RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

Well, let’s see. Who was the first person to submit a poem, and are they
still here on the site ?
Would we be given the opportunity to revue it before it gets published……
just in case there were some errors that would pertain to information having
to do with the ones that might be mentioned in the book ?
And, Dah…….I said that it would be interesting to some, not quite all,
but some.

Dah posted:
George, I agree that it would be "boring to some", that's a given, but most people enjoy history and backgrounds, and to have it in the second volume
as a bonus read would be wonderful.

You have joined this thread a couple of times but have not presented any questions, and I am sure you have at least one brilliant one. Go ahead and
ask it !

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

Altair, and Darcy are great poets, I agree..

I think this idea is very good, it sets our site from the rest in these modern times.
I collect poetry books, and over the years publishers have gathered
great poets over the years, known, and unknown in collections,
i have never seen the foundation in a book, so yes that is great idea.
And in years to come, other things like that can be added.

WS

Last edited by WordSlinger 10-21-2010 at 10:49:44 PM

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

I agree and the foundation is still being written as we speak.

RE: RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

I think this thread is doing terrific so far. I would still like to know the answer to my original question.

What was the first poem ever posted on OP and who was the poet?

Also, has it always been the policy that you can only when the contest once a year?

Now I may be mistaken in this but I thought that I had seen a poet in this contest who had one it twice already.........like I said I could be mistaken......but I would like to know if it is possible for a poet to win twice and be published twice in the same edition.

I really love the idea of adding a section to volume two on the history of the first two years of OP and how it got started and how far it has come since it was first launched.........Yes some may think that would be boring, but you know what they can always just skip reading that part if they get bored.........lol.......I for one would love to read the history of the best poetry site on the net........Being part of a community like this and the closeness with friends that also makes you feel like one big family would make a really great story to add to the book.....I'm sure that there are enough of the original first members of the site that could help pops put together the history and memories of the start of this family network.

Oh and btw, I finally got to order a copy of the first edition of OP Anthology, I got it in the mail yesterday and I love it...and I think the section of the Editors picks is a great idea, I did not know until I got the book that it had that section, that was a wonderful idea cause it gives the readers even more wonderful poems to read that could have won the contest....I can't wait to dive into it and read some of the first years great poems........I have thumbed through it and was excited to see that several of my dear friends I have made since I have been a member here have been published in the first book. So I am throughly looking forward to reading their winning poems.........and yes John that means you and I know I saw dah's name in there and MindNumbing and Ginga just to mention a few.......I am going to be doing some late night reading...lol.........maybe it will help me get over this bit of writers block I am having at the moment.......

Keep this thread going guys, it is wonderful...........

Well if anyone does know the answer to my original question I would really love to know the answer, lets see how good you guys memory is...........lol


keep on rocking dear family,,,,,,,this is fantastic..........loves ya all asha

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

I was reading up on some more of the comments and questions asked on this thread and the comment mentioned about making a separate book about the history of the first two years of OP came up. But would there be enough history made in the first two years to make a book by itself just for that. I have not been on the site as long as some of the other great poets here so I am not sure if there is enough info that would not be boring to make it a separate book........I think it would be better just to add a section to volume two and give something like a summery on the history. Just make a separate section like you did in the first book for the editors picks.......after all it is a very small book and if we add a section on the history of OP, it would make the book a bit larger and for someone like me who does not have much money to spend these days, I think most people would then feel like they were getting much more for their money.

Plus if we think about it this way, it could be a section that is continued into the following editions for the future.......letting the readers, especially the poets who have not been here that long and any new poets joining in the future would get the chance to read about the history of OP as it grows each year. Each new edition of the book could have a continuation of the history as it happens each year.............there are a lot of great poets on this site and will be many more in the future will find a wonderful home here to share with others. So why not make it a continued part of each edition that comes out...........What do you all think about this idea? As we grow in this community so does the history. People may want to know about say, poet John Smith for example was one of the greats here at op and passed away......give a brief history on some of the greats that have been one of the most followed and revered poets on the site. Let people know about the specialty groups we have here who write and donate their work for a cause, like feeding the hungry or helping the homeless. It all started here at OP and it is a part of the history of this site that is far from being boring.....There are many great poets here who do so much for the site that deserve a paragraph or two letting people know about them and what they have done for the site and how wonderful their poems were.......Put in print things like that, that we want to be remembered for all time.......Once its in print then as you know you have an official record of many of the special things about this site.

