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ravencajun

Garden Web now part of houzz

The message has been posted see the link.

"Last week, GardenWeb joined the Houzz family. The GardenWeb and Houzz communities have a lot in common with regard to our shared passion for our homes and gardens and the overwhelmingly positive experience we try to provide our members. You may even belong to both GardenWeb and Houzz already!"

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Web Has joined Houzz

Comments (136)

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    Just thought I would post my latest example of an utterly failed Houzz search. I was looking for examples of rooms to post for Kate in Australia on another thread and thought I'd try Houzz since I haven't touched it in more than six months and we've been talking about it here. My parameters were: living room (I also tried family room), white walls, low ceilings, leather sofas, Kilim rugs. Below is a typical example of what came back as a result. Fabric sofas, high ceilings, cream paint, modern rug. And guess what? It's all for sale. The site is utter rubbish.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    Yes I got the email too. I don't want to give them my home address. I'm not interested in promotional materials or the risk of them "changing their minds" about selling our mail address. Or getting hacked like Anthem just did.

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    I'm with KSWL. I would rather buy an iPad than to be used by GW/Houzz. I already get a plethora of catalogs and I really don't trust that my information won't be sold.

    I saw a side bar the other day while on another site that had an interesting item from Joss & Main. When I went to the site it wouldn't let me view without registering. There wasn't an area on the pop-up that allowed me to close to try to continue. I WLL NOT shop for anything on J & M.

    KSWL, your example is perfect in regards to the nonsense that Houzz shows when you type in rather specific parameters. When I was looking for ideas for my bedroom I didn't find one photo that could be used as inspiration.

  • roarah
    9 years ago

    Dlm2000, I just received an email from the GWebmaster and the orginal email is legit and sent by them whether or not they sell the addresses or not is no guarantee but at least it is not a hack who has seen our houses online and wants to loot our goods or do us harm, which was admittedly my biggest concern.

  • Bunny
    9 years ago

    kswl, when you did your search (above) were all conditions required, i.e., used + or "and"? Is it possible the result you show was a hit on either "living room" or "white walls"? I know the walls don't look white in the photo, but sometimes lighting can make white look like something else. Search strings can be tricky, possibly letting in what you're not looking for or being too restrictive to capture what you are looking for.

  • Oakley
    9 years ago

    I'm with dlm, I replied, no big deal. Your house address is in the phone book, it's on checks you write, bills sent to you, your out going mail, etc.

    I can be a paranoid person, but not *that* paranoid. Maybe I'll at least get a new keychain. I need one. :)

  • roarah
    9 years ago

    I just thought it odd that it did not come from GWebmaster like the other houzz merger emails I had received had. I had never received an email from Tamara Amey before and unlike my address in the phone book or on a bill, those do not come attatched to pictures of my homes contents and belongings, we have anonymously offered a lot of personal infomation about our selves via our user names and once we attatch our addresses our idenities our now public. A little forethought in today's high tech world is not a bad idea.

  • DLM2000-GW
    9 years ago

    "A little forethought in today's high tech world is not a bad idea."

    I totally agree roarah. Prudently cautious in how I'd categorize myself and I don't feel the least bit reckless having given not only my physical address but my last name (which GW did not have prior). Call me crazy but I figure my name is out there, we just sold a house and that sales info is out there, and as I've learned on other forums here, people find ways to dig into a seller's mortgage info when they are gearing up to make an offer on their house - talk about invasive!!!

    If GW or Houzz target me for advertising, so be it. They certainly aren't the first and won't be the last. Having just sold a house we are already targeted by every business under the sun even though we're just renting now and have no interest - is that my realtor's fault? Or our old mortgage holder? Or our moving company? Does it matter? I guess I'm one of the masses who shrug it off because this is the way of the world now and the reality is, I don't feel any less private than I did 20 years ago. It's a non-starter for me, but YMMV

  • jellytoast
    9 years ago

    I have been assured that any addresses sent will be used only for this purpose and will then be disgarded.

