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Jan Allison

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Thought I better get round to writing a bit about myself.

I'm married and live on the Isle of Man

My poetry journey began in November 2013 after my husband was diagnosed with cancer. The first poem I wrote was called was Splendid Isolation. This was written after we returned to the Isle of Man after his surgery in England. I felt so alone and vulnerable in the accommodation - all I really needed was someone to talk to face to face and maybe have a hug! I posted a few poems on a friends facebook page - mainly humerous poems . An on-line friend Jenny Brewer saw my poems and kept telling me to join here. It took about 3 weeks of her asking me if i had joined to pluck up the courage to finally post and 'Just Desserts' was the first poem I posted here - it is based on a true experience! Since then my life has been a whirl. In Jared Pickett's collaboration I teamed up with Darren Watson and we wrote together collaboratively as JaDazzle United.

I adore penguins - the animals not the biscuits!
Loveeeee tall men with greying hair
I love baking/cooking
I like to potter in the garden - need more time to commit to it but have an aged mother who needs me more than my garden does
Adore most types of music - will give anything a listen
Best ever gig - Knebworth 1986 when 'Queen' headlined

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Posting multiple poems on PS - updated

Blog Posted by Jan Allison: 10/11/2024 4:05:00 PM

There have been many issues raised in blogs over the past week. One topic I want to pick up on is the posting of ten poems a day which was the limit allowed by soup admin. I am now told it has now been reduced to just 5. I have always tried to post my one poem AFTER those who post multiple poems which are usually posted in very quick succession, . Also Premium member’s poems show up on the Poems - New (PM) section for a longer time than on the main soup page so their work has more exposure for a longer time than non premium members

Actually, It is a complete red herring to point the finger of blame the poets who post 10 poems a day, They are not the reason why poems disappear off the screens so quickly,

Take a close look at the list of poems posted on soup today.. Just one poem can take up 5 or 6 lines, Four poems took up 16 lines of the screen. You can see where the real issue lies

Perhaps if poems were posted with shorter titles that would help to keep poems on the list for longer

To be honest I do not have an issue and have never had an issue with the amount of poems these extremely creative poets are posting and as long as they are NOT using AI then their creativity should be applauded and not restricted.

I recall reading a blog where a poet was being advised NOT to post ten a day but to restrict it to 2 – 3 a WEEK not a day! I know the poet was most upset at this suggestion so I advised her to keep doing what she did as she wasn't breaking any rules. When all is said and done, if people are happy that their 10 poems may not get as many reads as just a single one that is posted then fair play to them and let’s face it, once a poem has vanished off the main soup page, it will not get many reads afterwards unless it is a contest winner or gets POTD/POTW

We should also be mindful why poets choose to post so many poems at a time. I recall in my early days as a total novice to poetry, I asked a poet about why they posted so many poems on a very regular basis. The poet told me they were terminally ill and wished to leave their poems as a legacy to their family.

The most poems I have written in a day is 11.This sudden burst of creativity has happened to me twice, each time it was prior to an unexpected event like my father being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Ok, so I didnt post all the poems in one go but spaced them out over time. At the end of the day we do not know what is going on in someone's life or their reason for writing and posting so many poems.

So come on soupers, let’s embrace the creativity and shy away from negativity

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Karen
Jones

Date: 10/13/2024 5:16:00 AM

Your blog is very thoughtful. I was unaware that me posting causes any dilemma and knew that only one poem would get noticed. Thanks for this and for always being so empathetic and kind! Hugs

Jan Allison
Date: 10/13/2024 5:40:00 AM

thanks karen, it is now proven it was the long length of lines that was the issue and NOT poem dumping

Arthur
Vaso

Date: 10/12/2024 5:18:00 PM

Live and let live!

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 5:26:00 PM

agreed Art, and its a shame such a small minority were able to influence admin which resulted in a change which impacts on the the lives of other people on the site. hugs Jan x

John
Read

Date: 10/12/2024 1:07:00 PM

Hi Jan, I keep my poems and titles as short as possible, it's not by choice, it's because my memory's not has good as it used to be lol. After saying that I would never use AI,can't see the point in it, it's plagiarism in my book.

