Photo suppression Email notifications to contributors?

[bcfczuluarmy]

I got an email today saying review added at X pub so went to read it to realise 0 pictures where showing from contributions over the years, pub still called the same name, so nothing related to name change which I've noted before.

Since I went in Feb 2018 and added pictures, nothing in updates to imply it's closed and reopened so how do these pictures get removed from main page? Who makes the decision for that and as a result is there a way a notification can be sent to people who have submitted pictures be sent to alert them that their pictures are being suppressed/removed from main page so they can review and reinstate\if they feel there is no reason for this to happen. Could understand if server space related remove picture from X years ago but keep three years ago. The last picture for this pub was August 2019 so that makes even less sense.

Correct me if I've missed something informing of policy change as I've not been around on here much. Still got pictures and pubs to add from visits since Easter that I haven't got round to yet.

[Quinno]

Which pub?

We seem to have moved, informally, to a position whereby if a good new photo of the exterior gets uploaded pictures older than 3/4 years old get supressed in order to keep the pub page fresh and up-to-date.

However that doesn't acount for a pub having no pictures at all - something is better than nothing of course. Probably just a cock-up but one of us can easily jump in and re-release a pic of two.

[bcfczuluarmy]

The Wyndham Arms (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/57806/) The rest seem to have been restored now after I did my reactivation.

Exactly as you say better to have something and users may not notice a pub has a picture and consider going to one that has if nobody else has been yet as may not be worth it etc.

If we are going a time based route can we look at retaining the icon to state a picture has been taken of it. I doubt the removal lessens the numbers of photographed pubs but it could be mildly annoying to make an effort to visit somewhere without a photo only to find 10 are hidden because it was a Leap Year.

[oldboots]

To be brutally frank of the six pictures on that pub page, 3 would probably be suppressed as they show irrelevant features, or a pub sign which some dwarves don't like to put on the main page. The other three are poor quality pictures, one is too dark/badly lit and the other two are just badly composed. At least there isn't one of a dirty bus window.

Still I agree any picture is better than no picture.

[bcfczuluarmy]

To be brutally frank of the six pictures on that pub page, 3 would probably be suppressed as they show irrelevant features, or a pub sign which some dwarves don't like to put on the main page. The other three are poor quality pictures, one is too dark/badly lit and the other two are just badly composed. At least there isn't one of a dirty bus window.

Still I agree any picture is better than no picture.

Apologies for mine been what I suspect is the dark one due to sunlight position at the time of the day I was there. We all can't be Countryfile Calendar photographers or wait till the opportune time of day to take the perfect photo exists. I'll consider my composition more in the future if the fashion police exist now.

[Aqualung]

Apologies for mine been what I suspect is the dark one due to sunlight position at the time of the day I was there.

This is a perennial problem with pub photographs. If it's not the late spring / summer months and the sun is directly behind the pub a photo is never going to work well. You'll probably get a better picture on a cloudy day but I agree that something is better than nothing and we are only discussing excluding pictures from the main display.
I've calculated that the best time to get a great shot of the Great Western is around 10:00am in the summer or late spring months but I've yet to manage it.
I was in Blaenau Ffestiniog a while back when it was covered in cloud so I was excited by the prospect of a great atmospheric shot of the Meirion Vaults. It turned out to be an average shot on a manky day!

[oldboots]

if the fashion police exist now.

Not a question of "fashion police" more a case of how tacky and amateurish you think the site should look.

[bcfczuluarmy]

Not a question of "fashion police" more a case of how tacky and amateurish you think the site should look.

I try to not make it such, but I'll see if there is a 300m bus window filter app available in Google Play Store.

[oldboots]

I try to not make it such, but I'll see if there is a 300m bus window filter app available in Google Play Store.

I expect you could borrow one from one of our other contributors but otherwise out of focus would work.

Don't forget to hold the camera at an angle and do try to get lots of scaffolding and fences in the picture, taking one of a van or some bins that mostly obscures the pub is pretty good too. Better still take photos at night so all that we can actually see are some overexposed lights or perhaps one of some random bit of building if you insist on daytime.

Here's another tip; take the photo in portrait orientation and don't correct it before submitting to the wrong pub page.

