Geograph - photograph every grid square

Have a look at More Pages and our Sitemap, between them they should give access to many a page

http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/more_pages
http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/sitemap

There is a link at the foot of your profile 'Uses: Use of my photos around the site'. The first tab on the page is to 'Featured Images' http://www.geograph.org.uk/myphotos.php?tab=featured which will list any which have been used as 'Photograph of the Day' and show on which date they appeared on the home page.

The photo ID number may be found at the end of the address (URL) of the photo page e.g. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1234567

In the line of links just below the credit line on the photo page are one or two yellow 'thumbs up' icons. Just one, which says [👍🏻 Like] if there is no description. Or one saying [👍🏻 Like Image] and another with [👍🏻 Like Description]. You can also find the 'Like' thumbs on the 'Full listing + Links' format of the photo search under 'Thumb'.
Click on one or both to show your appreciation.
When this happens to one of your photos, it is reported on the section of your profile 'Use of my photos around the site'.

One photograph is featured on the Home page each day. It is variously labelled as 'Featured Photograph', 'Photograph for today' etc. You can see past featured photos here https://www.geograph.org.uk/stuff/daily.php and, if you are a contributor, find any of your own which have been featured, and when, here https://www.geograph.org.uk/myphotos.php?tab=featured.

If it has both question and answer, it should appear in the 'list' within a few hours.
However, it may take 24-36 hours for a search to find it.
A new question may take longer than this, moderators are alerted to its existence but may not know the answer.

Here's a quick link to the Ordnance Survey's beginner's guide to grid references: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getoutside/guides/beginners-guide-to-grid-references/

Grid references locate places on the map. They consist of one (Ireland) or two (Great Britain) letters followed by an even number of digits. The letters define a (100x100)km^2 square (a 'myriad' in Geograph-speak) and are best looked up on an overview map. The numbers locate the position within that square. To find a location, split the block of numbers in two. The first block is the easting, i.e. the distance from the western edge of the myriad. The second is the northing - the distance from its southern edge.

Grid references always specify square areas, not points. The more digits there are, the smaller is the square referred to, and the higher is the precision of the grid reference. For each pair of digits, the precision increases by a factor of ten: SN58 defines a square of (10x10)km^2, 50km to the east and 80km to the north of the origin of myriad SN. SN5881 is a (1x1)km^2 square 58km east and 81km north of that origin. SN 58272 81324 is a (1x1)m^2 area. When stating a grid reference, the precision given should be in line with the accuracy of the position (how well do we actually know where we are?) and with the size of the object (a building doesn't fit on a 1m^2 footprint).

The system Geograph still uses in Ireland works in exactly the same way, although the Ordnance Surveys of Ireland and of Northern Ireland have recently introduced a different system for their maps. This article http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Locating-photos---Republic-of-Ireland explains the differences.

This is not really a question for Geograph. Unless we happen to have a photograph taken there and mentioning Clay Pool Lane in its description, we are not able to help you. I suggest you try Google maps.

We use county information to aid recognition of place names on photo pages and other areas of the site, like helping to disambiguate search terms (e.g. a search for "Gillingham")

For Ireland, it's simple; we just use the traditional counties. Great Britain isn't so easy, which has seen three major county structures;

Ceremonial counties (sometimes known as Geographic)
These were introduced in 1974 primarily as a way to define areas for county councils. Although these are possibly what most people recognize as counties, a suitable dataset to allow us to use these counties would be too costly for us to bear. So we must compromise a little...

Administrative counties (also known as district/unitary authorities)
These are the modern 'counties' in use by the current government (since 1997). This is the best dataset we have available, so we display it prominently in the gazetteer line on photo pages. It is also useful for identifying the council responsible for the area. However for large towns/cities, for example Sheffield, which are in their own authority (i.e. the 'county' of Sheffield), we attempt to be clever and display the historic county instead.

Historic counties
These are the counties that have evolved over many hundreds of years and were in active use until 1974. We use this data as a fallback - where we've opted to display the administrative country on a photo page, you can often find the historic county by hovering over this title.

For a more in depth explanation, see http://www.abcounties.co.uk/ . (However beware that the site doesn't use the exact same terms.)

To see lists of counties in each structure see the Explore Section.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/explore/#counties

Simply click them if you like the image and/or description (separate entries in the thumb pop-up for each).

