Posted on May 9, 2015
Why are RallyPoint members more interested in controversial opinion topics than self/organizational improvement topics?
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I truly use RallyPoint as a self improvement tool and am looking to learn from others here on this great professional network. Hopefully some can benefit from my posts as well. I have noticed however that the most popular topics are more opinion or controversial in nature and do little for the improvement of ones career whether in the military or as a civilian. The topics that truly talk about self or organizational improvement get very few views or comments.
Why is this? Is it similar to the media where controversy sells? People are naturally more interested and stimulated by controversy or opinion.
Lastly how do we promote more interest in self or organizational improvement topics here on RallyPoint?
I think allowing contributors as I mentioned in the post below would help! Luckily the RallyPoint team is already working this!
Why is this? Is it similar to the media where controversy sells? People are naturally more interested and stimulated by controversy or opinion.
Lastly how do we promote more interest in self or organizational improvement topics here on RallyPoint?
I think allowing contributors as I mentioned in the post below would help! Luckily the RallyPoint team is already working this!
Leadership
Leadership Development
Improvements
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 20
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I would challenge members to follow groups such as leadership, mentorship, training, transition, ect. and begin contributing in meaningful ways! It will only make RallyPoint a stronger network!
A live Q&A where U.S. military members and veterans discuss and evaluate Leadership.
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Chief, you ask many good questions. One item to highlight is that we encourage all members to publish professional content through our 'Command Post' feature. Members can access a listing of these posts and discussions here (currently available on desktop only): https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post
For example here is a recent post published about the Navy's personnel system:
https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/why-the-navy-can-benefit-from-a-new-personnel-network
For example here is a recent post published about the Navy's personnel system:
https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/why-the-navy-can-benefit-from-a-new-personnel-network
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CW4 (Join to see)
LTC Yinon Weiss, I checked this out a few days ago and plan to start contributing!
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LTC Yinon Weiss
Thanks CW4 (Join to see). Here is more information on how to contribute: http://support.rallypoint.com/customer/portal/articles/1833272
We will also happily promote it outside of RallyPoint to encourage more members to join for this kind of content. It creates a virtuous cycle.
We will also happily promote it outside of RallyPoint to encourage more members to join for this kind of content. It creates a virtuous cycle.
Command Post is a collection of long form discussions which select members of the RallyPoint community have opted to sha...
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MSgt Aaron Brite
May I ask why this feature and a similar career feature are only available on the desk top? I ask as I only use a desktop at work and for work. Once home or on the road I am only on mobile devices.
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LTC Yinon Weiss
MSgt Aaron Brite - Our mobile experience is more limited in functionality mainly due to limited resources, so we try to focus on what we think people will do on desktop more and what people will do on mobile more. People are less likely to be doing career planning on their phone for example. The Command Post link should be a relatively easy add-on to mobile, and we can certainly add this to our to-do list. We generally update our mobile site almost every day, usually making incremental improvements and bug fixes. We update the desktop site once a week. The current mobile app is only 9 months old, so much more is to come. If at any point you have any feature requests or suggestions, please write us in at [login to see] . We love hearing from our members.
RP Product: William Chu
RP Product: William Chu
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Human nature. Emotions drive engagement. Emotional and provacative content has been well debated on RP. And its posting debated. And its debating debated. Its all very meta, and tiring.
This is why people share and engage more with things that make them angry. It's science.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE3j_RHkqJc
I mentioned it on this topic.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/point-chasers-meme-makers-and-mass-taggers-are-they-helping-or-hurting-rp--2
Your idea about professionalism of RallyPoint has been brought up a few times. Over a few years.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/i-thought-the-purpose-of-rallypoint-was-military-related-discussions
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/are-members-forgetting-the-purpose-of-rallypoint
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/who-thinks-it-s-time-for-a-rallypoint-virtual-town-hall-meeting
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/can-we-get-rallypoint-back-on-track
Often times these less professional topics make people emotional and disrespectful leading to clashes with the volunteer member-admins.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/member-administrator-cautions-disrespectful-rallypoint-members
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/rallypoint-the-new-bashing-forum
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/should-older-veterans-be-treated-with-more-respect-on-rallypoint
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/should-military-courtesy-be-required-in-rallypoint
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/how-do-you-think-disrespect-and-trouble-makers-should-be-dealt-with
Leading to development of ways to try to enforce Terms of Service more clearly and rigorously.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/rp-3-1-proper-participation-and-use-of-the-rallypoint-answers-forum
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/rallypoint-etiquette-101
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/new-rallypoint-abuse-report-form
This is all very cyclical if you look at the dates. This cycle wears down the people engaged and leads to people high on the leaderboards who participate less and less as time goes on leading to a turnover rate of the engaged members of RP, a "Changing of the Guard" as it were. RP is fortunately built to deal with this, as Member-Admins become less engaged they are replaced by new blood who are more engaged. As point leaders climb the numbers their points received for answers ratchets down driving them into recruiting new blood and member-admin-ing, hiatus or just less engagement. And that's OK. RallyPoint isn't actually here to be a professional discussion forum.