Edit - just been reminded by one of our "star" performers, always have your finger in shot at the top of the photo.

[Lady Grey]

I would just like to thank Old Boots for his fantastic photography tips. In the future, I'll endeavour to comply with these stipulations;)

[Mobyduck]

I would just like to thank Old Boots for his fantastic photography tips. In the future, I'll endeavour to comply with these stipulations;)

You know it makes sense. :D

[RealAleRobUK]

Perhaps what some people forget is that not everybody is retired and has the time to spend mooching round pubs all day waiting for the optimum lighting conditions in order to take a super artistic photo of the exterior.

If I happen to be leaving a pub and notice there aren't too many people around or loads of traffic in the way I will try and snap a quick photo of the outside of the pub, but that is usually in a quick moment before traffic lights change or a group of people go walking by. Chances are I also want to move on and get to my next pub.

Similarly if I am in a pub that has some interesting features and there are not loads of people in the way I'll try and get a photo if it doesn't involve drawing too much attention to myself. But my main reason for being in the pub is to have a drink, not to set up a professional photography session.

At the end of the day this is a site that is made up of and contributed to by its users, and any criticism of people who are just trying to contribute seems somewhat unkind when those people are acting in good faith out of the goodness of their hearts. The reviews and photos reflect people's experiences of the pubs on this site at a particular date and time. This isn't the Good Pub Guide where everything has to be perfect, professional and glossy. This site is based on people's real experiences - good, bad and everything in between.

There have been several debates in the past as to what constitutes a naff photo and I don't think there is much point reopening that debate until the time comes that the site admin chooses to publish a list of "rules" that people are expected to adhere to.

One thing I will add is that it would be nice if there were some basic editing tools as part of the photo upload process. If you think about sites such as eBay, Facebook or Twitter (off the top of my head) there are tools built in to rotate and crop your photo before posting it. This would at least give some people a chance to make some quick tweaks before submitting photos for approval and perhaps reduce some of the bitterness on here as a result. It would also help when people upload photos that look the right way round on their phone or PC but then end up being uploaded with the incorrect orientation as they would see a preview of the photo before submitting it. The only way round this I have found so far is to open the photo in a basic editor such as Paint, save it, then upload it, to sort the orientation issue out. But I suspect many people wouldn't know they could do this, or couldn't be bothered, or may even assume the orientation will be adjusted by the moderators prior to being removed - though I assume the moderators don't get any of those options if the end users don't.

[Aqualung]

One thing I will add is that it would be nice if there were some basic editing tools as part of the photo upload process. If you think about sites such as eBay, Facebook or Twitter (off the top of my head) there are tools built in to rotate and crop your photo before posting it.


You can crop and rotate with MS Paint which is part of the Windows package. I'm sure there must be other freeware programs available.

[RealAleRobUK]

You can crop and rotate with MS Paint which is part of the Windows package. I'm sure there must be other freeware programs available.

Yeah I'm well aware of that thank you, but many people do expect a basic preview and manipulation tool as part of the photo upload process on a modern web site.

I was just suggesting that if that was incorporated it may tempt the more casual contributor into making minor adjustments before pressing the submit button.

[Aqualung]

Yeah I'm well aware of that thank you, but many people do expect a basic preview and manipulation tool as part of the photo upload process on a modern web site.

I was just suggesting that if that was incorporated it may tempt the more casual contributor into making minor adjustments before pressing the submit button.


Yes, I realised you knew what Paint would do, I stated it to emphasise it to those who don't. I would also emphasize that this is all about the best pictures being shown on the front page. I've taken loads of shots of the Railway porn in the Great Western but wouldn't expect any of them to be shown on the front page. Some pubs are so tucked away down narrow streets or alleyways that it's almost impossible to get a decent shot of the exterior.
I still want to get that great superbly lit shot of the Great Western framed by the bridge beneath Wolverhampton Station!

[RealAleRobUK]

Some pubs are so tucked away down narrow streets or alleyways that it's almost impossible to get a decent shot of the exterior.
I still want to get that great superbly lit shot of the Great Western framed by the bridge beneath Wolverhampton Station!

