Member Dena (no last name) writes:
How come you have such a dorky name? How do you expect anyone to find you? I found you by accident trying to use Ask a Question and saw the site on the Google search engine. The only reason I clicked is that it said something about HCV. I have it (HEP.) but wasn’t even looking for it when I found this. You should change it to something smarter so everyone can find it.
You are right, Dena. When this site was created in 2008, I said the same thing. Actually, I didn’t complain. I just said “Hmm. How did she choose that? ” I refer to Patricia Lupole who started HCVets in 2004ish. It was her idea and she built the site. I just took a pitcher of legal decisions and other Veterans’ problems and started filling it. At this stage I’m afraid if I changed the name many wouldn’t find it. I agree. It’s dorky. Ask Nod would have been my last choice. I thing AskaVet, HCVDude or something more on point would have been suitable. My original choice was 86’d by my wife before it even got out of the gate. I wanted “What Would a Veteran Do?” abbreviated as WWVD. I still, to this day, don’t feel it would have been inappropriate. Due to a defective filter in my brain, I say and do funny things. This is undoubtedly due to my birth on April Fool’s Day. My wife says it’s probably Tourette’s syndrome without the tic. You do have to admit WWVD is kind of a catchy phrase and doesn’t conflict with all the Jesus stickers that proclaim WWJD.
Judging by my past history of jokes and torturing my fellow human beings, I’d say it’s ADD or ADHD. It may just be the last vestiges of the PTSD struggling to be heard. Who knows? We’re stuck with asknod whether we like it or not. Sorry if it’s dorky. My advice is to try to get by it and use the site for anything useful. You could edit it to WWVD for your tool bar at the top as a favor to me, though. Just thinking out loud.
asknod
kcraveiro
robinhoodesqvetsatty
Veterans Claims Help 
I never set out to make this site-specific for Vietnam Vets yet that is what it evolved into. Hence the VSM at the top when I moved. We are rapidly being seated in the rear of the bus to make room for the new passengers. I advocate for all, but our plight is unique and now becoming more dire. It requires an individual voice more strident than a universal one. I’ll add some new tags to energize. Thank you for your input. Hopefully, no one will ever say “Jez, that NOD idiot in Gig Harbor says…”
Since most Vets with HCV are from the Vietnam Era (especially combat operations in theatre) I would say that the VSM is appropriate. The 2nd highest group are post-Vietnam Era. That means that the word “Vietnam” accounts for more than 80% of those Veterans infected with HCV.
Personally I prefer “Notice of Disagreement” since the VA has denied most benefits that I have ever applied for; however I plan to change that soon! 🙂
LMAO! How about those letters? The best interest of those with HCV is being served and that it the main point to be stressed.
I like AskNod. Around here, when a new post goes up, one of us says to the other…”Nod says..”
I like “AskNod” —– NOD = Notice of Decision
NOD aka: National Organization of Disability
Your other options are as good, especially the one your wife 86’ed…..
Main thing is, people find you and information along with it.
You’re disciplined about tagging your posts. Do Google bots index tags? If so, tag every post with HCV–or perhaps put” (Vets with HCV”) in every heading or text body, may help the bots discover your posts and bump them to the top of the search list. There are keyword tools that will show which keywords are the popular by searchers which you add if necessary. I think Vietnam vets claims as a tag/keyword somewhere in every post would help that population find you quicker.
You’re posts contain so much valuable original content that Google indexing bots must love this blog and reward it with top billing.
My wife did all the setup for that. Google and Yahoo both look at the tags the way it’s set up. I have been trying to interface the tag with the category lately.