I guess there's a war between Houzz and Zillow..
I like this quote from Zillow spokesperson..
"I really canâÂÂt comment on Houzz, but with Zillow Digs, for the first time, home shoppers and homeowners instantly can get kitchen and bathroom remodel estimates on the actual photos they are viewing, and based on their location, for free. And Home improvement professionals can upload pictures of their past work and provide real cost information."
Speaks to me....

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.geekwire.com/2013/home-remodeling-startup-houzz-responds-zillow-digs-complete-knock-off/

My big gripe on Houzz is their amazingly useless search from professional services.

I'm looking for a builder in the central Rio Grande Valley and I'm seeing lots of results from Durango Colorado.

My frustration with Houzz has been that you do a search but can't come back to it later to continue browsing. The pictures reshuffle so you are going through the same ones you already saw. When there are 15,000 photos to look at, it is frustrating.

I think we're very lucky to have so many pictures and articles to draw on online -- instead of investing so much in all those magazines which is much more limited (and also take up a lot of space!). I tend to use google to search the net at large for what I want. That often takes me to Houzz where I might browse a bit more.

I agree with Funcolors that it is intended to be a marketing machine not a designer free cycle. Demanding professionals give work away will get people no where. Online, that could amount to a full time job. Maybe they'll throw out a carrot or two but they are businesses who are after yours. If you don't want to pay cash, maybe offer to barter some of your own goods or services with them ;)

I also agree with Beekeeper that if a client pays for the design, it's proprietary information and unprofessional at best to give the details to someone else for free. I think it's pretty stinky to do it off-record too.

The free-dom argument has been going on for a very long time. It's difficult to turn back and make people swallow something that was once free for a price.

I have never understood the appeal of Pinterest, as I've had Evernote and one note programs/accounts for many years. I also don't think most users realize their profiles are public by default--- at least they used to be. Once these sites become unmanageable they seem to break from their own weight, iykwim. I still like to tear sheets from shelter mags.

Maybe (or likely no maybe about it :D) I'm pretty 'old-school' and try not to have too many expectations of people or websites. There are few websites that will be everything to everyone.

I only use Houzz for inspiration when I have time to spare. I save pics I like to my Ideabooks and occasionally look at them again. I certainly cannot criticize a designer for being unwilling to work for free. No one does that but home decor afficionados often feel that is our right.

Being annoyed with things is a part of belonging to a certain age group. BTDT so just wait a few years and if you survive you will find it's not worth being annoyed at such trivial things.

I've always felt decorating one's home should be an enjoyable experience and trying to find specific items does not always, for me, fit into that description. I have always preferred the serendipitous experience of finding things I like while living my life.

I find Pinterest has so many repeats that I only use it for specific searches and not very often.

If I am looking for inspiration photos, I tend to just use google/images and see where it takes me. Sometimes I want to see a paint color in a room. If I want to look at lighting, I search for lighting, same with furniture, whatever. The more specific my search terms, the better results. Sometimes I end up at Houzz, but at least it is a focused landing. If I am really serious, sometimes I will also browse at local retail (oh my!) stores' websites.

And as far as community discussion, nothing beats GW!

And as far as community discussion, nothing beats GW!

Amen.

I'm somewhat of a forum whore. (I admit it) There's one that's super popular on Google+ right now. But nobody talks much. They just post pictures. Many I've seen before. . . because I'm a forum whore. It's boring.

GW had to survive for a reeeaaallly long time with no editing feature and a complex protocol to insert pictures into posts. All we had were words and once you put 'em up, it took an act of God to get 'em down.

I don't think many of the folks who are out there right now trying to leverage social media and forums (for whatever reason) could survive in the environment we've all cut our teeth on.

Not to mention many are so edited, often by a #SoMe coach, that it's obvious they're trying to maintain a flawless professional persona. No word written, no word posted without a strategy behind it. Again, boring.

You guys aren't boring. And you use big words sometimes, which I like.

