[pathdoc]

So I awoke this morning to find I had several new Flickr followers. I do not recognise any of them from this website. They do not seem to belong to any common groups, nor have they commented on or faved any of my photos ever that I can recognise.

This scares me, especially when I have absolutely no images in Explore ever, and my first and overriding impulse is to slam the proverbial door in the faces of such people and make them go away forever. So every single one of them has scored, or is on their way to scoring, an instant and automatic Flickr block, never to be rescinded, and the next step is to try to figure out how to hide my images from them. Can anyone help me with the latter, please? Is there a way to batch process this, and what is the level to which I set security settings (if available) so that blocked users cannot see them?

Currently almost the only people I follow are members of this site, whose Flickr pages I am only aware of through clicking images here, e.g. to comment on single-in. The only other people I want following me are either PF members or people belonging to common Flickr groups who saw my work and liked it/saw fit to comment. Anything else feels incredibly intrusive.

On the flipside, does anyone know exactly who Pete Huu is? He's faved a lot of my work without comment and I figured he must be one of us, but I don't know who (pun not intended). I don't mind him at all - I'm happy to accept unknown faves because I know the person leaving them may speak no English at all - I'm just curious.

But followers without fave or comment make me leery, especially since a few of them have either empty photostreams or photostreams/fave lists with shady content or exclusively self-promotional selfies that as a married man I neither need nor want to look at (when the face in the bikini selfies matches the profile picture and they have no other pictures, I want nothing to do with that account TYVM).

[ChristianRock]

There are people following tens of thousands of others, thinking if one out of 10 follows them back, that's thousands of followers.
Others like this Peter Huu guy have probably hundreds of thousands of favorites to get people to favorite their own pictures and follow them in the process.
It's the ugly aspect of flickr that we put up with because it is a free service...
I personally wouldn't put too much effort ignoring them or blocking them. I just don't post images of my family there.

[boriscleto]

It's the ugly aspect of flickr that we put up with because it is a free service...

It's both a free and pay service. Most of the users never upgrade from a free account, but there are paying "Pro" customers too...

Followers are just part of it being a social media service. I have acquired 71 somehow, I only follow 29, 17 who also follow me. Some are from here, I'm sure some are from other places I post flickr photos. And I'm sure some are just bots...If you don't like it take your photo stream private...

[jpzk]

So I awoke this morning to find I had several new Flickr followers. I do not recognise any of them from this website. They do not seem to belong to any common groups, nor have they commented on or faved any of my photos ever that I can recognise.

This scares me, especially when I have absolutely no images in Explore ever, and my first and overriding impulse is to slam the proverbial door in the faces of such people and make them go away forever. So every single one of them has scored, or is on their way to scoring, an instant and automatic Flickr block, never to be rescinded, and the next step is to try to figure out how to hide my images from them. Can anyone help me with the latter, please? Is there a way to batch process this, and what is the level to which I set security settings (if available) so that blocked users cannot see them?

Currently almost the only people I follow are members of this site, whose Flickr pages I am only aware of through clicking images here, e.g. to comment on single-in. The only other people I want following me are either PF members or people belonging to common Flickr groups who saw my work and liked it/saw fit to comment. Anything else feels incredibly intrusive.

On the flipside, does anyone know exactly who Pete Huu is? He's faved a lot of my work without comment and I figured he must be one of us, but I don't know who (pun not intended). I don't mind him at all - I'm happy to accept unknown faves because I know the person leaving them may speak no English at all - I'm just curious.

But followers without fave or comment make me leery, especially since a few of them have either empty photostreams or photostreams/fave lists with shady content or exclusively self-promotional selfies that as a married man I neither need nor want to look at (when the face in the bikini selfies matches the profile picture and they have no other pictures, I want nothing to do with that account TYVM).

I had a little thread started regarding Flickr (and Nat Geo "Your Shot"): Flickr and NatGeo Your Shot ... Some people are hunting for numbers! - PentaxForums.com
and, besides the huge numbers of "faves" and "following/followers", I also have people "faving" my pictures ... then profiles:I look at their profiles only to find out that most of them are "number hunters".
Of course, I never return the favour, so to speak and I comment only, not accumulating "favorites" (and all of that nonsense).
I have a "Pro" account with Flickr, so it would be nice to have this available for paying members. Just a thought.

