All Photos Snipped: New Policy?

1. 95

   jansharesposted 6 years ago

   All photos but one were snipped today on one of my best performing hubs. Is this a new editing policy in light of Maven? There was a time when we were encouaged to add at least 3 photo images that would enhance our content. The photos that were remove from my hub were not necessary but added interesting visuals to the content.
   
   I'm semi-cool with them being snipped. I just need to know if something has changed so I won't waist time as I'm known to do, looking for the perfect photos for my hubs if the emphasis is now more on text than visuals. Or if we only need one really good image as opposed to 3 or 4. Thanks, HP staff. By the way, I'm pretty certain they were all CC0.
   
   Edit: Yes, I checked the Learning Center. It still says add multiple photos.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      Christy Kirwanposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Can you post a link to the article so I can take a look?

      replyreport
      1. 95

         jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         https://pairedlife.com/problems/Top-10- … ng-and-Why
         
         Thank you, Christy.

         replyreport
         1. 0

            Christy Kirwanposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Ah, I see. We do encourage editors to remove photos that look like stock photos, are not directly related to the content, and don't contribute to the article's message. I'm guessing your editor thought the ones removed looked too much like stock photos and weren't directly related to the content enough to remain.

            replyreport
            1. 95

               jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Okay.

               replyreport
            2. 76

               TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Define stock photos!  I don't think writers should also be expected to be photographers.  Some are, and that's great, but many of us are not and must use public domain photos.  I always edit mine a bit, but if I had to take my own photos for every article I write, I'd have to stop writing or stop using images.  Need some clarification here.

               replyreport
2. 77

   psycheskinnerposted 6 years ago

   "Look like stock" seems like an issue I did not know about at all.  I understand "not relevant" but are we meant to only have photos that look like we took them?

   replyreport
   1. 95

      jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Same here, psychskinner. It seems to be a tightening up of the use of images. The article in question is old and has been on the niche site for at least a year. The images are only a problem now with the most recent moderation when I updated it. As I said, no sweat. I just need to know so I can adjust how I create hubs. For me, looking for images takes more time than writing the article.

      replyreport
      1. 87

         Jean Bakulaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         I have problems with this too, because sometimes I use approved photos to show something about my topics. I tend to write long hubs, and people don't read as much as they used to. I had 2 photos taken out of an article last week to go on a niche, but they left the important ones.
         
         But there are times when I really need the picture to illustrate my writing, and sometimes they get cut too. I have instructional articles the editor keeps putting on Letterpile, and they aren't creative writing. I have to make up people to illustrate a point. I've given up trying to argue. I don't know where some of these editors come from and would like to know their credentials.
         
         A professor from NYU asked me if they could use a few of those "creative writing" articles to illustrate instructional writing, this is what makes me wonder about several of the editors.

         replyreport
         1. 76

            lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            

            replyreport
         2. 94

            Bedbugabscondposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            I don't blame the editors at all considering the possible algorithm and ai changes Google seems to me rolling out.

            replyreport
   2. 97

      RonElFranposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I think what Christy is referring to is the kind of stock photo that shouts "posed by models" when you see it. To me they make an article seem just a tad less authentic unless they directly illustrate the content. Creative Commons and public domain photos that may seem a little less professionally polished are often less jarring to that sense of authenticity than stock photos.

      replyreport
      1. 77

         psycheskinnerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         I don't really mind much what the rules are, but if hubs are edited against them the same standards should be explained in our help and instruction pages.

         replyreport
         1. 95

            jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            My point exactly, psycheskinner.

            replyreport
      2. 95

         jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Ron. I primarily use pixabay and photopin and credit the photographers. Occasionally I use public domain. I also use my own photos a lot. I've never used the photo images labeled "stock photos" because you usually have to pay for them and I'm cheap, lol!

         replyreport
3. 95

   jansharesposted 6 years ago

   A second hub of mine on a niche site, one of my best performers, has also been snipped of what I believe were powerful images that enhanced the content. One photo remains. The bigger issue with this one is that within less than 2 days, traffic has dropped around 75%. Is this to be expected?
   
   https://pairedlife.com/problems/Toxic-R … the-Damage

   replyreport
   1. 95

      jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Update: The traffic for this article has returned.

      replyreport
4. 76

   lobobrandonposted 6 years ago

   I think we had this discussion a few months ago and I used my hub tomato is it a fruit or a vegetable to clarify that it was okay to use a stock image that way.
   
   Every single one of my images are stock images. I grow tomato plants but my photography skills are horrendous. It is as Ron says, it's not against stock images, it's against using images that do not really go along with the hub. I do not know what kind of images you had Janshares, but just for the sake of an example:
   
   Having an RV hub (Sondra's topic) on say the best electric induction stoves for an RV and having an image of an RV rather than a stove is something that would not really add to the hub. The chef dude on my tomato fruit or veg hub is as stock as you can get, but it was classified to be okay because it adds to the hub and is relevant. Before HP came out with this rule, I did go through a few hubs back when we were on subdomains to get rid of some not very relevant photos. It does make the hubs seem more professional. Even a photo of your own RV in the example above would most likely be snipped.

   replyreport
   1. 77

      psycheskinnerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      And if that was posted in our help pages we would all know it.  A "rule" that is not in the instruction is just a recipe for frustration.

      replyreport
      1. 76

         lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Yup.

         replyreport
   2. 92

      Natalie Frankposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Actually this is not what Christy stated.  She specifically said that photos that look like stock photos are removed and that this was likely the problem with the hub in question.  As someone who also uses stock photos regularly although I spend a great deal of time selecting them, I'd like to know what the actual rule on this is.

      replyreport
   3. 95

      jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, Brandon. Noted.
      Yes, psycheskinner, I'm sure the "rule" has been tightened. The images removed in both hubs have been there for years, and placed on niche sites with said images. I update my hubs every 2 to 3 months, so they've gone through QAP many times, where I get that "Congratulations" email. Anyhey, I'm laying the issue to rest now. Just needed an explanation on what has changed. Thanks for your help everyone, over and out.

      replyreport
5. 95

   jansharesposted 6 years ago

   Update: This forum thread gives more insight into reasons why HP may be removing images: a new Google algorithm update for images. Thank you Bethieannie and lobobrandon.
   https://hubpages.com/community/forum/34 … in-traffic

   replyreport
   1. 76

      lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Just pointing out that the images are not affecting you negatively. So removing images is not necessary unless they want to maintain the magazine-style articles that they say they try to achieve.

      replyreport
      1. 95

         jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Brandon.

         replyreport
6. 95

   jansharesposted 6 years ago

   Got it! Thank you, Brandon.

   replyreport
   1. 76

      lobobrandonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      No, there was a previous reply here that is now deleted. It was a bunch of links to some mobile games I think. I didn't click on them.
      
      EDIT: I see that the previous post that you replied to is gone as well. Maybe it was the same person, so when they got banned that post disappeared as well.

      replyreport
      1. 95

         jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, I figured that's what happened. I never saw the links.The day before, I replied to what I knew was not legit. We're on the same page, Brandon. Thanks for reporting.

         replyreport