What I find curious is that designers assume Houzz viewers are on that site to seek design services. I can categorize the spectrum of homeowners in my mid- to upperclass community into 2 broad categories... the first are those who want to design and decorate largely on their own because they enjoy the process, and they use Houzz and other sites for inspiration and ideas. The second are those who actually hire designers and decorators, but they don't have the time or inclination to search through Houzz. They are either working professionals with limited free time, or they just don't want to bother with the research involved in interior design of their homes. They prefer to hire whomever just did their neighbor's house up the street, or the design firm with a cool storefront and good reputation in town. They would never think to search Houzz.

From my perspective, if you're a designer expecting an anyone-from-anywhere-can-sign-up Web site like Houzz to be a marketing tool, you may want to rethink this.

They post some portfolio pictures on Houzz. It's not a big deal or time investment. It's some free advertising and exposure. A lot of companies seem to think it pays off to have a presence on the internet. I'm not sure it's crucial, though it can be convenient for customers sometimes.

Maybe designers aren't getting a ton of business from Houzz. Like I said, I have no clue. But maybe one strategy is to just look like you are.

This post was edited by funcolors on Mon, Jan 27, 14 at 0:53

I skim Houzz and Pinterest and do Pin some thing for future reference. But I've been using my own system with categories that make sense to me for saving inspiration pics before either of them existed and still find that easier. Then I back up to store on an external drive. That's the non-paper version of kswl's tear sheets, which I also do btw. Beyond some visual eye candy and inspiration, I don't count on any site for specific info or guidance - other than GW that is!

My one wish for this site would be availability of personal photo albums that are easily accessible. Most of us post photos of our homes at one time or another but if you don't remember which thread it was in and want to see that beautiful bedroom or lovely paint color again, you can search forever and come up empty.

Houzz should explain better how to use their search, because it's easy as soon as you learn the controls.

Unfortunately, what most companies that want to use social media fail to realize is that it's all about being SOCIAL ... it's not an ad posting board, and those who are even moderately social gain more community clout than those who aren't. And it's not an overnight process. You have to have patience.

http://voices.yahoo.com/online-promotion-off-line-profit-244453.html

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"The use of slang "zz" instead of an "se" was enough to put me off from the very beginning."

It's because house.com was already taken.

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I look at the pretty pictures on Houzz, pin some of them to my Pinterest where we're planning the dream house.

I have found a couple of contractors of interest on Houzz, but fighting through the underbrush of firms way outside my geo area is frustrating, almost as bad as Angie's list.

I have almost a thousand followers on Pinterest, because I take the time to make sure there's a real link behind the picture (for my own purposes) and explain why I pinned it to my tidily categorized board. They gave me this nice tool, and if they are profiting from it, I don't care.

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As for my profiles being public, I use fake names and free e-mail accounts. I have several long-term fake names I use.

Here is a link that might be useful: My on-line promotional experience

Very interesting article, lg. Now..... what's your Pinterest name?! You really have my attention!

My Pinterest name ... it's a pseudonym.

Here is a link that might be useful: pseudonym

I went to Houzz once from a message recommendation here..and cut and ran so fast I left dust on the rug!

ditto x a gazillion what funcolors said "You guys aren't boring. And you use big words sometimes, which I like."!!

I am one who learns more from words than I do from pictures. And I don't enjoy every click becoming a market opportunity. But I am learning I come from 'old school'. Nothing wrong with pics and spam but what a bore! How many more rugs are there on earth??? LOL

I think Pinterest is a good source for inspirational ideas

Do I ever agree with everything written here about Houzz! And there I thought I was the only one.

"OT, but Pinterest is becoming a mess too. How many times can one person pin the same thing, and how many loops back and forth would someone want to mess with trying to find the original site?"

That's exactly why I put my blog name on every photo I post, even if I don't put it on my blog. At least then someone can find more pictures if they want to see different angles or find out what happened. I wish everyone would do that.

I think the comments on Houzz are so insightful. Like "paint," "paint color," "color," "yellow," "what's that paint color," "like the color," "golden," "paint," and of course, "color." So interesting to read. I learn something from each one. Like the fact that the paint is yellow. It's fascinating.

