I viewed most 9Rules members as pretty arrogant and egotistical.

Sadly I think some members have acted in ways that have affected how many people view the 9rules network as a whole which is unfortunate. There are some very nice people in the network but I think you’d find them just as approachable even if they did not have the leaf on their site.

I can at least soften the blow of your not being accepted by telling you that the exposure one receives today from being in 9rules is next to nothing when compared to the traffic they sent through via rounds 2 – 4 but of course one thing Scrivs like to say over and over is that ‘traffic is not why someone should want to join 9rules’ while rambling on over and over about all that they do for their members. I don’t see it and I don’t think others do either. I think many of us are starting to feel used and that just sucks.

I really just wanted the membership for the exposure. But since that chance is over, I figure I should make my own networking site. It will only feature my personal site… kinda like a mirror. A beautiful mirror. Man, it is late and I am starting to ramble…

The novelty of notes has worn thin to the point of Scrivs posting YouTube content. Watch notes for a consecutive 2 – 3 hours at night and you’ll quickly see that notes are not as active as The Rulers would want you to believe. The best part is that the some of the most active notes users are not even 9rules members. We’ve also seen a few notes users banned recently and the consensus would be that such action was not necessary. Nothing better than a community that’s afraid to speak it’s mind and comment on some inanae YouTube video.

If I keep typing any more I’ll probably just end up removing the leaf right now but I’m still holding onto the hope that the ideals of what once was will return.

Scrivs and company finally realized that the 9rules blog network was not worth anything in the business world. Sure we heard stories about VC funding but let’s be real here. Until recently they did not even have their brand trademarked or other common domain extensions registered to protect their brand as even a small business would do. They were simply recycling their members content and that does not hold any value aside from the traffic. They had no true content and what better way to create content? Let your user base do it for you.

This is all business in my eyes and while I do think it is a smart move on their part, I have to wonder why I’m still flying the 9rules leaf on my site. I’m still creating the same content I always have and now I’m going to be expected to participate in notes or the clubhouse as well. I agreed to not discuss specifics of the clubhouse but I can tell you that while there are a few good exchanges that take place, it’s mostly a lot of back slapping and stroking of egos. I’m not sure how many members there are in 9rules but you can just about bet your last penny that 80% or more don’t use the clubhouse. I think most would find the novelty wears thin.

The colors of the 9rules leaf are pretty but I’m really starting to question my association with this group.

When you spotlight good content, traffic just comes, because they work hand in hand.

We then would’ve been better off staying at Round 1 and not letting anyone else in. That means sites like your’s wouldn’t have gotten in and experienced whatever you did within 9rules. And as a site owner you know damn well good content doesn’t always equate to traffic just coming.

Yes, of course. But with the current 9rules, people are more likely to find a note they like then a website, because that’s where the focus is.

Again, looking at the homepage, topics pages and community pages I see how member content dominates. I mentioned this in my previous comment, but you keep on saying the focus is on Notes. Notes are more active and people are involved in them so maybe that’s where you get your viewpoint. Maybe if we let people comment on Member entries on 9rules itself then things would be different, but how would that help our Members?

But is that what initial and long time members really wanted? Undoubtedly, active network members who were extremely involved in notes and the community forum most definitely benefited from the new social-network-like features (and their 9rules membership of course) that first came about in Ali1, but what if you were too busy to participate? Your site would fall to the floor in the long list of member sites. If I had been more active in these community features, much more of the 9rules reader and member base would have known that this site was even in 9rules. Because I wasn’t, most of the community doesn’t even know who I am. In my eyes, notes became the focus, and content just became a nice backdrop to that bigger picture.

You just proved my point. We created a Community from day 1 where the more work YOU put in the more you get out of it and understandably you say you didn’t have enough time to participate in, but it boils down to us messing up and not doing the right things to give you traffic. Can’t you see where I’m confused here? We simply provide the tools, you build what you want with them.

If you are the only child in your family you get all the attention, but what happens when a new baby is born? Because the baby is new it seems to get all the attention and you have to work just a little bit harder to get that attention. Doesn’t mean people love you less or anything, just means more effort has to be put in.

Of course some people have stopped reading 9rules, it’s a site that goes in cycles just like any other site on the web. It would be safe to assume people have stopped reading devlounge right? We are also a site that changes more often than others so people hold stronger convictions for it and that to me shows the strength of our brand. And to be honest, why would we bust our asses to create something like 9rules and feel that we should benefit people who don’t participate in it? We put our lives in this Community for the people who work to put something into it. You know what the hardcore members want, even the ones that have been around since May 2005? They want Members to be held accountable for what they do in 9rules and that’s where we are moving.

I do sincerely hope that Ali2 brings back 9rules to it’s prime and restores the network to the good old days, while maintaining an equal balance of content and social.

Thanks for this, but to be honest 9rules hasn’t even hit it’s first prime yet. Assuming we past our’s assumes that we aren’t growing and thriving which definitely isn’t the case. I understand what you and some others want, but we move forward with the same goals that we started with…never backwards.

With all of that said we are very excited with what we are doing with Member content in Ali2. Thank you for your thoughts.

Be honest with yourself here and think for a second. What happens when you find a site you like? You subscribe to it right?

Yes, of course. But with the current 9rules, people are more likely to find a note they like then a website, because that’s where the focus is.

No we are becoming the first social content network with actual meaning behind it. Again you are painting a black and white picture without even realizing the bigger picture involved here.

But is that what initial and long time members really wanted? Undoubtedly, active network members who were extremely involved in notes and the community forum most definitely benefited from the new social-network-like features (and their 9rules membership of course) that first came about in Ali1, but what if you were too busy to participate? Your site would fall to the floor in the long list of member sites. If I had been more active in these community features, much more of the 9rules reader and member base would have known that this site was even in 9rules. Because I wasn’t, most of the community doesn’t even know who I am. In my eyes, notes became the focus, and content just became a nice backdrop to that bigger picture.

I’m not trying to sound like a total ass, just pointing out what I thought happened to the network over the course of a year I was part of it. I do sincerely hope that Ali2 brings back 9rules to it’s prime and restores the network to the good old days, while maintaining an equal balance of content and social. I may not “speak for the whole web” but I have talked to quite the fair share of people who said they stop reading 9rules along time ago. I hope you can win them back, and make me jealous for leaving.