Thanks to everyone who took a chance and donate their time and energy into testing, developing, and being patient with the Symbiostock project to get it to where it is now.
Edit: See minor bug fixes at bottom of this post.
Please see
http://www.symbiostock.info/ for the many examples of Symbiostock sites that are working and doing quite well.
The newest version of Symbiostock is quite stable. It does its job as intended. Stable, in the world of software, does not imply perfection or the complete absence of bugs. It implies things are reliable and will not change for a while.
I don't want to address the most recent technical issues on this thread, because it will distract from the main point - its perfectly possible to get Symbiostock working to your benefit as at this time 54 websites have proven it. For anyone who feels motivated,
please help Amanda develop a knowledge base on www.symbioguides.com as a one-stop-solution for many issues a new webmaster might come in contact with.
For those who missed it, I wish to emphasize this thread:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/symbiostock-suggestions/symbiostock-is-stable-time-to-make-money/
How does Symbiostock promote you?
http://www.symbiostock.com/how-does-symbiostock-promote-you/
http://www.symbiostock.com/v2-3-3-arctium-effect-added-your-site-travels-by-itself-now/
I haven't given much attention to explaining filtering, so here it is one more time:
Filtering System
I think if anything has inconvenienced or frustrated people, its the presence of the filtering system. The filtering system can confuse you if you don't use it right, or make a mistake. Without a batch editor (which I will make when I'm active again) it can be a pain to use it. But it works.
I went against many people's advice and created this system for a simple reason - in a network of complete freedom your going to need it! For
your site. Right now its annoyance, tomorrow you will be happy you have it.
Rank: Give your images priority in your local search results, as well as network search results.
When you upload, everything should be assigned a level 2 rating by default. By assigning an image to level 1, you say you want this image to be at the very front of relevant image searches. By assigning level 3, you put it in back.
Rating: This is an honor system for content, which will be used by people serious about keeping the network manageable.
You can assign 3 levels to your images, but 4 exist technically.
- 0: "-" means unrated.
- 1: "Green".
- 2: "Yellow".
- 3: "Red".
Explanations can be found in the help area. You can assign these levels to your images, expressing its level of "sensitive content" which is a consideration to other people in the network.
In your network area you have filters: Its simple - set the maximum color rating you will allow in your search results. Also determine of "unrated" images are allowed. Considering the newness of this feature, you should set "allow unrated" to yes, because most content is unrated.
Keyword filtering:You may want certain keywords to be excluded from your search results. You can have any reason for this. Your the webmaster. The point is to give you control over what comes through your results.
Site Exclusion:In your marketing area you can completely block a site that you don't want showing up in your results.
If you see you are lacking search results, its probably because you've accidentally set your image(s) rating to a level higher than what you've determined that you want showing in your search results. This means the system is working - not broken.
I built this system not entirely due to the present users, but for the future ones.
Right now Symbiostock is made up of people coming in from Stock illustration and photography. People who know the rules and needs, and respect them.
Tomorrow will have people coming in from other places - deviant art, pornography peddlers, etc. Many people will use Symbiostock as a bridge for their pornagraphy sites. Its a fact - they will do this through basic and commonly accepted nudes, and then bridge you to the obviously pornographic things. You will appreciate these filters. If Symbiostock could be likened to a colony of ants, this is the immune system and barricade to intruders.
At this point I hope you feel reasonably able to take care of your site use Symbiostock's unique advantages. What you see now is a lot of new sites. SEO takes time, and your sites and traffic will mature with time. Today its a cute project, tomorrow quite possibly a major advantage for you as these sites start rising up together in search rank.
Symbiostock is what you make it, so keep it happy, productive, profitable, and useful.
I really do have to get away and do some of my own things now. I fully believe your all capable of more than I've done.
Minor bug fixes -
2.5.6 Download this version directly from the Uploader Fix branch:
https://github.com/orangeman555/symbiostock/blob/uploader_fix/symbiostock.zip?raw=trueExplanation:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/symbiostock-development-area/broken-uploader-here-is-the-fix/msg328588/
