The tag in Prose is a bookmark, a place saver. It signifies a starting point, a moment to return to, a point of departure. Like in any dialog, somebody must be first and dare to open the door.  That pitfall of the mouth/ thought-- the damned if you do, damned if you don't, dual trap. Tagging is a risk. So, what to do? To tag or not--?

I myself seldom send a tag nowadays. Used to be common practice, we were tagging individually, maybe two or three in a grouping, following up on some theme or interest we'd been thought spinning, or continuing something of inspiration that fell to us from somebody else's postings. Crediting. Or someone would be looking for feedback and after tapping you on the shoulder in PM (private messaging) would hazard a tag and a creative exchange would begin. A shared interest. Candid, supportive. Beyond, "Great write!" encouragement (which of course also has its place and significance, if used sparingly).

I don't know where or how the reservation set in-- maybe it's cyclical. Maybe it's cynical. If memory serves me, in early 2018 mass tagging was widespread, and suddenly became a thing frowned upon. Something seemingly to do with attention seeking, being a literary nuisance, bothering other people with... other people? or other people's work? I am not sure. People made a retreat, from each other. I am guilty as well.

I realize writers, and artists in general, are seldom pack animals. Yet I remember with fondness my face-to-face writers' group that same year at the Washington Library where a timid handful would gather. We'd chat about what we were working on, projects on the front or back burner, and take courage. I'd give some starter for inspiration, and we'd crank out a poem or two depending on the flow/time remaining, and then share it aloud, or politely refuse. We had only an hour, total, once a week. Thursday nights, or was it Tuesday? What I do remember is that up until the time I left my position at the library, we came back to follow up. Week after week. Even if only to say a write had been temporarily shelved or had morphed into something else that may or may not grow legs. Some of the poetry got posted on Prose, and I always featured pieces on our Library webpage.

There was a necessary exchange. Tagging ideas in or out.

Similarly, in recent years, my husband's open mic sessions at his workplace have drawn out typically lone writers to mingle live with performance artists, to overcome fears and inspire. They come together by invite. By word of mouth. By a kind of Tag. As a sign of Welcome. Being present is an important part, but being willing to interact and voice one's response is a whole other level of engagement.

This is a reminder that Conversation is an Art in its own right.

No not everyone will understand, and it is expected that some people will accept, and some will decline, to engage in dialog. In my opinion the comment section is one of the most valuable features of a writing App. Especially if writers are willing to hazard a discussion on ideas and substance, with a tag. I would suggest too that just leaving an author's note in comments is already an invitation for Someone to reply-- even without a specific tag. I love reading the comments section. That is the space in which we, as individuals and as a writing community, can grow in confidence and compassion-- in aspects which will impact craftsmanship more so than any well-meaning critique of style and technical details (punctuation and grammar).

Without a tag, or private message, the Conversation dies. 

Of course, is important to try to understand who your readers are, and to choose your tags wisely so that you are more likely to generate interest in following up. But then again, why not tag someone whose posts inspire you, but who maybe hasn't left a like or comment or follow on your profile? An intelligent exchange, to begin, must start somewhere, with someone. Maybe it's you or me? Why take it as a personal honor or affront?

--You're welcome to tag me. I don't see a difference between a tag of one person or 100.

Please know that things have been hectic by me, and I may be slow, but I will reply as thoughtfully as possible, and to the extent my time allows. And if I can't, be assured I will let you know that as well. We are all busy, undoubtedly, and it's bonus if we can be busy with things we enjoy. Isn't that a main motivator behind joining and staying with an App? This is certainly why I continue to read and write on Prose. It's a blessed thing when we feel like we are connected and can keep a conversation going that will help move us forward in our thinking. Thank you for writing, and for tagging.

We don't have a perfect system as of yet to notify us when our favorite writers have posted something new. Until then, tag.

That little red circle with the number inside--it makes us feel special, wanted, considered. When it turns out to be a mass tag, it's just not as special anymore. I've come to terms with it. I'm a grown-ass man. I don't get upset about junk mail, and let's face it, sometimes there's an Arby's coupon in there!

I've seen some truly talented young writers here, and if anyone here is proud of having worked to produce something they feel is worthy of sharing with the world, tag.

We can't possibly hinge our lives on Prose, catching every post. We have lives which keep us away from our favorite source of bootleg writings. How many have slipped by simply due to life's busy schedule? If you want me to read your work when I get back on, tag.

Reposting is nice, but when you see something that deserves more than a single click of approval, tag.

I know some folks aren't here to grow their literary fan base, but some are. Why wait to get those eyeballs looking in your direction? Some will categorize it as junk mail, some will appreciate being kept on the mailing list, others will take a chance and read it, so... tag.

