January 10, 2009
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Kill Timestamping!
I propose will get rid of time-stamping.
To vote on the idea, click here. <~~~ NOT PORN
If you want it gone, just go there, and click "vote for this idea", because there's no "no" button for some weird reason.
Please recommend this post.
For those unfamiliar with this concept, it's basically like the plague, only it spreads faster and is possibly more deadly. Here's how it works: You click on 'edit' at the bottom of an existing post. Then, you go down to the bottom of the editor, and edit the time-stamp by clicking on the "update to current time" link. When you click 'save' or whatever the button says, your post will show up in everyone's inbox and subscription browsers as a new post. However, the comments and views do not refresh.Not a bad idea if a few people do it occasionally, but now, it's gotten bad. And here's why: imagine you want to get people to read your blog. Say you're passionate about typewriters. You love typewriters so much. Then, you do a post about typewriters, and it only gets 1 comment. Bummer, right? Well, there's a reason for it only getting one comment. All of your 150+ friends and 96 subscribers received the post, but most of them didn't see it, because it was posted at 2ish, and most of them take a late lunch. Normally, they'd just read it later, right? Wrong. A bunch of other users spammed their old posts over and over, and so your post will not be in their universal inbox. Furthermore, when they read their subscription browsers, they'll see the spammers' old posts and think nothing new was posted.
Therefore, you have two options:
- Do nothing and accept the fact that you'll be pushed out of sight.
- Also spam your posts.
So, this has lead to a growing snowball of updated posts, and it's pissing me off. On the one hand, I don't want to spam my posts. I really don't. I've done it, and I felt dirty and like a whore. On the other hand, I work hard on my blog, and I'm most of you also work hard on your blogs, and want those hard-worked blogs to be read and loved.
Here are a few things you can do to stop this from happening:
- Don't spam your old posts.
- DON'T SPAM YOUR FUCKING POSTS.
- If you see the same post show up as new twice, then don't fret... but if you see them doing it frequently, like more than twice a day, go to your "blocked user" settings and block them. They don't have to stay banished from your kingdom forever, but it will cause them to freak out a little if enough people do it.
- Message people who spam posts and say "Please, for the love of God, don't spam." and if they go "Why, whatever do you mean? I didn't spam." then block them. Forever. Or for a few days.
- Vote to stop 'update to current time' from being a legal operation.
- Brush your teeth seven times a day, twice after meals.
Note: I'm not proposing to get rid of future posting, which obviously, will be abused after the 'update to current time' is disabled. I'm not proposing to cure cancer. This just a very necessary first step.So,
Would you consider blocking people who abuse the time-stamping feature?
Comments (103)
Well, I've seen it suggested by XangaDan that people only be allowed to timestamp a post once. After that it would cost credits.
No, I wouldn't block them... that would be an overreaction, for timestamping alone.
thank you for informing me i never really knew what it was...yikes
No, I'd just unsubscribe.
Definitely have my vote. Damn this plague.
*Brushes teeth*
I think a limit of three timestamps max...zero timestamps makes you all wary about when to post, cause maybe no one is reading at 1am on a tuesday night.
@ClockworkBunny - I don't mean just, like, doing it a little, I mean someone who timestamps four times a day, every day.
I hate time-stamping. It's really annoying.
I'm not really the blocking type. I'm kind of a doormat that way. I'd probably just keep sorting through it.
@theblackspiderman - Haha, actually, tuesday night is big!
But seriously, three is still too many, because so many people are doing it. I could name ten people doing the time-stamping right off the top of my head. So that's 30 or so updates, plus all the other updates.
I think XangaDan may be on to a good idea. Only being able to timestamp once and then it costing credits is a brilliant idea.
@TheTheologiansCafe - It's too damn easy to get credits, though.
If someone begins to do it constantly, I quietly unsubscribe.
@AvenueToTheReal - I don't deny that serial timestampers drive me nuts. Haha.
It's just that sometimes I'm working on a post, and keeping it private while I tweak it. Then, when I'm ready to make it public, I update the current time as the stamped date could be from a couple hours before. So for my personal needs, timestamping once is fine.
And my personal needs are all that matter! To heck with everyone else! Bwahahahaha!!!