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours!

[oldboots]

There have been several debates in the past as to what constitutes a naff photo and I don't think there is much point reopening that debate until the time comes that the site admin chooses to publish a list of "rules" that people are expected to adhere to.



There is no need for rules it should be pretty obvious to most people what is a crap photo and all the debates have made it perfectly clear what is crap if you are one of those people who don't see it or are so incapable of self editing. Maybe we should highlight a few of the worst photos, there's really only three or four people who continually submit utter dross.

[RealAleRobUK]

There is no need for rules it should be pretty obvious to most people what is a crap photo and all the debates have made it perfectly clear what is crap if you are one of those people who don't see it or are so incapable of self editing. Maybe we should highlight a few of the worst photos, there's really only three or four people who continually submit utter dross.

A blurry photo is always going to be crap and often worse than no photo at all. The same with bus window photos, especially where the bus is moving and the window is dirty and the camera lens is nowhere near the window!

Everyone seems to like a good old exterior shot of a pub. But where I think the distinction of naff or not gets a bit more blurred is when it comes to photos of pub signs, pub interiors, pub gardens, quirky or grand toilets, pump clips, and that's before you even mention the "F" word.

The fact that these points have been debated many times does, in my opinion, reinforce the fact that people do have differing views on the subject.

[Lady Grey]

RealAleRobUK - Pub signs are an important part of a pub's history. They illustrate character and identity (except the corporate ones). I'm not suggesting everyone needs to include pub signs with their submissions, but it is good when they are included.

[oldboots]

A blurry photo is always going to be crap and often worse than no photo at all. The same with bus window photos, especially where the bus is moving and the window is dirty and the camera lens is nowhere near the window!



Absolutely: and I will defend anyone's right to take crap pictures that's their business but why they want to inflict them on the site is mystery although there is a feeling that some people will submit any old rubbish to get their numbers up.




Everyone seems to like a good old exterior shot of a pub. But where I think the distinction of naff or not gets a bit more blurred is when it comes to photos of pub signs, pub interiors, pub gardens, quirky or grand toilets, pump clips, and that's before you even mention the "F" word.



Bit of a red herring, there are endless photo's of pub signs, urinals, interiors and gardens, the general agreement is that these should not be on the main page. We have one photographer who only submits photos of pub signs and another who only submits night shots, weird but why not!





The fact that these points have been debated many times does, in my opinion, reinforce the fact that people do have differing views on the subject.

I think that only proves some people either really haven't got a clue what a bad photo is or submit them regardless.

[RealAleRobUK]

RealAleRobUK - Pub signs are an important part of a pub's history. They illustrate character and identity (except the corporate ones). I'm not suggesting everyone needs to include pub signs with their submissions, but it is good when they are included.

I'm not disagreeing - I love a good pub sign and like seeing the photos of them on here. They are part of the history of the pub and often change over time and it's good to be able to look back and see how things have changed. I certainly have nothing against photos of pub signs and I definitely think they belong on here. I think any photo that shows what a pub is like at a given moment in time is valuable.

Equally, I know there are probably people who will disagree with that opinion and that's fine too.

[Lady Grey]

I'm not disagreeing - I love a good pub sign and like seeing the photos of them on here. They are part of the history of the pub and often change over time and it's good to be able to look back and see how things have changed. I certainly have nothing against photos of pub signs and I definitely think they belong on here. I think any photo that shows what a pub is like at a given moment in time is valuable.
Well said.

[Aqualung]

I think that the previous two posters are forgetting that this thread is primarily about whether a given picture should appear on the FRONT PAGE of the pub. I'm ambivalent about whether a pub sign picture should appear on the front page. I honestly don't know!
Of course if one of your pictures does get suppressed and you feel strongly enough about it I believe you can change it yourself without it being logged and then a picture approver can change it back again if they come across it and so on and so on!!! I think it would be nice to see some sort of coherent policy on what should and shouldn't show on the front page.
I would add that one of my favourite ever pub photographs appears on an old CAMRA guide to North Wales pubs and features a very distant Nant Peris Vaynol Arms with the ridge leading up to Snowdon Summit behind it and taking up most of the picture.