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 2:30:00 PM

I posted a poem with a very long title to prove a point John lol but it seems admin have taken my mail on board and the page layout has been altered so it is proof it wasn't the 10 poems a day which were causing a problem! hugs jan xx

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 10/12/2024 2:19:00 PM

Cool, John!

Andrea
Dietrich

Date: 10/12/2024 10:51:00 AM

Jan, I have known a few poets who posted ten or more a day. One is just super creative though I don't get the idea of posting so many and not having them all read. Another poet was someone who had no concept of what a poem is. He told me his goal here was to be at the top of the list for most poems posted EVER. Not s bad goal if he was actually posting poems. I have not seen him around and not remembering his name, I can guess maybe he passed away?? I had no idea that there were poets here posting while bedridden and wanting to get all their poems up as a legacy. That is interesting but seems kind of a rare situation. In any event, I remember the big hoopla about limiting poems in the past.. Soup took care of that by producing a list for paying members that shows their latest post only. Therefore, they get more exposure. That was supposed to be the solution. Actually this whole topic does not pertain to me because I rarely post more than one or two poems a day and also I do not go to the title lists. I only have time to respond to people who are leaving me comments. The list I use is my comments list! Saying all this, I suppose limiting poems does not concern me, but I think your idea about shortening titles is a good one. Smart thinking!

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 2:29:00 PM

Hi Andrea I posted a poem with a VERY long title and admin have made changes to the layout of the new poems screen which means my poem doesnt go over multiple lines. I am hoping now I have proven to them that the posting of 10 a day was NOT the cause of poems not being on the page a long time, that the ten a day allowance will be reinstated! hugs jan xx

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 10/12/2024 11:31:00 AM

What an experiment, Jan. I will have to take a look-see at that list that I probably look at maybe only once a year! I don't mean to offend anyone by liking the idea of limiting poems to five a day, but it's just my personal opinion. Your idea of shortening titles has merit as well.

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 11:26:00 AM

Thanks for dropping by Andrea, I only ever look at the new poems list and not looking at a latest posting from a particular poet, If someone posts 10 a day i often choose one to read and comment on and I have a couple of favourites who post multiple poems each day. I am going to post a poem later with a LONG title and 7 categories as are currently allowed and perhaps that will show where the issue is and it is not with those creative people who have the time to write 10 quality poems and not use AI or who are posting their back catalogue. hugs jan x

Sam
Kauffman

Date: 10/12/2024 10:15:00 AM

Jan, thanks for the update and the news! I am awestruck by poets who can write and post 5 or even 10 poems a day as I often have trouble finishing one poem in two or three days and or getting back to other soupers with congratulations or comments! Good for them! I think your observations about title length make sense. As for AI generated poetry, why bother? Why spend your precious, God given time letting a machine speak for you? Each of us, our voices - our thoughts - is needed and necessary. All of us have come "for such a time as this" and play an important part in our world. Hugs and blessings to you!

Jan Allison
Date: 10/13/2024 8:45:00 AM

Thanks for your comment Sam it is much appreciated! hugs jan xx

Hilda Greenhough
Date: 10/12/2024 10:21:00 AM

AI is somewhat trendy. I don't think it will overtake us. I believe it has limits, unless they totally turn it into a human. Why do we assume it is better than us? I'm not even happy with AI texting, which frequently errs.

Hilda
Greenhough

Date: 10/12/2024 9:22:00 AM

Maybe PS should make this an AI site only. Then we can reestablish at another site that is creative poetry only. We could call it Poetry Unplugged.

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 11:20:00 AM

You can add your own category by typing the word in and then a comma Andrea:-) hugs jan xx

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 10/12/2024 10:33:00 AM

Hilda my comments were meant for Clive but they jumped up here to you. Anyway I liked your joke!

