To Be Vocal or Not Be Vocal

I wanted to first thank Vocal for providing a platform to be vocal with stories, poems and content along with a way to monetize them since successfully publishing some content on their platform, but I see a flaw in their business model and practices. I say again I wanted to first thank Vocal for providing a platform to be vocal with stories, poems and content along with a way to monetize them since successfully publishing some content on their platform, but I see a flaw in their business model and practices.

Thanks for allowing my weird poem and short story to be viewable on your platform but no thanks to you for blocking my other similar content due to either your poor interpretation of your policies, uneven judgement call or even hypocrisy.

Again, thanks but no thanks if your team practices uneven judgement calls to what is allowed and what is not allowed.

I did a search on your Vocal Media platform using the keyword “GOD” and found a plethora of published stories not much different than mine which you struck down like hitting a fly on the wall.

If their vision is to have a network of engaged readers and dedicated creators, fostering one another’s creativity and fueling one another’s passion. Idealistic? Maybe, but we’re big dreamers, then they may need to rethink how they are approving and disapproving content. And If you want me to help make this vision a reality in building a network of creators supporting creators requires respect, positivity, and just a little bit of common sense then maybe rethink how you are approving and disapproving content. If you want me to be following these few basic community rules and guidelines and contributing to a network that’s a safe, open space for all voices then you must rethink how you are approving and disapproving content.

Here is an excerpt from your policies which read: Assertions of personal beliefs - Vocal strives to be a platform for voices across political, religious, and ideological spectrums. That being said, we do not accept any content that takes a personally held belief and presents it as a universal truth. This means that you may write about your own experiences with religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and just about everything else—so long as it doesn’t stereotype or otherwise target a particular group—but you may not talk about these things in a way that implicates your reader, or anyone else.

With that said let’s look at a couple of examples that may or may not fall into this broad definition of what’s allowed and what’s not allowed on their platform.

My Initial Poem Titled What’s Next excerpt: “To be Next To My God The Father Forever” which was denied but later approved when I re-wrote it without the word God the Father.

Existing and approved poem called “God’s Warrior”: which has the word “God” in the Title and in the poem. Excerpt from their Poem I scream, I cry, I wonder why god put me here today And then I realize that through him I'm the storm that leads the way.

Not much different than my poem which they struck down. No, not much different, but in fact similar.

The only thing I can figure is that they think my poem is trying to make the reader believe in God while the other approved poem is not. Isn’t that left up to the reader, not the curator.

I say again I wanted to first thank Vocal for providing a platform to be vocal with stories, poems and content along with a way to monetize them since successfully publishing some content on their platform, but I see a flaw in their business model and practices which lead me to believe their business may not stand the test of time with such an unfavorable way of approving and disapproving content.

Thanks,

Brent Eaton