Recent Update Page Shows Same Accounts

[brittlebush]

The recent update pages seem to be the same accounts, similar order, over and over, day after day. How can I see "random" incoming updates?

[richo]

The recent update pages seem to be the same accounts, similar order, over and over, day after day. How can I see "random" incoming updates?

Not sure if I understand what you mean by incoming updates, but you can view random photos here => http://www.pbase.com/galleries?view=random

[brittlebush]

I am trying to see new (recent) incoming updates (not random photos from all past history). It appears the incoming updates are being screened with only popular (most hits) accounts being shown to visitors.

[richo]

I am trying to see new (recent) incoming updates (not random photos from all past history). It appears the incoming updates are being screened with only popular (most hits) accounts being shown to visitors.

Recent uploads follow a time sequence based on UTC time logged at the time an image is uploaded to the servers. Depending on how many images are being uploaded by one user, it might appear they are all coming from that one user or a handful of users. I have seen my images pop up in recent uploads especially if I upload a zip file containing several images, but not always if I only upload one single image. I hope I am understanding you correctly.
Here is the recent uploads view and it appears to me to be working as expected:
http://www.pbase.com/galleries?view=recent

[brittlebush]

The recent uploaded UTC time tags are from 2 to 5 seconds apart, sometimes even 10+ seconds. Assuming thousands of updates are coming in each minute, lots are being discarded and not shown. I enjoy the popular photographers excellent work, but also would like to see some lesser known photo folks work. My very few updates always show up, but I suspect I'm the only one that sees them. Thanks for your replies.

[akmc_in_au]

The recent uploaded UTC time tags are from 2 to 5 seconds apart, sometimes even 10+ seconds.

it depends on when you're looking at it. As of the time of posting this (06:05 eastern US time, earlier in the rest of North America, late night in Australia / Asia) I'm seeing gaps of 1 to 3 minutes, which doesn't surprise me. During leisure time in the USA and Europe they're probably more tightly bunched. But on the other hand I've seen longer periods as well.

Assuming thousands of updates are coming in each minute, lots are being discarded and not shown.

Thousands? Yes, I wish that was the case. Unfortunately it hasn't been for a while. Back in 2011 (which was already after PBase's glory days) I estimated (based on the image numbers, which are sequential) that PBase had over 9 million uploads. That is about 17.4 uploads per minute on average. (That's images, not galleries.)

Last year it was a bit above 2.5 million, which is an average of only about 4.8 images per minute. Again, images, not galleries.

As has been noted in this thread, there's been a substantial drift away in membership as reflected in the posting numbers. (It could be that the same number of members are posting less frequently, but there is no evidence to support that. Indeed the fact that you do see the same names suggests otherwise.)

The fact that you keep seeing the same names and in some cases galleries is not because there's a system glitch, but because a lot of postings are being done by the surviving hard core members. (Unfortunately some of them are "hard core" in both senses of that expression.)

One way to see a slightly bigger variety is to look at the PAD galleries instead. Members can have only one of those at any one time so in theory you should see a bigger range of users there. (But some do game the system there pretty relentlessly too.)

[richo]

The recent uploaded UTC time tags are from 2 to 5 seconds apart, sometimes even 10+ seconds. Assuming thousands of updates are coming in each minute, lots are being discarded and not shown. I enjoy the popular photographers excellent work, but also would like to see some lesser known photo folks work. My very few updates always show up, but I suspect I'm the only one that sees them. Thanks for your replies.

I think as pointed out that depends on when you view the page. I just took a snapshot of the page and I see several with the exact same UTC time and not from the same person. The largest span is 3 seconds. There are some rules about who and what is posted which you can read by clicking the "More About This Page" button at the bottom of the displayed images. Some images are filtered out and some type of algorithm is used to block those trying to "trying to monopolize the Recent Uploads page" as the rules state.

And as also pointed it out there are likely many fewer posters now. My uploads vary depending on the time of the year - spring wildflower season or travel times will be my top spans or time.

[brittlebush]

richo and akmc, that explains what is happening. I now understand it. Cheers, friends.