Pinterest is worse than Houzz.

"I Can't Search 50,000 Photos!"

Sure you can. You just have to devote more time to it! Like all of your time for the rest of your life!

I like Houzz. I love looking at pretty picturesâ¦I'm so simple!! I don't use it for resources because it is just too frustrating, so just looking at it for pretty pictures works for me. I do find it frustrating when I do a very specific search relating to kitchens and in the mix of photos are a bunch of bathrooms. All the guessing at paint colors is a bit annoying since the colors are probably looking way different online than in person.

+1, marcolo!!

"Posted by marcolo (My Page) on Thu, Oct 9, 14 at 22:48
I think the comments on Houzz are so insightful. Like "paint," "paint color," "color," "yellow," "what's that paint color," "like the color," "golden," "paint," and of course, "color." So interesting to read. I learn something from each one. Like the fact that the paint is yellow. It's fascinating."

But ... those comments aren't comments. If you save a photo to your Ideabook and captioned it with "paint color", because that was the only thing you were interested in in that particular photo, then that "comment" shows up, but it isn't really a public comment, it is a description of the reason for saving the photo in your Ideabook.

you can actually comment and have a dialogue, apart from the text you put when you save.

the idea books are pretty helpful

Chispa is right. When I was assembling a basement idea book for our interior designer, I had to tag each photo with the element in it that I liked. Some photos were tagged with "wall color," and others with "built-ins," "floor," etc. They are not comments meant for public consumption, just an indication to the person who is saving the picture why s/he's saving it. When I realized that these tags were erroneously listed as comments, I started making them private. Unfortunately there is no global privacy setting for those, so you have to check the box for each and every tag, which is why most people don't bother, I guess.

Thanks kswl. I guess I took offense to having people's "photo labels" being called "insightful", in a sarcatic tone, when it is just a tagging tool and not a measure of the intellect of people posting on Houzz. I'm good now, since somebody else also figured it out! ;-)

Took offense? Seriously? Are there any other features on large commercial third-party websites that people feel particularly sensitive about? Should I try to be extra respectful of Amazon One Click?

Those comments are comments. That's what they are labeled, so that's what they are. I don't know how somebody could save hundreds of photos and still not figure out their comments are displayed for all the world to see. The site doesn't have a useful photo tagging function, so people are using the comments instead. The result is that instead of seeing anything useful when you're just browsing through photos, you get a constant running commentary from Captain Obvious. It's just one more reason why I hate Houzz.

Did you see this ... ;-) ... at the end of my post?

I still think you are interpreting those "comments" incorrectly. Reread what Kswl and I wrote.

marcolo, your post seemed to ridicule the commenters, not Houzz. I didn't spend enough time looking at it in the early days to realise where the photo tags were displayed. Maybe that makes me stupid, but it still doesn't make my personal photo tags into comments :-). But it does, at least, let you know what has attracted people to the photo. From the website owners' perspective, that might be quite interesting metadata.

marcolo, you are so funny, lol.

But they aren't tags. Tags would be useful. You could see the word "flokati," click on it, and get hundreds of pictures of dead bichons on the floor, or whatever those things are made of. Lots of sites have user-defined clickable tags right up front. Houzz doesn't. Just like it doesn't have a good search, or a good way for its "advertisers" (the designers) to connect with potential clients. And these are just some of the many reasons why Houzz is more of a time suck than a tool.

I agree the search function is absurdly inadequate, but I stand by my assertion that the so called "comments" are de facto tags.

Yes, tags (more like descriptive labels) typed in for personal use by people when they save photos to their Ideabooks.

I like to look at the pictures on Houzz but get frustrated when the same pictures are shown several times in the same search. I also wish all the questions and answers for different photos of the same room were all grouped together and posted under each photo.

You could spend all day looking at houzz and never read an insight as deep as "lots of dead bichons on the floor."

I read gardenweb for the gravitas.

