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Posts Tagged ‘hashtags’

Instagram now lets you follow hashtags, is testing ‘recommended’ posts

13 Dec

Instagram will now let you follow hashtags in addition to individuals. The change, announced through the Instagram blog, comes about a month after initial reports surfaced that Instagram was ‘testing’ the feature with small groups of users.

As Instagram explains in its blog post, this is all about ‘enhancing’ discovery:

Every day, millions of people share photos and videos and tag them with relevant hashtags. #onthetable, #slime and #floralnails are just a few examples of hashtags that represent the many interests and passions of our community. To make these posts even more discoverable, we’re introducing hashtags you can follow.

Hashtags can be followed by clicking the big blue ‘Follow’ button on the hashtag’s landing page. Once you’ve followed a tag, top photos and stories from that tag will begin appearing in your newsfeed and stories queue up top.

One More Thing

The ability to follow hashtags began as a test back in early November, and Instagram just launched another feature test that seems likely to make it to prime time very soon. The Verge reports that Instagram is testing a ‘Recommended for You’ feature that will add posts to your news feed that it believes you will like.

These might include photos people you follow have liked, or images Instagram’s controversial algorithm believes you would enjoy based on your activity.

Instagram confirmed that the feature was being tested in a statement to the The Verge, who is also reporting that users can hide the Recommended for You section… at least for now.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram starts warning users about wildlife abuse when they search certain hashtags

07 Dec

Instagram has announced a new wildlife protection measure following a New York Times report on how some traffickers are using the platform as part of the illicit animal trade. In a blog post published earlier this week, Instagram said that it will start presenting a content advisory screen to users who search for hashtags that are, “associated with harmful behavior to animals or the environment.”

This advisory, shown below, links to both the posts and a page where additional information on the matter is provided. That page, which discusses both environmental considerations and wild animal interactions, further links to TRAFFIC, the World Wildlife Fund, and World Animal Protection agencies.

In addition to encouraging its users not to damage the environment in order to get the perfect shot, Instagram says:

We also encourage you to be mindful of your interactions with wild animals, and consider whether an animal has been smuggled, poached or abused for the sake of tourism. For example, be wary when paying for photo opportunities with exotic animals, as these photos and videos may put endangered animals at risk.

Users who come across a video or photo they believe to be violating Instagram’s guidelines on this matter are urged to report it. The company explicitly states that it does not allow endangered animals to be sold via its platform, nor does it allow content featuring animal abuse.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram testing feature the lets you follow hashtags

16 Nov

Instagram is making it easier for users to follow subjects they care about by introducing support for following hashtags. In its present form, Instagram only supports following accounts, but a new test some users have spotted extends this ability to individual hashtags, presenting the tagged content in the follower’s feed.

The feature was first brought to light on Twitter, where social media consultant Pippa Akram posted this screenshot:

In its current iteration, Instagram allows users to tag content with hashtags, such as #city or #landscape, and other users can search for content with those tags and see it in the search results. Adding the ability to follow hashtags directly would allow users to revisit their favorite hashtags again and again without having to search for them every time. A pretty useful feature, especially if you regularly visit Instagram for photography inspiration and ideas in your particular genre.

Unfortunately, for now, Instagram has kept quiet about this new feature, but if and when it rolls out to all users, we’ll let you know.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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