There is no real "secret" to Explore. That's the big secret.
Ever come across a photo with dozens if not hundreds of comments, and they all have these little blinky "Best of Sparkly Award" graphics in them? "Diamond in the Rough!". "Flaming Sword of Awesome!!" etc etc. Well the reason for that is many people are members of Flickr groups that enforce strict "commenting" rules. To post to the group, you have to first comment on some other photos in the group, or favorite them, or give them award blinkies. It's an artificial "game" of false attention, almost all geared towards one thing: getting their photos on Explore.
What is Explore?
"Explore" is basically Flickr's front page, an introductory collection of ever-changing photos to show people the kinds of things inside the site. Each day Explore displays 500 images, but those images are constantly changing, as new photos are uploaded throughout the day.
To some people, Explore is the ultimate beauty contest. It's the pinnacle of Flickr, the achievement of achievements. They fret and conspire and worry, and actually get angry and frustrated, when their perfectly fine photos, never "get into" Explore.
Except it's basically random. No matter how artificially "interesting" you try to make your photos (Explore photos are selected via Flickr's "Interestingness Algorithm", affectionately known as the "Magic Donkey"), Explore is still only 500+ images each day. And each day on Flickr, there are more than five thousand photos uploaded each minute. That's each minute.
So to help these poor souls, to shed some light on the mysteries and myths of Explore, a Group was formed. "The Secrets of Explore". A clearinghouse of info to clear up the nonsense, to spread some fact jelly over fiction bread.
And of course, it has its very own blinky graphic. This artwork might go blinky for the cause as well, but it's also an homage, a bit of a congrats and thank you, to the fine Flickr volunteers who risk their sanity, to tell TruthToExplore(tm). Why pandas, you ask? Why pandas vomiting rainbows?
That's a whole other secret.
larger one here.
largo621, heather, Lú_, Kevin, and 295 other people added this photo to their favorites.
View 20 more comments
5JǿǾǿГ [deleted] 52 months ago | reply
ha ha ha! This is superb! When people complain about boobs and bokeh getting into explore I'm going to point them here.
sincerely, brandi. [deleted] 52 months ago | reply
Panda!!
zyrcster 51 months ago | reply
You're a star.
[nivs] 51 months ago | reply
pandas are not at all about explore. i think i know the secret.
www.innerlogics.com/blog/2009/03/real-time-flickr-pandas/
RRichardHobbs 51 months ago | reply
www.flickr.com/photos/rrhobbs/sets/72157615180355741/
Tiger Pixel 48 months ago | reply
It would look good hanging on my wall
My Baby Mia 45 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Crazy and geniuses - Folli e geni (Invited Images Only), and we'd love to have this added to the group!
My Baby Mia 45 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called NET@ART - Group solely for call of the administrators, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Zone Patcher 45 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called The Pleasures of the Text, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
great work !!..what does rainbow vomit smell like ??
p> Vista su - Seen in: Crazy and geniuses - Folli e geni (Invited Images Only)
Diana Thorold. 45 months ago | reply
Seen in: NET@ART Group solely for call of the administrators
cσttσnwσσd 44 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called ~The Rainbow Spectrum~, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
holia 44 months ago | reply
the tag "panda vomiting rainbows" is by far the best one i've seen so far.
+++
alxflickrrr 43 months ago | reply
Awesome))
artattackcat ~ Cat Kindsfather 42 months ago | reply
Love it
A Message 40 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Wow! Design, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Tyler Linner - now on Ipternity 37 months ago | reply
Say NO to blinky awards.
--
Seen on the explore page. (?)
Rifat Attamimi 31 months ago | reply
LOOOOOOL hahaha i love you man!
dmyra 24 months ago | reply
coool!
ant-o-rama 5 months ago | reply
awesomeness :)
ColleenM 5 months ago | reply
Take a look at the Panda version of Flickr Explore:
www.flickr.com/explore/panda