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Dear Admins, Do You Really Want to Get Rid of Me?? 😕

In order to obtain a more or less complete chronological feed, I had bookmarked
"https://similarworlds.com/search-posts?q=and"
which gave me every post that contains the word "and" (= 99% of all posts). I could live with that as a reasonable work-around.
Of course it wasn't perfect (there are some posts which do not contain the character string "and", of course) so I had also bookmarked:
"https://similarworlds.com/search-posts?q=the"
and
"https://similarworlds.com/search-posts?q=not"
It was an awkward work-around but sort of ok for me.

Those searches are no longer possible. All I get is
"Please add more relevant words to your search query."

"and" does not work anymore, but, lo and behold, "end" works! ==> it's not that three-character strings are excluded from the search, but specifically "and" and "the" and "not" (and maybe some more). ==> The admins are actively, intentionally preventing us from using search engine tools as a work-around to get a complete feed.

As a result, I do no longer have a working feed. This is catastrophic. You exclude me from enjoying other members' posts, and you exclude others from reading mine. This post will most likely be invisible to most users.

All I'm getting now is a tiny subset of posts which I don't have control over.

I don't get it. I do not understand your intentions. Why are you doing this? Why did you kill the only reasonable access to an (almost) unfiltered feed? What's the objective behind your decisions? What are you aiming at? Are you trying to attract a younger uneducated crowd perhaps? Are you trying to repel "power users"?

Really, I'm totally frustrated. Somebody is doing a bad job. 😒

Top | Newest First | Oldest First

Gusman · 61-69, M

It seems admin cares not that they are destroying this site with the hopes of attracting more people.
Stubbornness is not a good virtue,

Dshhh · M

@Gusman may as well mane it MAGA land and let it go to the trolls that infect more and more of this site

Gusman · 61-69, M

@Dshhh Agreed.
Can not have a pleasant time here anymore. Waste of my time being here.

Dshhh · M

@Gusman i have a new way.. one block a LOT of the asshats,, after about 50 it really seems nicer here,
but dont hope for anything from the admins.. we are just ubers to them
they will not even respond to my direct mail anymore

basilfawlty89 · 31-35, M

Call me weird, but I've always thought that a site should cater to its members. Especially a social media site, which this technically is. When you don't listen to your user base which are basically customers, you're gonna lose customers.

helenS · 36-40, F

@basilfawlty89 We aren't customers. Advertizers are customers. We are the product they sell to their customers.

basilfawlty89 · 31-35, M

@helenS yes and no. If you buy VIP you are a paying customer.

helenS · 36-40, F

@basilfawlty89 Yes that's true, of course. Thank you 🌷

SW-User

Thank you for making that post. I hope someone listens and does something about it.

helenS · 36-40, F

@SW-User Thank you. I will repost that thing tonight, so people at the other end of the world will be able to read it.

Dshhh · M

@helenS do it 4 times

ninjavu · 51-55, M

Not that a technical explanation helps, but "and" is a stop word in searches. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_word) Same with "the" and I think "not". Ironically you had exploited the very reason why it's a stop word, because your search results included just about every post. Ingenious!

It would be interesting to hear the admins' reason for blocking your searches, considering you clearly know what you're doing. Hopefully they'll restore this functionality.

View 3 more replies »

ninjavu · 51-55, M

@helenS It's good to see that ageism is still alive and well. I'm going to start a middle-age-supremacy group. Sadly, you will have to be denied membership. 😏

helenS · 36-40, F

@ninjavu I could serve you coffee and cookies, wearing a French maid costume!

ninjavu · 51-55, M

@helenS OK, you're in, but only as an associate member in training. ;)

Oster1 · M

It's funny you write this and very timely, indeed.

I just read a post, two or three days ago, where the gentleman stated by searching for "and", he was able to vastly increase his feed and explained it. It is there somewhere.

Bless your heart, now I understand your frustration and why, you may have reason to believe, it was deliberate. You did the same and experienced, the exact results.

You are very wise and savvy. I have much respect.

I did write about my thoughts, months ago, during the Downvote controversy.
I felt I could see what was happening at the time and am more sure about it today. I will refrain, for now, openly.

