Limit the number of pictures that can be added

Limit the number of pictures that can be added by one person to a particular profile.

Sorry to start a whole new thread on one topic but I think it is one that should be considered more closely.

This was originally suggested by Tom as one of the way to reduce the image spam and hopefully give mods and users a little breathing room to find, report and deal with duplicate images.

Currently there are several users who do mass uploads including duplicates of their own images.

I don't mind the user who takes no effort to see if thier image has already been uploaded but when you yourself have no idea what your uploading... there is a problem.

Then again... poor Kate Beckinsale has about 3000 images.
Page one has yet another serise of 'red carpet photos' (personally not a fan of those images but whatever)

This goes on until page 5... the surprise! Look at page seven
www.listal.com/kate-beckinsale/pictures//7

Yep, same event.... same massive upload... just another 'user'.

Now, I don't know who wants to go through and report each and every one but it is rather ridiculous.

Here is the link to the suggestion if you care to vote:
www.listal.com/suggestion/773

Hey! Me! I care to vote! Over here!

I don't think this is fair. I myself upload a lot of images to Listal, particularly to certain profiles such as Michael Fassbender and Colin Firth as they are my favourite actors.
I ALWAYS check to see if an image I want to upload is already on the site, or if I later see that it is a duplicate, I delete it.

I don't upload images for points, but simply to share images of that person (or film/tv show) that I think will be of interest to other users, and also to help create a kind of "image bank" for that particular profile so that if someone is looking for a photo they should hopefully find it here.

If you limit the amount of photos we can post to a single profile surely that defeats the object of having an image bank for that profile as certain users may only be interested in sharing photos for that profile, or are simply better at finding them than other users.

I agree that the amount of duplicate images on Listal is horrendous, and it really bugs me, but I don't think that limiting the amount one user can post to a particular profile will help.

I myself am more than happy to go through image pages to report duplicate content. I have actually reported quite a lot recently, and will probably continue to do so.

@talia_sparkle: well, all this is valid, as long as the person you want to upload images to is really unknown to the unwashed masses. but please try to upload images to let's say Madonna or Jennifer Lopez. i dare you to go through thousands of pictures (which 80% are almost identical paparazzi-shots), just to check if the images you want to upload have been uploaded already. the same applies to anyone who is looking for a fitting image for his lists. you have to browse through dozens of trash just to get to a decent image.

@talia_sparkle Yes... there are kind and courteous up-loaders but from personal experience that number is rather small.

I think an image cap is just easier then trying to code some system that keeps track of how often and how many images are deleted for a particular user.

But even that system wouldn't be fair as the 'download re-size re-upload' trend is rather common.

Could stick with "Bael" suggestion and do away with points entirely.

It is also possible that members could request to not be capped based on good behavior. LOL, that sounds stupid but... meh...

Seriously tho... sometimes scrolling through those images it looks like a war zone between various members to see who can upload the most and the winner is the one with the least amounts of duplicates caught by moderators.

Ah, and yes... if there were to be a cap. Pretty sure I reached my limit with Andrew Garfield. A year later and sure enough... plenty of duplicates :P

@Bael - you're right, that's why I tend to stay away from uploading anything to those people who already have thousands of images, especially if I have no personal interest in them.
I too am not a big fan of paparazzi photos, except for those I think are genuinely nice or funny, and can't understand why anyone would think we want to see 100 photos of someone in a hat and glasses walking down a street avoiding the camera.
I think red carpet or other event photos are fine, as long as you don't go mad.

I can see both of your and jaytoast's points, but I can't even begin to think of a solution that will please anyone.

Maybe getting rid of points is the answer but I don't think it would stop certain users.

No more points for uploading pictures and goodbye dear spammers... cuz let's be honest, they're not spending 24/24 uploading pics on listal just for pleasure.

I just think there are quite a number of other photo sharing and fan photo sharing sites on the internet.

IMDb currently has 570 photos of Natalie Portman. That is movie captures, red carpet events etc.

We have 2944!!! With six different users uploading duplicate images of her at the Golden Globes (sorry, I didn't report them all I got tired of playing "Where is Waldo" with a few other actors).

Limiting the total number of images one person can post means that we all would have to edit down our choices and decide if something was truly worth sharing.

I would rather people try to share the best... after all... not a photo site. Even then I doubt that half those images would get uploaded to fanpop.

I agree that reposting is becoming a huge problem on this site, but it seems to me that it is only a handful of users that are mass uploading/reposting images and clogging up galleries. Most users are very courteous and if you just let them know that their posts are reposts, they will delete them. There are only a handful of users that really cause this trouble.

I always check to make sure the pictures I post are not reposts and I usually check again after uploading them and then delete any that are. Off course, everyone misses things now and then. Again, it seems to me that there are only a few users that purposely repost images.

If it were just those that unknowingly repost images the whole "report image" system would be much more efficient. But with the way things are now, there are just way too many duplicate images that no one is ever going to get to reporting.

As for people needing pics for their lists, if you don't want to go through a gallery, you can always just upload the pics you want to use for your list to the profile gallery on your user page.

