When you see outdated training, do you request it be updated?

THE OUT OF DATE TRAINING

Added Tue, Oct 24, 2017: Cert Course 4, Lesson 2: https://my.wealthyaffiliate.co... Added Thu, Nov 2, 2017: Affiliate Bootcamp, Course 3, Lesson 1: https://my.wealthyaffiliate.co...

Kyle and Carson and the staff are all busy with the new (amazing!) features frequently being rolled out. I understand that, but I also know how important it is for the official training to be up-to-the-minute.

I've known it for over a year. So, when I saw that outdated training again yesterday, I stopped what I was doing and did something about it. I finally clicked the "Request an update" button and filled in the box, giving my reason for why I felt it should be updated.

It only took a few minutes - far less time than it's taken me to write this post.

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When you see outdated training, do you click the "Request an update" button?

Until yesterday, I don't think I ever had. Here's why...

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SHARON'S HUGE LIST OF EXCUSES
(I have had a LOT of them. Skip the rest of this post if you have no interest in such things).

Excuses 1 & 2: It's not my responsibility./I'm still a peon.

Yesterday, I was looking for something in the Certification Courses I wanted to refer to.

As I searched, I came across a lesson that's bugged me since I first joined, because it's out of date and confusing to new members.

It was out of date even when I joined in early July, 2016. But, did I request an update then? Did I request an update any of the times I've come across it since?

No and no. Instead, I assumed it would get updated eventually, without any help from me.

After all, it's not my responsibility to tell experts what they should be working on, right?

And who am I, to make suggestions to people who know so much more than I do, right?

Wrong and wrong!

We're In This Together

Being a member of this community bestows more benefits on me than I can count. But, it also comes with responsibilities.

We're all in this together: Kyle, Carson, staff members, top rankers, low rankers, oldbies, and newbies - all of us working together for the benefit of each.

At least, that's the way it's supposed to work. I've allowed myself to ignore that fact for far too long.

Excuse 3: WA hurt my poor little feelings! :`( *poutsulk*

I've been avoiding my responsibilities to WA. Intentionally.

I've been doing so since I got my feelings hurt, when my very first post here got hidden (from everyone but me, WA staff and Google) within minutes of being posted.

I won't risk going into detail (neither here nor elsewhere), but I felt very badly done by.

The way I saw it, I had three choices;
1. accept that my content can be hidden for violating an unspoken rule, accept that I have no recourse when that happens, and stay at WA: or
2. transfer my site to a new host, *ragequit* WA and join a different platform/community: or
3. transfer my site to a new host, *ragequit* WA and strike out on my own - which is a viable option only because of everything I've learned from WA and the WA community.

As you can see from my continuing presence, I chose option 1 - but only half-heartedly. I stayed, but remained sullen and withdrew from interacting.

Excuse 4: Many others here are smarter and more experienced than I am: they'll take care of everything.

There are 200 high-ranking members and probably at least another couple hundred others here who know more and have more experience than I do.

For all I know, there could be three or four times that amount. But, so what?

No matter what group I'm a member of, there's always someone smarter and more experienced than I am.

That doesn't absolve me of all responsibility for the welfare of the group.

Excuse 5: WA officials won't listen to me: I'm a nobody.

Everybody in this community is a somebody. Each opinion is valuable, each voice is needed.

Each of us has a unique perspective. Each of us has a way of giving help that no one else can duplicate.

Every one of us is important.

The Little I've Done Since I Began Sulking

I answer posted questions - if I happen to see them and no one else has answered them yet.

I publish a post on my WA blog - if I feel I have anything to say that's helpful enough to warrant adding to the mountain of content already here.

I comment on, and "like", the posts of other members - sometimes.

And, I always help everyone who PMs me with questions.

I've even - when Kyle or Carson have asked for suggestions on how WA might be improved - commented on the posts and requested outdated training be updated.

Mostly Though: I've purposely spent my time doing everything except those things I know would raise my rank.