We don't know what use we will make of the data, but note that there are number of things we won't do. We won't disclose who is voting (all anonymous), we won't be using it to produce leaderboards, and we won't be disclosing which images that have few/no votes. The general idea is to simply find great content worth showcasing.

See this page for a bit more information, and the general principles behind voting on Geograph.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/voting

If you find a picture or its description particularly good or useful, you'll find links to heap praise on either in the thumbs pop-up menu which shows when hovering over the thumb symbol to the right of the main picture. Just click the appropriate link(s).

Contributors can see which of their pictures others found useful at http://www.geograph.org.uk/thumbed.php?type=&who=others .

You can also 'thumb' your own images to keep track of your own favourites. This is counted separately from feedback by others.

While you're at it, you can use the thumb pop-up to throw the image in one or several 'image buckets' - categories which classify the type of image, e.g. whether it is a close-up or a panorama, or if it shows people or landscapes. By doing this, you can help Geograph to narrow down searches and add value for other site users.

The 'This day in past years' index page is here http://www.geograph.org.uk/stuff/thisday.php
There is a link to it from the Explore page http://www.geograph.org.uk/explore/ which appears in the menu in the left side-bar.

The quickest way is with our interactive Coverage Maps, click 'Maps' in the sidebar. Can zoom in and will show coverage - including at centisquare (100m square) scale (use the toggle under the map).

Or use the new version: https://www.geograph.org.uk/mapper/combined.php which will change the scale automatically.

There are a number of other coverage maps will find linked around the site, which work slightly differently.


If just want a quick grid view, can use the "See geographical distribution of pictures" on gridsquare pages that provide a non map based view.

Create a search that only find images in the given square, in reverse date submitted order using the search form http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?form=advanced . This one is an example for SN5881: http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=23416804 . Copy the GeoRSS link at the bottom of the search results page. You can either read the feed in an RSS reader such as Google Reader http://www.google.co.uk/reader by adding the link as a new subscription, or you can use an RSS2email service such as Feedmyinbox http://www.feedmyinbox.com/ to receive updates via email.

There is also a link at the bottom of your profile page giving access to a special search showing images uploaded in the last 30 days in any square that you've submitted to.

Finally, you can subscribe to the grid square discussion of a square you're interested in by going to the grid square discussion page and ticking 'notify me of new posts'.

(Inspired by a question asked on the forum by tuppence and answered by barryhunter http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=13038 .)

RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, allows you to obtain an up-to-date listing of the latest Geograph submissions for integration into another website or RSS reader. For more information, try this Wikipedia article on RSS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(protocol)

We provide an GeoRSS (RSS1.0) feed at http://www.geograph.org.uk/feed/recent.rss which contains links to the latest 20 moderated images.

We have recently added RSS feeds to other parts of the site:
* You will find an RSS button at the bottom of search results, useful to keep updated on local images.
* Registered users can access an RSS feed of the latest topics in the Discussion Forum, and even subscribe to an individual topic, just look for the RSS button!
* the Grid Square Discussions even supports GeoRSS.
* Get an RSS feed of recently updated Articles.
* The newer Content section has an RSS feed.
* Find out about organized meets by following the RSS feed.

(They also accept the format parameter like the main feed.)

If you use the Firefox web browser, you should be able use our feeds as "live bookmarks" - simply click the orange button in the address bar (or in the status bar on older versions).

For more technical information, see
http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/api

All images are licensed for re-use under a Creative Commons Licence, see licence details by viewing a full size image. Also look for the "Find out how to re-use this image?" link under each image on the main photo page, which outlines easy ways to re-use the image.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/faq.php#opensource

Are you a developer?

... maybe looking for ways to access images outside the website?
http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Ways-to-view-Geograph-Images

and more info about our API: https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Geograph-Image-APIs

Please get in contact if you have an idea for re-using images, beyond what's available via the feeds above. In all likelihood we can provide a feed to suit your requirements.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/contact.php

You can download any image from Geograph and print it. If larger sizes are available it is best to select the largest for printing purposes. Do read the 'Find out How to reuse this image' page for details on the licensing, crediting and any constraints on reuse.

All photos are Creative Commons (CC) licensed. That means you can use them for free for any purpose as long as you credit the photographer individually and state the fact that the image is CC-licensed. You can find suggested wordings for both print and electronic publications if you click 'reuse this picture' under the photo description on each photo page.