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 10/12/2024 10:31:00 AM

I don't go to the lists because I only have time to respond back to those I get comments from. I didn't think how important they can be for off site people looking for certain topics. Many times I can't find a category for my poems so I agree we need a lot more to choose from ? Why would anyone list more than two categories though? That seems weird to me. I agree that you said underneath here to limit categories to two.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 10/12/2024 10:23:00 AM

I agree we need a lot more categories. Often I can't find any category that fits my poetry

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 10:05:00 AM

I think we should leave soup as it is Hilda but they could create a 'Poetry Unplugged ' site for those who wish to post poems written by AI. the day soup changes to purely AI will be the saddest day and I hope I am no longer around to see i.

Karen Croft
Date: 10/12/2024 9:55:00 AM

I agree, I joined poetrysoup in 2011 and just this year have really been putting 10 poems on everyday. I don't do it for the glory I post them, because I write everyday in my own words! I have a lot of journals dating back to 1998 that I have written in everyday. All the AI is becoming a pain in the butt. (I do like the name poetry unplugged it is very catchy!!!)

Clive
Culverhouse

Date: 10/12/2024 6:04:00 AM

In my experience of a little over a year now on PS, my poems once off the new poems list still gain many views, a lot of them rocketing up in numbers because its the careful and strategic choice of catagories of which I think there should be more, and I tweek the category selection periodically. That's what I think anyway.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 10/12/2024 10:32:00 AM

Clive my comments to you are going to Hida. Sorry about that

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 10:07:00 AM

I think we can use about 7 'categories' for my silly poems I use humourous not hilarious as humour is so subjective but i will be mindful only to post maybe 2 categories in future postings. hugs jan xx

Lin Lane
Date: 10/12/2024 8:46:00 AM

Categories are inconsequential to me. I find it a nuisance to have to fill it in so a poem can be posted. From my first visit until now, the first thing I look at is a poem's title. If it sounds interesting, I'll read it. Secondly, I look at the poet's name, if it's not one that I automatically can read on my favorite poet list. Interesting, how we do things differently... and so nice that we are not robotic.

Clive Culverhouse
Date: 10/12/2024 7:04:00 AM

Well you should D because visitors to the site search by catagory and so to make sure your poems are displayed always use the best and popular catagories for your poems.

Clive Culverhouse
Date: 10/12/2024 6:57:00 AM

So I just looked down the new poem page and I think it's the list of categories taking up all the space rather than length of poem title. Why then not only two displayed catagories?

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 6:13:00 AM

thanks for your input Clive:-) hugs jan xx

Tania
Kitchin

Date: 10/12/2024 5:26:00 AM

Jan, a great blog, Not sure why PS members are not informed of these changes. I also agree that members should have the right to post their poems without negative consequences by ignorant members.

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 6:12:00 AM

Hey Tania at least admin went with 5 a day not the 1 a week that was suggested - its a poetry site FGS. If admin want to make a change then change the length of titles when posted then make them the full length when they are off the main soup page. its not rocket science and doesn't stop those who want to post a lot of poems from doing so. hugs jan xx

Lin
Lane

Date: 10/12/2024 1:50:00 AM

A change from 10 to 5 should have been made clear to the entire community in a more visible form then it was. I see some are totally unaware and are still posting 10. I have no problem with it either, Jan. Something that many here might be overlooking is that perhaps those poets haven't written 10 poems a day. It could be that they've written them over months or even years and only now have an outlet to post them among those of us who should be welcoming them instead of ridiculing them or telling them not to do it. Not one person on PS should have the audacity to do such a thing. We're not children who need that kind of misguided instruction.

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 1:19:00 PM

People have paid to use the facilities on the site and one of those was to be able to post ten poems a day. they have covertly cut the number in half without a by your leave and I cant see admin giving a 50% refund .

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 10/12/2024 10:39:00 AM

I only heard of the change second hand. If people are still posting ten, obviously the rule is not being told to members as it should be in an email. I personally don't really care because I do not use the lists of titles. I guess it really matters to a lot of people!

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 4:36:00 AM

By reducing poems for 5 to 10 it is just a knee jerk reaction to the wishes of a very small minority when the real cause of the problem which is the length of poems titles has been totally ignored

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 4:21:00 AM

agreed Lin and if the titles of poems was reduced on the initial posting and THEN amended when they were off the main page then this would solve the 'problem' of poems disappearing quickly off the new poems list.

