Comments on: Heaps of Hate for Helium.com http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/ for people who like to read...fiction, poetry, blogs, news, random stuff Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:41:39 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Harlequin http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-3014 Harlequin Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:08:26 +0000 http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-3014 @Sadie I don't mean to start anything, but I was approached by a friend who asked if I wanted to try Helium.com. After only doing a little bit of research I've now come across several blogs that don't like it much. But on many of them the same reply appears, from the same person, every time ending "No, I’m not Helium staff in disguise." Just a thought. @Sadie
I don’t mean to start anything, but I was approached by a friend who asked if I wanted to try Helium.com. After only doing a little bit of research I’ve now come across several blogs that don’t like it much. But on many of them the same reply appears, from the same person, every time ending “No, I’m not Helium staff in disguise.”
Just a thought.

]]> By: Fred http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2316 Fred Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:50:59 +0000 http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2316 Helium is everything that has been stated above and then some. It's a place for hobbyists at best. If you are a professional or want to be one think hard before writing for Helium. They benefit from the writer's work and the return is beyond poor. Of course they have an army of "supporters" many of whom are their site stewards. Check out absolutewrite.com/forums for a good post on content sites like Helium if you want an impartial view of the industry. Helium is everything that has been stated above and then some. It’s a place for hobbyists at best. If you are a professional or want to be one think hard before writing for Helium. They benefit from the writer’s work and the return is beyond poor. Of course they have an army of “supporters” many of whom are their site stewards. Check out absolutewrite.com/forums for a good post on content sites like Helium if you want an impartial view of the industry.

]]> By: Sadie http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2164 Sadie Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:03:18 +0000 http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2164 It's sad when people who deliberately tried to scam the site or were too stupid to read the user agreement before signing up try to bash a program that has really helped a lot of budding writers improve. Everyone who matters knows all about allsux and his smear campaign. I know who hardcore is as well, and the story behind that is almost as patheitic. Ostrova- you should have stayed out of the religious forum, is all I got to say! I steer clear myself, there are entirely too many hotheads on both sides of the fence. Not just a Helium problem; it's universal. All I can say is, there are thousands of happy people at Helium (of course, this is where antagonists say "Well all those people are stupid"). helium is a free publishing and promoting platform, a resume that is earning and bringing you to the notice of publishers. No, I'm not Helium staff in disguise. I'm just a writer who got a start at Helium.com, and was able to quit my day job on the strength of my work there and the many freelance gigs that followed as a direct result of using the published work as my resume. Sadie It’s sad when people who deliberately tried to scam the site or were too stupid to read the user agreement before signing up try to bash a program that has really helped a lot of budding writers improve.

Everyone who matters knows all about allsux and his smear campaign. I know who hardcore is as well, and the story behind that is almost as patheitic.

Ostrova- you should have stayed out of the religious forum, is all I got to say! I steer clear myself, there are entirely too many hotheads on both sides of the fence. Not just a Helium problem; it’s universal.

All I can say is, there are thousands of happy people at Helium (of course, this is where antagonists say “Well all those people are stupid”).

helium is a free publishing and promoting platform, a resume that is earning and bringing you to the notice of publishers.

No, I’m not Helium staff in disguise. I’m just a writer who got a start at Helium.com, and was able to quit my day job on the strength of my work there and the many freelance gigs that followed as a direct result of using the published work as my resume.

Sadie

]]> By: abunchofwordz http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2157 abunchofwordz Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:10:24 +0000 http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2157 Ostrova: "It’s the Bush legacy in both truth AND literacy" LOLOL! You had me literally laughing out loud with that one. Ostrova: “It’s the Bush legacy in both truth AND literacy” LOLOL! You had me literally laughing out loud with that one.

]]> By: ostrova http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2155 ostrova Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:56:33 +0000 http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2155 Helium must be looking for new writers (I use the term loosely considering what they reward) since I saw an ad on craigslist promising that you could win fabulous prizes on their site. Been there, done that, got banned from the boards for tangling with the over-zealous right-wingers that I didn't want to hear about life in the Dark Ages which they were soooo eager to "share". I completely agree with all the complaints about the bad writing and the payouts. I doubt that anyone ever got kicked out for riting like, this ?about topikz /yoo no like du ya thinkwarzBAD or whut . Hey, you might loose points if you passed the 8th grade. And just try getting an honest answer from the people in charge. It's the Bush legacy in both truth AND literacy, folks! Oh, and politics. I just found out one of my pieces got to #1 in its category. But I can't have full citizenship cause I upset some dingbats who don't want evolution taught in schools, so there goes my chance to collect, and with the holidays coming I could really use that $3.56. Helium must be looking for new writers (I use the term loosely considering what they reward) since I saw an ad on craigslist promising that you could win fabulous prizes on their site. Been there, done that, got banned from the boards for tangling with the over-zealous right-wingers that I didn’t want to hear about life in the Dark Ages which they were soooo eager to “share”. I completely agree with all the complaints about the bad writing and the payouts. I doubt that anyone ever got kicked out for riting like, this ?about topikz /yoo no like du ya thinkwarzBAD or whut . Hey, you might loose points if you passed the 8th grade. And just try getting an honest answer from the people in charge. It’s the Bush legacy in both truth AND literacy, folks! Oh, and politics. I just found out one of my pieces got to #1 in its category. But I can’t have full citizenship cause I upset some dingbats who don’t want evolution taught in schools, so there goes my chance to collect, and with the holidays coming I could really use that $3.56.

