MyLot - The GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY
By M.-L.
@MALUSE (69378)
Germany
April 7, 2016 1:30pm CST
"I've been on the site only for half an hour but I already know that I've found heaven!" - This from a newbie I encountered some time ago. She shot off a dozen or so mini discussions and then was heard no more. Maybe überenthusiasm isn't the best quality when judging a new site.
I've been on myLot for six months now and think that my judgement is a bit more matured.
The GOOD
The first prize goes to an absence or a void. You're surprised? Of course, the site has an owner. Every site has one. In the case of myLot it's someone who's content to stay in the background and watch his property from afar. He (I feel it's a 'he') obviously doesn't see himself as a self-anointed leader and doesn't have a Messiah complex. He doesn't feel the urge to blather about his profound philosophical insights he's been struck by. Thank you for that whoever you are!
What I've written here must sound weird to all members who haven't come over from the B site. The ones who have, however, will know what I mean. The ones who didn't belong to the group of devout disciples will agree with me.
If it were possible, I'd give another first prize to the admins Alex/Alice and myLotBugs. They hardly sleep as it seems. Questions are answered either at once or a day or two later at the latest and always in a friendly way. This is what an admin should be like.
Payout is reliable. What more can one want?
'Nuff said. 'Nuff sucked up!
The BAD
Now that the problem with the oversized header photo has been solved, I have no serious complaints anymore. Nothing is really 'bad', but I have several suggestions which would make operating myLot more enjoyable IMO.
- I know how to find out if one of the members I follow has posted a discussion. But it's a bit tiresome. I'd prefer getting an email whenever that happens. When I click on Notification Settings, I find 'Email me when someone . . . ' and then 15 possible scenarios are listed most of which don't interest me the least bit. For example, "Email me when someone comments after me on a response to a discussion." Do I really have to know this but not that a followee has written a post? I'd appreciate it very much if that option were included.
- A minor niggle: the distance between the end of a discussion and the first comment is too long. When I've finished reading, I don't see if there are any comments without scrolling down. I may not always think of this and write nearly the same comment as the member below which looks rather stupid when one looks at the whole comment thread later on.
- The posts mentioned on the right margin which myLot thinks I may be interested in are often many years old and the respective members have long disappeared. Of course, I don't have to read them, but they steal my time. I only find out about the member after some clicking and - if I'm not attentive - after leaving a comment. Annoying!
- Another issue is the blocking thing. I have nothing against being blocked. If someone doesn't like me, so be it. I can live with it. But I'd like to know the reason why someone blocks me! It's absurd that I have to ask a fellow member to ask the blocker why they've blocked me - only to learn that they have done nothing of the kind and are as surprised as I am. Maybe a box could appear with some options why the blocking option has been activated which the blocker has to tick.
- Critics criticise. It's their prerogative that they don't have to come up with suggestions. I have no idea what can be done against me being notified when members hijack my comment thread and discuss things which have nothing to do with my post. This can go on for days and is most annoying.
The UGLY
When I see my photo in a comment thread or in the list of My Discussions, I look as if I've crawled out from under a rock. My face is shortened and widened. Horrible!
Other members suffer the same fate. Once I saw half a face as avatar. I was puzzled that someone could have chosen such an ugly photo. When I clicked on the member's site, I found a whole face including hair and throat.
If it's possible to have a complete photo on one's account site, why can't we have it everywhere? Why are we made into monsters the moment we leave our 'home'?
This from me.
Anything from you?
70 people like this
59 responses
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
22 Apr 16
I guess it has been long enough to say something about those nonsense posts. They were philosophical, and confusing. I am the daughter of a professional philosopher, and those posts started to seem like a psychological play to keep the faith. You can use smoke and mirrors to try to distract people, but it still went flush right down the toilet. My father taught me to only be as philosophical as your listener can handle. What he was doing was trying to sound smart to make people believe in him.
1 person likes this
@carebear29 (31963)
• Wausau, Wisconsin
7 Apr 16
Very informative post. I love it. I don't let negative comments get to me either. I just keep going.