I also don't think its fair to say that this is not an image site. It may not be the primary purpose of the site, but to many users, their main interest in this site is for the images.
And I think uploading pics into this gallery is a great way to archive them. I prefer it over any other site on the web. But if you guys claim there are better foto sharing sites, then please let me know because I can't think of any.

I think it would be much more effective to just target those who are reposting/image spamming

I would rather people try to share the best... after all... not a photo site.

I agree with brazilfashion, to me (and I'm sure to others) this is a photo site. If it isn't, then why have the facility to upload and share photos?
To me Listal doesn't have one particular purpose. It's for everything to do with movies, people, books and games, and to have it all in one place. That's the beauty of it - everything you could possibly want is here. And it is so much better than other sites that may have a similar purpose, especially as I find it more user friendly.

So yes, there may be images that not all of us find interesting, but that doesn't mean they're not interesting to others. You never know, there might be someone looking for a specific picture of Natalie Portman walking down the street with a baseball cap on. I'm not saying that they can't find that on other websites, but how do you determine what photos should be shared on here? Allow photoshoots only? So long as the image isn't a duplicate (or one in an endless stream of many photos almost the same) then I don't see how you can censor it.

Maybe there should be a daily limit instead of a total limit e.g. max 10 images per day for an individual profile that has over 1000 images.

@brazilfashion

Most users are very courteous and if you just let them know that their posts are reposts, they will delete them. There are only a handful of users that really cause this trouble.

Really... should I forward you the verbally abusive messages I have recived from members for doing just what you proposed. The 'be nice and politely ask' option made my life on Listal a living hell for months. I deleted over half my lists and was about to delete my whole account but there are still a few redeeming factors that keep me here. I'm not staff on Listal and I don't have a degree in phychology so I really don't need to deal with random psychotic abusive behavior.

Besides... as it has been said many times... when you report an image and it gets deleted then all lists using the deleted image are redirected to the proper image. Saving everyone a lot of hassle.

I also don't think its fair to say that this is not an image site. It may not be the primary purpose of the site, but to many users, their main interest in this site is for the images.

Why I don't consider Listal an Image site:

Currently Listal does not have the ability to have up-loaders/owners tag their images.

Images can't be sorted into galleries.

There isn't any way to filter the images beyond 'recent' most viewed' and 'most voted'.

There aren't any 'image groups' for people to share their images... beyond making a list.

The only reason that I don't see using other photo sites is bandwith limits and that Listal is a little bit more libral with image ownership. DeviantArt I belive is unlimted but... those would actually have to be your photos you were uploading... so...

Honestly I wouldn't mind the mega uploads quite so much if there was some ability to sort through the images or all the Natalie Portman 2011 Golden Globe images where in one folder. Ah... but we don't have that ablity yet and that would actually require more work for someone to move images into galleries, even tagging images would take years at this point.

If it were just those that unknowingly repost images the whole "report image" system would be much more efficient. But with the way things are now, there are just way too many duplicate images that no one is ever going to get to reporting.

I think we have exceeded the ability of staff and other members to report on dupliacte images and images that don't belong. I would like to not see Listal become a second rate Photobucket with every incarnation of glittery fan art making the simple task of finding 'one image' a nightmare.

SO... what is the solution to Listal's ablity to report/filter -vs- How many images get uploaded a day?

Simple answer... limit the upload. If Listal changes to be more photo sharing friendly in the future could see that change but... that isn't our current situation.

As for people needing pics for their lists, if you don't want to go through a gallery, you can always just upload the pics you want to use for your list to the profile gallery on your user page.

So... because a handful of people want to upload ever image imaginable for one person. Everyone else has to suffer? I have a difficult enough time sorting through the images that I do have... and even some of those are used by other members. So... deleting and resorting isn't an option.

And why not the other way? Limit the upload to profiles and if someone personally feel the need to upload another 500 images... put it in their images. Why must it then be the whole communities problem to deal with and fix?

If it has come to a point where it is just better to Google for images and upload them to your own images... guess what... Listal is broken.

Creating a system of apathy where 'there is no point in uploading images' and no point in reporting because there are too many. Is not the road we should be headed down.

Ha... anyways... it seems I took my 'rant' pills this morning and ignored my need for coffee. I'm sure there is a solution maybe not my solution and maybe not one that will make everyone happy but hopefully one that will improve the future of Listal.

@Tom

I think that good. Flickr has(had?) a daily upload limit for total photos so... a daily upload limit for profiles that have over 1000 images sounds good. If someone really wants to upload more they can just wait till the next day.

10 images for any profile with over 1,000 images is way too little. What if a new really great photoshoot or editorial comes out of a celeb or model with over 30 images. That means it would take a user over 3 days to upload all those images. I think a limit of 50 would be more reasonable but I still disagree.

Also there are profiles with 1000+ images that are not filled with reposts and there is only one or two users that carefully add images.

