Why you should stop unnecessarily making image posts on the fediverse
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cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/58189605
What it looks like:
Here’s an example of such a post: https://sh.itjust.works/post/58082125
They uploaded an image and then included a URL as the body/text.
On Lemmy, it looks like an image post, with a small expando to the right of the title that you can click to show the body:
Why you should stop doing it:
- It makes high-quality posts look the same as low-quality ones.
I automatically downvote most image/meme submissions and posts with bad/non-descriptive titles for quality control. Linking directly to a source is how you make a high-quality submission. You can include screenshots or quotes in the body of the post.
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I could start clicking the expando next to the title to check if a source was provided, but there’s going to be a user option to block image posts in the next lemmy update (v0.20), so that format is not good since lots of people will start to automatically block them.
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You can put images in the body of the posts.
Why should anyone care?
Low-quality, easy-to-digest content will dominate and drown out everything else if no one does anything to limit it. It degrades the internet and our brains.
A blog that elaborates:
The Cargo Cult of The Ennui Engine https://medium.com/@max.p.schlienger/the-cargo-cult-of-the-ennui-engine-890c541cebcb
This reads more as preference to me than a pressing need for everyone to submit posts the exact same way. If it’s truly an issue for some communities they can implement link-only post rules, no image posts.
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cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/58189605
What it looks like:
Here’s an example of such a post: https://sh.itjust.works/post/58082125
They uploaded an image and then included a URL as the body/text.
On Lemmy, it looks like an image post, with a small expando to the right of the title that you can click to show the body:
Why you should stop doing it:
- It makes high-quality posts look the same as low-quality ones.
I automatically downvote most image/meme submissions and posts with bad/non-descriptive titles for quality control. Linking directly to a source is how you make a high-quality submission. You can include screenshots or quotes in the body of the post.
-
I could start clicking the expando next to the title to check if a source was provided, but there’s going to be a user option to block image posts in the next lemmy update (v0.20), so that format is not good since lots of people will start to automatically block them.
-
You can put images in the body of the posts.
Why should anyone care?
Low-quality, easy-to-digest content will dominate and drown out everything else if no one does anything to limit it. It degrades the internet and our brains.
A blog that elaborates:
The Cargo Cult of The Ennui Engine https://medium.com/@max.p.schlienger/the-cargo-cult-of-the-ennui-engine-890c541cebcb
This is a personal opinion, and the reasonings are a bit ridiculous.
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cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/58189605
What it looks like:
Here’s an example of such a post: https://sh.itjust.works/post/58082125
They uploaded an image and then included a URL as the body/text.
On Lemmy, it looks like an image post, with a small expando to the right of the title that you can click to show the body:
Why you should stop doing it:
- It makes high-quality posts look the same as low-quality ones.
I automatically downvote most image/meme submissions and posts with bad/non-descriptive titles for quality control. Linking directly to a source is how you make a high-quality submission. You can include screenshots or quotes in the body of the post.
-
I could start clicking the expando next to the title to check if a source was provided, but there’s going to be a user option to block image posts in the next lemmy update (v0.20), so that format is not good since lots of people will start to automatically block them.
-
You can put images in the body of the posts.
Why should anyone care?
Low-quality, easy-to-digest content will dominate and drown out everything else if no one does anything to limit it. It degrades the internet and our brains.
A blog that elaborates:
The Cargo Cult of The Ennui Engine https://medium.com/@max.p.schlienger/the-cargo-cult-of-the-ennui-engine-890c541cebcb
Disagree. For those using the browser, with link posts you have to click the link to see anything more than the thumbnail which navigates away from the page. The ability to expand in-place, and to see the full picture with the comments when visiting the post, is a better experience for the viewer if the whole purpose of the post is to share an image. And that’s before you consider that it might be an original image made by the poster.
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People who do it won’t stop because that’s the way to get most upvotes. You’d have to stop people from upvoting them which isn’t feasible because they’re dumb. The only way to solve this is through moderation.
The defaults can make a difference. I implemented this feature on my personal instance, and now that image posts are hidden by default, I no longer interact with them consciously or subconsciously. The most engaging looking things on my front page are high effort posts that promote discussion like the OP. A LOT of people don’t change defaults, so it might change what gets engagement if Lemmy does it.
I also implemented this for comments, so if you drop a pepe.jpg as a response, you’ll have to use some words to get me to click on it.
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This reads more as preference to me than a pressing need for everyone to submit posts the exact same way. If it’s truly an issue for some communities they can implement link-only post rules, no image posts.
It reflects very poorly on the user base that this comment is the most upvoted one. It ignores the history of low-quality meme content and nearly all the arguments in the OP.
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I’m not sure that’s what OP wants.
The problem with images with text snippets is that they will dominate communities that allow mixed content, pushing quality stuff out of most commonly used views based on popularity metrics. At the moment I simply avoid places where that’s happening as I still like things like c/eurographicsnovels.
But yes, text content is much more likely to be unique and interesting.
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Disagree. For those using the browser, with link posts you have to click the link to see anything more than the thumbnail which navigates away from the page. The ability to expand in-place, and to see the full picture with the comments when visiting the post, is a better experience for the viewer if the whole purpose of the post is to share an image. And that’s before you consider that it might be an original image made by the poster.
if the whole purpose of the post is to share an image
That’s a really specific example that’s not really relevant at all.
But yes, blocking images is not a perfect solution to remove low-quality meme content, since there are some quality image submissions that will get caught in the net.
a better experience for the viewer
Content creators want people to visit the original. That’s more important.