  • graywings123
    9 years ago

    I threw caution to the wind and gave them my name and address.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    Uh huh.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    9 years ago

    I rec'd an email, but haven't responded--have until 11:59PM Feb.9, to decide. If anyone who already responded receives the goodies before then, please email me, so I'll know if they're worth the effort. ;) I agree, they could have sent an email stating that we could enter with just our GW username. Then send an email if we win, asking for a mailing address at that time.

    I wonder if the 'handful' of loyal users are randomly chosen among recent posters. Or among those of us who've expressed concern--I posted on the thread in kitchens, since I read it first.

    I don't have a FaceBook account, and don't belong to other forums, although I checked out a few suggestions that were posted when HGTV closed theirs. I know of at least a couple of groups that left the RMS site to start FB/skype groups. I've met two members, and keep in touch by phone with one of them, but I really appreciate my (illusion of) anonymity.

    If my name is typed in a google search, there are several sites that will show my address, my ap. age, my family members' names and ages, and even my neighbors' names and property values. You can see a satellite image of my property, zoomed in close enough to recognize a human form.

    I've really enjoyed the small-community atmosphere of GW--I hope that's something that doesn't change.

  • mudhouse_gw
    9 years ago

    My "We're Celebrating" email from Tamara indicates our mailing address will not be shared or used for other purposes.

    But, I notice the newly updated GW/NBC Universal Privacy Policy clearly states that delivery addresses are collected if you enter a sweepstakes (my bold):

    "There are six main categories of information we collect about users of our online services users that include (but are not limited to) the following:

    - Contact/Registration information: for example, your telephone number or e-mail address, where you have subscribed to a service such as program updates; name, age, gender or interests when you register for an account on one of our online services; delivery address where you are buying a product or service through an online service; or your age, location or delivery address if you choose to enter a competition or sweepstake offered through the online services."

    They could be making an exception for this Welcome to Houzz offer. I dunno!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Full Privacy Policy

  • maddielee
    9 years ago

    "I wonder if the 'handful' of loyal users are randomly chosen among recent posters. Or among those of us who've expressed concern-"

    I have not expressed concern, I been a member for over 10 years but now post sporadically, I did NOT receive the email asking for my address.

    ML

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    9 years ago

    "...your age, location or delivery address if you choose to enter a competition or sweepstake offered through the online services."

    If they ask this, ostensibly to tailor gift packages to our ages and lifestyles, they'd better not be sending me any Depends! =P

  • gyr_falcon
    9 years ago

    While the popular kids ponder whether they want to RSVP the Houzz party and pick up the swag bags, those of us not into the clique could hold a pot luck in the park on the other side of town, I guess. :P

  • gyr_falcon
    9 years ago

    Ha ha mama goose posted while I was typing--guess we kind of feel the same. =P :P

  • graywings123
    9 years ago

    Have you ever sent GardenWeb an e-mail, such as to report spam? Maybe that is where their list of people came from.

  • roarah
    9 years ago

    I think it was like a jury list, just random not personal or logical. Luck of the draw so to speak. Half of us "lucky" enough to be selected to enter are not even doing so....

  • Gooster
    9 years ago

    I'm thinking we were chosen based on the amount of posts in a certain time period. It's an easy filter to do for any website/message board admin. Any frequent poster not get an invite? I assume it is very limited, because they did not bother to send a link to a contest entry.

    @kswl: the search improves if you enclose the keyword phrases in parentheses. Search on this: "white walls", "low ceiling", "leather sofa", "Kilim rugs"

    and you get this as your first search result

    {{gwi:2144297}}

    [Eclectic Family Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2104) by Other Metro Media & Bloggers Adrienne DeRosa

    Pretty spot on.

  • kitchendetective
    9 years ago

    Ha, Ha, Mama_goose. I can just imagine what the posters on the Menopauzz Forum will be sent.

  • jellytoast
    9 years ago

    I was told by Tamara that the names and addresses would be disgarded after the drawing.

  • mjlb
    9 years ago

    @kswl: also noted that using more precise syntax (AND, terms in quotes, e.g. "low ceiling" "Kilim rugs" delivers much better results in Houzz.

    One problem with searching Houzz, though, is that the search terms also search the user comments section (unless user marked the comment private). So if you search "low ceiling" and get an image of a high ceiling room, you may find that one of the public comments mentioned "low ceiling".

