So Many Dublicate Interests...
By dashawk
@dashawk (275)
Philippines
April 7, 2009 7:20am CST
Hi guys, I just noticed, when I add an interest, I found some duplicated category of interests, like for example, I am interested on "Internet", but there are so many icons or categories of the same name, and O also found some in the other section like in the "Hobbies that I Enjoy" and in the "Technologies that interest me", there are the same interest icon there...
Is this a bug or just mere duplicates?
3 people like this
4 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
7 Apr 09
Because any user can create their own interest category, the Interests are, frankly, a fine mess and also somewhat misleading because, for example, there is a 'Jokes' interest which leads people to believe that it's OK to post jokes (which it is not!).
When choosing Interests, I find that it's best to choose the ones with the highest number of members, if there are a number of similar ones. That way your discussions under those interests will tend to be read more often.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
7 Apr 09
I think the number in brackets below each Interest is the number of discussions created under that Interest, which gives you an indication of how popular it is.
I did think that it was the number of members who had specified that Interest but, looking at some of the numbers, I see that they are far larger than the total number of members in MyLot, so it must mean 'number of discussions'!
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
7 Apr 09
Owl I reponded above.
We are giving so much extra work to myLot in my opinion by not thinking before we act here and they have a heck of a lot to clean up, not only on the discussions but elsewhere too just because we are too hasty.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
7 Apr 09
It is not a bug. It is happening because other users, just like you, are not checking BEFORE adding an interest to make sure that it has not already been created.
Just like the repeated discussions, now the interests are multiplying through the fault of the users 
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
7 Apr 09
It's not really the users' fault, to be fair, Diana. It is really MyLot's responsibility to sort it out. It's all very well to give users free rein in creating Interests but it would really be better if there were a sensible list of categories (and one might suggest categories for inclusion) and to then use the tags to help find discussions on a particular topic.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
7 Apr 09
Hi Owl!
Before deciding to create an interest I have gone through the existing topics of interest. I agree it is a mess and that there are way too many duplicates and that it is up to myLot to clean it up and put them all together BUT if they had not been created in the first place? 
1 person likes this
@sanuanu (11235)
• India
9 Apr 09
I have never added an interest with my profile in last 6 months or so. I have something around 40+ interests and I don't think I am doing justice with them but at the same time I don't want to unjoin also, so they are with me but I am active at only 5-6 of them!
I think the duplicacy is done because people here are creating interests. You can also create one!
@indahfth (11161)
• Indonesia
25 Dec 10
At first I was also confused, there are a lot of the same interest. But after I learned and understood, it turns out interest made by members of MyLot. Thus many of the same interest. But I do not mind this, because I was responding to discussions, which I could respond.