I love this poetry site and would love to see it grow even more and I can see the future of this site producing one of the greatest books of poems out there........Lets give it our all.........loves ya asha

Last edited by ApaqRasgirl 10-21-2010 at 11:47:36 PM

RE: RE: RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

Well kah, im not sure everyone can relate to how I write perhaps....I enjoy just the fact of recognition from my all too talented poet friends such as you, Mars, Knight and rygar amongst others....feels like victory every times thanks to my readers

Quote:

Originally Posted by kah

Altair - I cannot believer you haven't won a weekly contest yet! You are an incredible poet!

kah

Originally Posted by Altair

Sounds like a great idea dah...but volume two will still be missing something....me

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

Another question.

Looking at the history and evolution of OP how do you intend to structure OP in the future in order to place the primary emphasis on creativty and keep it from becoming only a social network?

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

My question what is the relationship of OP with Facebook? I know several people I have invited who are tentative to join because of the facebook connection, go figure?

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

Wonderful, wonderful !! Keep the questions coming !!

thank you,
dah

RE: RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

RE: RE: RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

I am delighted and even amazed at the amount of interesting questions that have graced this thread.

Keep'em Coming !!

dah

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

Amen, Asha! Now, what were we talking about, oh yeah; the first two years of OP, a history. Any questions for Papa to consider?

RE: RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

RE: RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

RE: RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

History Response #1

Where did the idea of Original Poetry come from? Its conception?
What type of music was playing and/or most recently listened to when the decision was finalized?
How long did the work on building this site take before the initial launch to the public?

This is the most challenging part of the questions. I am still talking to the two people who founded and built the original idea. Onet hing I can say right now is there was no music playing, and the inital build took roughly 3 months. I'll get back to you with a full write on how it all came to be.

Now, onto questions...

How did OP and FaceBook come to partner?

We actually don't have a partnership with them. We just utilize their API for quicker logins (optional) and so people can quickly and easily link their poems to the profile.

My question what is the relationship of OP with Facebook? I know several people I have invited who are tentative to join because of the facebook connection, go figure?

Expanding on the previous question, the "Facebook Connect" button is just a simple way to do a one-click login. You dno't have to use it. Its totally optional.

How does the contest work? Is it purely by user votes? Is there a group that screens the poems?

Its purely by user votes. The only exceptions being if someone has already won, or if there is a tie. In the case of a tie, we have a small anonymous panel that will read the two and make a decision. I'm not at liberty to reveal who they are, or how many there are, as we feel that would hurt the contest integrity. As for a repeat winner, its just one per person per yearly contest. So we remove them from the list.

How many different poetry judging schemes has OP used during the two years?

There weren't any different schemes, but I think the contest has been handled differently from month to month. We've had a couple repeat winners in the same contest cycle due to oversight. We've also had the wrong week of poems pulled up twice. Being a popular vote, its tough.

Has it always been the policy that you can only when the contest once a year?

Yes -- but we failed to mention it for a long time. There have been a couple occaisions where we goofed and a duplicate winner slipped in.

How does original poetry sustain itself as far operating costs in regards to webspace?

The ads you see on the web site are the only means of income. Currently its paying for the servers just fine.From the infancy stages how were poets attracted to the site?

It was kicked off with an e-mail marketing campaign. Not spam, but a targetted e-mail to people who opted into other poetry related mailing lists. We continued that for several months actually. Other efforts were marketing on Facebook, posting on forums, and then word of mouth started to happen. We've recently added Twitter into the picture, and that's boosted our daily signups from 1-2 per day, to 15+.

Who was /were the first OP poets? Who were the first -year members, List of names, please .....pen-name or actual names

As you mentioned, Wordslinger, StandingBear, Castlemist were among the first. OrigionalMerlin, Dahlusion, and Plot121 were also early large contributers. There were others, but they're slipping my mind right now. I didn't join the OP team until mid March 2010, and didn't become visible and active in the community until late June. My first task was to write the chat system which is in place now. Once that was up, I was out there.

The very first poet to sign up was 'msjones25'.

There were thousands signed up in the first year, too many to list.

How does the membership count today compare to what it was this time last year?

Last Year we had 35,609 on October 27, 2009. Today we have 41,522. Most of that growth was over the 3 months.

The original OP Home page was …well… quite original and comforting with its feather pen/down home/ warm look. What was the reason for changing its original look?

We decided from a software architectural view, that the site was not real functional, and was not expandable. The searching was horrible, and the organization of the poems for public reading was atrocious. So we sat down and looked at rebuilding various parts, and it made sense to start from scratch. In the mean, we decided that a fresh look would benefit the site. And while I think we accomplished a good rebuild, some of the "feel" got taken away. We added the background back, and tried to do little things to help. We adjusted quite a few things after v2 launched. We'll do more to get that feel back in the coming months, but at the moment, we are w/o a designer. LetterPress moved on to pursue other adventures, and we have not found someone new.

Can non poets come to the site to read the poetry?

Yes. All poems are public, with the only exception being if they are marked alternative content. Which in that case, the only way to verify if someone is 18+, is to have them sign up with an account, and list thier age.

