Panoramio FAQ - READ BEFORE POSTING YOUR QUESTIONS!!

[SantoB]

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer
NOTE: This FAQ has been put together by Fans and Users of Panoramio, and not by the owners of the site. Please refer to the Blog and Help for their direct comments. Any questions to the Panoramio Team should be forwarded to: questions at panoramio.com

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This FAQ will be updated from Time to Time with relevant information. Please post any additional comments, questions or suggestions into the relevant forums. Extra posts to this thread will be deleted by the moderators.

About the Panoramio Site
1.1 Is the Panoramio Site the same as Google Earth?
1.2 Why can't I see my photos in Google Earth?
1.3 Why can't I see my photo(s) on Google Maps?
1.4 How can I check if my photos are on Google Earth?
1.5 What if somethings not working correctly on the site?


About Updates to Google Earth
2.1 So when is the Next Update?
2.2 I have edited the Photos name/location, but it still hasn't been updated in Google Earth? why?
2.3 What makes a photo 'popular'?


Questions about uploading Photos
3.1 My pictures wont upload, is it because of their size or resolution?
3.2 My picture seems to upload but disappears from upload page once upload is completed, what's wrong?
3.3 Is there a faster way of uploading photos?
3.4 What do I mark on the map, the location the photo was taken, or the subject?
3.5 What is the order of the photos I have uploaded?


Questions about specific Photos
4.1 A photo has the wrong description in Google Earth, will Panoramio fix it?
4.2 How do I find my photos ID Number?
4.3 Why do I see the same photo multiple times in Google Earth?
4.4 What order do I see the photos in Google Earth?
4.5 How can I add a photo (or other user) to my "Favourites" set?


About Using the Forums
5.1 How do I put thumbnails in Forum posts?
5.2 How do I search for a particular photo?
5.3 Can I posting pictures in the Forums Using Another Host?
5.4 How do I search for a particular user?


Other Features of Panoramio
6.1 What is a KML File? and what does it do?
6.2 What is RSS and what does it do?
6.3 RSS feeds and Internet Explorer 7.0


About any other questions
7.1 I have a Question, what should I do?
7.2 I have a different question, where do i ask?
7.3 Can the moderators help with something?
7.4 What do I do about unsuitable images or copyright violation?
7.5 What can I do about spam in comments about my photos?

NB: Please notice this information is constantly updated.

[SantoB]

About the Panoramio Site


1.1.Is the Panoramio Site the same as Google Earth?

No, Not quite. Panoramio has been acquired by Google see Eduardo’s Blog posting here. The relevant part of his post is :

Quote:

For now, our user interface will not change; accounts, urls, features… We will keep working for Panoramio as a team, but this time using Google infrastructure as Panoramio further integrates into Google’s mapping technologies. We will also keep answering e-mails directly as much as possible.

The upcoming acquisition will bring many advantages to Panoramio users, starting with a better infrastructure to improve the reliability of Panoramio, more frequent updates of Panoramio’s Google Earth layer, and more resources for some invisible tasks that take time out from working on new features.

Panoramio began as a photo sharing website that had the ability to geo-locate photos, this led to the inclusion of photos from Panoramio into Google Earth.

1.2.Why can't I see my photos in Google Earth

Firstly, this is the single most asked question on the Panoramio forum, uploading photos onto Panoramio does not automatically mean they will appear on Google Earth, and it will not happen instantly. If you want to see them instantly, make use of the KML files available from Panoramio.

Basically, photos get selected by reviewers for Google Earth, thereafter the selected photos are forwarded to Google Earth in batches which can take several weeks after they've been selected by the reviewers.

The acceptance policy on photos is provided in the Help. If your photo does not get approved, and you believe that it should be, questions can be forward to questions AT panoramio DOT com.

There are numerous areas on the Panoramio site that provide explanations on why photos may or may not be visible on Google Earth, so please refrain from asking this question on the Forums.

1.3. Why can't I see my photo(s) on Google Maps?

The second most asked question since the inclusion of Panoramio photos in Google Maps.
Panoramio only uploads directly to Google Earth and doesn't control what goes on Google Maps. Panoramio photo updates between Google Earth and Google Map appear to be only every couple of month. Note that photos previously visible on Google Maps may suddenly disappear with updates.