Why? Because being listed in the top 200 comes with even more responsibilities.

Rightly or wrongly, members expect the top 200 people at WA to be knowledgeable mentors - people who can be relied on to guide them through technical and business issues, so they can make their sites profitable with as little delay as possible.

I know, I know - Kyle himself has said that isn't what being a top ranking member of WA means.* Yet, the expectation stubbornly remains and I don't think any protestations to the contrary - no matter how often repeated or how vehemently stated - are going to change that.

Even Kyle's updated posting rules* didn't eradicate that expectation. When an official proclamation from one of the owners isn't enough to make people change their opinions, I think those opinions are here to stay.

I probably shouldn't even mention the ranking system, since it turned into such a contentious issue. I do so not to get the hornets' nest stirred up again, but in order to explain why I would intentionally prevent myself from ranking.

Excuse 6: I don't deserve a high rank.

I told myself I don't know enough to hold such an exalted position, but that's a lie.

I've been here over a year and have learned much. Much of what I've learned has been through trial and error and would be valuable information for many members of the community.

Telling myself I don't know enough to deserve a spot in the top 200 is just an excuse I've used, to avoid responsibility.

Yesterday, I stopped lying to myself and making excuses.

I don't have to love everything about WA to realize what a treasure - and sometimes, an honest-to-God blessing - it is.

My annual premium membership fee comes due at the end of November. Unless I get my writing privileges revoked for mentioning my hidden post or my account gets banned, I'll be investing in another year of WA premium membership.

Why? Because, despite the few things I find less-than-stellar, I love WA and the WA community. I don't think a platform better than WA exists and I don't want to settle for less.

Yesterday, I decided to get back to being an asset to WA and to the community.

As a member of WA, I have a responsibilities. One of those is to speak up if I see something at WA that needs improvement.

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So... why did I write this post?

To accept responsibility and, maybe, satisfy some of my curiosity. But also to make two requests and a couple promises.

Accepting Responsibility

What better way is there to accept responsibility than to do so publicly - in writing? None that I know of, so here's my public declaration:

I'm back to being the helpful, productive member I used to be. And, although I'll probably not treat ranking as a "contest", neither will I avoid it.

What I'm Curious About

1. Am I in the minority: do most members officially request outdated training be updated?

2. Are there members who see outdated training, and do nothing about it? And, if so, why?

3. Am I in the minority in believing up-to-date lessons in the Certification Courses and Bootcamp are even more important than new features?

4. Do other members feel, if enough of us request outdated lessons be updated, those requests will be acted upon?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

The Requests

If you feel it will be beneficial to do so, would you click that "Request an update" button on any outdated lessons you're aware of, and tell WA why it needs to be updated?

If you know of any other Certification Course or Bootcamp lessons that need to be updated, would you provide the link in the comment section?

My Promises

If you'll provide the link(s), I'll do my part: I'll click that button too, and report the problem.

If I come across another outdated lesson in the Certification Course or Bootcamp, I'll add the link to this post so others can help WA if they want to.

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ALL THE POSTING RULES
(Because it's nice, having them all accessible in one place).

* Kyle's Updated Posting Rules (referred to earlier in this post): https://my.wealthyaffiliate.co...

Original Posting Rules: https://my.wealthyaffiliate.co...
Popup Posting Rules (The link to open this shows up on the draft of every new post).

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Thank you to all of you who read this entire thing. Your time is valuable and I appreciate you spending so much of it on this long-winded post.

Do you have any thoughts or opinions to share? If so, I'd love to talk to you about them in the comments!

Sharon

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Posted: Wed, Oct 25, 2017
Updated: Thu, Oct 26, 2017 for improved clarity
Updated: Thu, Nov 2, 2017 to add Bootcamp course 3, lesson 1
Updated: Sun, Nov 5, 2017 to shift the outdated training to the top of the page, so no one would have to read (or scroll past) the "feelings" content to get to it

If the "Last Update" (shown under the title) doesn't show: Nov 5, 2017, it's inaccurate.