If you need a higher-resolution version, there may be a CC-licensed version available by clicking the 'more sizes' link (if present) to the top right of the main photo. Alternatively, you can contact the photographer through their profile page (click their name on the photo page to get there) and ask if they are willing to give or sell you a copy under a separate licence.

It depends on the licence the author of the article has chosen. You can find that in the footer of the article page. A summary of acceptable uses is given at http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Licensing-of-Geograph-articles .

If you are looking for squares to obtain a point, try the coverage maps, and look for green squares; also accessible from that page are various printable checksheets for easy reference in print form. More technical users might enjoy GPX, or Memory Map downloads.

Many of the squares have been captured but only have a few photos; check out the depth map, from which you can find under-represented squares. In the same vein we have a number of maps to show the distribution of photos within a square, usually on a centisquare grid, which divides a grid square into 100 squares, each 100m by 100m.

We have also recently introduced a new map, "Recent Only" this shows recent photos. Help us keep the coverage current by photographing squares without any recent photos (orange or green).

Also look out for Red pin icons around the site, click them to take you to the links page for the location. From that page you can access textual lists of squares in need of photos (as well as direct links to many of the maps on the site).)

It probably depends on the nature and tone of the complaint you've received, and on where you've taken the picture from. You've got three options: respond to the complainant, pass it on to Geograph, or ignore it. In any case, remember that there's nothing wrong with taking pictures from places with public access as long as it doesn't infringe someone's privacy in a very specific manner.

If the complaint is a reasonable request, you may wish to discuss the matter with the complainant directly - they may well be happy with your picture and text once they get to know you a little and realise you're a friendly if slightly excentric square bagger rather than a horse-rustling paedophile terrorist.

If the complaint is irate or makes unreasonable claims for privacy, you may prefer not to let the complainant have your email address. If you don't respond, they can always complain to Geograph. Alternatively, you can forward the complaint to support@geograph.org.uk , who will deal with it on your behalf. It helps if you present your side of the story and say whether you've taken the picture from a public space, a Public Right of Way or from private property without statutory access. Please make sure that the email address of the complainant shows in the body of the forwarded message.

On the other hand, if you do want to deal with an irate complaint by replying directly, it is usually a good idea to wait a couple of days to diffuse the heat of the moment.

If the complaint is about the text rather than the image, it is often possible to find a wording which will pacify the complainant without distorting the meaning of your text.

(Based on a question asked on the forum by Roger Jones http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=14&topic=14020&dontcount=1&page=0#1 and answered by Evelyn Simak.)

Click the link 'Use of my photos around the site' near the foot of your profile page.
Follow the link at the top of the page you arrive at to get notification emails of new additions in selected areas.

All submitted images have a unique identity number. It forms the last part of the URL (web address) of the main photo page.
example: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4 is the first 'live' image on the site and has the ID number 4 (we don't use leading zeroes) while http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4018397 was the four millionth to go 'live' on the site (we do get a few rejects or failures) and has the ID number 4018397.

Accounts cannot be deleted - see this answer http://www.geograph.ie/faq3.php#103

If you have submitted no photos the only way anyone can find your account is by trawling through every account number - in November 2015 there are around 122100 of them.
If you are still concerned about your name or email address being available you can edit your profile to anonymise your name and introduce an error into your email address (which is not visible unless you have set it to be so).

Either:
1) Resize the image before you send
or
2) Limit the size of the image before you take it.

Most smartphones allow you to tweak the size of the image before you take the pic. You might find editing software for your smartphone to help you edit the image to get the size below 8MB.

Using this form https://www.geograph.org.uk/snippets.php tick the 'Only show my descriptions' box and add a keyword then click [Find] - there is a delete button beside each result.
If you find more than one description with your search ensure you pick the right one.

The depth map
http://www.geograph.org.uk/map/?depth=1
displays this graphically. You can zoom in on your area of interest by clicking on the map and the colours show the number of images in each square.

It depends on which kind of points you're chasing. If it's good old first-geograph points you're after, the answer is probably 'Ireland', although a handful are still left on the big island too. Many of them are mudflats and military installations, though, so good planning and potentially letter writing for permission may be involved. First-geograph points are available in squares shown in green or orange on this map http://www.geograph.org.uk/mapbrowse.php - zoom into your region of interest. Occasionally, squares that have become 'green' again because a mislocated photo was moved are announced on the forum at http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=8428&page=0 . Expect an imminent mass pilgrimage of Geograph-ers to these, though!

