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A couple of thoughts

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A couple of thoughts

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 823

I always like the food for thought in your posts Workin'. I note here you're feeling better and gaining confidence in your quit, as well as working through your lifestyle changes with a positive successful attitude. I appreciate your candor and enjoy your posts. I admit I'd miss your presence if you faded away from here altogether. That being said, my personal take on when it's time to back off from this site is when we feel our time invested here is encroaching on our personal lifetime goals. I'm grateful to have found SSC when I did and know joining this site contributed immensely to my success in remaining smoke free for 911 days to date. I also believe I'm a non smoker for life now! NOPE works! It's great to be busy, happy, successful and moving forward in my journey of life. And I'm eager now to get on with the rest of my life! When busy with work deadlines or out of town on business, I now feel ok to take a break from SSC - I know the people coming here will continue to find and receive the support they need whether I'm here daily or not - and we all gain something for the variety of posts and different personalities that frequent SSC. So am at a point now where I contribute what I can offer without compromising my obligations. I now seek balance in the addiction-obsession-give-take healing that takes place from belonging to this great support network.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 39

I want to add one more thing and I will shut up. As I mention if someone is looking for online support they are going to use forum as part of their search. The chance of them using "center" is slim to none. Then you factor in whether they use the words "Quit smoking" or "Stop Smoking". So all in all the two most phrases used are " Quit smoking forum" or "Stop Smoking forum" If they use "quit smoking this site is never found. If they use "Stop Smoking" this forum is the last on the page. That being said this site pretty much get no traffic flow at all! Period! Even though it show up using " Stop Smoking Forum" there are 20 sites before it so that means 20 sites people will click on before this site even has a chance. Not to mention it doesn't show up at all if you use "Quit Smoking" Then to factor in the chance of a person typing this site's name in word for word. Not a chance!

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 39

Now you got me thinking

I hopped onto goggle and goggled the possible phrases people would use to see if this site would pop up. The only way two phrases I found that this site would pop up is if I typed this sites name specifically the way it is "Stop Smoking Center". It is the first site on the list. The only other phrase is "Stop smoking forum" Although it shows up this site is the very last site on the page.

That being said if you do not type in specifically "Stop Smoking Center" this site would not show as a top three site.

People start from the top down. Like me I started with the first site and clicked. I would assume most people like me would probally join the first site once they already clicked and went into that site. I am glad I am part of this forum, but it took many searches and a lot of effort to find it. It's like the phrase "First come serve". The first on the list gets the first chance to hook people into their site.

When I sold mattresses it was never about price. The guy next door can sell the same exact mattress for $200 less, but if he can't get people through the door it doesn't matter.

Also, depending on the person one person can think of it as "quit smoking" or "stop smoking" for me it was "quit smoking" I never used "stop smoking" I hope this all makes sense.

As you can tell I am compulsive. Once you get me thinking about something I can't let it go

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 39

correction..I am "not" an advertising specialist....

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 39

Hello Working On it,

Let me give you a little background on me. I have no educational background other then a Medical Assisting certification I got after a 9 month course I did in 1998. I am not the most educated in the world. However, when it comes to mattresses, selling them, and building a mattress business from the ground up...Lets just say I am a freaking pro! As with all business to be successful is the method you use to drive people through the door. Advertising is the key and wording is the key. As I mentioned when I goggled "Stop Smoking" or "Stop Smoking Forum" This site was no where to be found. You mentioned this is much more then a forum. I agree, it is much, much more then a forum. It is a quit smoking educational health site which also branches off and has other site education on other subjects (quit alcohol, fitness, etc).

Sadly however even though this site isn't just a forum, if a person wants to stop smoking and looking for a support site. They are most likely going to include the word "forum" in their search. Although "Quit Smoking" is part of this sites name the vast numbers of sites out there that start with those two word is vast which al together buries this site among millions of other sites that show up on goggle. No one is going to think "center"

I will end this here as I am a professional advertising specialist, I am just giving my two-sense!

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1140

So, yeah, Smokefree76,

I'm not sure why this site seems to have less traffic than some others. It's more than just a forum. There "My Program" and "Tools" buttons at the top of this page also have helpful tidbits.

Oh, and as far as humor and personal reflections go, that seems fine here, as long as people are respectful of one another. The health educators will private message you if something goes awry on the boards, and you work it out from there.