If someone despises being included in mass tagging, they'll find clever ways of letting you know, and you can adjust your list appropriately. Be creative, be responsible, and by all means, if you don't post very often, add me to your mass tagging list because I want to see what you've got to share. If it doesn't grab me, I'm out what... four, five seconds? I'll get over it.

I personally do not mass tag because I feel it is too close to self-promotion. I am already inordinately self-conscious about my writing. As a private person, it is a huge, vulnerable step for me to even post here on the site as I do.

However, I do enjoy when I am tagged by others. I like being made aware of a new piece by a writer I enjoy.

It’s a nice feeling when a person says, “Hey… This is something cool and you came to mind as someone to share it with.”

Such a small gesture can make my entire day, so a sincere thank you goes out to those that tag me.

As a general rule 7v7 refrains from tagging, as i aim not to irritate or annoy.

As a general rule, because I post only into challenges to keep my wheels geared (geared not greased), i make a habit of noting the @ proser as a credit and record for the source of the inspiration and prompt. If he or she is looking to read and respond to their challenge entries, they will find me; no need to Nag is my thinking.

That is in response to Do I Mass Tag?

And as for being tagged, i love to be It!

...joking aside, it's nice when someone wants to share or engage... when i work up the nerve, I sometimes tag a specific proser whose challenge inspired something for me which i subsequently posted, outside the deadline, hence not in the challenge itself. But, one tag as you can see, does not make a Mass... however...

I felt so Honored when @Prose included me in The MASS tag... as a fact I had been posting almost daily since mid 2020 and suddenly a week or two ago, i saw 7v7 added to the long list of esteemed prosers. Well i felt I had finally Arrived.

...and it weighed on my conscience that my daily posting had flagged. For very valid and temporary reasons. But the tag made me feel no longer as a small, isolated satellite, but a recognized part of the bigger machinery!

A person can't read Everything Posted on Prose. Wonderful writes inevitably fall through the cracks of inattention. But if there is a tag, a link is made, automatically in the News Feed, where it remains infinitely and can be retrieved anytime one logins in. That connection is a very nice thing. It's a link between readers and reads. A very important thing. Arguable more important than "exposure," though doubtlessly tagging more folks will tend to accomplish that goal and will hopefully lead to interesting conversation and invention.

07.21.2023

Thank you for tagging! Challenge @voiceinthewind

I seldom enter Challenges but felt it important for more Prosers to weigh in on the Tagging option, and I appreciate this opportunity from our friend voiceinthewind.

I have an unequivocal opinion on Tagging, en masse or individual. I strongly feel that the ability to Tag others on Prose is an invaluable feature, especially when considering the potential crosswires of opportunity... When a post is posted, and when a potential reader might have enjoyed it, are whens that may or may not align favorably. Tagging allows for ties to be made, continued, and strengthened. A post that is read, liked, or commented upon, lives longer in the Trending timeline. It only stands to reason that Prosers should identify their audience and reach out to them, whether few or many.

I believe this is of particular importance for posts that are entered outside of Challenges, or outside of Portals, as these posts disappear from viewing most quickly within the stream of new postings.

It seems to me that Tagging in comments is also very important, as a consistent practice. I know that it is sometimes redundant... if you are commenting to the primary Proser authoring the post, they will receive two notifications ("commenting on post," and "tagging in a comment"). However, new Prosers do not know this immediately!! If routinely posting Prosers omit this polite seemingly superfluous Tag, new Prosers cannot catch on to the Tagging system.

Also, I have noticed that if a Proser comments in response to a comment (indented below an original comment) we don't always receive a Notification, unless the respondent has also included a Tag. I note the discrepancy between my email notice, which does arrive signaling a comment was posted, and the corresponding lack of notification in Prose upon logging in.

As a relatively new Proser, I do not tag anyone in my posts, because my posts are few and far between for the most part, and truly I do not have a "list" of potentially interested parties.

I more frequently post Challenges and responses to entries within these. And if I may, lastly, I would like to clarify why it is that I always include the notation "no need to tag me," in my Challenge prompts:

I include the statement to free the potential entrant from fretting over this detail. I have observed that on clicking Enter, the challenge prompt description remains, but the "by who" disappears... meaning it would be necessary to click back to the general list of Challenges to check who posted the prompt? a hassle that might dissuade participation!

For myself, it is easy for me to see who has posted into the Challenge when I am logged in. I simply go to (my) Desk, in the menu column at left and click on my posted Challenge(s), click View, and select the sorting for Newest. I can quickly scroll down and know which posts I have not yet seen/ liked/ reposted/ commented on.

