AC has yet to respond. Newsvine had this to say:

Juno,

It seems that your arrangement with AC is not conducive to

republishing the content you write elsewhere. We cannot help with

that, since it is AC's policy.

Seeding is a form of nomination and we see it as bad form to self-

nominate.

Cheers,

Newsvine

My favorite part of this response is "Cheers." Does it say, 'total brush-off,' or what?!

Why am I putting this down? Simply because I've spent a lot of time in Newsvine, trying to promote articles for AC through my words only to learn that Newsvine doesn't want My seeded articles. Time, that I could have spent writing . . . reading . . . playing with my children . . . cleaning even! My hope is to spare you the loss of such a precious commodity.

I've seeded a couple of articles from other AC Producers . . . which I will leave in place, though they will likely, merely sit in the 'greenhouse.' Perhaps, if all the stars and planets align, someone will link to AC and stumble across something I've written.

I have an idea of how this conflict can be avoided, user names. Which I am vacillating on . . . do I want people to read what I have written? Do I want people to know that I wrote what they are reading? And what of my integrity? Strictly speaking, cloaking identity from Newsvine would make me dishonest. Dishonesty does not sit well with me.

Regrettably, Newsvine is not the place for this AC Producer wishing to find readership for her AC articles.