4 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
7 Apr 16
you covered it nicelyI love how you said about the bubblews I was on there and c ame here just in time before they closed the site in the ulsy and crooked way they did here we do not get that blather from @ArvindDixist thank goodness
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64355)
• United Kingdom
7 Apr 16
I actually took up a few of your points with the admin a while ago. I asked why we can't be notified when the ones we are following do new posts, and Alex said to look under 'follows' then 'their discussions'.
I pointed out that it seemed to be discussions of people who were following me, not the other way round. He said he would look into it, and now it really does seem to be just the ones I'm following who are there now. However I would still like to be notified of new posts.
Another point I asked him about was the years old posts on the side - he said that as time went on and more discussions were posted, they would eventually be pushed off and replaced by the newer ones. That hasn't happened.
3 people like this
@RasmaSandra (77609)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
7 Apr 16
@MALUSE as things improve I find I fall a bit behind because I am a creature of habit. Get used to something and keep doing that way and then bam something completely new.
3 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
19 Apr 16
You make some very good points. I was new to Bubblews and then switched to myLot and I'm new here. I still haven't figured all of it out yet, but I do get emails and I don't remember asking for them. I tend to go to my discussions and look there first and then I go to my notifications and look there for comments. I don't always find them all that way, but I do take the time to TRY to find them all.
I finally figured out that some of my OLD posts show up on the right (You might also like) if they pertain to something that someone else has written and those I might miss if I don't check the emails.
I learn something new from time to time and your post was definitely informative.
3 people like this
@owlwings (43914)
• Cambridge, England
20 Apr 16
A good and very comprehensive assessment (as, indeed, I would expect from you). I really can't add to it or disagree with anything!
The owner of the site is actually less 'absent' than he may appear to be. I frequently see indications that he takes a great interest in what people are saying here and I'm pretty sure that he's developed the ability to quickly scan the postings and pick out the discussions of interest. I have sometimes noticed that he's 'liked' a discussion even though he hasn't responded or commented. Like you, I appreciate his mostly tacit interest and value all the more the times when we do see a response and a comment.
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
20 Apr 16
I am actually missing the old mylot because I was so used with how it was then. I get emails when my friends post a new discussion and when they have commented on another posts and when they have responded to mine. I seem to be able to organised what to do next. But with the new mylot it has a little similarity with bubblews when it comes to notification now. It wasn't so before. And in the old mylot there was a category. I am missing that too.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
20 Apr 16
@MALUSE Yeah if you only knew the mylot then, you would miss it too. Most of the old mylot members share my sympathy.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69378)
• Germany
20 Apr 16
@toniganzon What is the most striking difference?
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
8 Apr 16
gigglin'! perhaps it aint funny, but portions sure did tickle my funny bone. the only thingy i aint figured's that big "void" from the actual discussion to the responses. seems jest a tad bit strange, but i reckon a gal can't've it all, eh?
i've run 'cross some'f those folks's ya describe, those who hit here with what appears to be great glee 'n then vanish into thin air. 'course, most'f 'em ne'er respond must more'n 3 words so i reckon it aint no big loss to the community.
don't reckon i'd paid much mind to the lil avatar thingies? puts my eyes out most the time, so's i jest don't look't'em.
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
8 Apr 16
@MALUSE my apologies, hon. the "void" i was speakin' 'f 'tis that distance betwixt a posted discussion'n where the responses begin's well. if'n there's lots'f responses, there's e'en a void betwixt the "pages" 'n that's a bit maddenin' 's well.
i personally don't miss the "enlightenment" that fella posted 't that 'other place'.
@MALUSE (69378)
• Germany
8 Apr 16
I have problems understanding you as English isn't my native language.
What I think you're asking is something about the term 'void'. This refers to the absence of a leader like Arvind was or rather liked to be on bubblews. The owner of myLot never appears on the site. So there is a void or an absence. (Which is a good thing IMO!)
Another and completely different thing I've mentioned is the long distance between the last sentence of a post and the first comment. You read a post, scroll down a bit and see nothing. So you think that nobody has commented yet and you're the first member to do so. After writing your comment you scroll down a bit more and see that there are already loads of comments and feel a bit stupid. Why doesn't the first comment show when I've finished reading so that I know there is already one and I'm not the first to comment? That's what I'm asking.
2 people like this
@lookatdesktop (27132)
• Dallas, Texas
29 Apr 16
@MALUSE In the comments on YouTube, they do not appear but actually only load if you scroll down to a point on that page for it to initiate.
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
7 Apr 16
You mean you don't miss hearing about revelations and books you will never read instead of hearing important and meaningful facts about site updates you were waiting for?
1 person likes this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
7 Apr 16
@MALUSE I remember how excited we'd be to get an update, and then how furious we'd be for it not to be an answer to questions. I responded to those posts with questions about why we weren't getting answers. I think eventually he lost interest knowing that we weren't buying into it.
Especially when it came to sweeble. They were all excited and we were mad.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69378)
• Germany
7 Apr 16
@OneOfMany Sweeble, good god! As if the bubblews flop wasn't enough.
2 people like this
@lookatdesktop (27132)
• Dallas, Texas
29 Apr 16
Could it be that this site is automated to a degree?
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
1 May 16
@lookatdesktop That is highly likely... a "bot" behind-the-scenes... How would you know?
1 person likes this
@lookatdesktop (27132)
• Dallas, Texas
1 May 16
@pgntwo You might not ever know. But I have seen articles about automated sites and it seems as if the automated brand of site building has become widely used. It's like you pay for site development, you specify what kind of site you want, what kind of business you intend to use the site for and the makers of the automated software offer it up for so much band width.
here is a link to one site of interest:
We are experts in website design, custom software development, eLearning solutions, and IT support. ACI is your IT partner.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29412)
• Eugene, Oregon
10 Apr 16
Some excellent points here on the good and the bad. I think the site is mostly good too, but you make some valid points on the "bad" side.
2 people like this
@Castlerock34 (2259)
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
7 Apr 16
Very nice read especially the comment on our profile photos. I would have to agree these photos we have on our profile could be a bit bigger, i like knowing who I am talking to.
3 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
3 Aug 16
That was a good read! I agree with a lot of what you said but I have to mention one thing that I have wondered more than anything else. What you said about the discussions that are suggested at the side. That does bug me to be honest. And like what you said, waste of time really. It's fine to read it but sometimes I don't notice that that member is no longer with us so there's really no point on trying to join in on the conversation when no one is going to respond back anyway.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
31 Jan 17
@Daljinder Yeah me too. Would be no point otherwise. 
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
30 Jan 17
@VivaLaDani13 Me too! But it doesn't bother me coz I rarely go looking there. If it is an old post then I make sure that they are active before leaving a comment there.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71909)
• United States
8 Apr 16
I did notice that my profile photo of my cat isn't fully visible so you cant see the headphones. That's not a big deal for me though as it isn't actually a photo of me. I did not even know that you were able to tell when someone blocked you. Do you actually get notified of it? I also agree that the suggestions on the right hand side are usually very old. I would like someone newer suggestions.
1 person likes this
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
22 Apr 16
MyLot has always been a site where the members were the ones that drove it. And still do. The owners here are the best that I have ever encountered anywhere online. Like you said, no mariah complex. I agree with that. Bubblews and Arvind, well, that was wonderful while it lasted, but they lied to us and screwed us over. Not a good thing. MyLot has been consistent. And I know this is my online home.
1 person likes this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
7 Apr 16
Let me comment specifically on the posts on the right margin;i wish they were not from old but from active members only that way i would not also mind looking at them. I used to be a fun of checking them but when i also realized that some of them are very old i just had to stop
1 person likes this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
7 Apr 16
@MALUSE We can only hope they modify them
1 person likes this
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
21 Apr 16
I think you bring up a lot of valid points. I have nothing to add to the list. I still think this is a great place though. I knew exactly who you were talking about, even before I saw his name in your comments.
1 person likes this
@Ruby3881 (1963)
• Canada
7 Apr 16
I can definitely identify with the related content being old and from users no longer active. It's nice that we can revive older conversations, but if all of those who participated in the discussion are long since gone from the site, who would even notice we commented?
Perhaps there should be some sort of filter to remove a post from the suggestions if a majority of those involved in the discussion are inactive?
1 person likes this