ShadowSister · 46-50, F

I didn't even know about those work-arounds. I am disappointed that I am forced to interact with the same half-dozen people or so over and over. Not that I dislike those people. But sometimes I feel like I am unintentionally cyber-stalking them. I would much rather see everyone's stuff.

helenS · 36-40, F

@ShadowSister The work-arounds were beautiful while they lasted...

Oster1 · M

I'm so sorry. It pains me, to see you hurt. It really does.

Maybe swimming and a picnic, by the lake, later. 🥴😘

I don't know what to do. I'm not weak. It's just out of my control and I roll, with it.

I certainly, don't want you to leave. I really like you. 😊🤗🥰💕💐

helenS · 36-40, F

@Oster1 Thank you
I'd like to say that people like you are the main reason for me to stay. 🌷

Oster1 · M

@helenS I love that spirit! Helen, you are the greatest! I will see you, when you quit working. I'm bringing whatever we need. Never worry. It has to get better. 🌷

SatyrService · M

Oh helen, please dont leave

you are so right to be uhnappy. the men in charge do not care about the memnership only about onetizing it.
do not get or use The App
it is half incompetence and have ..whatever

if i thought we could do it?
Id organize a SW member strike.
one day where we just dont sign in..
but that would take unity of purpsoe and willpower
both in short supply here

helenS · 36-40, F

@SatyrService It's people like you who make me want to stay. 🌷

SatyrService · M

@helenS i enjoy what you post somuch, I have learned from you
things may yet change?

SW-User

Looking at this thread I am very disappointed not to see a reply from the admins here.
@Andrew @Nuno, helenS found a work-around to a problem that I have raised several times -- and then it stopped working. IS this deliberate??

Jenna76 · 36-40, F

I don't know all the ins and outs of how this stuff works but I do agree that I'm 99% sure that i don't get to see all the posts either.
I've fiddled with the customize feed but it doesnt seem to matter.

Jabulani

'And' is working ?

View 15 more replies »

helenS · 36-40, F

@Jabulani Yes but "Kid" won't lead to a good chronological feed. If it did, it would be on the black list.
Pretty sad that they actively destroy work-arounds for faithful users. 😢

Jabulani

@helenS 'image'. I am sorry how difficult this is now

helenS · 36-40, F

@Jabulani I'm extremely frustrated. They tracked my post, they saw that "And" still works, and they put it on their blacklist immediately.
Without saying anything.
I would not accept anything like that in real life.

KiwiBird · 36-40, F

Wondering if the powers that be want SW to implode.

View 1 more replies »

KiwiBird · 36-40, F

@helenS I am sure some if not a lot of Sweeps welcome you here. I can not answer for Management.

helenS · 36-40, F

@KiwiBird Thank you 🥲

Yulianna · 26-30, F

@helenS 🌻 welcome!

PirateMonkeyCabinet · 36-40, M

Oh my fucking god! I guess they realized people were doing that instead of using the feed, so instead of fixing the feed they just destroy our alternatives. Why fix a problem if you can force people to just use the broken thing?

It bloody worked yesterday. Can't help but wonder, is it because people used it to prove to others just how bad the feed was? Bad look for them if people do that?

I've tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but for someone who supposedly has a long time in the industry this is seriously bordering on incompetence.

View 4 more replies »

Oster1 · M

@PirateMonkeyCabinet Are you the one that brought up the "And' search , days ago?

I tried to search your profile and it was inconclusive. The guy, I was referring too?😊

PirateMonkeyCabinet · 36-40, M

@Oster1 I know I've brought it up a couple of times during the last few days, but I'm fairly sure I'm not the only one. I learned it from others way back shortly after they introduced the new, awful feeds and it is something that has been brought up regularly by people ever since.

Oster1 · M

@PirateMonkeyCabinet OK. Thank you, for working this! 😊

BeefySenpie · M

They want us to all make an alt so the user base technically increases. 4D chess move 🙄

SW-User

Newsgroups had more purpose than this place. I would say a lot of internet forums before social media held more relevance to culture than how social media wants to control social means now.