Don't obliterate timestamping completely, but only allow it no more than twice per post.
I think that timestamping a post should have a limit but not be taken away completely.
I do it strictly to annoy people. I think it's funny! Hahah. But i've only done that like once or twice. And I did it every hour. Hahahaha.
I'm gonna make a new post. That says "I'm time stamping to annoy avenuetothereal" AND JUST KEEP TIMESTAMPING!! MUAHAHAHA. I kid, I kid.
FTW!
Is Future Posting only for Premium users?
@AvenueToTheReal - Not if you make the credit penalty so high. There will come a place where it will obviously stop it.
I have recently started unsubscribing from people who abuse this feature (BarelyJen, ASM). I think it's unfair to everyone who DOESN'T do it. And really, if I didn't read it the first time, reposting it six times isn't going to make me want to read it.
Thanks for drawing attention to this plague!
Hmm ... I sometimes timestamp if I add something new on my post to make it better, or an edit or something. (or my "Pink Changing Lives" post) But other than that, I don't agree with timestamping at all.
If someone abuses timestamping, and I see the same post four times a day, then I unsubscribe or/and delete them as a friend. I can only take that from a few people if they're really good. I mean like, REALLY good.
Time killstamping!
I thought Timestamping was a Xanga contest?!? Aw man... I've been punk'd!
Hey Avenue, I feel your pain. And I agree that it's a problem, but maybe it shouldn't be stopped completely because, like you said, it can be useful. I've proposed a similar idea that could at least lessen the problem while still keeping the feature. You likey?
i only timestamp a "private entry" (which i often treat like a "draft") once it's ready to go public.
we don't need to "ban" it. people who do this habitually and flagrantly are just uber lame.
if a comment is older than the entry itself, we have a problem.
of course, the solution could be that entries with comments can no longer have the time edited forward, only backward.
I am wishy washy on the idea as of yet. I hate the time-stamping abuse, but on the other hand, this is great for the featured_grownups people. As I link new posts and update the timestamp, readers go to the new posts linked to the blog. I have seen remarkable improvement with it.
I dunno...
@ClockworkBunny - I like this idea!
most people who over time stamp got lots of credits to go around.
most people who time stamp are the top boggers with 100+ comments a blog.
Xo
Thank you for writing this. I don't know how many of my friend's posts I have missed because of this problem.
@CHS_Drummer - Not a bad idea, but twice per post per day is still too much, unfortunately.
@slamjoe - Just to be clear, I'm not proposing to stop a user's ability to edit the time-stamp; I'm asking for the 'update to current time' link be removed.
oh dear. At first it really bugged me, back in May last year. Then I got used to it.At first I thought ppl did ot because it was a really urgent post and after the 3rd timestamp I'd go check it out.
And then started using it myself. because I'm a small blogger. I guess most of us subscribe to too many, plus too many friends and too little time/attention to read. Info overload. A way to organize the inbox more would help.
Also, wouldn't a no option on the votiing thing just call for dram, feuds and throwing cream cakes at each other?
I just delete and unsub people that mass mess too much, or beg for attention, votes etc severeal times a day. But they are still welcome to visit my blog...
I'm lucky enough to be subscribed to very few who abuse it, but honestly it can *still* be annoying. I am kinda used to it and know who to expect it from by now. But yeah, if you could only do it once then that would be fine.
I've done it but not exactly for anyone to comment, I just like the way an entry looks or what it means to me.
You got my vote!
Oh I hate when people do that. >:|
Interesting idea, and I like XangaDan view on this about it costing you credits.
I would not block anyone who abuse the timestamping feature,
i didn't even realize people do this on a regular basis. i'm apparently subscribed to the wrong people, or more accurately, the right people, since this doesn't happen to me.
i do like the future posting though and hope that doesn't go away. i'm really busy much of the time so that when i do get a day off, i sometimes write a couple blogs and post one that day and set one to post the next day.
as far as 'update to current time', i have only used that on very very very few ocassions when i had added an important edit with breaking news. (it was when i was posting on my dad's heart attack and keeping the family informed that way.)
win.
@Schristian - No. I do it all the time.
