I've had a really long week. So long that I haven't commented on any posts in the last 2 days, much less post something of my own.
I just checked Active Rain to see what I've been missing. Looks like a lot! I can always count on some good stuff going on here. That's what makes this place so valuable.
While here I noticed my Localism photo contribution had changed yet again. I've written in the past about my pictures disappearing (being deleted by the powers-that-be). The cleaning up of pictures on Localism is a good thing. What I don't understand is which of my pictures have "violated the guidelines" enough to merit being deleted. I have always been a stickler for playing by the rules. Always.
I don't want to keep wondering why my pictures are disappearing. I also don't want to see them disappearing little by little, one here one there.
So, what to do? I deleted them all on my own. That should take care of both of my problems. Yeah, I lost some points in the process. No big deal. We're not here for the points, are we? ;-)
Well, I didn't delete them all really. There are 12 left. But I can't find them. lol If you see a Localism picture with my name on it, would you kindly point it out? Thanks!
Maggie Dokic, SFR is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Florida selling residential real estate in Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables, Gables by the Sea, High Pines, the Redland and other select areas of SW Miami-Dade County.
Maggie has earned her SFR certification to be able to better serve the needs of her customers in today's non-traditional real estate market. SFR is a Short Sale, Foreclosure Resource Specialist. Designees have been trained to understand the highly specialized options available to Sellers facing short sales & foreclosures and Buyers looking to buy them.
For more information on our local real estate market, or to see or sell a home in Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables or the Redland, visit my Miami Real Estate blog or contact me at Maggie (at) TheBlogThatAteMiami (dot) com.
The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.
None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.
Hi Maggie,
I got very frustrated at the same thing. My photos were "disappearing" yet they didn't know why. No one sent me any emails, they just simply disappeared. Yeah right! AR doesn't know who deleted them.
I was tired of adding photos, to have someone go behind me and delete them. I am not adding anymore to Localism. Instead I will just create a post and put them in there.
I am certain they were within the guidelines, so I have to think someone just got happy with the delete button! Who knows!!
Dan - I didn't realize "vacation" type photos were inappropriate. I see plenty of those posted by the locals! lol
Becky - maybe I'm just cranky after my really loooooong week. lol I get testy when I'm tired. I went happy with the delete button myself. lol It was actually fun. I stopped short of deleting my posts though!
Chris - ::sigh:: some of my photos were actually very informative as well. I had the history written in the description and all. I still see tons (and I mean lots and lots) of junk on Localism and it's still there!
Tony - that's a great point about the notification line on our points page. We really would have no idea if it didn't keep popping up to the top, now would we?
I pointed this out before but it fell on deaf ears : LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PICTURES THAT CAN EARN POINTS IN A WEEK AND SEE HOW QUICKLY THE TRASH SUBMISSION DIES DOWN. Right now it is a major point earner for some.
Maggie - You are funny.........delete, delete, delete! If I find some ocean pictures here in Indy, I'll know where to return them. :)
Seriously though, I would think pictures of vacation spots in our area would be the type of photos consumers would want to see. I've seen some which were just the inside of a random home in a neighborhood which I thought was not the type of picture for Localism, yet they remain.
I keep posting them and if they disappear, oh well! It would be nice to know which pictures are being deleted and why.
Glad you are staying busy.....
I bet you feel a lot better now without the worry! But I'm sorry about all your old pics. :o(
I got Mango. :o)
Sarah - I hated getting irritated every time I saw it had happened again. Except for the last twelve, I think I've got it covered now =)
Sally - I would have still left them up. You could have used it as a way to measure how much you've improved =)
Maggie, well that solves that huh? You are a riot! I actually deleted some of my own photos when I read the "rules". I left the rest. I'm waiting to see if any go poof.. so far so good. I can't imagine Chris's photos being deleted either.
Sally, I reread a couple of my old posts today, I won't delete them, but danggg! Maggie is so right it is a good way to see our improvement.
Now go back and repost them like a good little girl... you know you didn't mean to do that. How are all of your readers going to get a taste of Miami? Or better yet...take a deep breath, grab your camera and go take some new ones!
It's not about the points...it's bigger than that!!! YEO, remember?
Lysa - I love your pictures. Keep posting them!
Bob - I sure did mean to do that. What the heck is 4,000 points anyway? Big deal. I like the fact that I won't be notified again that one of my pictures has gone *poof* oh yeahhhhhhh.
oh Sally how sorry could they really have been? lol
&%^$##$%^&***&^%&&%$%^&***&%$$
Does that adequately convey my thoughts when I've lost about 10,000 points by dumped photos. Every time I thought it was over, another 1,000 worth would be dumped. Arrrgghh!!!! I lost 5,720 on one major dump. &^%##%^&***((,
Now, while I object to having the points deleted, I mostly object to the time I spent driving, shooting, posting the dang things. Of course, I don't post any more.
I know exactly how you feel.
I put up a web site to store my photos. http://www.atlanticlights.com
Maggie,
Lost a few myself a month of two ago. At that time I did receive a notice, that's all. Nothing since then, truthfully I wouldn't know if I've lost any more or not. Guess I'm just don't watch the numbers all that much, duh???
I'll second Janie observation... There is so much CRAP that can get 200 points while quality information about listings gets downgraded as Advertising.... I just came up with a solution... For every listing you upload write a short crappy blog explaining that the "Members Only" Junk you are posting is in lieu of Listing Points you lost and include a link to the listing... I think I'll start now
Hope you don't mind the link Maggie... If you do feel free to delete me or email me and I'll alter my words of protest.