]]> By: abunchofwordz http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2127 abunchofwordz Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:53:17 +0000 http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2127 Hi hardcorefreelancer. Thanks for your very detailed comment. Even though you were taken in, maybe your comment here will keep others from being taken advantage of. I don't think your strategy to purposely post inappropriate content in order to get all of your content deleted was immature--you were just trying to work the system after your other options had run out. I might have tried something similar had I been in your situation. Good luck with your lawyer and do stop by and keep us posted on how that goes. I would be interested to know, and I'm sure my readers would, too. Hi hardcorefreelancer. Thanks for your very detailed comment. Even though you were taken in, maybe your comment here will keep others from being taken advantage of. I don’t think your strategy to purposely post inappropriate content in order to get all of your content deleted was immature–you were just trying to work the system after your other options had run out. I might have tried something similar had I been in your situation.

Good luck with your lawyer and do stop by and keep us posted on how that goes. I would be interested to know, and I’m sure my readers would, too.

]]> By: thehardcorefreelancer http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2126 thehardcorefreelancer Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:15:09 +0000 http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-2126 I had a really hard time with Helium.com. I made about $0.20 from their site and decided that I wanted to use my articles somewhere else (magazine wants to pay me $50-$100 for one of them) but I couldn’t have them posted anywhere else. I emailed helium (at help@helium.com and at content@helium.com) 3-4 times and never received a response. In an (immature) attempt to get my profile deleted I purposefuly published inappropriate content then reported my inappropriate article thinking they might pay attention to that. Well instead of deleting my articles and my profile, they made me one of their premier writers giving the articles that I want to use elsewhere even more exposure. Not only that, but they have locked me out of my own account so I can’t post new work or edit my existing work and profiles. I’m absolutely livid. They don’t have rights to my work (by their own admission) and it’s to the point where if they don’t comply to my request in 48 hours I already have a lawyer lined up to help me take them to court. I recommend that you stay away from helium.com. They have absolutely no respect for writers and their artistic rights. Not only that but writers should be getting anywhere from $10-$25 per page for their work. Why would you work that hard and not get paid fairly for it? Rankings on Helium don’t pay the bills! I DO recommend going to websites like http://www.oDesk.com, http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com, associatedcontent.com or even craigslist.org where writers can find fair-paying gigs. I had a really hard time with Helium.com. I made about $0.20 from their site and decided that I wanted to use my articles somewhere else (magazine wants to pay me $50-$100 for one of them) but I couldn’t have them posted anywhere else. I emailed helium (at help@helium.com and at content@helium.com) 3-4 times and never received a response. In an (immature) attempt to get my profile deleted I purposefuly published inappropriate content then reported my inappropriate article thinking they might pay attention to that.

Well instead of deleting my articles and my profile, they made me one of their premier writers giving the articles that I want to use elsewhere even more exposure. Not only that, but they have locked me out of my own account so I can’t post new work or edit my existing work and profiles. I’m absolutely livid. They don’t have rights to my work (by their own admission) and it’s to the point where if they don’t comply to my request in 48 hours I already have a lawyer lined up to help me take them to court.

I recommend that you stay away from helium.com. They have absolutely no respect for writers and their artistic rights.

Not only that but writers should be getting anywhere from $10-$25 per page for their work. Why would you work that hard and not get paid fairly for it? Rankings on Helium don’t pay the bills!

I DO recommend going to websites like http://www.oDesk.com, http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com, associatedcontent.com or even craigslist.org where writers can find fair-paying gigs.

]]> By: allsux http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-14 allsux Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:17:38 +0000 http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-14 Hah so true ... I'll be stuck writing about Helium until I'm old and gray :( It's too bad, really ... they've lost so much from my well-SEOed negative publicity. Allsux.com even shows up on the first page of Google searches for 'Helium.com' At least I get to point people in the right direction (toward sites that actually pay their writers). The CEO of Helium and I have had a few talks, but he is a master of spin and doesn't really say much ;) Hah so true … I’ll be stuck writing about Helium until I’m old and gray :( It’s too bad, really … they’ve lost so much from my well-SEOed negative publicity. Allsux.com even shows up on the first page of Google searches for ‘Helium.com’ At least I get to point people in the right direction (toward sites that actually pay their writers). The CEO of Helium and I have had a few talks, but he is a master of spin and doesn’t really say much ;)

]]> By: John Hewitt http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-13 John Hewitt Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:44:18 +0000 http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/heaps-of-hate-for-heliumcom/#comment-13 Thanks for stopping by WRC and giving out the link love! Thanks for stopping by WRC and giving out the link love!

]]>