Helium Knowledge is supposed to be a blog. But the more I am on the site, it seems as though I am on a "Google assignment". Part of the Helium "blog" is to answer questions. Thus, I am constrained to Google "AL Nasir", "Alfarabi" and a myriad of unexciting dead old Indian philosophers. As if that were not enough "cruel and unusual punishment", I had to answer the question "Why?". (I have no idea - why What? , it was just Why?) How I figured out the answer to Why still eludes me.
When you get direct Who Is questions, you do get the urge to be humorous at times, to escape the moronic air. Thus, I decided that Alfarabi must have invented the asparagus and Nasir is a nasal spray! Well, Nasir is indeed a nasal spray, by the way.
The other day though while I was reading a question, I was struck by the most racist question — Why do you hate the French or are they just funny? And though Helium Knowledge does pay at least a dollar for engaging in asking and replying to either bizarre or weird questions, I wondered why such a hate question was allowed despite the clarity of Adsense Google rules that there be no direct racist or hate entries.
The fact about Helium Knowledge is that it seems that it is run by a "little group" who made a deal with Adsense and other advertisers. They are "chummy" to members of an obviously "select group" who would swear they all got their 25 bucks last month, yet, most of those who swear to that are those "old members" who are planted in the community. Thus, when I did write the administration about the question, I was ignored. Why? Because the question was written by a "close chum" of Helium who seems to have the part-time job of helping new members.
If there is anything that is distasteful about it, aside from the racism and the chummy-like connections of an inner core of old-time bloggers, it is the intellectual dishonesty. While we are bashed for saying that Nasir was a nasal spray and Alfarabi invented the asparagus, we can't bash them back for blatantly expressing their hate for the French people.
I mean, shouldn't fair be fair? But yes, as I say — they do pay because they do report some 11,000 plus bloggers, who are predominantly from India, despite Helium claiming it's a "global site" run in the USA. Thus, we are consigned to Google for Indian noodles, highest-paying jobs in India, King Ravana, and more BS that does pay, I think!
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - vicki
You have omitted the great 'zero' invention controversy but, of course, that one is worthy of an entire piece!!!!
I didn't go to Helium with a prediliction against Indians, but I am rapidly being driven insane with earnestness!!!!
2 - Bugsey
Hey Vikki you posted the ZERO controversy? That is HILARIOUS!
3 - vicki
I posted an answer but I didn't pose the question!!!!! Can't blame me for looking for a few clicks, can you? LOL
4 - Bugsey
I know you didn't but that's the sort of "questions" we argue about there just so we get that buck. THe fact is that "Who invented zero" question was better answered by Nikolo who cited that what was the big deal in inventing NOTHING ? I am still puzzled at why they do put up with what is obviously "crummy" queries.
5 - Nikolo de Guzman
Helium Knowledge is really where you go to get annoyed. Humor seems not to be tolerated there but it is far from being another google. i never liked the "who is" answer and i never understood why there was such a big fuss about "who invented zero?" or "whhat won the guiness for noodles?' or "who is king ravana?". if that's a blog, they better make it a comic site. they do pay though which is what makes it tolerable. the ratio of indian questions is the main problem that the admi has over there!
6 - Christopher Rose
Would it be horribly pedantic of me to wonder how much trust I could place in someone with your gift for language, Bugsey?
7 - ManicKev
Excellent summary, Bugs.
The anti-random-indian consortium should be mentioned int here. We are now 8 strong, and should overthrow the indians in no time with our global conspiracy.
New question:
"Is it OK to hate Farmer Bob, an extinct owl, whilst eating noodles, drinking guinnes and contemplating whether or not King Ravana actually invented Zero?" lol
Take care.
Kev
8 - Charity Direct
Bugsey is partially unable to see anything without a refracted glasses. The proof however is MORE in the content than in the bio. Another thing is that what Bugsey is saying is HONEST or haven;t you been there? If you are shocked by a short typo-error, try 2 minutes at Helium Knowledge.
9 - Charity Direct
Kevin, we are MORE than eight. I am perfectly sure of that. But some are still in Bugsey's email so they haven't been informed yet. I will try and post some stupid questions in the URLs here as proof that we do NOR DESERVE the treatment we get and that we NEED our own niche too. On the first page of HK , the highest EPAs are all indian questions. Not that we do not like the indians, we just are NOT about to concede that some King Ravana invented the airplane.
10 - Christopher Rose
Charity Direct, are you and Bugsey sharing a computer? Or a brain?