Statement: The site had some disgruntled members in the beginning, they left, I miss some of them.

The growing pains of any community is going to be initial fallout. Even as you read the history of the forming of the United States of America, you'll see a lot of heads clashing. Some people were dismissed and everyone cheered. Others will be missed greatly.

How have the poets who made the first book done on the split profit side of things? The book was nicely done.

Thank you! We haven't compiled first year numbers yet, we're almost to that mark, but the book sold only modestly. Being our first book, we weren't sure how pricing and marketing should go, and while we learned a lot, we'll have to do better in the future.

The site has grown greatly, how did that happen so fast?

There is a marketing term "viral". Basically, it caught on, and it spread like a disease from mouth to mouth. It went Viral.

How can we help so many inactive poets become more for us and themselves?

Reach out to them, and get them to come back. Its not real effective for us to keep telling them, but if another poet reaches out to them, its more personal, and may entice them.

I am wondering what are the future plans, directions and goals of OP?

To keep pushing forward, and responding to requests of our members is the short term goal. We don't have any plans to make any drastic changes. We're going to continue doing the contest and publishing a book every year. We're going to continue to grow the newsletter. Eventually we'd like to add group functions, but for now, we're helping people organize them thru custom chat rooms and forums. We're not a large corporation with millions in funding, like Facebook, so future planning has be something feasible from a realistic standpoint.

What can be done to increase traffic to OP?

We've increased it quite a bit the last couple months thru Twitter. We are @origpoetry. What members can do is simply tell everyone they know. Join our fanpage on facebook, share it out to their friends. Post their poem links on facebook, twitter, digg, and anywhere they can find.

Would advertising and sponsored links bring in enough revenue to host the site on faster servers?

Eventually, yes. Although speed and performance is something we're looking at on an ongoing basis. There are other things that slow the site down, and throwing more/bigger servers at it won't always help.

I am curious as to what the projected growth is here?

We're currently averaging 15 new signups per day during the weekend, 5 on the weekend. So you figured 260 for the weekends, and 4695 giving us a growth of 4955 per year. That number will increase though, I just can't project it yet because we had slow growth for a while.

What was the first poem ever posted on OP and who was the poet?

http://www.originalpoetry.com/a-aching-heart - "A Aching Heart" by msjones25 (first member)

What are some of the new ideas floating around concerning the poetry contest and which have the possibility of coming to fruition?

We've talked about dozens of methods in the forums, but nothing has been decided. We're lacking manpower to revamp this right now. When we decide to change it, we're going to present the ideas to the community and get feedback.

Before the site make-over, there used to be a weekly spotlight on one poet. I enjoyed this because it gave us "inside" information on the poet's habits as a writer and as a thinker. Will this feature return?

Yes! This was part of the newsletter expansion. We backed off it when the "well ran dry" on poets to interview. It will return soon. I'm shooting for January 2011 at the latest.

Will there ever be a way to subscribe to a poets works whenever there is something new or updated?

What are some of the new ideas floating around concerning the poetry contest and which have the possibility of coming to fruition?

Looking at the history and evolution of OP how do you intend to structure OP in the future in order to place the primary emphasis on creativity and keep it from becoming only a social network?

This is a GREAT question. It would be really easy for us to follow the path of Facebook and try and build a social platform. Instead, we have to evaluate everything we implement, and determine how it will fit into Poetry. The games are a good example. We could have easily bought a collection of puzzle games, but instead we decided to build things that were Poetry themed. Poem Builder of course is our multiperson game where a group of people can build a poem together. Complete with timer, and voting. Word Scramble is a tool to help break writers block. Poetry Match is themed with poetry shapes, and not necessarily poetic, but it does help with memory and thinking. Another example would be groups. We can easily implement a groups area, but we've stalled so we can figure out how to make it Poetry/Creative focused. Other small things, there is no commenting/response to the statuses people set. That would just move focus poetry to having a social discussion. That's not necessarily bad, but we don't want to detour people from the main purpose of the site. Everything done has been done with getting poems more visible in mind.

Ok... there's the first batch! Keep them coming, and feel free to generate questions off my responses here.

-Papa Paczki

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

Awww you reposted but forgot to answer the subscription question two before the last question...

RE: RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Altair

Awww you reposted but forgot to answer the subscription question two before the last question...

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

Pop,

Your response is a really impressive reply to the questions.

This has turned into an enlightening thread.

Thank you,
dah

Last edited by dahlusion 10-27-2010 at 01:35:19 PM

RE: The History Of Original Poetry's First Two Years.

You misunderstood my meaning pap ...I meant subscribing in the way on MySpace we were able to subscribe to a persons blog...no payment needed ...just the ability to be notified via email about another's work....Just like anyone that has added to this post receives an email about something newly said...