Face it. We spend most of our time noding, not browsing. And when we vote or append to a node, it is usually because it is on the New Nodes list, or it was cooled.

If your node fades off the list before someone esle notices it and sees fit to add a writeup, it will probably take a long time before one it "comes to life" again.

I know that many potentially good nodes have faded into obscurity this way. Amazing nodes no one has ever voted on or considered.

If you miss your launch window, there are some recourses. Soft link to related nodes. If you are unscrupulous, soft link to unrelated but active nodes. If you are lucky, someone high level noder may stumble upon it and cool it. Or just promote it shamelessly on chatterbox.

The optimal window seems to be defined as thus: any time when there is a large number of powerful, high-level noders hanging around.

But aha!, there are tricks to ensure even greater success:

• Hunt around a little and try to figure out which Everythingians will agree with you and which ones won't. You want more of the former and less of the latter.
• Node just as votes are refreshed. Or as time for happy voting is running out in the hour or so before GMT.
• You're trying to sell your node now! Spruce it up with an interesting title. But don't even think of node-vertising, you little weasel.
• Softlink to it. Or hardlink to it in your other nodes.

When you're satisfied that you've done all you can for the little guy, it's time to release your node into the mean streets for evaluation. Perhaps the best marketing tip of all is just to write good nodes. After all, look at the world of computing - no one buys operating systems just because of good marketing, do they?

(Whew, I think a few more nodes about noding and I can finally earn my certificate of nodology)

Critical Node Lauch Window

I would agree with both artfuldodger and uberfetus as to the criticality of node launch time. Especially, since I am in timezone +0800 when I rarely see noders more than 30 fellow noders during waking hours.

I had hopes for (Don't diplay in "New Writeups") when it first appeared. But after deeper scrutiny, I believe it would only help prevent some of my more controversial nodes being displayed on New Writeups and attracting - votes from noders with too high a standard for my ability. And leave it to be found on ENN by noders with perhaps a more receptive state of mind, since they actively searched for the new nodes.

Perhaps if that pick box should say (Display in "New Writeups"). Then we can node and update until we are satisfied with our writeup than only click on that pick box to advertise it on New Writeups. I'll think about this some more before sending to Suggestions for E2.

Make Sure Your Writeups are Good

If you do get your writups in the critical node launch window make sure your writeups have titles that are good, very clear and the writeups show that a lot of thought or effort have gone into them. You certainly have a bigger and more critical audience at that time.

For example, my recent writeup Who Loves Datagirl the Most? gets to -3 almost immediately, but the followup Who Cools Datagirl the Most? gets to 3 in almost the same time. I thought both are about the same good quality. I may have got a more critical audience for the former.

You can't Get the Good Times all the Time

So you could show more ways of Cooling Old Writeups or Cool Old Nodes to the rest of Everythingians. I've written some in How do I Find or Search for Cool Old Nodes?.

Good example of hard linking to your own nodes that were overlooked, huh?