Why have (at the time of writing) 39 people congratulated the FP post today (Jade Mountain) when the person posting has said, at the end of her text that she is not the photographer?
Come on, don't encourage people to use other photographer's work without permission, or crediting the photographer.(I am presuming that no permission was obtained)

I noticed this and decided not to comment...

Maybe it says more about "how" the photo is chosen than anything else. I've always assumed the FP is computer generated (??) ... and computers can't read the text.

I missed out on this FP pix. Could someone please lead me to the site or the photoblogger involved. Just wanna see why someone need to post someone else's photo. It must be a very lovely post I presumed. thanks.

Like Marilyn, I noticed this and decided not to comment. Has anyone asked the Michaels how the FP is chosen?

You know, when I saw that I immediately thought that it was some sort of advertisement for some very exclusive resort. And when googled, it surely seems so. Maybe someone got a free stay out of it. Not sure if that would make me more angry or jealous.

Just my opinion !...
Ce n'est pas un problème pour moi ...
Elle a précisé que les photos ne sont pas faites par elle même (... peut-être par un ami proche ...) . Un lien est inséré pour aller vers facebook ... elle a été honnête ... je n'imagine pas que les photos soient volées ou publiées sans permission ...
That is not a problem for me ...
She said the pictures are not made ​​by herself (... maybe a close friend ...). A link is added to go to facebook ... she has been honest ... I do not imagine the photos may be stolen or published without permission ...

But that is not the point. The FP is the featured photo of the members of this site. It makes really no sense to get the permission of other photographers, who never have heard about PB, just to raise my chances to make the FP. Although it would calm me down if I would know that FP is chosen by a kind of electronic lottery as I sometimes don´t understand the choice at all

Good question, Leah. I would also like to know, therefore, how FP is chosen. Perhaps I am a bit naive, but I had hoped it was done by a person/s, not a computer. I guess it's as simple as asking, "How?"

Can't you just see the wizard behind the curtain, working all of those controls? But if it is an actual person(s), how does an advertisement sneak through? Unless they ALL got comped at that resort. The plot thickens.

I agree its funny because I posted a Xmas cartoon and it was from Google and I only posted to say merry Xmas to pb'ers and next thing I know it was on front page, where as my work never has really made it to fp at this point I don't care anymore if it makes it or not but when my membership expires I'm not renewing it.

You can spend hours wondering why about loads of things in life, BUT I get a lot out of PB and it gave me a buzz to get FP however it happens.......lighten up and smile

Je ne pense pas que le but était d'avoir la FP, mais tout simplement vous montrer "son ile" , je suis certaine qu'elle a été la première étonnée de se voir en FP pour ce set.

Maud a raison... I agree with Maud...The first purpose was to show her island. She clearly stated that the pictures were made by someone else and she inserted a link to the pictures as a reference...Everyone wonders how the FP is chosen...But basically I don't really care about it, sometimes I like it and sometimes I just don't at all...

I don't think it matters how the FP is chosen. The FP brings a member to the community's attention and comes as a pleasant surprise to the member in question. I hope any attempt to make it a voting issue or a competition (which quickly becomes a popularity contest) is firmly discouraged. I like the variety in subject matter and artistic quality in FP images - they represent the diversity of the group. If an image is chosen by the administrator who may not have the time to read the details below it, it does not discredit the member who clearly stated it wasn't her work.

FP featured photos are to introduce Photobloggers to one another. The Photos are picked at random and are placed on the FP for the purpose of getting to know one another here on Photoblog and each other's work. Everyone gets a chance to have visits and comments on their blogs. Some strike up instant friendships, but on the most part it is to introduce us to one another.
If by chance you end up having a photo selected that was not intended, ask Micheal to remove it and select another work. The FP feature is not a competition!

Today the FP is that of my sister !
Made me happy too!

Well, however it is chosen (though I am curious for curious sake), I have no problem with it. I am still pleased to turn on the computer and to see my picture there ANY time I would definitely agree that ever opening this up to a vote/contest would simply take away the fun from what basically amounts to it all being fun for what who I believe are mostly amateurs, such as myself. So, let the party continue

I believe the FP is chosen by a person(s).
I have reasons for believing this.

I believe the fp is chosen by divine intercession.

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!
Now that was funny.....

Dan! You kill me sometimes.

When I got FP once, I had to message and ask. He told me that only 1/2 of them typically picks the picture. He goes through the recent postings and just randomly selects the one that catches his eye!

I like Dan's idea on how the FP is chosen!