I like using Flickr for its ease of use and to share my images with others, but it can often become a PITA.

[ChristianRock]

It's both a free and pay service. Most of the users never upgrade from a free account, but there are paying "Pro" customers too...

Followers are just part of it being a social media service. I have acquired 71 somehow, I only follow 29, 17 who also follow me. Some are from here, I'm sure some are from other places I post flickr photos. And I'm sure some are just bots...If you don't like it take your photo stream private...

That is a very good point. You can choose to put pictures there that are private. My entire wedding album from 2006 is there, but it's private...

For years now, you can put a picture on google and it will tell you with fair accuracy the exact location where that picture was taken (even without GPS information). So one shouldn't think that people don't know where you take your pictures just because you don't have a GPS tag or an address/location on your "About Me" tab...

[stevebrot]

I don't worry about followers or those who fav. Neither affects your privacy or your reputation. Sometimes people follow because they simply like your stuff. Other times, it is attempt to fish for a follow or personal contact. You not obligated to do either.


Steve

[stevebrot]

For years now, you can put a picture on google and it will tell you with fair accuracy the exact location where that picture was taken (even without GPS information)

I will have to check that out...do you mean Google Image search or Google +?

Edit: OK...I did find that Google Image search does a good job for images where I included location information with my Flickr post. I also found that several of the images that I provided location information to Flickr have been pirated by various sites. Go figure.


Steve

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Last edited by stevebrot; 07-19-2017 at 10:50 AM.

[CreationBear]

Ha, this is rather topical since I've had a couple of, ah, pneumatic lasses (judging from the selfies in their own photostream) fave me recently--contact info, naturally supplied.

[Rondec]

Definitely don't post anything to Flickr that you don't want to be public.

That said, most of the people who will fave a photo of yours on Flickr out of the clear blue or will follow you for no apparent reason are hoping that you will reciprocate. If you don't do so, they will vanish pretty quickly.

For many people, the goal of Flickr is to get as many likes/followers as possible and one of the ways to do that is to browse around and follow photographers. They may even follow you briefly and then unfollow you just as quickly. There isn't anything nefarious about it, although some of them are actually robots and not even real individuals.

[RGlasel]

I've had a couple of, ah, pneumatic lasses (judging from the selfies in their own photostream) fave me recently--contact info, naturally supplied.

You mean that they were inflated with compressed air? I have no issues with silicone, but compressed air is not only hazardous to their health, but certain to end in sudden deflation at some point because of road conditions.

I have never understood the need to indiscriminately advertise today what so many of us have looked so diligently for (at great expense and effort) in years gone by.

[THoog]

I have a couple hundred followers on flickr. It's never occurred to me to look at (or care about) what's on their profiles - I just figure they are bookmarking me because they saw something they liked, and it's easier than favorite-ing multiple photos. I wouldn't consider it an intrusion unless they started pestering me through comments or email. No one has ever asked me to follow or favorite in return.

The only people I've ever blocked on flickr wanted to start a political debate in the comments on a couple museum photos.

If I didn't want my pictures to be viewable by the general public, I would set the "who can view" permission to Friends and/or Family - but then I'd have to maintain those lists and convince my friends and family to get flickr accounts just to view my pix.

[UncleVanya]

I think you can mark groups like the Singles In or Daily In as friends and then mark your photos so that they are only available to Friends and members of these groups - that will accomplish something like you want. Wolfiegirl was headed towards that due to posting pictures of her young daughter and being concerned about the scope of sharing. Ask her more about the details if it isn't obvious. I'm setup for public viewing for most things.

[CDW]

I've found, as have many other photographers, that social media, especially Facebook, does little for your business. It is a distraction that yields little in tangible benefits. For non-professionals social media offers ego gratification to those who have that need. When I tried Facebook, Google+, a few years ago, all I got from the experience was the frustration of seeing a number of my images stolen and reposted on commercial sites.

[RAART]

Recently I have noticed also something else on flickr... I am receiving occasionally faves from probably fake accounts and when I am looking at the profile they are always pretty girls who wants to have sex!

Go figure!

[pepperberry farm]

I ignore most of the new followers I get - I'll take a browse through their page, maybe 'fave' a few of their shots, but that's usually it...

there are a handful that I'll watch their pages due to the amazing work they post/share, but those are just a few....