I love reading entries to Challenge prompts! and always make a point of responding promptly... with a Tag :)

And if you do Tag me, at any time, that is most kind and appreciated. Thank you.

Ah, mass tagging, the social media equivalent of a surprise group hug! Gotta love it, right? Who doesn't enjoy waking up to a gazillion notifications because someone decided to tag everyone and their grandma in a post?

But seriously, it's a mixed bag of excitement and annoyance. Sure, I adore being inundated with notifications, especially when they're totally irrelevant to my interests. And of course, I can't resist the temptation to pay it forward and mass tag people myself. It's like a chain reaction of glorious tagging madness!

Does it boost post exposure? Well, it's like throwing spaghetti at the wall - some stick, some don't. But hey, you never know when that one lucky tag will send your post into the viral stratosphere!

But, hey, to each their own.

Personally, I don't do it. The idea of it makes me a little anxious as it feels desperate. There's a part of me that has this "Build it and they will come" attitude toward creative pursuits, even though I know that exposure and community connections are half the battle and success in anything requires that you put yourself out there. And I would assume that people who are mass tagging are doing it for exposure, doing it because they have something they want purchased or shared. I could only really see myself tagging other users if I thought that what I'd written is something they'd specifically want to see (a topic they like, something based off a previous interaction, etc)

I recognize that visibility can be an issue on the site. For most people, myself included, getting 10+ likes on a post and even a few reposts is a pretty big deal which is a little surreal compared to social media platforms where you see content really easily and it doesn't take much for a post to get hundreds, thousands, millions of views.

I don't dislike it enough to ask others not to mass tag me, but I will say that it doesn't increase the likelihood that I'll engage with the piece that I'm tagged in. Sometimes, when it comes to mass tags, I will like the piece to acknowledge it and the writer, but chances are I'm not going to read it because it feels a little bit like someone coming up to you in a parking lot and asking you to buy their mixtape. If I'm being brutally honest, I'm more likely to check out someone's work if they like something I've posted or if I'm going through the various entries of a popular challenge. I don't use the Posts or Portals pages very often but I do regularly look at different challenges and their entries. It's probably the strongest part of the site as far as community engagement goes. I've found a lot of awesome posts and awesome writers that way, even in challenges I don't enter.

I have noticed a few trends when it comes to popular posts:

-Higher follower count/long-time active user

-Short to medium length (Longer pieces are usually exceptionally engaging, like to a professional degree)

-Comes across as thoughtfully written with an understanding of the craft

-Posted as a response to a popular challenge

-Are relatable, controversial, and/or unique

--and it seems like posts that fall into one or multiple of those categories tend to not only get more natural engagement, but more engagement overall than posts that are mass tagged.

P.S. Not an admin or anything but I've been on the site for a hot minute

I would like to start by saying I do not mass tag, as others have said I too am very self-conscious of what I post and comment.

As for others tagging me in a mass tag, it depends. When someone tags me I always assume they want my input on their work, or at least expect a comment. I will try to read it and if it is a long piece that is not to my interests, I will hate every second of it. Do to this I would tell anyone mass tagging to only do it on very short posts. On longer posts only tag people you are sure will be interested.

Well... I'm not a fan? But I also don't really mind it? When Prose or a person I don't know tags me, it does pretty much stem from grabbing some user handles and throwing them onto a keyboard which propels them onto the screen and then boom. It's a notification. I don't tend to read people's work here. And even if I do, it's pure serendipity. This recent phenomenon hasn't gotten to a point where it's really annoying yet and hopefully, it won't but it isn't great to see that small red circle next to the bell inform me that I got piled in with a number of other people on the internet because someone wants me to see... Something. I can't exactly stop it from happening, nor do I care enough to cos I'm sure when people do it, it's because they feel it would help them. And ofc some of us will be happy to get tagged and read something new. But honestly, unless it concerns me or my posts, I don't tend to want to know. I could put this blunter but that's not my mood right now, too calm for such energy. So... Yeah. But hey. To each their own. To mass taggers, if it works, congratulations I guess? But I kinda hope Prose calms down with it since it's theirs I see the most. Make it monthly or biweekly or something... I'd rather have it happen rarely or not at all, merci beaucoup.

And no. I've never done it, myself. Partly cos it feels awkward for me as the socially fogntjfksnfjwbfbwjg0e person I am but also cos if I don't like it, I'd rather not subject others who may or may not feel the same way to it. Plus, it feels like a lotta work for a piece of writing I just want to throw out into the void we call the net and let chance decide the fate of.