There are also other points that you might like to collect. Personal points are awarded for _your_ first geograph for a square. This map http://www.geograph.org.uk/mapbrowse.php?mine helps you find your personal green squares.

If you are the 2nd, 3rd or 4th visitor to a square and submit a geograph for it, you also get a repeat-visitor point for that. The best way to find which squares have had few visitors is the draggable map http://www.geograph.org.uk/mapper/ . You need to change the data overlaid on the Ordnance Survey map by clicking the blue '+' sign top right. Then select 'contributor depth'. This shows the number of different contributors to each square, so if it shows a '2', then you can get a 3rd-visitor point if you upload a picture for that square.

Finally, there are TPoints. They are awarded for geographs which were taken at least five years earlier and later than any existing ones, so you can get a TPoint for a current geograph if nobody has uploaded one taken in the last five years before you. If you enable the TPoint layer in the draggable map (again, via the blue '+'), you can see to which squares this currently applies. You can also get a TPoint for an archive shot which falls outside the periods five years either side of any previously uploaded geographs, but the map doesn't show this.

Geograph itself hasn't got any data on re-use of images downloaded from here. It wouldn't even be possible to determine who downloaded it in most cases. Google image search https://www.google.co.uk/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi is quite good at finding copies of an image elsewhere on the web. Just drag and drop the image onto the search bar. But of course there's no guarantee that it'll find all other instances of each photo.

If you find an interesting website re-using your or other Geograph photos, consider posting it on the forum thread http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=3179

(from a support request sent to http://www.geograph.org.uk/contact.php )

Shared descriptions are blocks of text that you can apply to a number of images. You can also use shared descriptions written by others.

This may be useful if you have taken a number of photos at one location, and want to write a paragraph about that location. Also if you make a change to the shared description (e.g. correct a typo) it will be updated on all the images it is attached to.

For example I wrote a shared description for a number of images featuring Epping Long Green, which I can re-use if I take any more images of that location. It also enables a viewer to access a page where all images using that description are displayed.

If someone else has already written a helpful description of a feature, you can re-use this. It also allows a way of grouping images from different contributors together. For example Ian Capper had written a description of Coal Tax Posts, which I was able to attach to one of my images: Anyone searching for "Coal Tax Posts" would be able to access a page where images from all contributors who had used that description are displayed.

You can find a detailed article on the topic written by Barry Hunter here: http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Shared-Descriptions

You can search for shared descriptions already written here: http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippets.php

On submit v1, select "Locate on Map" tab
or
On submit v2, "Find square on map" tool

Enter the coordinates into the box under the map. Separated by a comma, and prefixed by loc, eg:
loc:N51.7252,E0.5905

Click the button at above the map to then continue.

(Much of the text based on an answer given by Barry Hunter in the link below)

Most GPS receivers allow you to change the datum and display format to OSGB36 and British National Grid, the convention used by the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain. If you're using a GPS built into a mobile phone, this may not be possible, and your coordinates will always be in WGS84 lat/lon format. If you also use your GPS phone to take your geographs, it should store the positions in the GeoExif header, which Geograph should interpret correctly as camera position (via the Geotagged Image option).

Otherwise, you can use the map part of the submission routine ('locate/find on map') and enter your lat/lon coordinates in the format the 'Search' function, in decimal degrees like 56.45657,-4.54675 . This will look up the grid reference for the location and insert it as _subject_ position into the submission dialogue. You may have to adjust this unless the subject was right in front of you.

Alternatively, there is a conversion tool here on Geograph Tools http://www.nearby.org.uk/coord.cgi?f=conv from which you can copy and paste. Or one built into geograph at https://www.geograph.org.uk/latlong.php

(Question asked by Roga and answered by barryhunter, oasthouse and DHL on the forum http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=13483&dontcount=1&page=0#1
Later updated, as conversion tools have changed over time))

Sometimes pictures get relocated if they have been uploaded to the wrong grid square by mistake. This is often the case with images from the very early days of Geograph, when there was no or only scanned out-of-copyright mapping available.

Very occasionally, a (first) Geograph gets reclassified as a supplemental image* if there had been a clear error in the original classification.

Also rarely, images are withdrawn or vaulted for a long period because they weren't taken from a place with public access and the land owner has complained.

In all these cases, the next uploaded geograph (if any) will take the point, and if that was yours, then you'll find a miraculous extra point on your profile.

*From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags