Frequently Asked Questions

Shakodo Basics FAQ

• What is Shakodo?

  Shakodo is a free service where amateur and professional photographers can openly discuss photographic service rates. We are striving for:

  • To stop the downslide of photographic service rates by having "people in the know" educate professionals and amateurs on proper pricing.
  • To educate amateurs that their photos are worth more than just photo credits.
  • To create a growing community of members to openly discuss the business of photography.

  
  To learn more about Shakodo, please visit our About page.

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• What does "Shakodo" stand for?

  "Shakodo" is Japanese and stands for...wait. There is no word "Shakodo" in the Japanese language, we've made it up. However, the 3 Kanji characters we selected to represent our vision are:

  • 写 (sha) - defined as "reproduction" or "photograph",
  • 好 (ko) - defined as "love" or "like" and
  • 道 (do) - defined as "road" or "path".

  
  The literal meaning can be read as "the road to love photography", but since we've invented this word, we have chosen Shakodo to mean "The road to profitable photography", which is exactly what this site is aiming for.

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• How did the photography market get so messed up?

  We believe that the lack of business education is one of the biggest problems in the photography market. As amateurs increase in numbers and professionals continue to keep trade secrets, this gap has allowed the price value of photo licenses and photographic services to decrease.

• Won't this make professional photographers upset?

  No. Photographic service rates have fast been declining due to the number of amateurs charging too little or even giving their photos away for free. Even some professionals have been working in isolation. By offering a free service where amateur and professional photographers can talk openly in a public forum and make the entire photographic service process more transparent, especially in the pricing area, we envision that professionals and "people in the know" will see the value in leading and educating everyone.

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• Isn't this price fixing?

  No, we only provide an open discussion forum for pricing information and offer guidelines on what is accepted in the industry. Instead of price fixing, we are offering a wealth of information and support of the community to give you the knowledge to properly negotiate your photographic service rates. Therefore, it is clear that Shakodo cannot and will not dictate prices.

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• What makes you different than the other web sites out there that offer similar information?

  There is no other site that does what we do. We designed Shakodo to bring together the dynamic photography market and each individuals needs by creating an advanced Question and Answer system. Together with this we have introduced the ability of community voting and unique Price Range placement. Because of the ease of use, interactiveness and growing knowledge base of photographic business information, we believe that Shakodo will soon become a standard "tool" in the camera bag of every photographer.

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• How much is it to join?

  It's free. All you need is to register here!

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• Since this site is free, how do you make money?

  Shakodo is a product of Juergen Specht, a Berlin based photographer and consultant to the international photo and Internet industry.
  
  Juergen Specht truly believes that Shakodo will change the world of photography and will offset costs initially with alliances, affiliates and advertising. Shakodo also plans to offer commercial services, along with it's free services, in the future.
  
  To show our commitment to a free exchange of information, we will license the member contributed content under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivate Works License.

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• Who were your influences and what technologies were used in making this site?

  Like all good products, the development of Shakodo started with an original idea and the technology to make it a reality was greatly influenced from our own knowledge of running community sites for photographers (see D1scussion) for many years. Along with this, we benefited from a lot of good ideas from different leading sites. A very big influence and a special thanks goes to Stackoverflow, a site to answer programming questions, which we consulted ourself a lot at development time. However, as you find many shared features, Shakodo is 100% self developed and customized for one specific task: pricing and business discussions for photographers.
  
  This site uses the Open Source LAPP stack: Linux, Apache, PostgreSQL, PHP and the fantastic Javascript libraries jQuery and Raphaël. Exchange rates are updated once a day from the nice folks at http://www.exchangerate-api.com and additionally Shakodo uses GeoLite data created by MaxMind, available from http://www.maxmind.com/.

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• Who created this site?

  This site was created and is maintained by the Shakodo Team.

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Assignments FAQ

• What is an Assignment?

  In a nutshell, Assignments (also called "Commissions", or "Jobs") refers to the task of creating pictures on request. The biggest difference between Licensing and Assignments is that in Assignments, the photos are not yet created when the picture request is made. Photographs from an Assignment, depending on the contract, may or may not be licensed for usage (see also Licensing). Assignments can range from simple to complex, as in creating pictures of your neighbors, creating pictures at weddings, or creating pictures for fashion magazine covers.

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• What makes a good Assignment Question?

  You get what you give. This also applies to a good Assignment Questions. We recommend that you have the following qualities to all your questions:

  • First check if nobody has asked the same question in your Region. Read through the other Questions first.
  • Be very detailed and give as many details as possible.
  • If you know, enter a realistic Price Range you are thinking of charging.
  • Add smart and useful Tags to categorize your question, so it can easily be found by other members.
  • Keep a close watch over your Questions and answer Comments in case your question is not clear enough.
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• What makes a good Assignment Answer?