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So instances can set user defaults? If so, it would be nice if some instances started to set the defaults to block images. It should help with quality.
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It reflects very poorly on the user base that this comment is the most upvoted one. It ignores the history of low-quality meme content and nearly all the arguments in the OP.
sounds like you’re just mad. try touching grass
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So instances can set user defaults? If so, it would be nice if some instances started to set the defaults to block images. It should help with quality.
It’s a personal project, and a single user instance, so I can view the data however I want, here’s what the front page looks like with all inline images changed to links.
https://scrapetacular.ydns.eu/latest
I also ignore upvotes and downvotes on my instance as I don’t think they’re a good measure of quality.
The instance owner can change what is shown by default in the web UI for their users, but I think a lot of people use apps like Blorp, which will not be affected by this.
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cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/58189605
What it looks like:
Here’s an example of such a post: https://sh.itjust.works/post/58082125
They uploaded an image and then included a URL as the body/text.
On Lemmy, it looks like an image post, with a small expando to the right of the title that you can click to show the body:
Why you should stop doing it:
- It makes high-quality posts look the same as low-quality ones.
I automatically downvote most image/meme submissions and posts with bad/non-descriptive titles for quality control. Linking directly to a source is how you make a high-quality submission. You can include screenshots or quotes in the body of the post.
-
I could start clicking the expando next to the title to check if a source was provided, but there’s going to be a user option to block image posts in the next lemmy update (v0.20), so that format is not good since lots of people will start to automatically block them.
-
You can put images in the body of the posts.
Why should anyone care?
Low-quality, easy-to-digest content will dominate and drown out everything else if no one does anything to limit it. It degrades the internet and our brains.
A blog that elaborates:
The Cargo Cult of The Ennui Engine https://medium.com/@max.p.schlienger/the-cargo-cult-of-the-ennui-engine-890c541cebcb
I tend to feel the reverse. IME, high-quality links and original posts routinely underperform without the hook of a good image, and there’s no reason why you can’t provide a good title, as well.
An image can help sell / explain the concept, so I usually put some care in to choosing and sharing an appropriate image. That doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with low-effort, low-quality images and posts, which seem kind of self-explanatory.
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I tend to feel the reverse. IME, high-quality links and original posts routinely underperform without the hook of a good image, and there’s no reason why you can’t provide a good title, as well.
An image can help sell / explain the concept, so I usually put some care in to choosing and sharing an appropriate image. That doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with low-effort, low-quality images and posts, which seem kind of self-explanatory.
Ok, keep doing that, but your posts are going to start getting blocked by people who don’t want to see low-quality content.
That doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with low-effort, low-quality images and posts, which seem kind of self-explanatory.
That sounds like you didn’t even read the OP.
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Blorp dev here. I’m not saying I will add this, but I would be open to investigating respecting the instance hide image setting within Blorp.
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It reflects very poorly on the user base that this comment is the most upvoted one. It ignores the history of low-quality meme content and nearly all the arguments in the OP.
I don’t think you have the only, objective assessment of what a quality post is
️I didn’t address the arguments in the OP because they boil down to ‘this is my preference and you should do it because it’s my preference.’
If a bunch of lemmy users start blocking image posts (frankly a confusing decision on a platform that is image heavy, but whatever) and don’t see my posts, that’s their problem.
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I don’t think you have the only, objective assessment of what a quality post is
️I didn’t address the arguments in the OP because they boil down to ‘this is my preference and you should do it because it’s my preference.’
If a bunch of lemmy users start blocking image posts (frankly a confusing decision on a platform that is image heavy, but whatever) and don’t see my posts, that’s their problem.
I never said I did. That’s a strawman.
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I never said I did. That’s a strawman.
Then it’s a little silly to keep harping on about how this will make sure there are more ‘quality posts’ if you don’t even define what that is or acknowledge that other people have different assessments, isn’t it?
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Ok, keep doing that, but your posts are going to start getting blocked by people who don’t want to see low-quality content.
That doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with low-effort, low-quality images and posts, which seem kind of self-explanatory.
That sounds like you didn’t even read the OP.
Ok, keep doing that, but your posts are going to start getting blocked by people who don’t want to see low-quality content.
I don’t think so, and I don’t do low-effort posts.
Most posts I make are handmade mini-articles about subjects I find interesting, and want to share about. Feel free to catch my post history if you’re confused about that.
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Ok, keep doing that, but your posts are going to start getting blocked by people who don’t want to see low-quality content.
I don’t think so, and I don’t do low-effort posts.
Most posts I make are handmade mini-articles about subjects I find interesting, and want to share about. Feel free to catch my post history if you’re confused about that.
I don’t think so, and I don’t do low-effort posts.
That’s not what I said. You seem to be having some trouble understanding what’s being discussed.
You’re catering to people scrolling through Lemmy, looking at images. If you keep doing that, your posts are going to get automatically blocked by people who want to avoid meme content.
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Then it’s a little silly to keep harping on about how this will make sure there are more ‘quality posts’ if you don’t even define what that is or acknowledge that other people have different assessments, isn’t it?
You’re consistently making nonsensical or erroneous comments, so I think the issue is on your end.
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I don’t think so, and I don’t do low-effort posts.
That’s not what I said. You seem to be having some trouble understanding what’s being discussed.
You’re catering to people scrolling through Lemmy, looking at images. If you keep doing that, your posts are going to get automatically blocked by people who want to avoid meme content.
That’s not at all what I’m doing or saying, but you seem to have a fixation upon all that, so good luck to you.