View 2 more replies »

SW-User

@helenS Even though I am here all the time. I liken that to an addiction. And I do have an addictive personality. I generally prefer a blogging platform, I find more that enriches me. Here, like any other social media instant chat platform, now seems to be fuelled by emotion entirely in need. I don't think they are this smart, but people seem to be very attracted to what angers them right now.... so.....?

helenS · 36-40, F

@SW-User I am here less and less frequently, because I can't see most posts anyway. 😐

SW-User

@helenS I get that. I sometimes read posts, and if we are just talking the structure itself, and think of expressing something, or don't have anything to express. In another moment I may have found a comment, but if I look for it I can't find it? Then an hour later it shows up again, so it was never gone. It was the maligned algorithim they are using. It's truly nonsensical, backwards, and idiotic. It's like they are taking a reverse approach, to me. Most sites/forums gear towards interests, they are removing those things, and trying to let an algorithm that doesn't work decide who gets along?

ExtremeNext · 31-35

If you leave can you send me a gift first 😒

View 2 more replies »

helenS · 36-40, F

@ExtremeNext I'll stay because of people like you! 🌷

ExtremeNext · 31-35

@helenS I know I'm wonderful 😏

helenS · 36-40, F

@ExtremeNext I guess SW had to buy additional storage volume, because of your inbox. 😏

NudasPriest

I agree. So many users just want to see a complete and chronological feed (except for those from blocked/muted users).

It tells me much, to learn that they've actively prevented you from seeing SW the way you want to with those queries.

helenS · 36-40, F

@NudasPriest Yes, that's why I'm so upset, it was done on purpose to make that specific search impossible.

NudasPriest

@helenS Perhaps they're sulking because we don't all love their 'clever' little algorithm.

SW-User

And for whatever it means, I like your comments on here. I know I'm going to meet expressions that are quizzical and smart.

OldBrit · 61-69, M

Did not the "new" feed give you what you need @helenS?

View 1 more replies »

OldBrit · 61-69, M

@helenS what is the filter on new then?

I find that the most useful to get stuff outside my standard feed settings

Jenna76 · 36-40, F

@OldBrit Doesn't really seem to work for me either or perhaps there really aren't that many posts.

OldBrit · 61-69, M

@Jenna76 I just assume that is it in here 🤷🏼‍♂️

Slade · 56-60, M

Well...yes!

View 1 more replies »

Slade · 56-60, M

@helenS This is beyond my pay grade. I just look for poon tang!

helenS · 36-40, F

@Slade It was simply a way for tech-savvy users to generate an almost complete, chronological feed. Apparently that's such a bad thing that they decided to actively (and silently) suppress that possibility. In real life I would turn my back on people who behave like that.

Slade · 56-60, M

@helenS sorry you're going through this. Hope it works👍

OogieBoogie · F

I have to echo nearly everything youve said .

I miss the feed we had back in 2016 - 2019(20?)

Now its strangled and half out of date, or hours old .

bluemachine · 31-35, M

No way!!

FeetAreFantastic · 41-45, M

I can only agree with you! It's super sad and frustrating. What's more: even if your trick still worked, most users won't use the site like that so your own posts still only get shown to a subset of users. So the site has become a lot less active overall.

Nobody likes it and admins know that nobody likes it. But they won't change it so that can only mean there's an ulterior motive that we are not supposed to know about.

helenS · 36-40, F

@FeetAreFantastic I could bookmark
"https://similarworlds.com/search-posts?q=toes" to see all your posts! 😏

FeetAreFantastic · 41-45, M

@helenS Don't forget "soles", "feet" and "heels". 😄

AdaXI · 41-45, T

@FeetAreFantastic

that can only mean there's an ulterior motive that we are not supposed to know about.

Agreed an ulterior motive we still don't have a clue what it is.
乂º︵º乂

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

This is the setting I have for my custom feed. It's a good enough work around to undo what they've done, but I'm still annoyed at having to undo it.

helenS · 36-40, F

@LordShadowfire Thank you – I have almost the exact same settings – I disabled "Relevant Content" and "Comments&Replies" though, in order to avoid my feed being contaminated with replies. Regarding "Relevant Content" I have no idea what's supposed to be relevant to me.

canusernamebemyusername · M

Every now and then I'll see a "new" user talking about how great the site is. I'm like who f-ing paid you. You haven't been on the site long enough to do anything or form an opinion. F-ing shills are being paid by someone.

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