For example the Raquel Zimmermann gallery has over 10,000 images and as of now, and I am the only one that adds images to that profile. The reason there are so many images is not because of reposts or even poor quality images or intrusive/paparazzi pics; it is because she has been working as a model for over 12 years now and she has done so much work. There are that many good quality pictures of her work over the years that the gallery has over 10,000.

I originally joined listal because I saw it as a way to archive images of my favorite models who have so many great pictures and amazing work.

I think ten is more then enough. The number should be low enough that people will need to rethink the amount and quality of the images being uploaded.

50 images keeps us in the same situation we are in.

Even with 10 there is a very long road to cleaning up those profiles. So, it is as good place to start.

Raquel Zimmermann gallery has over 10,000

Wow... and how many of those images are used in list?

www.listal.com/about

The primary usage of Listal is... lists... right? Am I'm missing the part in the "About" section about uploading images to create a personal image archive. I'm also pretty surprise that as a Moderator you don't see how this works as a detrimental factor to creating lists and encouraging new members.

Sharing images and information about your favorite models isn't even something listed on the 'about page'. Well, at least Raquel Zimmermann has an IMDb page and believe it or not I am a little less concerned with her then the 'models/pin-ups' that have no IMDb page. A cap of ten images a day would also help reduce the amount of images that get uploaded to those profiles.

Thank you, but I already know what listal is about and my interpretation of it includes contributing images to galleries. So I guess we can just agree to disagree.

I think we already covered how listal is different things for different users, so I am not going to go through that again.

None of the galleries are "personal archives." If I wanted to personally archive stuff, I could just do that on my computer. The point of the image galleries is for fans to share and contribute images. I do not just post images for me I post them for other fans of Raquel to enjoy. And no not every one is used for a list, but they can be. It also goes the other way around: I can find fotos in the gallery, which other users contribute, that I would have found on my own.

If there are actually 10,000 images worth posting then why not? You just quote a segment of what I said when I had a reasonable for why.

I would I also like to add that I get my ideas/inspiration for lists through uploading and looking through photo galleries. So the more material in the gallery (excluding reposts) the more inspiration and material to draw from.

i agree with jaytoast on every point. ultimately, Listal and therefore Tom, should really think soon about the future focus of this site, and set up rules and technical possibilities accordingly. what started as a "web Delicious Library" is, due to the massive growth over the years, a mixture of all and nothing, with a lot of free room for confusion and abuse.

^ But I don't see how images can't be considered part of a library?

as i said: Listal should focus on something. If Tom decides Listal should be the next Photobucket, then so it is. but then Listal could be optimized for this purpose, and drop the rest. right now it isn't, for all the reasons jaytoast pointed out.

and if you look at Delicious Library, no, images play absolutely no part there. they are only used for covers of the media which is organized by it.

i dare you to go through thousands of pictures... just to check if the images you want to upload have been uploaded already.

Maybe if Listal had a reverse image search feature like TinEye there would be less reposts.

@brazilfashion

If there are actually 10,000 images worth posting then why not? You just quote a segment of what I said when I had a reasonable for why.

When the amount of images exceeded the ability the community and staff to moderate the images... then there are too many.

When the amount of images activity discourages users from using images from an individual profile... then there are too many.

If members find it too difficult to navigate the amount of images we currently have... they are most likely not making lists ether.

I have seen more then one member state on the threads that if a profile has over 2,000 images they don't even bother to post or deal with uploading or trying to find images.

So, when excessive amounts of images are uploaded to a profile and reaches a point where the reaction has become 'why bother'. That is no longer a 'community profile' but a profile for select members to use and abuse as they see fit. I actually feel sorry when I report some images because many times it is just some poor new member who doesn't want to spend all day trying to find the image they already have stored on their hard-drive.


As time marches on many new list making web sites have started popping up on the internet. Older web sites such as "Amazon" and "IMDb" are sprucing up their list making features. The primary goal/drive behind these sites it to create "content". A content rich site promotes new members and active growth. Even the most popular and newest of these sites... images are a very low priority. Why? Because in the end images are not "content" and actually true... real... content on the internet is hard to find. That is why their are 'content providers' and people get paid to make a list of "the top ten hottest films of 2007".

If Listal is to stay a valuable resource it will also needs to stay competitive with other list making services.

Until then let us try to be at least a little realistic about the needs and resources of our community.

There are plenty of profiles that have under 500 images and STILL have plenty of duplicates. So, the idea of 10,000 images being even close to something realistic or manageable is mind boggling to me. Then again Fanpop has 50,000 image of Justin Bieber ah... but it looks like they don't care about duplicates. So... hay... there is an option... apathy

IMO, Fanpops is where all the paparazzi photos and fan art belong

My fantasy for Listal... I would like to see promoting members to Editors of Listal. People who create content rich lists solely for the use of the site. That the time and resources of staff is used to start building a database of "Food/Drinks" and other various items that members have requested that they would like to make lists about. I personally don't feel that spending hours playing 'find the nipple' or 'find the duplicate' is a very valuable use of anyone's time.

But that is just me and I'm sure others have their own visions of what they want Listal to become.