Cracking the photo nut
I have a few questions regarding what I've noticed on the Windows Live Gallery "Display Pictures" site.
First, there are a very small handful of folks who have figured out how to get their graphics (which I doubt were actually "Created by" them) posted in a most envious location -- on the front page of the site where the message "Who are you today? Pick a picture to match your mood" invites folks to download them. Some of these images have obviously been created by Windows techies, but some have not. What's worse, it is doubtful they are even the property of those "developers" who are posting them.
Me being a purist of sorts, I want to know how they are getting this most coveted spot ... okay, let's face it, I want to get some of my original images posted there.
Any ideas on how they're doing it?
Second, I've been posting my images as very large, good quality JPG files that can be used any number of ways by others. As I now understand it, these images are really only being used for IM purposes, which obviously doesn't require high-quality images.
What is considered the best image size/quality level for my images?
Third, the Rating system seems illogical at best; completely worthless in general. Those four images that are displayed on the front page of "Display Pictures" have next to them a link called "More ..." which when you open it up, opens up the gallery to the highest rated pictures first. It seems to me that the highest rated pictures should be those that not only receive a five-star rating but also more ratings than all the others. This isn't the case. The photos sitting at the top of the heap most often have one rating at best -- a rating that most likely was given by the creator. I know this to be true because two of my images are sitting on the front page with one rating, which was rated by me.
How is the rating decided?
Finally, when you open a photo there are about six others listed vertically down the right side under the heading "Recommended." I have noticed that whatever you click on within a category, basically the same six photos in that category seem to appear under this heading. If those photos were high on the Rating list, I could understand the logic; but they're not.
Any answers on who determines which photos to list on the Recommended list and what criteria they use to put them there is much appreciated.
If there are no answers to these questions, I recommend the Gallery be reorganized in a more equitable manner to encourage those of us "have nots" who don't have inside connections to the Haves Club members to continue posting original, quality images in hopes of making a name for ourselves.
Sincerely,
EP