1.4. How can I check, if my photos are in Google Earth?

When you have logged into the Panoramio site, and can see your photos, Blue Compasses under the photos indicates that they have been approved for Google Earth and may get included in the next batch upload to Google Earth which usually happens on a monthly basis plus minus a couple of weeks

1.5. What if somethings not working correctly on the site?

>From time to time problems occur with the site, they could be a myriad of reasons why, the Panoramio Team may be updating/modifying the site, the server may have technical problems, or some unknown other reason.

First check if the issue is on the Known Issues List and then check the rest of the Report bugs or Problems forum. If you can state what the problem is, what Internet viewer you use, other forum viewers may be able to help, and of course, try a second time to make sure it is indeed a problem.

[SantoB]

About Updates to Google Earth

2.1. So when is the Next Update?

There is no timetable of the frequency or dates of future updates. It can take several weeks for photos to appear on Google Earth after they've been selected. Note that uploads to Google Earth may not be consecutive, so photos approved earlier may appear later than more recent approved ones.

2.2. I have edited the Photos Name/Location, but it still hasn't been updated in Google Earth? why?

Any edits made to photos in Panoramio, will only be reflected when the next update to Google Earth happens - This can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of month so sit tight

2.3. What makes a photo 'popular'?

The exact method of determining what makes a photo popular is a closely guarded secret by Panoramio (to prevent abuse and artificially popularising photos). Generally, it relates to the number of views, number of times it is flagged as favourite and also, the freshness of photos.
Also see Understanding Popularity in the Help section.

[SantoB]

Questions about uploading Photos


3.1. My pictures wont upload, is it because of their size or resolution?

Courtesy of Nicholas Mertens in the thread resolution & size for pics ???:

Quote:

Size
It has been suggested in this forum to reduce the size to about 600 pixels on the longest side of the photo. You do pretty much what you want, but keep in mind that it wouldn't make sense to keep dimensions that are greater than the size of most monitors (e.g., 1024 x 768 pixels, 1280 x 800 pixels, etc.) So keep the size at least below those dimensions. This has the advantage of reducing the file size also, and it allows for a quick redrawing of the photo when people want to see it in its "original" dimensions.

Resolution
Since there are no screen resolutions greater than 96 ppi (at least in the regular "consumer" world), it doesn't make sense to upload photos with a resolution greater than that. So, make copies of the photos you want to upload, and down-sample these copies to 96 ppi. This has also the advantage of reducing the file size, which in turn reduces the uploading time.

>From time to time the server will also have some issues that prevent uploading of pictures, unfortunately the only option then is to wait and try again later on.

3.2. My picture seems to upload but disappears from upload page once upload is completed, what's wrong?

Uploaded pictures may get truncated if the file name contains special characters like a semi-colon ( ; ). Rename the file so that it doesn't contain special characters other than underscore ( _ ) and dash ( - ) and try uploading thereafter.

3.3. Is there a faster way of uploading photos?

D.C. has written a tutorial on how to upload pictures quicker using other photo management software here

3.4. What do I mark on the map, the location the photo was taken, or the subject?

A topic of much debate on the Panoramio forum - so add your two cents/yuan/pesos/rupees/yen.... to it here. But anecdotal evidence and the Panoramio Help suggest that most users of Panoramio will indicate the location that the photo was taken from.


3.5. What is the order of the photos I've uploaded?

The default sort order is the order that you upload the photos, so the latest photo that you've uploaded will be the first photo in the "Your Photos" page. Many of the users of Panoramio ask if the sort order can be changed. At present the answer is no.

One other means of sorting, to get results by the most viewed photos, is to create a unique tag (perhaps user your User ID) and apply this unique tag to all your photos. Then view by this tag, and the photos will be sorted by number of views in total.

[SantoB]

Questions about specific Photos


4.1. A photo has the wrong description in Google Earth, will Panoramio fix it?

Photo names, file names of photos or the location description of a photo are all controlled not by Google Earth, not by Panoramio, but by each individual user of Panoramio. The best means is to leave a comment on their photo page and make use of the "Misplaced? Suggest new location" link on each photos page.

4.2. How do I find my photos ID Number?

The ID number of each photo can be found by checking the URL address when viewing the photo. The ID is the numbers at the end of the URL Address

Example:http://www.panoramio.com/photo/123456 is for photo with ID number 123456.

4.3. Why do I see the same photo multiple times in Google Earth?
If a photo exists in several KML files you're viewing in GE, it will appear multiple times. More information here.