  Same as a good Assignment Question, we ask that you do the following:

  • Read the Question properly.
  • If you like to Answer this Question, but you cannot due to the lack of details, add a Comment and ask for more information.
  • Enter a realistic Price Range. Remember that people will vote you down if you are not serious.
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• How many Questions can I ask?

  As many as you want. Shakodo was built to promote open discussions. All we ask is that you keep the quality of your Questions high and focus on getting the perfect Answer. Use common sense and don't flood the site.

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• What happens when I "Accept" an Answer?

  Once you "Accept" an Answer no other Answers can be accepted and this will become the official Answer to your Question. The person who provided the Answer will be rewarded Reputation points and so will you. We caution you to choose your Answer wisely as you cannot change it afterward.

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• I don't know the Price Range to enter, do I need to enter one?

  No. Since this section is optional, you can leave the Price Range as "unspecified".

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• What is voting and how does it work?

  Voting allows you to award or deduct Reputation points to the Author of Questions, Answers and Comments. Please use votes to keep the quality of contributions high. For a more detailed explanation, please read the Reputation section.

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Licensing FAQ

• What is a License?

  In a nutshell, Licensing refers to the task of allowing an end user to use some of your photographs usually in exchange for payment. The biggest difference to Assignments is the fact that these pictures have already been taken and are owned by you. The end user paying for this License does not have the right to use your images beyond the scope of your agreement.

  
  Recommended read: ASMP's "Licensing guide" and ASMP's "What is a License?".

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• What makes a good License Question?

  You get what you give. This also applies to good License Questions. We recommend that you have the following qualities to all your Questions:

  • First check if nobody has asked the same question in your Region. Read through the other posts first.
  • Be very detailed and give as many details as possible, especially, ie. What will be licensed? Where will it be published? How often? For which period of time? In what size? Where will it be placed, etc.
  • If you know, enter a realistic Price Range you are thinking of charging.
  • Add smart and useful Tags to categorize your question, so it can be easily be found by other members.
  • Keep a close watch over your Questions and answer Comments in case your question is not clear enough.
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• What makes a good License Answer?

  Same as a good Licensing Question, we ask that you do the following:

  • Read the Question properly.
  • If you like to Answer this Question, but you cannot due to the lack of details, add a Comment and ask for more information.
  • Enter a realistic Price Range. Remember that people will vote you down if you are not serious.
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• How many Questions can I ask?

  As many as you want. Shakodo was built to promote open discussions. All we ask is that you keep the quality of your Questions high and focus on getting the perfect Answer. Use common sense and don't flood the site.

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• What happens when I "Accept" an Answer?

  Once you "Accept" an Answer no other Answers can be accepted and this will become the official Answer to your Question. The person who provided the Answer will be rewarded Reputation points and so will you. We caution you to choose your Answer wisely as you cannot change it afterward.

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• I don't know the Price Range to enter, do I need to enter one?

  No. Since this section is optional, you can leave the Price Range as "unspecified".

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• What is voting and how does it work?

  Voting allows you to award or deduct Reputation points to the Author of Questions, Answers and Comments. Please use votes to keep the quality of contributions high. For a more detailed explanation, please read the Reputation section.

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Account FAQ

• How many accounts can I own?

  It is recommended that you own just one account in order to build your Reputation and Awards.

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• What is the Dashboard?

  The Dashboard was built for one purpose, to keep you organized while using Shakodo. By pressing the Dashboard button, you can:

  • See your current Activity on Shakodo.
  • Keep track of your open Questions.
  • See what Awards you have earned.
  • Check the development of your Reputation over time.
  • Update your Profile Settings.
  • Update your Avatar.

  
  It is a very powerful tool to assist you in taking full advantage of Shakodo's services.

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• Why do I have a Public Profile?

  Shakodo provides a Public Profile for each member so that you can share a little about yourself and people can learn more about you. You are in full control on how you appear to others by editing your profile in the Dashboard.

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• How can I update my Public Profile?

  While logged in, you can change it in the Settings in your Dashboard. You can find a direct link to these Settings in 2 places:

  • On your Public Profile page there is a "Update Profile" tab.
  • On your Dashboard there is a "Settings" tab.
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• How do I change my Avatar?

  In your Dashboard, click the "Avatar" tab and follow the instructions.

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• Can I delete my account?

  Yes. When you delete your account, your profile information will be deleted and your Reputation and Awards will be set to zero, however all your Questions, Answers, Postings and Comments will remain with your username marked as "deleted". To delete your account, go in your Dashboard to "Settings", scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "How to delete my account". From there follow the simple instructions.

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Reputation FAQ

• What is Reputation in Shakodo?

