What’s So Hot About Triond’s Hot Content List?
What is there about the Hot Content List that makes us all want to see our articles appear on this list?
For the last couple of months, I have seen weekly articles by various writers concerning the Hot Content list. While most of these articles are interesting and some even informative I keep asking myself what exactly is so hot about the Hot Content List.
As most of these writers have determined the Hot Content List, does not necessarily represent the best articles by the Triond community (though many great articles from fine writers appear on it from time to time) nor does it necessarily feature the most popular articles. In fact, one of the mystifying puzzles of this List is no one seems to know what makes an article hot, and another article not so hot.
Which makes me wonder. Why are so many writers who have not made the list so eager to do and why are writers who have made the list continuing to strive to make it again?
Lest anyone thinks I am asking these questions because of sour grapes, let me say I have made the Hot Content List a few times. While I will admit the first time was a thrilled, kind of like getting your name on the front page of the newspaper, the thrill soon wore off.
In my case, I realized that although some of my articles made the list, the ones that did make it were never my best articles or even the ones I would have thought should have made the list. In a couple of cases, these articles were articles that I was not at all proud of in any way.
That being the case, I soon got over my infatuation with seeing my name or my articles on this much converted list, preferring to get my self confidence booster by other Triond writers whose work I admired than by some anonymous person or group of people whose standards of judging could not even be determined.
That does not mean that I do not understand what drives us to want to be on this coveted list. I do. All writers long for recognition. We get that recognition from views, our earnings, the comments on our articles, and the Hot Content List. These are the ways we measure out writing achievements.
To make the list, in the minds of many is an achievement even if we don’t quite understand what exactly we have achieved. To put it more in perspective we want to make the Hot Content List for the same reason that people climb Mt. Everest. We want to be on it simply because it is there.
So, to all those who have found themselves on the list I offer my congratulations, and to those who have not yet reached this somewhat shifting peak I would say, please don’t worry unduly, not only will you make reach the top one day, but right now you are probably on someone’s Hot Content List already.
Liked it
Tags: Earnings, hot content list, recognition, triond, views
Click the icon to the left to subscribe to Writinghood with your favorite RSS reader.
- Just a Love Note
- Toddlers on Triond: Take Time to Make Your Comments
- Addicted to Triond?
- Triond is Online Writing with Training Wheels
- I'm Sorry Triond...but There's Someone Else
- Is It Wise to Keep Writing for Writing Sites?
- Painting Pictures With Words
- My Triond Writing Experience
- Triond Facts of Life
- A Writing Sabbatical
October 11th, 2009 at 8:16 am
You raise a valid point (with a good title
) but I think I know why we are all fans of the Hot Content list.
Well, firstly, I think the Hot Content list is like a measure of how good you are. I mean there are some people like Ruby Hawk, Guy Hogan and many others who constantly keep going on the Hot Content list and I think that is like a measure of the success they have and lets other junior writers (like I) aspiring to be like them.
I’ve had my articles published on the Hot Content about 5-7 times and no doubt, I’m proud of that but me being me, I want my share of the spotlight so I think again, it is the motivating factor that helps us aim there and as a result of aiming to be on the Hot Content, we keep writing. As much as the Hot Content is a clever marketing strategy for writers, it is a clever marketing strategy for Triond as well. More writers want to have their article published on the Hot Content which means that Triond is getting more articles to gain money off.
I still do get the thrill when I see my name on the Hot Content and the thrill hasn’t yet worn out for me but I think you are right in the sense when you say that it is in fact a confidence booster because it makes you think that your article is one of the top few on Triond.
However, I do believe that the Hot Content is so popular because it is an enigma in itself and many people want to know how to crack it which I think contributes to this sense of not knowing and the excitement preceding it.
That’s what I believe anyway but I’m interesting to see the other responses to this thought provoking article.
October 11th, 2009 at 8:23 am
An interesting article. I did have quite a few articles in hot content before I took a month off Triond but since returning I don’t think I have been on, mind you I don’t often look. The thrill has worn off.
Christine
October 11th, 2009 at 8:45 am
I don’t really write to see my article in the Hot Topic list, but I am sure it would be nice. I have found writing to be helpful in easing my stress levels, and I enjoy reading others people comments and what they have to say, as they write their own pieces of work.
Interesting Article
October 11th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Great article thanks for sharing your input.
October 11th, 2009 at 9:15 am
You have summed up nicely, Martie and Atikin has made great comments too. But I think this topic has become fairly worn out.
October 11th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Nice article!
October 11th, 2009 at 9:52 am
I don’t know how a article has to be selected to be in Hot List
October 11th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Don’t know if I’ve been there and unless someone tells me so I’m not sure I would know. I just see it as one of the games other people don’t invite me to play.
I joined this site to learn to be better at my craft… writing. I think I pale beside some but that I do have enough of a spark to do ok. (Thanks to encouragement from folks like you)
I think that knowing people come to read MY writing because they’ve read something in the past and liked it, is very Hot Content.
Or having my dad read it and like it. He’s a hard one to please.
October 11th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Good stuff well expressed.
October 11th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Good points you have expressed here.
October 11th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
All who have wriiten on the topic have come to the conclusion that articles appearing on the list seem to be arbitrarily chosen, nonetheless, being on the list would seem to give greater exposure and increase readership for the chosen individuals. That would be the most obvious reason for wanting to be amongst the chosen.
October 11th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
My goal for every article is to get on the list. I don’t always make it but I want to be there. I estimate that the list puts the title of a writer’s content in front of the eyes of 30,000 viewers. And that’s a conservative estimate. Of course only a small per centage of the 30,000 click on the title, but still…
The list is a good place for a writer to be. Please remember this is only my opinion and like all opinions this one may be faulty.
October 11th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I was on it once for sure with one of my Mrs. Heart messages. I was pleased and hoped for more returns. So far I haven’t. I’ll just try my best and maybe one day I’ll be back. It does make me want to try harder. Great article!
October 11th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Martie, I’m sure we all do the best we can but what gets on the hot list is anybody’s guess. As I just commented to Westbrooks maybe they throw all articles in a box and draw out the lucky numbers. I don’t think it means a thing.
October 12th, 2009 at 8:09 am
My goal is to write a good article; if it makes it to the list, I consider that a perk.
October 12th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Agree with you Martie, the level of concern about making the list has really gone over the top lately. It’s great making the list but if views are your goal you will be sadly disappointed from your returns from making the list.
October 12th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
The only article that I ever wrote that made the “hot content” list was a funny article. I think they judge the article by the number of hits it gets; some kinds of articles get more hits than others.
It’s hard to get the greater internet community to read ANYTHING much less something serious. I think that is pretty much what is going on with that ! It is frustrating to write a good piece, spend lots of time on it and get no attention at all.
I once did an experiment on HubPages and submitted an article on “Hot, sexy lingerie.” Once the reader got to the article, I had photos of old fashioned longjohns etc. hanging on a line and admitted that I wanted to see how much attention this article would get. To this day, it is one of my highest hits articles, and it’s no article at all, really. Tells you people’s heads are!! LOL
October 17th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I think people who make the Hot content list often usually mean’s they are great writers.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I try not to worry about the Hot Content List. In fact the last time I was on it I didn’t know until my friends told me in their comments.