Randy
Lenox,#2Author of original report
Sun, March 22, 2009
Jared? I will assume you are a steward and if not, you should be because the old "sour grapes" label is commonly used on Helium to quell any dissent from the members. This might be applicable if I failed to succeed on the Helium site but I managed to do well in the market place and contests. I had up to four writing stars ( the most I could achieve with the number of articles submitted) and five rating stars ( the most possible). So this is not about not being able to compete on the site. I don't know how long you have been a member of the site but I joined in November of 2007 at the behest of a friend. At this time you didn't have to have a rating star to cash out on page views and a writers heirs could collect on them even after the authors death. All of this has changed since I joined the site along with other disturbing new rules. It is true many do not care about the ethical conduct of Helium's stewards and staff as long as they themselves make money. Others who have written hundreds, if not thousands of articles before the terms were changed are now trapped because they don't want to be banned, as I was, for protesting the unfair agreement changes. I will be glad to answer any questions about this site.
Jared
Provo,#3UPDATE Employee
Sat, March 21, 2009
Helium.com certainly has had growing pains, but they are nothing in the face of the opportunities made available to freelance writers and professionals around the globe. One of the charges levied against Helium is that you have to have a rating star in order to be able to earn your share of ad revenues. This is made clear from the moment you sign up as a member, which registration is free, by the way. Now, let's review, Helium asks members to write and rate for stars, and if your stuff is quality enough and you show enough participation on the site, you then can start making the pretty solid ad shares. So this means that Helium actually asks you to do something before they pay you. Another valid concern is how the rating and writing stars are determined. The explanation of writing stars on the site is quite adequate, however, it truly is still unclear exactly how rating stars are awarded. That being said, a formula for maintaining a rating star ( you only need one to be able to earn 100% of your ad shares) is provided. This formula works. All of this is made clear from the start. Add to all of this that there is a user's agreement, which individual members should take responsibility to read and if they don't, they are at fault, not Helium. The user's agreement lays out terms of ownership as well, and again, it's all very clear and if the user doesn't understand it, they are at fault. As for site stewards, some of them do get paid a small amount, but that depends entirely on the agreement Helium has made with them. It's not a scam, Helium does not have to offer stewardships to the writers. This system is in place to involve members more as well as to streamline areas of the site. Truth is, this is all sour grapes. It sounds as if.. Randy? didn't give Helium time. If you spend a month working regularly with Helium, you will find that you can build your income quicklyly. With all the value there: Marketplace, the partnerships (hundreds!), contests, and other bonuses in place such as the empty title bonus, really Helium is doing revolutionary work in the field of helping modern, web-based freelance writers build a solid business. It takes time, diligence and some patience, but Helium is a positive writers' website.