This is a reason why I went and updated my subscriptions and friends -- I was tired of seeing a certain few people who felt what they needed to say was so important that they needed to have ALL of their posts at the top of the list. I got rid of them. I didn't block them, just de-subbed and de-friended them.
The funny thing is what they needed to say was not as important as the few other friends I had that actually had something to say -- I was missing what was said that was important. It is rather aggravating.
The only time I have done it was when I had a private blog that I was in the middle of writing and would save it everytime I updated it and when I was finally done with writing it, I would update the time and finally post it (because no one had yet read it).
@ClockworkBunny - wow that's an awesome idea! Except, it should cost credits to timestamp the first time.
or the top bloggers should stop timestamping all together, out of solidarity. To them the credits cost means absolutely nothing.
the question is. Is Xanga a community or merely an interface for a few lucky, and talented top bloggers?
The same talent but without all the subs, and dead easy to use weblog editor & other goodies from Xanga ---- would mean they would have to work so much harder to get the same kinds of traffic than they get on Xanga.
wow, i didn't even know what that was!!
i don't know if i would block a person, though...unless they did it A LOT.
I think XangaDan has a great idea. Now we actually have a reason to have credits--other than these annoying plugs(z?).
@slamjoe - I like that idea
I can't vote for that. I like time-stamping my posts that I haven't finished yet. If you changed the idea to not having time-stamp unless the post has been private when it was first made and then you get to update the time when it will be public once, then I will vote.
im guessing 1 timestamp, and then 5000 credits per time stamp afterwards
@Powerpal2015 - That's what it should be used for. I'm hearing a lot about an idea to make it cost credits to do it more than once in day, which I think is also a good idea.
Anyhow, thanks for sharing your view.
maybe limit the amount of times. i like that idea
I am all for this. I've noticed that when adjusting a post with my iPhone and NOT hitting "update to current time" it still does. Not say I don't use it (I have a personal limit of two UNLESS the post dramatically changes by adding photos as promised or updating my "what am I" contests. It upsets me that these glitches or the evolving nature of posts has caused others to leave. For my part I'll just sign on less on here since that seems to be part of the problem.
@Viewtiful_Justin - i am especially sorry I lost you as a reader
Yes. I have considered blocking people who time stamp or whatever it is. It's b-s. I hate logging in to see an entry I already commented on three days ago be at hte top of my subs list. I already read this shit, quit it man.
i dont block them, but do get really fucking annoyed by it. ive never done it.
there should be limits.
but really, all in all, some people should know better,
I mean if you are a top blogger to where [you know] people ACTUALLY visit your site, even if they havent seen the update in the uni-inbox, those bloggers SHOULDNT be time-stamping, really. its just blogging etiquette, most of which many have lost already.
I don't agree with you. I never abuse anything and timestamping is an option that I seldom use, but it's useful for me. Instead of replying to every comment that there's an update, I put update/edit at the bottom and bold it. That way, if you care enough to see that there's an update, you'd go to read it.
You have the choice to not subscribe to people who abuse these things. I actually unsub to A LOT of people because people abused time stamping and mass-messaging. I don't care to read the blogs of people who don't care about their readers. At the same time, I never feel that I spam anything and certainly not in this case with the edit. Once I get a new answer, I will update it again. Anyone who cares to read what the real use would read it and those who think I'm spamming, can go ahead and unsub me.
Updating timestamp has always been there--in all the close to 7 years I've been blogging. I used it probably about 20-30 times out of the 700 or so entries I have written.
-ray leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
@AvenueToTheReal - Not twice per post per day, twice per post or twice per day. As in either you can only "Update to Current Time" each post so many times, or you can only use "Update to Current Time" so many times in 24 hours. Just once is even better than twice. Sorry, ran out of room in the Idea Description box. *Brushes teeth*
timestamping ftl. D:
@ClockworkBunny - I like that idea O.O It'd finally put a real use to the credits too
@jigg - Most people I talk to would rather not unsubscribe from the person who is spamming with time-stamping, either because they like the person, or just don't want to cause any problems. This is getting to be a really big problem, though. I'd rather not call out all the worst offenders, but instead, just take that power out of their hands. Nowhere did I say we should ban the ability to edit the time-stamp, but to take a button away the makes it easy to quickly spam a post.
I've knocked people off my friends and subs for timestamping. If you've actually updated your entry, fine; but I don't need my inbox constantly clogged up just cause someone wants attention. It pisses me off, in all honesty.
@ClockworkBunny - I do the exact same thing. It takes me forever to type up a post only because I'm not very good at coming up with my concept in one sitting. But I would definitely be willing to sacrifice my ability to timestamp if it means putting an end to all the madness. I can always type up my posts on some wordprocessor or something.
Time stamping is a great feature when it's not being ABUSED like a redheaded step-child.
Once is fine after that it is irritating.
@Lithium98 - Unfortunately I do my best thinking in the weblog editor. :/ Sometimes I start in Notepad or Word, but even then I tend to finish on Xanga. I don't know why.
I have a Bush Gone countdown timer I reposted a couple of times. I don't see the harm in a repost, if it isn't done several times over.
@BarelyJen - I had no idea it was a sort of technical difficulty. My bad.
@AvenueToTheReal - My pleasure
People should be allowed to time stamp a post once, and only if they've made additions to it. I hate seeing a post that remains unchanged but is time stamped 3-4 times in a single a day.
Wow, I didn't even know you could do that.. o.O
Voted. I haven't run into much of a problem here on Xanga, but I know people on MySpace who constantly spam, and it drives me nuts. I'm not looking forward to this spreading on Xanga.
@Viewtiful_Justin - No, it's totally cool! I didn't address it, because no one had said anything about it ... LOL, I'm just going to stop looking at my posts from my iPhone!
Problem solved. (But I still will timestamp—as long as the function exists—when I have a serious update in the post, but it will continue to say *UPDATED* in the subject line.)
Again, I am SOOOO SORRY! LOL, I hate that I've been annoying anyone.
Nori,
This is what you need to do. Go check out the site of three of your subscribers. Ask them to let you sign in with their password. I have already done this. Do it with your average every day bloggers. These people will only have 75-300 subscribers. Now what do you see?
You don't see your post on their private page do you? Not if it was posted 3-4 hours ago. What is knocking your post down? Is it the timestampers? Nope. You might see one timestamper. What is knocking you down? Count how many pulses are above you? Count how many recommends are above you? Most of those recommends won't be you after a typical post. Now count how many "ish" posts are above you in block form.
See you are friending people from the "ish" sites. What is really knocking you down and giving you less comments? Not the timestamping. It is the increase number of pulses, ish sites and recommends. Joe blogger is not seeing your post at a faster rate than ever because pulses are increasing, recommends are increasing and ish sites are increasing plus those ish sites have more friends. Take out the timestamper and you still are not on the front page of that private page.
Anyone can deny this. So simply go check out 3 random sites that will let you have their password and you will find out. By the way, I already know the answer because I have already tried this experiment.
people are so stupid. If their post was any good, people would comment. They have subscribers that see their posts that aren't in the spammy universal inbox, which is filled with crap from your "friends" that you don't care about reading.
you time stamped your post and you still have 100 views and 3 comments? but but.. why? BECAUSE YOUR POST SUCKED, THAT'S WHY.
I voted. and rec'd.
please be hilarious and timestamp this.
@BarelyJen - if you have a serious update, and you put UPDATE in the title or body, that's perfectly fine.. don't apologize!! its just when people timestamp it as if its new, and nothing has changed... ><
@BarelyJen - Ah...I was just feeling cranky, I guess.
thnx for the add.....that is annoying when ppl timestamp like 4 times a day -.- i do it sometimes when like im not done with my poast ill turn it private till im done and fix the time before i do cuz sometimes it takes me like a week to finish one
♥sexy pink
I FUCKING HATE TIMESTAMPING WITH MY WHOLE BODY. I voted. I wish I could vote 1000x
"People might not have seen your post because I posted it at 2ish..so let me post it again for them!"
Uhm, no. Your post just fucking sucks and no one wants to comment on let alone read your garbage.
That's why I unsubscribed to BlackSpiderMan and AntiSoccermom =(
Yes, I just voted for the idea.
I agree. People are quite abusing the timestamp feature. Ah, the attention whores.
Hmmm... never had that problem. I guess I'm only friends with real human beings, not attention whores.
Personally, I have a very particular way I like my posts arranged, so I wouldn't move the times of most of them - I usually either put them to show up in the past or in the future and leave them there. Lol. But I do like the time stamp because it lets me be able to post at the times that I want even if I can't actually do that because I'm busy or something... so I wouldn't want it removed.
hmm. blocking is a good idea for people who hate it that much.
otherwise, i'd just impose a limit. i think i just do it once, now.
moderation!
If I want to Re-Post something, I will do it. If you don't want to read what I have to say, don't stop by or delete the subscription.
In fact, I did this the other day. Dun..dun...dun...
Yes, I would propose blocking all those who frequently timestamp. It's getting annoying.
Thank you for posting an explanation for timestamping. I can understand why some folks do it and don't particularly care that the feature exists. I'd be much happier with being able to delete things from the universal inbox, so that I can easily see what I haven't already seen.
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I would not consider it. I really don't think it's that big of a deal.
I would unsubscribe.
I'd just unsubscribe them. That never happens with my subscriptions...
oh if you know me, you will know i don't blink twice when i decide to block someone. you annoy me, you're out. finito. kaput. sayonara.
i've already unsubed because someone was a timestamping whore. once is forgiveable, but it gets old. really fast.
i like the idea that it costs you credits. and that it's limited to once.
I once unsubbed a guy who was addicted to timestamping and recommending.
I like the using credits to timestamp idea. I know I'm guilty of timestamping especially my contests. But even if the ability to timestamp is taken away, there are other ways to bring your posts front and center. Reposting for example (copy and paste into a new weblog). By taking away timestamping, it isn't going to solve the problem. I will admit, I get frustrated when I see the same blog at the the top of my Universal Inbox 17 times a day for a week. But I suggested making our Universal Inbox more like an Email Inbox where you can delete things from it (that you've read) or make things bold when they are unread and not bold when they have already been read so you can identify new posts so you don't miss anything. That would at least help with the situation a little. You can go here to vote on that idea.
it's actually never really been a problem for me so i didn't understand at all what you were talking about and i still don't think i do....maybe i need some visuals or something.
i've never really used the update time stamp feature i just kind of like to keep my blog as current as possible so if i updated at 3am and then around noon that day i changed it or added to it, i stamp it...because i feel like i'm lying to myself if i leave it as the 3am post.....when my thoughts weren't all there until noon. :[
maybe that's just me....
i feel really confused still.
time stamp to high heaven... i don't use it though.
I've never had anyone on Xanga (or anywhere else) blog-spamming via the timestamp feature. Most of the spammers probably just repost the HTML of their trash from a text file, like I do when I post a blog entry.
What I did was set up a series of "blog entries" as subpages to my site here, and used the timestamp feature to date them in early 2005 -- over two full years before I started on Xanga. But once they're set up, I leave them set at that date and time, and just edit the content as needed.
i like being able to send my posts backward and forward thru time. i'm from a little group that updates their time stamp a good bit. hi lea and phil. so bite me. or block me. or tie me up and cover me in karo syrup over an ant mound. then get an ant eater to lick all the ants of me so i actually don't get stung. i hate being stung by ants. but i like being licked all over by furry creatures.
That's actually a pretty good idea--never thought of that before.
I had no idea that people spammed their posts...that's kind of uncool. But I like the date/time stamp...just because it allows people to know when you are writing and up in the middle of the night...haha.
No, I wouldn't block... but I would be annoyed!
i had no idea about that whole timestap thing...::taps chin:: I don't think I'd do that more than once or twice on a post...if its an especially good one then perhaaaaps more than once...I'm with you though down with the spam posts!
Nah, if you have your eye that closely on the UI, you need to back away from the computer and go outside.
no, i've actually never seen this happen
Oh, hell yes.
I think updating time stamps without actually making any significant changes to the original post is a pretty funny act that people do. It's like, "Hey! Look at how witty and clever I am! You all obviously failed to see my genius since you failed to leave me a comment."
In other news, I burned my bacon.
My problem with this is that us service sites would be really inconvienianced by that.
I love your posts! see, I even read your old posts if I missed them.
Comments are closed.