For example you may have the Panoramio Geographic Layer turned on in Google Earth, and you may have also downloaded your own KML file from the Panoramio site. If you photos have been approved for Google Earth, then you will see your photo displayed twice, once from the Geographic Layer, and once from your own KML file. Simply turn one or the other off.

4.4. What order do I see the photos in Google Earth?

In the "Recent" tab and in GE, viewing the "recent" KML the pictures are sorted by upload time/date. The newest ones will appear first, then the older ones, if you zoom in. In the "Popular" tab and in its KML the photos are sorted by popularity.

4.5. How can I add a photo (or other user) to my "Favourties" set?

At the top of the page, next to the photo (or users) title is a star . Click on this star, it will be highlighted and that photo (or user) will then become part of your "Favourites" set.

[SantoB]

About Using the Forums


5.1. How do I put thumbnails in Forum posts?

There is an valuable post titled Hot to put Thumbnails in your post by Owen Morgan that explains it all.

Essentially you need two pieces of information, the photos location on the server and the size you want to present your thumbnail. You can find out the location by checking the photos properties (Most web browsers allow you to find this out by right clicking on the photo). The address will look something like

http://www.panoramio.com/photos/medium/1234567.jpg

To insert this as a thumbnail, change copy this information, put some image tags around it to display, and change the “medium” to either “thumbnail” or “small”, so your forum code will look like:

Code:

[img]http://www.panoramio.com/photos/thumbnail/1234567.jpg[/img]

If you want to make the thumbnail a click-able link, then you’ll also need to copy the link to the photos page and put some more tags, to look like this:

Code:

[url=http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1234567][img]http://www.panoramio.com/photos/thumbnail/1234567.jpg[/img][/url]

Unless otherwise specified the allowable sizes for pictures in the forum are:
Height to Width ratio less than 1:2/2:1 >> thumbnail size (100 Pixels)
Ratio from 1:2/2:1 to 1:6/6:1 >> small size (240 Pixels)
Ratio over 1:6/6:1 >> medium size (500 Pixels)

5.2. How do I search for a particular photo?

Make use of the TAGS feature available to Panoramio users. At present only single tags can be searched on. Of course the quality of the results depend on the quality of the tagging that individual users apply.

A workaround means of searching for multiple tags is to use a general Google image search and search on the Panoramio site by entering

Code:

site:www.panoramio.com [tag1] [tag2] [tag3] etc..

So for example, if you wanted to search for Swiss Railways you would search on

Code:

 site:www.panoramio.com Swiss Railway Train Switzerland

5.3. Can I post pictures in the Forums Using Another Host?

Yes, and the answer is found here. Just make use of the standard BBCode for [img] tags. Refer to the BBCode Help

For large images though, please just insert a link using the [url] tags. Posts in the forum should really just be thumbnails or maybe small images for panoramas.
Note the sizing rule from point 5.1 also applies to embedded pictures from other sites.

5.4. How do I search for a particular user?

Panoramio hasn't got a username search in place at present, however there is a workaround similar to the searching for photos option above using the Google Search engine.

Code:

site:www.panoramio.com [username] 

So for example, if you wanted to search for this FAQ author you'd enter this into the search:

Code:

 site:www.panoramio.com santob

Easy!

[SantoB]

Other Features of Panoramio


6.1. What is a KML File? and what does it do?

Courtesy of Nicolas Mertens

Quote:

About KML Files and How to Create Them

Basically, a KML (Keyhole Markup Language) file allows you to visualize in Google Earth (GE) photos that have been uploaded and geotagged in Panoramio. You can create such a file for your own photos and for those of your friends and contacts in Panoramio. Here's how to do it.

1. On your main page (with all the thumbnails), and on the right of your name, there are two links:
   
   Photos by User1234: on the map, in Google Earth (KML)
   
   
2. Click the 2nd link: Google Earth (KML)
   
3. A small window opens, with two options: a) Open the file in Google earth, b) Save to disk.
   
4. If you select the 1st option, Google Earth opens and, after a few seconds, icons for all your uploaded and geotagged photos appear on the map. Click an icon to see in a Panoramio window an enlarged view of the corresponding photo. Note also that a file has been added in the Temporary Places folder in the Places section of GE. If you close GE, a message tells you that there is a file in the Temporary Places folder, and asks you whether you want to save it in the My Places folder. Just save it in My Places; that way, your photos will be immediately available the next time you open GE.
   