As a member of the Houzz team (and a fellow gardener :) ) I wanted to let you all know that we hear your feedback and we are working tirelessly to improve search and browse quality on the site. Thank you for your patience as we experiment with different solutions.

Thank you, Jessica Hyde. I see things are happening but I really hope you can do something to make the experience easier on our eyes. Stark white is a very difficult background for reading. Thanks.

Thank you, Jessica. The repetitive photos a pnd unpredictable search results are the reasons I don't go looking for photos on Houzz any longer. It used to be my go to site for inspiration pics several years ago. It seems like the site is a victim of its own success,

I too am getting frustrated with Houzz. I accept that the search results are not accurate and I can live with that, but there is nothing I hate more than having to sign in to use a site. House is not my bank. I have no personal info on the site. I found this ongoing rant cause I tried to look at houzz "and need to sign it to get the full house experience" It will be good bye for me. Rate my space was good until they started micromanaging every single post. The site is dead now. Watch out Houzz I will move on if I have to sign in to look at house pictures.

In another world in which I work, one vendor (the one who has all the credits) can post images on the site where images are shared.

Those who ask about paint colors are often DIYers. They are not prospective clients. I think neglecting credits on projects makes a pro look disorganized and insecure. Sharing your paint color or who made a sofa is not a threat if you have skills that are in-demand.

Jessica, if you are still reading, one thing you could do is delete photos over a year old. I go, or used to go, to Houzz to see what is new and fresh. If I want to see what is yesterday, I can do a google image search without nearly as much hassle.

The easiest way to see what is new is to look at our newly featured photos or read our new editorial ideabooks. Go to [https://www.houzz.com/photos/home-design-ideas-phbr0-bp~[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/home-design-ideas-phbr0-bp~) and right under where it says 5 million home design photos you can select Newly Featured. This way you can see the new photos that were just featured by our editorial team this week.

We are always testing new features and we love hearing your feedback!

@quiltmom2, not to change the subject but I noticed your username and wondered if you saw this ideabook and what you thought of it? https://www.houzz.com/magazine/see-winning-modern-quilts-on-display-at-quiltcon-2015-stsetivw-vs~44452704 My mom was a quilter too! These ones are a bit too modern for me though.

For the sake of people who take forever to go from inspiration to completion, I surely hope old photos are not deleted. (I'm not speaking of myself. Really.)

As someone who has spent many hours over the last month trying to get all the photos restored to our archived GW threads, I'm also hoping there is no plan for houzz to delete old photos. Design accomplishments from past years are a valid inspiration for many of us!

But, probably quiltmom2 was referring to photos that come up when you do a search in houzz under photos, and not photos posted on the GW side of houzz, because that's what this thread was about originally (before we all arrived here at houzz.) Confusing, eh?

Why won't Houzz just let people browse the site without having to get our personal information? Your articles show up on Google then I have to deal with the bullshit of having to create an account etc...then I can't even find the article that was Googled. I only created an account so I could tell you off. Your site sucks.

I know this is an old thread, but I can't get the Gardenweb side to work at all! It just keeps loading and loading and loading, and when I click to stop it, the whole page disappears. I can't scroll while it's loading. I miss Gardenweb. I don't want to stop using it, but it's a nightmare since Houzz took over. Sometimes my entire posts disappear and I can never find them again. People say they replied to the post, but it's gone. I hate Houzz!

We are a vendor and I agree with all the above. From our side we are not allowed to edit our listings other than the # available for sale and price. We have to send in a request. We used to use a designer only website that had the same setup. We spent a lot of money with them before getting smart and leaving.

When I started using Houzz I was amazed at how accurate the results of my searches were (in addition to the size of the photos database). It was a great resource. More recently when I've prepared to undertake projects, I've noticed that I just don't get the same, accurate results. My searches are riddled with results that just aren't pertinent. I think this is due to the incorporation of advertisers from my city and surrounding areas (contractors, builders, and others). There are enough ads (or results that are somehow influenced by someone who has something to sell) now to really hinder the flow of design ideas. I guess many internet sites end up using advertisers but it morphs the user experience. It's really made using Houzz less fruitful.