11 - Mabuhay
Hello all, at last I can introduce myself. I am Rose Petal at Helium Knowledge and I agree that there are more than 8 people who are so tired of those forced lessons in indian history. I was observing the Community and everyone was so defensive. I agree with Bugsey that it is the inidan history questions that are just too much to bear. It's not only the indians there. There are also Americans, French, British, and what they don't know is that there as so many Filipinos too and they are for us. Mabuhay!
12 - charity direct
If we are sharing a brain, at least, I'm so sure that it's not yours!
13 - bugsey
KEV ---
It's not ok to HATE Farmer Bob. I mean this, it's not his fault. It started with that girl Samara. I really meant what I wrote to him.
About the "OWL" - frankly, I don't give a damn but when you put ##### on an answwer page, isn't that a mark of collusion?
14 - Christopher Rose
Charity, it's because you, bugsey, Nikolo de Guzman and Mabuhey are all using the same IP address...
15 - Nikolo de Guzman
Hello Mabuhay! Rose Petals? We were expressing only what we felt about the "global site" and it started there after someone mistook Nasir for a nasal spray.
The admi Jim should do something. Despite that traffic, I don't think that with the "kind" of people we have there, we would get anywhere.
They are so ARROGANT that they even have to chide us for not being culturally sensitive while they harass the French and are quite OPEN with their hate questions. It's hypocrisy.
16 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Hi Bugsey--this is Gordon, the editor on your article. I understand your vision problems might have to do with you not being able to respond to an earlier email regarding your biography at the end of the piece. As soon as you can, you need to CHANGE YOUR "PROFILE" in Movable Type (where you created your entry).
If you need help, you can respond to the previous email I sent. Thanks, Gordon
17 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
OOPS--I didn't mean change so much as make corrections on typos in your bio.
18 - Mabuhay
Christopher Rose is not telling the truth because I am Mabuhay and I think he's the one with an agenda.
What he is saying cannot be true because my ISP is different. I live in the USA and they do NOT.
It's either you are lying to destroy our credibility or ask the admin here to check the ISP I have.
I am also a member of HK and I share with Kevin, Vikki and Bugsey the sentiments that there are too many Indian questions there and a lot of people are getting tired of them.
We are not against the Indians, we are against the questions which are all like taking an indian history class which is not fair for us at all.
That is all we wanted to say but no one was listening. Now, is this the same isp?
AS you can see it is NOT. And where are the typo errors? I do not see any.
19 - bugsey
Thank you Gordon----
That teaches me to LISTEN to your earlier advise to go over the errors. As I have not hidden from even the Editor here, I have an eye problem.
20 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Thanks for taking action on the bio, Bugsey. I just have three requests:
"EVERSINCE" IS TWO WORDS: "EVER SINCE"
ON "IN DISGUISE ," MOVE THE COMMA IN TO CLOSE UP THE SPACE.
"IN SHORT, SEEMS"--PLEASE INSERT "IT" ("IN SHORT, IT SEEMS").
I've never done editing in public before--I may start doing more this way. Look at it this way: not that you needed my help, but I think between us, your article should now be firmly entrenched in the highly-coveted "HOT TOPICS" section. Or was this your scheme all along? Hmmm....
See you on your next submission---Gordon
21 - bugsey
Thanks again Gordon! It is a an awesome feeling to have an editor and I did the personal profile so that people would know that I do not exactly have great vision. Nevertheless, my thanks again and YES, will blog here, but I have to think of a better "next" submission. Maybe not too hot a topic such as this, but many felt that we needed to vent. :)
22 - Vicki
Well done, Gordon! It's a hot topic indeed Bugsey
has really summed up what can go terribly wrong with well-meaning web sites. As an American, I really didn't understand the fall of the Raj problems they face here in the U.K. until recently. It's all so sensitive and, although America outsources a lot, I never had someone in Bangalore hang up on me! Bring my call centers home because I don't want to discuss the invention of zero when I phone about my car insurance! Thanks Gordon!
23 - theresa
I just wondered why neither Bugsey nor anyone else has noticed that despite supposedly having all those members, if you look at the member list on Helium now they're ALL new members, within the past month? I joined up thinking it would be a great venue for writing but find the content of most "answers" pretty lame, lacking insight, and very poorly written. I'm not surprised now to find your blog slamming the site. But a little disapointed there isn't anything similar, that pays decent and with legit members who can actually write a decent article. It WAS a good idea, kinda.
24 - bugsey
I probably didn't notice because I don't go there anymore LOL:)
25 - J
Yeah, a lot of the articles are poorly written. A lot of number one rated articles are simply one sentence answers. Simply put, spam. However, the rating system has been working fairly well lately. I feel that my articles are where they should be.