RallyPoint is here to develop an enormous roster of the most eligible veteran talent for civilian businesses interested in hiring them. You, the Service-Member and Veteran are not the customer of RallyPoint, you are the product. The answers forum's sole purpose is to attract new members to enter their information, thereby expanding the talent pool available for sale. Letting users control this attraction feature makes sense, and we do. There's professional content provided for under "CommandPost and even some great individually started threads for those who are serious minded. Then there's "do officers deserve to have more pay/exist/be saluted? does god exist? is Islam a religion? is religion good? do you like memes/star wars/avengers? threads for people who want outrage or popcorn reading. There's a little something for everyone, and when it starts to get repetitive you can just take a break.
People disengaging probably actually helps as the "new recruits" dredge up the same perennial topics and the debate draws in even more newbies. As long as the people who get tired of the cycle just quietly diminish their involvement rather than deleting profiles completely, everything will go swimmingly.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/when-will-you-quit-posting-on-rallypoint-where-are-the-senior-leaders
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/have-you-ever-thought-about-leaving-rallypoint-why-why-did-you-stay?page=3&urlhash=655640#655640
So....It's all been done/said before.
To reiterate what I posted in the first forums link i put in this answer:
Do you "care more about the serious conversations" like most people claim they do? Then act on it: participate in those threads seriously, comment and vote them up. Ignore the low value content you don't want to see. If it's downright unprofessional vote it down or report it.
This is on us as a community.
Ductus Exemplo: Set the Example.
This is why people share and engage more with things that make them angry. It's science.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE3j_RHkqJc
I mentioned it on this topic.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/point-chasers-meme-makers-and-mass-taggers-are-they-helping-or-hurting-rp--2
Your idea about professionalism of RallyPoint has been brought up a few times. Over a few years.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/i-thought-the-purpose-of-rallypoint-was-military-related-discussions
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/are-members-forgetting-the-purpose-of-rallypoint
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/who-thinks-it-s-time-for-a-rallypoint-virtual-town-hall-meeting
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/can-we-get-rallypoint-back-on-track
Often times these less professional topics make people emotional and disrespectful leading to clashes with the volunteer member-admins.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/member-administrator-cautions-disrespectful-rallypoint-members
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/rallypoint-the-new-bashing-forum
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/should-older-veterans-be-treated-with-more-respect-on-rallypoint
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/should-military-courtesy-be-required-in-rallypoint
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/how-do-you-think-disrespect-and-trouble-makers-should-be-dealt-with
Leading to development of ways to try to enforce Terms of Service more clearly and rigorously.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/rp-3-1-proper-participation-and-use-of-the-rallypoint-answers-forum
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/rallypoint-etiquette-101
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/new-rallypoint-abuse-report-form
This is all very cyclical if you look at the dates. This cycle wears down the people engaged and leads to people high on the leaderboards who participate less and less as time goes on leading to a turnover rate of the engaged members of RP, a "Changing of the Guard" as it were. RP is fortunately built to deal with this, as Member-Admins become less engaged they are replaced by new blood who are more engaged. As point leaders climb the numbers their points received for answers ratchets down driving them into recruiting new blood and member-admin-ing, hiatus or just less engagement. And that's OK. RallyPoint isn't actually here to be a professional discussion forum.
RallyPoint is here to develop an enormous roster of the most eligible veteran talent for civilian businesses interested in hiring them. You, the Service-Member and Veteran are not the customer of RallyPoint, you are the product. The answers forum's sole purpose is to attract new members to enter their information, thereby expanding the talent pool available for sale. Letting users control this attraction feature makes sense, and we do. There's professional content provided for under "CommandPost and even some great individually started threads for those who are serious minded. Then there's "do officers deserve to have more pay/exist/be saluted? does god exist? is Islam a religion? is religion good? do you like memes/star wars/avengers? threads for people who want outrage or popcorn reading. There's a little something for everyone, and when it starts to get repetitive you can just take a break.