My work has been the FP three or four times and I was was certainly honored. From what I understand the photos are chosen bysomeone assigned to pick for the day. Any way they choose it, I think that it is an excellent way to place an emphasis on special, not neccessarily great, photos. It can be a photo that hits a nerve with the chooser. I think it should be kept that way. Just my thoughts.

I believe that the FP touches someone for some reason. Why does it matter how the photo is chosen? I have been honored to have my captures chosen and certainly appreciate the recognition.
I did not see the offending photograph. I wish I had now because curiosity is making me wonder what I missed.

@Karman, the picture that I was writing about was the sort of photograph that you see in a glossy travel magazine, advertising a fantastic hotel with infinity pool and distant mountains over the ocean. It was an impressive advertising shot.

The points I was trying to make were that the shot wasn't taken by a photoblogger (but she did state this fact) and why were 39 people congratulating the poster when she hadn't shot the image.

It seems to me that many people go into automatic mode, and simply take a very brief glance at the FP before typing "Awesome"

How the FP is chosen is a different issue. I like to see posts from people who I haven't come across before, and I love it when one of my friends gets their picture featured, and I give them my sincere congratulations.

Ok, I can understand that would be an issue. Hmmmmm...I will have to look better, there are times I see the photograph, it touches me in some way but my comments are generic.
Brings up an interesting point. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

No idea where Featured Photograph comes or being shown in our Dashboard !! Can anyone guide me please??

I am not in automatic mode ! ... ... sometimes I do (great) mistakes ...
My English is very bad ... so bad ! ... Sometimes I'm better in Breton language than in French (... don't ratifyed "European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages" ...)
Agree with "passerine 2" writing ... "I thought the photos were quite amazing, and fully understand why the blogger wanted to share ..." (sic) ...

i agree with you passerine...the pictures was awesome, no matter who took the pictures.
it was a great FP and it shows she has done well to share them with us. I do not see why some tries to mess!

I have also emailed and unofficially "nominated" photos on 2 occasions, and on both occasions they have been selected within 2 days. I have also never made this known publicly. I don't know why. I guess I feel funny about it.

I paid $300 for my fp honors each time. I was told that was the going rate

Huh! I regularly email and ask that certain photographs not be honored as a FP because of some differences that I might be having with someone on PB - and dang it within 2 or 3 days the pictures show up as the FP. Go figure???????

Who would have guessed what is going on behind the scene....

I am suprised you did not know Marie..... You generally know everything....... I love you too Maaaaaaaaaarie!!!!! Have a great day.

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! I am innocent-minded elderly lady!

And roses have no thorns........ have you heard?????

What are thorns????

P.S. Dan we should stop this, otherwise they will ban us from PB

Been tried before. Don't worry!

Might it be an idea (if it is not misused) to put another button next to the photos, so that when we see a beautiful photo, which stops us in our tracks, we can SUGGEST that it gets looked at, to be considered for FP? It could just be a help to whomever is choosing. Occasionally one wonders why on earth something was chosen... (I also thought this particular shot was beautiful, and worth sharing, but not as FP, being that it was not the poster's own photo.)

I really would like to know if the FP is computer generated or chosen by someone but I think it will remain a mistery!;)

Michael - can you enlighten us please???

I hardly ever come to these forums.... now I see what I have been missing!
What an exciting topic! I guess the question of FP selection method has long puzzzled a lot of our members...some take it lightly, some take it quite seriously, some I know have even left over the topic, unfortunately...
It's time to REVEAL the secret, I say!
(Or else let mistery shroud the topic forever more!)

I think whoever chose it today likes Pina Coladas LOL! In whatever case I am Honored and might have to have one this afternoon! It is a little early right now! (8:35 a:m)

OK -- so here is the scoop from Michael Zhang -- (I wrote to him privately to ask how the FP is chosen.)

The simple answer is this: the front page photos are carefully chosen by hand each and every day by a member of the Photoblog staff. We made a mistake on that day of choosing a photograph that was not uploaded by the owner -- we would not do this intentionally, and we will certainly do our best to avoid it in the future.

Thanks

Sincerely,
Michael

Awesome Leah. I suspected as much. Thanks for taking the time to verify. It's nice knowing that they are hand selected.

:o)

Thank you Leah! You are awesome for solving the mystery!!!!! So it is written....... hahahaha

great to know how the fp is chosen. thanks for asking Leah!

...well, looking at feature photos, it would have been better so to know lottery by...

Oh, nice to know! Now i feel even more honoured that one of my shots was FP yesterday! yay!
Thanks!