I haven't had any of mine deleted - but that is probably becasue I'm the only agent in our city that has posted any! I am scared to post anymore because I have no idea what "they" want, so I just quit, instead now I write up Seen in Athens post and put them there!
Maggie - I'm really sorry you've had a rough week - I'm sending happy thoughts and energy your way!
Can anybody provide me a link to the photo rules? I posted a few photos. But I quit when someone else in my area started posting stuff he found online. Geesh, I ran all over town snapping good photos (or so I thought) and I figured I wouldn't waste anymore of my time.
Maggie,
I can not say that I know how you feel because I have not lost that many pictures. No because mine were better but because I did not posted that many in the first place =) What I have done to avoid having my pictures deleted is to take pictures of specific communities and post them at the lowest level possible level, by subdivision. since I started doing this none of my pictues have been erased. It could also be that nobody is paying attention as there are also repeated pictures, and floorplans, which as far as I know are not allowed and are supposed to be deleted.
Maggie - your words are worth so much you will make it up in no time.... wish I had an answer for you... but I don't but you have a big group cheering for you :o)
Gotta love you guys!
Lenn - I was waiting for you to chime in. I know you've had problems with the photos. I just took care of my problem. he he
Janie- yes, even when it's pointed out. There really are a lot of pics to review so I know the work is long for AR.
Missy - Pac-man has been having snacks at my place. I just closed the kitchen! lol
Lynda - I don't watch the numbers a lot but I do check my posts and do it from the points page. That's where I would notice the "picture points notice" floating to the top of the list and that was the tip-off that pictures were deleted. Did I say aaarrrggggghhhh yet? =)
Dan - shame on you! lol Feel free to leave your link there. I just went over and commented on your post. Learned something new while there too =) Yay!
Melissa - it's too bad that you don't post anymore and enjoy taking pictures. I always took pictures for my blogs but the ones that made it solo all had descriptions.
Michelle - glad to hear you haven't been affected. It isn't about the points. It's the ambiguity of not knowing which and why that irritated me. My week wasn't rough, just looooong. I really had a very good week, actually. Thanks!
Melissa - I will return later and provide a link. I will have to find it. I think I may have put it up on a previous post. If I don't come back by tonight, would you send me a contact to remind me? Today's another one of those days for me!
Carmen - yes, those lovely floorplans. I know exactly what you mean. I've seen them myself. =)
Thesa - you're sweet. Thank you. I wrote you the other day but I know you're busy! I'll try to touch base with you at some point this week. I have not forgotten about you.
Steven - I see lots of those beach scenes here in So. Florida. They're still up. I guess you were just lucky? I was lucky too but not sure which of mine got the axe.
Marlene - glad to hear that. I didn't have that many to begin with...maybe 4000 points? But the time and trouble that I went to. None were lifted off the internet or slick property brochures like I see in some Localism areas. ugh.
Linda - I feel your frustration. Really! It stinks when you follow the rules and end up finding out later that something wasn't right, but you can't figure out what or why.
oh, did I say this already? Maybe it bears repeating. I think the problem would be helped by it:
LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PICTURES THAT CAN EARN POINTS IN A WEEK AND SEE HOW QUICKLY THE TRASH SUBMISSION DIES DOWN.
"I don't want to keep wondering why my pictures are disappearing. I also don't want to see them disappearing little by little, one here one there."
Maggie, those are my sentiments exactly. I don't mind it if they delete the pictures. I would just like to know what criteria they used for deleting them. I know it's impossible to notify every individual personally when they delete a photo. I'm almost at the point where I will stop posting photos. It's like Sysiphus work. You keep moving the boulder up the mountain, only to have it roll back down on you. You can't build a site that way.
Maggie,
I only posted a few pics and I found it confusing what you could and couldn't post. I also noticed that the rules had changed and now I am seeing they have changed again. I will have to check and see what they are and if they are in fact clear?
Sorry about that, members should not have been penalized if they complied at the time they posted their pictures.
Leon - loved your analogy and the graphic that went along with it. I can almost see myself splattered flat under it. =)
Dan - If the rules haven't changed, you certainly can =)
Caroline - it became an exercise in futility for me. I'll just keep my pictures on my posts from now on. I think those guidelines I understand.
Tony - you too? I haven't had much opportunity to see what goes on in Localism outside of Florida so I don't really know who posts pictures. I guess this was my easy solution to my problem.
Lysa - you write great blogs to go with your pictures. I'm glad you'll keep doing that.
HI Maggie,
My only advice to you is not to bother to add photos individually. I would write a post just for localism and include the photos in that post...this way they won't delete them. I once added 21 photos which took me some time to shoot as I drove around with my camera and then imported them only to see some deleted for no reason other than there were too many in the area and mine lost . Seriously if you can write a great post about an area you live in you'll get more out of it and maybe a client. Check out my vacation to AZ A trip to Arizona is better than a Dry martini and the great post I wrote..I did not even put in all the photos and although it was not featured even my mother called to tell me it flowed great..go check it out and tell me what you think. I received many compliments from other agents in AZ and maybe I'll get a referral out of it. sorry for the link in my comments.
The Real Deal
Neal - I can't argue with that logic. The part that steams me is that there's still a lot of junk pictures over there. I'll gladly help out with the deleting of them. Just give me some delete powers!
I'll try to get over to your post. I've been swamped lately and barely time to breathe .....
David - yeah, about 4k's worth. In the grand scheme of things, it was no big. =)
Cyndee - Fiesty? Me? Whatever do you mean? LOL I can be pretty fiesty at times. Or pigheaded. Yeah, pigheaded. Nice to see you.