Solidarity and the learning process
Today, I would like to mention something that I think we are neglecting here in WA. Every day I read about how great this community is and how far one can go using the education offered and the various tools available in this platform. And it's definitely true. There are so many ways to move forward here, especially with so many people who are seemingly willing to share their thoughts and ideas about what each of us is doing and how we go about it.
There is no doubt in my head about the excellent structure of the lessons,the amount of exercizes available and the potential feedback and advice that one can find here but in the small amount of time that I have been in this community, there is something missing that has nothing to do with the platform but rather with how we all perceive moving around within it.
I would like to talk about a word made famous by Lech Walesa in the 80s and of which I think, we are missing the point. The word is solidarity. Don't get me wrong. I am surely aware that there are people who truly know the meaning of the word and who strive to ensure that all here feel at home and are guided on the new road they have chosen to follow but these people should be an example to us and their knowledge and willingness to give and share should not be abused by the grand majority.
Everyday there is a great amount of messages in the chat, questions answered and guidance offered in WA and that's something fantastic and hard to find in other places. There is no doubt about the quality offered here. But many of us haven't really understood what it's all about. I look around and see the same people giving all the time. And I'll be more specific. We all want feedback about our creations.Having somebody patting your back leaves one with an enormous feeling of solidarity. Even if the review left isn't the best, we all want to know where we have gone wrong. And yes, reviews are given but most of them are quick and almost seem forced. As a matter of fact, having to give 2 to be able to get 1 is implemented for a reason. We simply aren't so willing to give but we all want to take. This makes itself more obvious when asking for comments where there is a lot of promising about "returning the favor" but a lot of us forget as soon as we have our comment. And that's where all gets lost.
It really is about giving. Look around you. You cannot miss this. Kyle repeats it time and time again. The first thing to have in mind when creating our sites is helping people. All else follows. It is a law of nature. You cannot take without giving. To have your site reviewed, many times before it is even ranked by Google, is an advantage offered in WA and difficult to find elsewhere. But the essence of the platform is in learning. And of course we learn when our mistakes are pointed out to us but the greater part of the learning process takes place when we are able to spot mistakes made by others. In the end, how is it possible to learn how to create a site without seeing how others go about it?
When going through somebody's site you not only see how one writes and what to avoid, which is of invaluable importance in itself but the site's structure can also be appreciated. Do links work, do the menus make sense, are there too many images or are they scarce, is something of essence really being offered or does it leave you with a feeling of writing for the sake of covering empty space? Use the reviews you give to learn from the mistakes others make. Make it ahabit to review sites and try to be as miniscule as you can. With every review you give, you will see the quantity of information you are able to gather. This information is what will allow you to not commit the same mistakes as the ones you saw. You not only help somebody in the creation of their site but you are given the opportunity to better yourself from someone else´s blunders. You tell the person where you think the problem exist and you may get an explanation to why it was done the way it was done that may lead you to reexamine the points you mentioned under a different light. In short, you begin to understand how others think that in the end, will allow you to take distinct paths when creating. And that is so important!
So,what I'm basically encouraging here is participation in all aspects of the learning process. Solidarity! Not only when we are served but to learn how to learn when we serve someone else. Don't just ask but give back as well. In time, you will discover the importance of this aspect of learning and you will make it a frequent task. I hope Ihave been able to convey my message to you and I do truthfully wish for greater participation from all of us. Use this platform to its full extent. Participate!
Please leave your comments below and let's spark up a conversation.
Recent Comments
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I totally agree with you!
I have encountered some problems when you leave comments on somebody's post and you've taken all the time and actually read the content and provided a great start to the conversation....
...and all I get back is one or two line comment on my review. This is definitely a big problem here, emphasizing what you mentioned; that all people want is to take, take take! But don't want to give back in return.
When a person is open to giving then that is not hard to do. If a person is unwilling to give then most likely they are unwilling to receive.
Jerry
The idea behind this post is to raise awareness of the fact that within a community we have to participate in order to gain and gaining is not only achieved by others catering to our needs but also from helping our companions. Thank you for participating!
Quite a mouth full.You have touched on some issues that needs attention but one tries not to be critical and the issues are sometimes left on the table.Thanks for sharing.look forward to the discussion.
This is something that has been bothering me for a while and I thought it would be best to write about it and try to get people to focus on the importance of participation. I hope it gets people inspired about giving feedback and not only receiving it. Thanks for the comment!
Sometimes members forget to follow the tread .I find it more difficultvin live chat. The movementment is so fast .
I am sure that does happen and yes, in the chat, things can sometimes get complicated. All in all, I just want to raise awareness on the importance of reviewing other people's work to learn from the mistakes they've made.
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Thank you for a great post, and a very important point.
I think you're absolutely right, that all follows from helping and giving to begin with. Besides being almost a law of nature, it is also, as you write, reiterated again and again in the training.
I read a post a couple of days ago, about Site Comments, and how it is not used so much anymore, since the "give and take" came into being... Kinda with the same points. People take, and forget to give back...
-And it is so true!
Site Comments is a great idea in my opinion but to be honest, I'm not sure of its viability with the 2 for 1 setup. Bloggers have a hell of a lot of work! Not to mention wanna-be-bloggers who also have to learn how to blog. It seems to me a little too much to have to put in so much time to be able to have a fellow member comment on a post, which in the end, is part of the assistance this platform offers. And I sincerely don't see the argument behind the 2 for 1 rule. I think that a review of Site Comments is in need, as it would regulate the "give and take" so that everything is done in order and in a just way. Until that's done, there will be a "fast track" which seems tolerated by the management, anyway. Thank you for commenting!