All About CAPTIONS

[Kumaarsantosh]

Hello LG Friends,

This post is all about Captions, a new contributions category added in LG profile. Actually, this option was available earlier also but categorically it is put under LG profile just two days back on 16-November-2023.

What is Caption?

When Photos and/or Videos are contributed through Explore tab by clicking Add a post OR through Updates tab from the specific POI by clicking Add photo update, a text box with the help text Say something about your photos (optional) is being displayed. When we provide some description about the contributed photos/videos here that becomes Caption.

Using Explore tab from Owner/Visitor profile page

Using Udates tab from the specific POI

How Captions are counted?

For one contribution irrespective of number of photos/videos contributed, if the caption is provided, it is counted for 1 (one) caption.

Examples:

• Multiple photos contributed in one contribution with a caption - counts for 1 caption.
• Multiple videos contributed in one contribution with a caption - counts for 1 caption.
• Multiple photos and multiple videos contributed in one contribution with a caption - counts for 1 caption.

Do we get extra points for Caption?

Yes for every caption 10 points are awarded to the contributor.

• You have a choice to add multiple photos/videos of a specific place clubbed together in one contribution which entitled you to get 10 additional points over and above the as usual points for photos/videos, if CAPTION is provided (i.e. you have put the description in the text box displaying the help text as ‘Say something about your photos (optional)’. OR
• You can add ‘n’ number of photos/videos in ‘n’ number of contributions of a specific place one by one which entitled you to get 10 x n (10 multiplied by n) additional points over and above the as usual points for photos/videos, if CAPTION is provided for all ‘n’ number of contributions (i.e. you have put the description for all ‘n’ number of contributions in the text box displaying the help text as ‘Say something about your photos (optional)’.

How points are calculated for Caption?

• For each photo contribution - 5 points as usual
• For each video contribution - 7 points as usual
• For each Caption count - 10 points in addition

Irrespective of number of photos/videos contribution, you just get 10 points in addition for the caption in a single update (over and above points for the photo/video contribution). Please refer examples under How Captions are counted?

Example in the below photo depicts the points distribution with Caption.

Are Photo updates and Captions same?

No - Captions are counted only when the text box with the help text Say something about your photos (optional) is provided with some description about the contributed photos/videos. Whereas, Photo updates are counted basis number of contributions through Explore/Updates tab with or without the description in such text box.

Photo updates with Photo updates count is available under ‘Other contributions’ section. Below is the screenshot of Photo updates. This is available for Android phone, for Desktop not available and not very sure about iOS.

Does Caption available for Desktop?

As of now this works on Android or iOS as it is explained here by KarolinaPysz. However, you can view the contributions made through Explore/Updates tab under Updates from customers section of the specific place on Desktop.

Below is the example of Desktop view of Cafe Delhi Heights

Similarly, such contributions can be viewed on mobile by clicking on Updates tab of the specific place. There are two sub tabs: By owner and By vistors. Owners’s updates can be viewed under By owner tab whereas LGs contributions can be viewed under By vistors tab.

Below is the example of mobile (Android) view for Sassy Oscar.

When was it first started?

Addition of Captions category in LG profile may have come now, but the Updates tab was there at least 2 years ago as since then I have been using this update feature. Below is the screenshot of my first contribution through updates tab.

Hope this post helps to understand the details about Captions.

Any feedback/suggestion for improvement is coordially invited with open arms .

Keep building informed community stronger together.

JAI HO!!!

[IntranetMiRi]

Vielen Dank @Kumaarsantosh , dass du uns auf die Captions aufmerksam gemacht hast ist sehr hilfreich.

Ich habe auch schon 19 Stück zusammen bekommen in meinem Profil

Cheers

Michael

[Annaelisa]

@Kumaarsantosh

Ich habe bereits festgestellt, wenn ich mehrere Fotos und Videos zufüge, erhalte ich 10 Punkte für alles. Wenn ich nur Fotos zufüge konnte ich dafür keine zusätzlichen Punkte feststellen.

[JustJake]

Great breakdown, thank you @Kumaarsantosh .

There was some confusion regarding the points distribution. Some of us were thinking the Caption was considered a ‘Photo Tag,’ per the contribution name listing, but the points were not adding up. So, it seems that we’re being given points as if writing a Review, not a Photo Tag.

[Kumaarsantosh]

That’s awesome @IntranetMiRi . Possibly the point system will accelerate the levels

[Kumaarsantosh]

@Annaelisa

If you just add photos/videos, you won’t get any additional point (as in the case with Caption - additional 10 points) but you will get the point for added photos/videos as explained in this post.

[Kumaarsantosh]

You are absolutely correct @JustJake .

Additional 10 points are given only when descriptions are provided in the text box (which is Caption ) while adding photos/videos through Explore or Updates tab.