Personally, I'm glad you're here. We need more active posters to liven it up a bit.

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11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1140

Oy. I just typed up a longer response to this, and must have hit the wrong button. The gods of cyberspace were hungry, and it has been eaten.

The basic jist was that yes, this is a professionally run site where they don't judge how you quit, as long as you quit. I chose this site for those reasons.

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11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 39

I am only 1 month into my quit. For the first two weeks never did it cross my mind to join a forum. It was only when I goggled "Quit Smoking" did I run into a forum. The first forum I ran into I went through a few threads and joined because I found it amusing. I then realize after a few days after this girl started bashing me for some things I wrote on the forum, that I knew I had to immediately quit going on there. Granted a couple of my post were off the wall, but at the time my mind was a little foggy, I think when I first stop without knowing it actually made my mind go crazy. Anyway, I searched and found another site. Again I joined. I do not want to get into it too much but I had written a thread on my thoughts about Allen Carr's book. I found a few loop holes in his story, however this is not the issue and I will not get into it. Anyway, a member of that site who had been with that site since 2008 got banned for a humorous quote he made after I created the thread. Another member questioned why he got banned, then got a little upset and I guess went off and wrote something. She then got banned too. These members were assets to this forum. I went through many thread and they were very encouraging with their responses.

Anyway, I just didn't approve on how these people got banned. I think sometimes a little humor on a site is necessary. Not everyone has to agree on everything. What someone finds amusing might not amuse someone else, but there will be people that come across it and some will think its funny. I feel if that's what it takes and keeps people from smoking then let it be!

Anyway, I just joined this site yesterday evening. All I can say is before I found this site I already made up my mind I was going to quit or to say. The reality is this is my first time trying to stop smoking. Even with the mindset and the drive that got me to stop I have to admit. This isn't as easy as I thought. I like to see myself as strong and having a lot of willpower, but there has been days since I stopped and been smoke free that I think about smoking. Although I have no intentions to pick on up and smoke it is in my mind. That to me is scary!

So far this site has impressed me. The stories I am reading, the numbers I am seeing is amazing me. I already know this is where I will be going for support. I really don't consider myself quit just yet. I consider myself an infant after reading the stories on here. I will be around and logging on this site daily for years to come! I wrote a topic called "Survival" but now I realize I shouldn't be giving anyone any advice, because if you are talking the sheer amount of days smoke free. There are people on here that make me look silly!

I don't think this site is too well known. If you goggle "Quit smoking forums" This site doesn't even pop up. It was by sheer luck that I came across and pressed the right button. Being difficult to find I would imagine that takes a hit on how many people join the site which could be contributing to lack of involvement maybe?

This site compared to what I have seen out there is Legendary!

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2778

Hey Workin'!

I meant to respond to this right after your initial post, but I needed a bit more time for my response. Your presence is valuable to many members here, both new quitters and the not so new! You have great insight on many topics and you express yourself very well! Personally, I don’t think that you “need” to be here or have to use this site as a security blanket, so to speak, but I’m glad you remain.

Everyone eventually begins to distance themselves from daily involvement here, except for me maybe! As I said previously, I had a yearlong hiatus due to my laptop being stolen; it wasn't my choice to be away. I really missed being involved and helping our new quitters along their path to freedom. Once I bought a new laptop, I was back doing what I could to provide support.

Once I had my quit under my belt, I didn't feel I needed the site as a security blanket. I really didn't have any cravings and I knew that I would never smoke again. I guess what I really feel is that all of my quit buddies here saved my life! So, I want to do something in return for that miracle that I received. I do know that those of us who have been through the quit process definitely do make a difference to our new quit buddies here at one time or another and in some instances provide just the right words at just the right time to save someone's quit. I do get some personal satisfaction in knowing that I sometimes make a difference here! Do I feel that it is an obligation? No, not really. It's just something that I want to do if and when I have the time, but I do find the time. I’m pretty much like my wife; I like helping people.

You are so right... there are a lot of worse things you could get yourself into! Angry Birds or something like that comes to mind!

I think that everyone would agree with me that we'd love to have you hang out with us whenever you have time!

Jim

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11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 618

As time passes, I come and go, fade and return.......just as the mood takes me. If it helps anyone else I'm glad, and it has taken only a moment of my time.

Love Lolly.

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A couple of thoughts