Ten Things I Hate About Community Image Moderation

By Leone July 28, 2008 14 Comments

(Before I continue, I think the community moderation is a great idea, and it works. This is more about the user-base, not the moderation system)

After reviewing over 7,000 submissions, there are some nasty trends out there that are starting to drive me crazy.
Ed: In light of starting to go through submissions again, I remembered one point that I failed to have on my list the first time through and it has subsequently been added.

First, let's look at "DA RULES" that are posted at the top of the community moderation, which I believe all would-be image uploaders would do well to read. My personal opinion is that those should be shown to people who bring up the uploader for the first time (or for the first time within their session).

1. Are too small (be less strict on non-screenshots)
2. Include a watermark from another site (IGN, Gametrailers...etc)
3. Are attached to more then one platform. (PC and Xbox 360 both)
4. Create a new gallery that is not needed or poorly named

If your image has any of those points and you still upload it, then IT IS BAD AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD.

And if I see it in the image queue, I will click that "I disapprove of this edit" with the fury of ten thousand suns.

Now then, without further ado:

The Top Eleven Things I Hate About Your Sumission:

1. Redundant Galleries. If you are uploading an image to a location/concept/character/etc, there is absolutely no need for a gallery with the same name. I would not be going to the "Homer Simpson" gallery looking for pictures of "Sonic the Hedgehog" so Homer doesn't need his own folder.
2. Wallpaper Galleries. There is Google images for this. I came to look for screenshots, not what you threw together in photoshop for this game.
3. Ten art galleries for the same game. While I don't always check (and that is a bit of an exaggeration), too many games have more than one art work gallery. You are mincing words if Artwork is different from Concept Art is different from Art. Period. This could be quickly remedied if GB created an "Artwork" Gallery by default.
4. Illegible text on a PC screenshot. There's really no excuse for this besides laziness. You're at a computer and playing a PC game. For crying out loud, use Paint if you have to.
5. Watermarks. This is a no-brainer, and yet they're still everywhere. By the way, the single best one I've come across so far is someone who tried to make a "Watermarked" gallery for a game. Don't do that. Ever. Again.
   
6. Characters don't need their own galleries (on a game's page). We have character pages for this.
7. Gag images. LOL THAT IMAGE UPLOAD OF A KID HOLDING A PENCIL WAS SO FUNNY, RIGHT GUYS?
8. Weapons pages on a shooter. We have object pages for this.
9. Fanart. No.
10. Contents of the box images. Box art is not the place for pictures of your instruction manuals (which I believe are a no-no in general) or cartridges.
11. Out-dated box art. If the game is out there is no reason to upload boxart that still has ESRB's "Rating Pending" stamped on it. Try again, please.
    

Now then, feel free to upload. Remember though, be smart about it.

I know that by posting this, I am being a gigantic hypocrite because I am probably guilty of at least a couple of those on more than one occasion, but it had to be said.

14 Comments