  • Laurie
    9 years ago

    I got the email (from Tamara), as well.
    Agree with Annie. Think I'll pass.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    I did use and but no quotations around each set of search terms and got a whole lot of nothing.

    Now, after adding in the quotations, I've got exactly ONE photo, below. No leather sofa, no Kilim rug. Maybe my iPad is using houzz 1.0 or something, but in vulgar parlance, that site sucks.

  • sas95
    9 years ago

    I was told by Tamara that the names and addresses would be disgarded after the drawing.

    I have a hard time believing that. Because there is really no reason for them to be collecting addresses unless they want to use them, as others have said. All they need is an email address to let you know that you "won" something. Then you can hear what you won and decide whether to give them your name and mailing address. It's more likely that the whole idea behind this drawing is to collect names and addresses. Whether it's merely for demographic data or for some more insidious purpose, I'm not interested.

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    Guess I'll be joining Gyr_falcon at the pot luck party -- no Celebration invitation for me yet either. Not complaining though.

    I never joined Houzz or Pinterest because I spend enough time on the internet already and don't need more sites to peruse. If this site changes for the worse, perhaps it will be time to move on after 12 happy years here. City Data has a design forum that's similar in size & format to this one and there's an Architecture forum there too.

    I still find Google Images adequate for decorating searches. It will pull up pictures from Houzz or Pinterest, bypassing the site membership hurdle.

  • jellytoast
    9 years ago

    "I was told by Tamara that the names and addresses would be disgarded after the drawing."

    "I have a hard time believing that. Because there is really no reason for them to be collecting addresses unless they want to use them, as others have said."

    I took her at her word as I have no reason to believe she would lie about it. What would be the point of being deceptive or dishonest?

  • outsideplaying_gw
    9 years ago

    I just received my invitation today, so don't give up awm!

  • sas95
    9 years ago

    Jellytoast, I think the better question is what would be the point of going out of one's way to collect a slew of addresses only for a drawing. Addresses are usually collected by companies for a reason-- and that reason is usually not to give prizes out. But we all believe what we believe, and I know I won't convince you just as you won't convince me. And neither of us will ever know for sure, I suspect.

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    Ha! I posted here at 18:21, invitation arrived via email at 20:08. Someone is following this thread :)

  • Olychick
    9 years ago

    I got the invite and replied with an version of my "name" that will make it clear if my address has been shared. I often do that so I can track who is selling my info...sometimes it's my first name misspelled, or use a first initial and a fake middle name or a number of variations.

    I think we are all delusional if we think we are anonymous and untrackable.

  • jane__ny
    9 years ago

    I've been involved with GW since Spike. I have also had contact with Tamara (not sure if the real name), over the years. She is fair and has been on GW from the beginning.

    Had some problems with a person a few years ago and she handled it fairly. Even received a phone call. I do trust her.

    I thought the same thing about the addresses after receiving the email. I trust what she says but we have no idea if GW will not exist anymore and will become a part of Houzz. Emails and addresses might be collected by Houzz. Who knows?

    I have a few email addresses. The one I use for GW is different from the one I use from Hozz. Although I already own an Ipad, I wouldn't mind winning one as it would make a nice gift.

    I'm not worried about my home address. Its easy enough to look up. I do trust Tamara. I wouldn't worry so much.

    Jane

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    Tamara may be personally trustworthy, but don't forget she works for a firm that sets its own policies and decisions ...her job is to execute them.
    The GW is owned by the firm and they set the rules and they can certainly change their mind. While we spend time and effort here, and may "feel" some ownership due to our participation, our say so goes only as far as they are willing to allow. It was, is and will continue to be their sandbox, not ours.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    Its not a question of when GW becomes part of Houzz, it's done.......The email i received from Ms Amey was an @houzz.com address.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    kswl, I think jane was thinking if this forum no longer exists as is and instead gets completely morphed into the houzz website in some way or t'other.

    As I said earlier, iVillage used to own GW and was dismantled by NBC, so the fact that someone has picked up GW at all is a good thing...it could've easily had it's plug pulled.