5. If you select the 2nd option (Save to disk), just follow the standard procedure to save the file somewhere on your hard disk. Later, you'll be able to email it to friends and family who, in turn, will have the opportunity to see your stuff in GE.
   

As mentioned, you can generate and save a KML file of any Panoramio user's gallery. Just open a gallery and follow the procedure described above.

6.2. What is RSS and what does it do?

Again, courtesy of Nicolas Mertens

Quote:

About RSS Feeds and How to Create Them

Basically, an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed allows you to quickly receive information about someone's latest uploads, whether photos, blog entries, newscasts, or anything else. Here's how to "subscribe" to an RSS feed for photos uploaded in Panoramio (as far as I know, this is good only in Firefox).

1. Whether you are on Panoramio's Home page, the World Map, the Blog, or a User's page, you can see an RSS symbol on the far right side of the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) address box.
   
2. Click the symbol. A new page opens with a number of default options on the top of the page: a) Subscribe to this feed using Live Bookmarks, b) Always use Live Bookmarks to subscribe to feed (unchecked), and c) the big Subscribe Now button.
   
3. Leave the default options as they are and click Subscribe Now. A small window appears telling you the Name of the feed and options to select a browser's location for the feed: Bookmarks Toolbar Folder, Bookmarks, etc. If you plan on having only one or two feeds, use the Bookmarks Toolbar Folder; a button or two will appear on the Firefox toolbar. For more feeds, place them in your collection of Bookmarks.
   
4. When you are done, click a button on the toolbar or an entry in the Bookmarks list to see the latest uploads. The feeds from Panoramio's home page and the World Map show the latest photos that everyone uploaded to Panoramio. The feeds for the Blog and Panoramio users show the latest entries in the blog and the latest photos uploaded by the selected users.
   

I don't think that there are easy options to subscribe to feeds in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0, except for the Blog.* I have no information about Internet Explorer 7.0.

Good luck!

*. There used to be an RSS button on various Panoramio pages, which allowed to quickly subscribe to feeds, even in Internet Explorer. The button is gone. Since there is an RSS link in Firefox's URL box (and possibly in Internet Explorer 7.0), it's possible that the Panoramio programmers decided that the old button had become redundant.

6.3. RSS feeds and Internet Explorer 7.0
Courtesy of Peter Uspensky

Quote:

IE 7.0 has a built-in RSS reader and the RSS-button is located in its toolbar. The principles of a subscription are very simple:
1. If the current page contains any web feed, the RSS button becomes active (deep orange coloured). Click on this button.
2. A new window opens with a description and a preview of that web feed.
3. To add a web feed to your Favorites just click on the link "Subscribe to this RSS feed" on the top of page.
4. To see already subscribed web feeds click on the Favorites button then click on the tab "RSS feeds" and choose the needed feed.

It is as easy as a pie.

You can manage RSS feeds settings through the Tools menu: Tools > Properties > Content > RSS feeds

KML and RSS are discussed in the forum thread here. If anyone else can add more to that thread, it would be appreciated.

[SantoB]

About any other questions

7.1. I have a Question, what should I do?

Chances are that you aren't the only one with a question, chances are it has been asked before - the forums do have a SEARCH function. Make use of it please and add to existing topics rather than starting new ones to help the development of the user knowledge bank

7.2. I have a different question, where do i ask?
Post a thread on the Support & Suggestions Forum, or better yet, search and find an existing thread and add your questions to it.

7.3. Can the moderators help with something?
The Panoramio Team do all the work on the site, and the selection of photos. The moderators of the forum are only able to edit and delete posts on the forum. If you have a question regarding the forum, the moderators can help, but all other questions need to be directed to the appropriate e-mail address provided in this thread

7.4. What do I do about unsuitable images or Copyright violation?
For just one unsuitable image, click the 'offensive/unsuitable' link between the maps on the right side of the page. For a page full, or maybe an extreme image such as pornography, email questions at panoramio with a link to the user's site or image. Do not post a link in the forum.

For copyright violation, see this section in the Help area

7.5. What do I do about spam in comments about my photos?
Nobody likes spam and comment spamming is dealt with severely by Panoramio - accounts will be deleted without prior warning.

For full details of the Panoramio spam policy, see this section and this section in the Help area

To report a spammer, drop an email to spam at panoramio dot com.