Unseeking
Seeker

Date: 10/12/2024 12:43:00 AM

I’m not aware of the 5 poems a day limit, I’ll try posting more than 5 today to check!

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 4:19:00 AM

Nobody was made aware of the change US, the way to deal with poems going off the page quickly is to reduce the title length. if poets posted a short temporary title and THEN added their real title when it is off the main page then this would solve a 'problem' and the poets who posted ten a day can continue without their work being compromised. the views of a select few on a previous blog some of who rarely even post poems (two poems in 2 years is hardly a good avert is it) on the site speaks volumes!

Unseeking Seeker
Date: 10/12/2024 12:52:00 AM

Edit: seems you are right, while posting, the page says restriction is 5 poems only very 24 hours.

Tom
Cunningham

Date: 10/11/2024 10:15:00 PM

When did this happen Jan, I haven't had an email outlining the change and there's no information about it on the site.. Tom

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 4:16:00 AM

No i knew nothing until Di11y-Da11y commented.

Terry
Flood

Date: 10/11/2024 5:04:00 PM

Alas, Jan, I think most Soupers use the ‘show one poem’ option when viewing new poems. Alas, if you post a magnificent opus and then a hastily written Limerick.. the Limerick will get the comments and the opus… nothing. I now never post two poems at once… I get so few comments (all of which I value) that any less would make me feel invisible. I do however, stand by my view that even a Shelly or a Keats could not write ten good poems in a day. I’m delighted at the new ‘five’ rule, but mean no offence to the ‘tenners’ ;-)

Jan Allison
Date: 10/12/2024 2:36:00 PM

Hi Terry, admin have changed the screen lay out so poems with long titles no longer take up multiple lines on the new poems screen so i have proved it was NOT the amount of poems being posted that was causing the issue of poems going off the site quickly. i now hope the ten a day allowance will be re instated! hugs Jan xx

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 10/12/2024 10:43:00 AM

I feel you, Terry. I might have a silly little one and a longer more poetic one, but if I make the mistake of posting the silly one last, my better poem will hardly get read. I personally don't see a need to ever post five a day, but different strokes for different folks.

Jan Allison
Date: 10/11/2024 9:36:00 PM

Terry, I have updated the blog. the posting of multiple poems is NOT the reason our poems go off the list so quickly it is the length of the title that is the problem!

Jan Allison
Date: 10/11/2024 6:04:00 PM

I think its sad on so many levels Terry especially the fact there has been no notification at all from admin about the change. i only found out from Di11y-Da11y's comment. If some titles were reduced in length that would go a long way to stop poems shooting of the list quickly. some can go on for 5 or 6 lines. i hope admin will at least have the decency to comment on my thoughts and maybe reconsider or at least make it 8 poems - to reduce the amount by 50% is totally unfair especially as some of the people who wanted the amount reducing are hardly active on the site as it is,

Terry Flood
Date: 10/11/2024 5:41:00 PM

Literally noticed it today, Jan. From a selfish point of view, I have to write very late at night, which means that my poems are often ‘off screen’ before British Soupers are out of bed. It’s why I often say dollars instead of pounds :-( I actually find that I have a growing array of poems that I never post because I have something more pressing or better. Which kind of illustrates my point. I’m not judging anyone who feels they’ve written ten good poems in a day (365 days a year) but I am saying… I don't read any of them. Frankly, 3,650 poems a year would have William Shakespeare shaking in his boots… but then he’s not on the leader board!…..

Jan Allison
Date: 10/11/2024 5:23:00 PM

Personally Terry, I've never used the show one poem option, i look down the new poems posted and see what catches my eye. I think its a shame that admin have taken the decision without inviting the thoughts of soupers, maybe even sending a mail out asking for their comments and will they be giving refunds to those who used the 10 a day on a daily basis and now cannot do this. do you have any idea when it changed? I still see poets posting 10 so it must be a very recent thing, perhaps admin can clarify

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Posting multiple poems on PS - updated

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