  Reputation in Shakodo is completely optional. However Reputation - as the name suggests - is an indication how much the community trusts you.
  
  Reputation can only be earned by posting good Questions, Postings, Answers and Comments. When members of Shakodo vote on these Questions, Postings, Answers and Comments, these votes will cause you to gain Reputation points based on these rules:

  • Your Answer is voted up: You gain 10 Reputation points.
  • Your Question or Posting is voted up: You gain 5 Reputation points.
  • Your Comment is voted up: You gain 5 Reputation points.

  
  Additionally 4 more rules apply:

  • Your Answer got Accepted: You gain 15 Reputation points and the Acceptor also gains 2 Reputation points.
  • You accept an Answer: You gain 2 Reputation points and the Author of the Answer also gains 15 Reputation points.
  • You vote anything down: You lose 1 Reputation Point and the Author loses 2 Reputation points. Please note: You can only vote down when you have a Reputation of at least 10 points.
  • Anything you wrote gets voted down: You lose 2 Reputation points and the Voter loses 1 Reputation point.

  
  A maximum of 30 Votes can be made per member per day and you can earn a maximum of 200 Reputation points per day (Note: Reputation points for Accepted Answers will always be added even though the daily 200 point maximum has been met).

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• How can I build my Reputation?

  Simply take part and participate!

  • Ask good Questions if there is something you want to know.
  • Write good Answers if you know.
  • Contribute by leaving Postings and Comments if it makes sense.
  • Vote correct Member contributions up.
  • Ignore contributions you don't agree with.
  • Vote incorrect Member contributions down.

  
  Participation is the key to a good Reputation!

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• Can I lose my Reputation?

  Yes. If you violate our Terms of Service and/or members complain about your actions, your Reputation will be reset to zero.

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• Where can I see what my current Reputation is and how it has developed over time?

  There are four places where you can see what your current Reputation is:

  • Next to your name in all your contributions.
  • In the Header after you have logged in.
  • In your public Member Profile.
  • In your Dashboard.
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• Can I use my Shakodo Reputation on my own site to advertise my photo services?

  Yes, of course! Since Reputation points can only be earned, you always can use them to show how much the community trusts you. Go right ahead!

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Awards FAQ

• What is an Award?

  An Award is a way of recognizing users who contribute to Shakodo. Since there are many ways to contribute, there are also many Awards you can receive. Though they have no effect on the site, they simply show how much you have accomplished in Shakodo.

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• What do the stars in Awards stand for?

  We are offering three levels of Awards. Each star represents how many Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards you have earned so far:
  
  Bronze Awards are easy to get and often help teach users how to use Shakodo. You can earn your first one by just filling in your About text in your Settings.
  
  Silver Awards will be earned over time by participating and asking good and popular Questions and contribute good Answers.
  
  Gold Awards will be given by the Shakodo team, who always look for members who deserve one.

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• What kind of Awards can I earn on Shakodo?

  Here are all the Awards you can earn at Shakodo:
  
  Junior Award: Has been a member for more than 1 month.
  
  Senior Award: Has been a member for more than 6 months.
  
  Veteran Award: Has been a member for more than 1 year.
  
  Autobiographer Award: Entered info into the About field in the Member Profile.
  
  Famous Question Award: Asked a Question with 5,000 views.
  
  Good Question Award: Questions that score 10 or more votes.
  
  Great Question Award: Questions that score 50 or more votes.
  
  Nice Question Award: Questions that score 5 or more votes.
  
  Useful Question Award: Questions that score 25 or more votes.
  
  Good Answer Award: Answers that score 10 or more votes.
  
  Great Answer Award: Answers that score 50 or more votes.
  
  Nice Answer Award: Answers that score 5 or more votes.
  
  Useful Answer Award: Answers that score 25 or more votes.
  
  Supporter Award: Up voted new Question, left first comment and up voted by owner of the Question.
  
  Commentator Award: Left at least 10 Comments to Questions.
  
  Mentor Award: At least 10 Comments voted up at least once.
  
  Price Counselor Award: Has had a minimum of 3 Answers Accepted.
  
  Authority Award: Accepted Answer with a score of 15 or more votes.
  
  Trusted Award: Somebody personally known to the Shakodo Team.
  
  Invitee Award: Invited by Shakodo Team.
  
  Moderator Award: Forum Moderator.
  
  Professional Award: Validated as a Professional Photographer.
  
  Spotlight Award: Posted a featured Question.
  
  Audit Award: Members who have found and reported issues.
  
  Beta Tester Award: Early adopter and tester during closed beta test.
  
  Challenger Award: Took part in Shakodo contests.
  
  Winner Award: Winner of a Shakodo contest.

  
  Note: New Awards will continue to be added to this list.

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