📈 Similar Worlds #️⃣ pages Indexed, UP 3x since Group Consolidation 🚀
The number of webpages from Similar Worlds being indexed by Google [i](which will resultingly translate to other Search Engines)[/i], has [b]increased by Threefold (x3) since our release of Group Consolidation[/b], / Restructuring, which was done on [u]July 23rd, 2021[/u]. [i](Initial improvement changes were started in the prior month of June.)[/i]
This will lead to future growth on SW, in the coming months and years ahead.
📈 [b]More Pages Indexed = More Visitors = More Signups & Growth[/b] 🚀
[c=666666][i](Corrected chart labelling)[/i][/c]
This is as we have strategized, which is that these recent changes will improve the overall "Site Quality", Relevance and Organization, over time.
The real benefits to users, will be more visible once we have implemented the planned significant improvements to our "Relevance Algorithms", which will provide more relevant:
While we understand that many users will not be happy with many of our decisions made in improving/adjusting the way how this site works and operates,
we (SW Staff) DO definitely always consider user feedback, very strongly, in every decision we make.
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Please note that a "Majority Vote" on a public poll (for example) will not always be indicative of the path we have decided to take on a decision, (especially for years old feedback polls, where many factors would have since changed).
There will always be a lot of crucial data that is only available to SW Staff (just as with any other website/service), that also factors heavily in the final decisions we make.
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We continue to look forward to incoming growth for SW, in the coming months. 👍
Many of our recent and in-development changes to this site, are being done, in part, to allow and facilitate such user growth, as well as to provide a higher quality experience to all of our users, in the long-term.
Thanks for your continued feedback, support and patience! 🙂
Kind regards, -SW Staff
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For example, websites such as Quora, which has a more structured format and very specific guidelines of posting, has much higher quality of posts and responses, than many other sites, yet, the site has a very large number of users.
(We are not aiming to mimic Quora, that's just an example of the highest quality, content/social network I can think of.)
What influences quality more, tends to be:
[b]1) The Rules and Guidelines of a website/service.
2) The general Format and Layout (eg, Organized vs Disorganized)
3) The overall culture that is promoted by staff and users.[/b]
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While our rules and guidelines haven't changed much, we have been building a much more structured and organized site, by proceeding with this massive group restructuring.
We do understand that in the short term, this isn't as "Fun" to see so many changes done.
However, too many Random / Fun / Unsorted posts, greatly lowers the Quality of the site's content, and changes the culture to more of a "Free for all Hangout", rather than a place for organized ideas and expression of interests.
Higher amounts of structure and organization, will likely also invite users who are also more serious about quality, structure, and sharing good, meaningful content.
People who like to see a "Clean and Orderly" community, will also likely provide more quality to other users.
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One thing to also note, is that "over 100,000 individuals" cross by SW each and every month...
Only a smaller percentage of them, actually do stick around and join.
Why is that?
The site has been too disorganized for very long, and it's difficult for newcomers to find value, in disorganization.
It has always been difficult for outsiders to figure out what to make of Similar Worlds.. however, we have been working hard at tackling this problem.
Structure and organizing are also important... in fact very important ... and this👇 is my real problem
[quote]) The overall culture that is promoted by staff and users.[/quote]
Before the new users from Yahoo Answer joined, Sw had a culture that was its most valuable asset... a friendly culture... A home .... One big family ..... Support...
Now, we are losing it...
You didnt share your vision but the three items you mentioned above seem like parts of a good Mission Statement towards a qualitative vision...
@Andrew sorry Andrew. I am a top contributor in at least four categories at Quora, and have been with them since their launch. And what you are seeing isn't exactly true for the regulars there.
SW is a social site and feels like one. I come here to escape politics and to socialize, laugh and play. I have genuine friends here.
Quora is a formal site, where direct, personal interaction is often severely limited. It is like standing in the Library of Congress. I have users there that I comment on frequently, and they comment on me as well. But they are distant acquaintances, not friends.
Long and short... SW (when it works as intended) maybe chaotic and weird, but it's fun. Quora, at the best of times is informative and even combative, but it's also boring and aloof.
I have interacted with you and Nuno here a few times over the years. I couldn't even name a single admin or mod at Quora, because we are all cattle to them.
@PrivateHell I understand your points, and don't necessarily disagree with what you said.
Quora was a quick and simplistic example made, to attempt to explain:
[quote]How quality is going to be imporoved?? Dont you think that increase in number of users can decrease the quality of SW??[/quote]
My general answer was that: The Quality of a site/community, doesn't really correlate with the number of users (Increase or Decrease),
but rather, factors such as:
1) Rules and Guidelines
2) Format and Layout
3) Culture
What we have been mostly working on, is improving the Format and Layout available, which also means improved organization, so that users can find more of what they actually want here (relevancy).
[quote]SW (when it works as intended) maybe chaotic and weird, but it's fun.[/quote]
I agree that SW can be fun for many, especially to Ex-EP users, who are used to the culture here,
however: a) The remaining remaining supply of Ex-EP users, has completely dried up, so that cannot be relied on for continued growth of this site.
b) A large number of Ex-EP users have simply moved on, and left SW also.
Which only leads us to the option of adjusting our site to a more understandable, more organized format, that can interest newcomers.
As mentioned in another comment above, SW easily has over 100,000 unique visitors here each month. However, only a small percentage stay around to join the site.
This is because, the previous, unstructured/chaotic format, is difficult for most outsiders to understand.
Remaining that way, would only cause SW to die a slow but sure death, as our user base slowly dries up.
One last advice from a retired director of large organizations (not bragging about me... just want you to think about the advice more carefully and seriously):
Your most valuable asset is [b]Your reputation...[/b]
Please listen to your users more carefully... put together their feedback and be innovative in finding solutions for the benefit of your users first and then yours.... [b]part of a healthy marketing[/b]
put [b]quality[/b] above quantity... gradually this will make you a classy website and more expensive advertising clients will approach you.... think [b]big[/b] but not cheap....
gradually make convenient and better changes ..... restructuring and reorganizing....
Change is good... it is a blessing only if the right changes...
that will build you good reputation... [b]a huge asset[/b]... your logo will be respected and loved... SW will be the virtual home of more users everyday...
Remember: this might become the culture that you want to build.....[b]Home is about feeling safe and sound... family and support...[/b]
🤗🤗
SW-User
@Soossie Many years ago [b]YAHOO ANSWERS[/b] had a culture that was its most valuable asset... a friendly culture... A home .... One big family ..... Support...
There were many things here you can get away with that would have been deleted on Y!A.
If you want a NO nonsense answer of facts & not fiction then you go to Quora.
YIA died because the Management TEAM made changes that NO user wanted.
STUPID changes that only put a nail in its coffin every time they made a different change.