    The real risk that I see is, as we can tell by many of the regulars here, this style forum attracts an older audience. Probably in part because we are used to conversing in words not nanobursts, and probably because we have more time to spend on a forum than the younger soccer Mom/working Mom who is up to her eyeballs in kid things. Any owning group is going to want to see more young blood in the audience (I'm thinking of how A&E pulled the plug on Longmire, their #2 rated show, just because the audience skewed older) and the first thing they're going to say is "dated" is this verbose-style forum.

    What I hope the powers that be will see is that this demographic not only has more discretionary income than younger generations (heck we often finance a lot of the younger generation) but that our knowledge and advice can help that younger generation spend lots of money. So it would be in their and their advertisers' interest to make sure the forum stays as informative and educational as it is.

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    I wouldn't say the site sucks or is useless. We can't even do image searches here at all. The search feature here is not even very useful, or if you are looking for something specific. I have never had houzz return irrelevant results like shown above. Thousands though and it reshuffles them so you have to view the same ones over again instead of continuing where you left off. Maybe that has changed.

    I, too, see no reason to go to all the work of collecting everyone's address for a drawing. Emails already on file would be sufficient. Maybe they are going to send everyone something. Like an ipad! Lol

    I was reading an article there yesterday and the comments were much like here. Back and forth on pros and cons and advice.

  • blfenton
    9 years ago

    I agree that advertisers do have to start figuring out that the older demographics have disposable income, that many are continuing to work because they want to , that many are travelling, and that many are continuing to remain active. Ignoring the upcoming baby boom may wind up biting them in the A$$. (dollar signs deliberate)

    I'm not on houzz so I don';t know if they have a general conversation site, are the users commenting or even caring about the fact that houzz has bought GW?

    I am one of those people who are not tech savvy - heck, I don't even own a cell phone or know how to post pics. Houzz really doesn't care if I come along or not, however I do have disposable income and I do love disposing of it. :)

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    I notice houzz is not dropping cookies, which you can delete. I seem to remember seeing them in the past. Maybe this is their method.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Forbes - The Dying Cookie - new technologies

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    Duplicate

    This post was edited by snookums2 on Fri, Feb 6, 15 at 13:49

  • GreenDesigns
    9 years ago

    HS started a thread over there asking what Houzzers thought about the merger. It was deleted.

  • Karin
    9 years ago

    Ha, I just got the mail yesterday and reported it as phishing.

    Seriously, no proper identifier in it - looks like any email I ever got from others on GW.

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    Here are some weirdly invasive technologies.

    Here is a link that might be useful: cnn article

  • Oakley
    9 years ago

    Has it been said that these forums will stay the same or will we be going to a Houzz message board?

    I was part of a very active message board for 15 years and one day a few years ago it disappeared. It was a bummer.

  • jellytoast
    9 years ago

    As far as I know, there has been nothing said beyond the first email which said GW forums would be preserved. What that means is unclear ... preserve them in their present format? Preserve them but move them to Houzz's site? Combine Houzz and GW forums? Who knows ... ? Perhaps they are still deciding ... ?

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    It's unlikely they will maintain both sites. It's more likely they will migrate the forums over to Houzz at some point. That would still be preserving the forums but the increased traffic would change the dynamics.

  • TxMarti
    9 years ago

    It's in my nature to resist change, so this makes me a little uneasy. I don't mind Houzz though I do get a lot of trash in searches. Usually the first page is what I was looking for though.

    Who knows, maybe the search engine here will improve.

    And I'll be at the potluck.

  • blaferby
    8 years ago

    I loved gardenweb, but I will so not be returning to this walmartization of yet another good community interaction. I hope gardenweb's owners made a bundle because they maintained an excellent source of intercommunication between garden enthusiasts for a long time; but the bigger fish will always eat the smaller I suppose. The question is, who or what will be the biggest fish and simply devour us all?
    BTW, houzz is extremely user unfriendly, no doubt slapped together by some billionaire with a "bright idea," customers and clients be damned. What's new?

  • Oakley
    8 years ago

    If I'm not mistaken, Houzz was formed by a husband and wife team, who happened to stumble on success.

  • Susan Levy
    8 years ago

    hello fellow gardeners