People disengaging probably actually helps as the "new recruits" dredge up the same perennial topics and the debate draws in even more newbies. As long as the people who get tired of the cycle just quietly diminish their involvement rather than deleting profiles completely, everything will go swimmingly.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/when-will-you-quit-posting-on-rallypoint-where-are-the-senior-leaders
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/have-you-ever-thought-about-leaving-rallypoint-why-why-did-you-stay?page=3&urlhash=655640#655640
So....It's all been done/said before.
To reiterate what I posted in the first forums link i put in this answer:
Do you "care more about the serious conversations" like most people claim they do? Then act on it: participate in those threads seriously, comment and vote them up. Ignore the low value content you don't want to see. If it's downright unprofessional vote it down or report it.
This is on us as a community.
Ductus Exemplo: Set the Example.
Point Chasers, Meme Makers, News Reporters, Link Posters, and Mass Taggers, Are they helping or...
I have been with Rally Point for a good while. I have seen some great leaders provide some great advice. I can honestly thank many out there from a E-2 Vet to a Retired COL. Maybe it is just me but I am beginning to question much of the content here. Some of us are thinking it and I will take the unpopular stance and say this. When it comes to Points I couldn't care less. If someone wants all my point you could gladly have them. I would rather...
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CW4 (Join to see)
Thank you Capt Richard I P.! I understand your frustrations. Even though I haven't contributed a ton over the past two years, I have seen some of the more prominent admins and members lose interest overtime due to many factors. My personal involvement on RallyPoint Answers may come and go depending on my work load or life events in general but I am here for the long haul and want to see the RallyPoint Team succeed!
And yet again I learned something new about this great network; linking to a search term as you did above!
And yet again I learned something new about this great network; linking to a search term as you did above!
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Capt Richard I P.
SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP' I would ask you not to. You are one of the heroic member admins holding the line against the tide of low value and disrespect. If you must take a breather then by all means do so. Or you could stop wading into the fray on the controversial topics, and filter your feed to only the professional. If you must take a long term break from RP like that 10 of the top 30 all time influencers do so. But please note that keeping your profile on file here even if inactive has value to both you and to RallyPoint.
Thanks for the example you set.
V/R,
RIP
Thanks for the example you set.
V/R,
RIP
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Capt Richard I P.
SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP' I'm sorry to hear about some of the behind the scenes hand-smacking for doing what you thought was right (but at least 'leadership' is displaying the basic 'praise in public and punish in private' trait. One that I am violating by having this conversation publicly. I think it needs to be moderately public.) I think CW4 (Join to see) started a good topic that is relevant to this on reputation (https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/how-much-thought-do-you-give-to-the-statement-your-reputation-precedes-you) even among the elite and storied few of the Member-Admins there is a reputation. Some are more focused on rule compliance and technicalities, some are more focused on professionalism, some are more interested in merging and editing topics and hiding posts behind the scenes. All of these are needed. But member-admins with similar reputations will recognize each-other as will any self-defined sub-group. You are advocating for professionalism and respect on the regular. I recognize you.
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PV2 (Join to see)
Capt Richard I P.
Sir, thank you for the kind words, but I have to say I'm also seriously considering leaving RP as well. @SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP" nailed it on the head.
Just this past Friday, my service was called into question just because I had a differing view from this person, a much higher ranking SM. I like, JP don't tend to wonder into controversial topics, but will get "tagged" or "paged" if you will by another member reporting misbehavior.
A number of us admins are frankly worn down and discouraged. I hate feeling like that, but it's rather tiring to help as an admin, step in to assist a fellow member, get personally attacked and then have RP staff telling you that you can't do anything about it. Then why have member admins? I didn't sign up to get personally attacked.
Sir, thank you for the kind words, but I have to say I'm also seriously considering leaving RP as well. @SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP" nailed it on the head.
Just this past Friday, my service was called into question just because I had a differing view from this person, a much higher ranking SM. I like, JP don't tend to wonder into controversial topics, but will get "tagged" or "paged" if you will by another member reporting misbehavior.
A number of us admins are frankly worn down and discouraged. I hate feeling like that, but it's rather tiring to help as an admin, step in to assist a fellow member, get personally attacked and then have RP staff telling you that you can't do anything about it. Then why have member admins? I didn't sign up to get personally attacked.
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