[Amiran]

Thanks for providing a quick guide in a short time after introducing this feature @Kumaarsantosh

This prevents other users from being confused about the caption and its points.

And it is important to consider what content could we share through the Photo Update (or Add a post that has the same result).

[Kumaarsantosh]

Thanks @Amiran for your kind words and glad that you liked it.

Your post about what content could we share through the Photo update supplement this.

JAI HO!!!

[AjitThite]

Excellent post, very descriptive and well explained @Kumaarsantosh . I was about to ask here for the break ups and details on Captions.

Thanks a ton for this post.

Cheers!

[Kumaarsantosh]

Thanks my dear friend @AjitThite for your kind words. Yes-indeed this was the need of the hour.

Google keeps on bringing new features and enhancement to the system.

We as LG are the first beneficiary of such improvements and ultimately it is meant for the end users. So, it’s our (LGs) responsibility to use it, understand it and simplify the understanding for the larger user base.

I have just tried to simplify my understanding and post it here. Glad that you liked it.

JAI HO!!!

[RosyKohli]

@Kumaarsantosh

Thanks for sharing this information

[Kumaarsantosh]

Thank you @RosyKohli for your nice words.

[Rednewt74]

@Kumaarsantosh

thank you for making this feature better known. Generally, I am not overly concerned with getting points with regard to getting to the next level (#9 for me). But I never skip the opportunity to earn them when they are available. The 10 points for adding a caption is for all photos or videos added at the same time. Today, when adding videos, I took the time to add them individually through the Explore Tab and got an extra 200 points.

I’m curious as to what type of captions other guides area adding.

[Kumaarsantosh]

Thanks @Rednewt74 for acknowledging the effort.

Regarding extra 200 points:

1. Have you added multiple videos one by one in a single contribution using ‘Add a post’ link through Explore tab?
2. How many videos were added? Just to calculate the points for videos and caption.
3. Do you have the screenshot of such additional 200 points awarded to you.

This is a unique situation if it happened like this which should not be the intent of this Caption category on Google map.

Good that you have highlighted this here so that some of other LGs could also simulate and share their learning.

[Rednewt74]

@Kumaarsantosh ,

My profile shows 26 captions

all of which, I believe, have occurred since you wrote this post. In the explore tab, I select add a post, write a caption, select a video, chose the correct location and submit. I repeat this for each video or photo that I have for a location. I see that you can add multiple images, but only 1 caption at a time; it seems confusing to me because each of the images is different from the others so the caption won’t apply or would have to be very long.

Also, I have not been able to find where and how the captions are displayed or used

[Kumaarsantosh]

@Rednewt74

First Part of your question

My response:

So, additional 200+ points which you were refering here is not for one contribution, rather it is for 20+ contributions. And, you are right stating that "… each of the images is different from the others so the caption won’t apply or would have to be very long…"

Further to add:

• You have the choice to add multiple photos/videos of a specific place clubbed together in one contribution which entitled you to get 10 additional points, if CAPTION is provided (i.e. you have put the description in the text box displaying the help text as ‘Say something about your photos (optional)’. OR
• You can add ‘n’ number of photos/videos in ‘n’ number of contributions of a specific place one by one which entitled you to get 10 x n (10 multiplied by n) additional points, if CAPTION is provided for all ‘n’ number of contributions (i.e. you have put the description for all ‘n’ number of contributions in the text box displaying the help text as ‘Say something about your photos (optional)’.

Second Part of your question

“…Also, I have not been able to find where and how the captions are displayed or used…”

My response:

The captions are displayed on the specific place for which you have provided the captions. So, when you go to that place and click on Updates tab, you will find all the photos/videos added through Explore and/or Updates tab with the captions (if provided).

For Example you can find here the updates with caption you have provided for Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area.

Hope this clarifies the doubts.

Keep building informed community stronger together.

JAI HO!!!

[DshottDennis]

@Kumaarsantosh

Thanks for the explanation

[MortenCopenhagen]

@Kumaarsantosh

Could your post be summarized by the following:

The new Captions on our contribution stats pages are not really Captions but Updates from customers.

The term Captions has been used for texts added to any photo for years now.

Counting Updates rather than individual photos uploaded with an update would that explain the confusion about how Captions are counted?

All the best

Morten

[WilfriedB]

@MortenCopenhagen I fully agree with you, the term “captions” is very misleading, but I also struggle with the term “updates” and suggest to use “Updates from customers” instead. This is the phrase, you will see as title of the text and photo (if any) under the complete description of the place (POI, restaurant … etc).

When I read only “update”, I immediately ask myself: update, of what? My understanding now, it means something similar to “News about this place”, rather than the tag for a single photo.

Example from yesterday:

The German UI indeed does not translate the word “Update” and uses “Neuigkeiten” instead, which translates to “News”: