Author Topic: Do categories matter? (Read 4659 times)

No Longer Cares · « **on:** January 13, 2009, 15:56 »

Ok, so here is what I am wondering:

There are microstock sites that do not use categories.
There are microstock sites that have categories but do not enforce you to use them.
There are microstock sites that have categories and do enforce you to use them.
Then there are microstock site(s) that make you use categories and make you categorize your keywords.

So for the sites that have them but do not enforce them, do you use them? Does it matter to your sales? Do you use categories when you search for images?

I use to use them in the past where ever I could, but now I find it just slows me down. Honestly, I don't think it matters that much. But I want to know what you think.

melastmohican · « **Reply #1 on:** January 13, 2009, 17:48 »

It's a way of organizing files. In theory sites which enforce them should use them to narrow search scope and make it faster. I doubt if anyone is actually using this since they also use tags. It's kind of redundant thing unless people actually browse categotries. It's hard if you have millions of files so most probably they go directly to search instead. Imaging that in warehouse you are going from shelf to shelf until you find what you want. You would rather go to computer and search which shelf you need :-)

No Longer Cares · « **Reply #2 on:** January 13, 2009, 19:17 »

Right, that’s kind of how I feel. I understand the organization piece, but with keyword search you get closer to what you want from the start. I find categories to be usually too broad and become pointless. With stock sites in the millions of images, it’s just not relevant anymore.

I am mainly trying to find out is it worth the time to categorize the images I have or just submit and forget the categories. My find is that if you can skip them, then do it.

This is the internet, search is king. Are there any designers out there that want to give their take on this?

leaf · « **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2009, 01:55 »

for the sites that don´t enforce categories i don´t use them.

I can´t see how using categories is more efficient than using keywords when trying to find an image.

Phil · « **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2009, 04:47 »

I dont use them if I dont have to. would love to hear from the few buyers we have around here whether they use them.

Phil

astrocady · « **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2009, 11:10 »

I agree that categories are probably a waste of timed (but I'd really like to hear from buyers in case I'm wrong).

SO -- on which of the sites that offer categories are they not required? I thought they were required on all of them, so I'd like to know which ones I can cut out.

Thanks,
Steve

No Longer Cares · « **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2009, 20:11 »

Fotolia and StockXpert are the two for me that come to mind.

What made me ask this question was a while back I read an IS post in their forum about categories. Many people wanted to get rid of them but some designers came in and said they use them. Mainly they would use the advanced search and use both keywords and categories to find what they wanted. I think it ended with that.

I don't use them anymore where I don't have to and have not noticed any issue.

I wish all sites would get rid of them, or at least not make them required. That is one of the main reasons I like SX and 123. Its so easy to upload there. Fotolia would be easy too if they did not make you click each image just to move your keywords and click a checkbox. It would be nice if they were optional at SS also.

le_cyclope · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2009, 20:50 »

It would be nice if categories were standardized by all sites so we could put it in IPTC...

But I think I'm dreaming

Claude

No Longer Cares · « **Reply #8 on:** January 15, 2009, 22:24 »

Categories becoming optional I think is the best we could hope for.

Phil · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2009, 01:23 »

just remembered that is was mentioned a while back that some people on ss just their favourite category each day for what's new. (only case i've heard of them being used)

Phil

Fred · « **Reply #10 on:** January 18, 2009, 02:00 »

I wouldn't think it would take much for an Artificial Intelligence (AI) programmer to develop and appliation that would categorize images by their keywords. I guess a lot would end up in the SPAM category though!

c h e e r s
fred

Clivia · « **Reply #11 on:** January 18, 2009, 03:23 »

Quote from: Fred on January 18, 2009, 02:00

I wouldn't think it would take much for an Artificial Intelligence (AI) programmer to develop and appliation that would categorize images by their keywords. I guess a lot would end up in the SPAM category though!

c h e e r s
fred

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Author Topic: Do categories matter? (Read 4659 times)

No Longer Cares

melastmohican

No Longer Cares

leaf

Phil

astrocady

No Longer Cares

le_cyclope

No Longer Cares

Phil

Fred

Clivia

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