[AlanH]

I have just been looking through a few of Camra Real Heritage Pub guides.
In these guides, virtually every photo is of the INSIDE of the pub. Especially in the South West guide there are some excellent photos that would really attract me to want to visit the pub. They show what the pub is like more than an outside photo. Except in hot weather, I spend more time in the pub than I do looking at the walls outside. I know suppressed inside photos can still be viewed but these Camra guides have that initial impact of what to expect. I know these are Heritage pubs taken when the pub is quiet to show the features but I don't see why a good inside photo should be automatically suppressed on PuG.

[Aqualung]

I have just been looking through a few of Camra Real Heritage Pub guides.
In these guides, virtually every photo is of the INSIDE of the pub. Especially in the South West guide there are some excellent photos that would really attract me to want to visit the pub. They show what the pub is like more than an outside photo. Except in hot weather, I spend more time in the pub than I do looking at the walls outside. I know suppressed inside photos can still be viewed but these Camra guides have that initial impact of what to expect. I know these are Heritage pubs taken when the pub is quiet to show the features but I don't see why a good inside photo should be automatically suppressed on PuG.

This Heritage pub subject is a specialised area and I would be surprised if these guides didn't have lots of internal pictures. However, do any of these pictures show hordes of people milling around , taking pictures and not buying a drink or an indifferently kept and dull beer choice?
I happen to have at hand the Robinson's pub guide and nearly all the pub photos are external.
My priority is beer choice and quality but that doesn't translate to a picture.
One big advantage of external shots on the front page is that most casual pub goers don't do lots of research but may recognise a pub from the picture when they stumble across it.

[Komakino]

This Heritage pub subject is a specialised area and I would be surprised if these guides didn't have lots of internal pictures. However, do any of these pictures show hordes of people milling around , taking pictures and not buying a drink or an indifferently kept and dull beer choice?
I happen to have at hand the Robinson's pub guide and nearly all the pub photos are external.
My priority is beer choice and quality but that doesn't translate to a picture.
One big advantage of external shots on the front page is that most casual pub goers don't do lots of research but may recognise a pub from the picture when they stumble across it.

I'd also add that the majority of contributors on this site (and posters on this forum) tend to visit several pubs in an area at the same time, so an external photo on the front page gives a quick visual reference to what to expect when making way to that particular establishment. In addition - and this is my own personal viewpoint - I'd rather not see internal photos as I like to see the interior for my own eyes and cross-reference any previous reviewers' descriptions as to what lies inside, but appreciate there are numerous pubs with unique internal features that are worth sharing.

[Mobyduck]

Maybe just a blip, but while looking through todays reviews on the main site, I see the Ship (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24085/)has an awaiting for image sign where there should be a photo, underneath it says "No current images for this pub", the button under that says, View older pictures (19 images).
There are several perfectly adequate photos on there, the most recent by Graham Coombs from 2016, certainly better than no picture at all?

[ROBCamra]

No idea how that's happened unless Graham suppressed it himself and it was the only unsuppressed one on the site.

It's showing now anyway.:cheers:

[Mobyduck]

No idea how that's happened unless Graham suppressed it himself and it was the only unsuppressed one on the site.

It's showing now anyway.:cheers:

:notworthy:

[Pangolin]

No idea how that's happened unless Graham suppressed it himself and it was the only unsuppressed one on the site.

It's showing now anyway.:cheers:

Not one of my best pictures - I think the sun was awkward - but I didn't suppress it. My (better) accompanying pic of the Grotneys sign presumably took a 'Don't show on main page' so perhaps both were added by mistake. (Was it really three and a half years ago...?)

[Blackthorn]

Maybe just a blip, but while looking through todays reviews on the main site, I see the Ship (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24085/)has an awaiting for image sign where there should be a photo, underneath it says "No current images for this pub", the button under that says, View older pictures (19 images).
There are several perfectly adequate photos on there, the most recent by Graham Coombs from 2016, certainly better than no picture at all?

I’ve noticed this before. It seems to be when a pub changes name, all the existing pictures get suppressed, i.e.; doesn’t show on main page. Perhaps it depends which mod actions the name change?