Categories help please

JimW

With the great help I’ve received here, I am getting closer to being finished with my site.

I have read the help pages, yet I am still confused regarding the need for categories. My original intent was to start with my name and put 7 galleries under it. Then I discovered that smugmug requires categories, although I still don’t understand exactly why. Adding categories really messed me up. So I ended up with 4 categories which don’t really make sense, leading to 7 galleries.

I understand how categories might be helpful, if needed. But in my simple case, they seem to only confuse the issue.

I suspect that my final category/gallery structure doesn’t make sense, yet the answer escapes me. Would anyone be willing to go look at my categories and suggest a better way. I’d be very grateful if you could spare the time and effort. Thank you very much.

Barb

JimW wrote:

With the great help I’ve received here, I am getting closer to being finished with my site.

I have read the help pages, yet I am still confused regarding the need for categories. My original intent was to start with my name and put 7 galleries under it. Then I discovered that smugmug requires categories, although I still don’t understand exactly why. Adding categories really messed me up. So I ended up with 4 categories which don’t really make sense, leading to 7 galleries.

I understand how categories might be helpful, if needed. But in my simple case, they seem to only confuse the issue.

I suspect that my final category/gallery structure doesn’t make sense, yet the answer escapes me. Would anyone be willing to go look at my categories and suggest a better way. I’d be very grateful if you could spare the time and effort. Thank you very much.

Hi Jim

The way you set up your structure can be as simple or as complex as you like, really. It's just personal preference. In looking at your site, I do think you have the correct categories chosen for your galleries. You might change your view on your home page to display by categories instead of galleries to see the structure a little easier. Do that by clicking on "categories" next to display by in the upper right corner of your galleries box on your home page. That is also personal preference; it does make for a cleaner homepage, I think.

Also, since you have one gallery in your Weddings category, if you changed to category view, you could rename that gallery to the actual name of the wedding party. So, for example, on your homepage, you would see the category "Weddings." When you clicked on that category, you would then have all of your wedding galleries on the next page, each with the name of the particular wedding, i.e., Smith Wedding. Unless you plan on placing all of your wedding photos into that one gallery, it would make more sense to break the weddings up.

Instead of having your portraits and maternity galleries in separate categories, you could place them both inside of the category Photography, for example. That way, on your home page, you would have your category Photography (or whatever category you choose), and then when you clicked on that category, both of your galleries (maternity and portraits) would be on the next page.

Just an idea. It's my preference to show categories instead of galleries on the home page to keep it nice and clean. But that's my preference, and not everyone's

JimW

Barb - Sincere thanks for looking and helping. I really appreciate it.

Instead of having your portraits and maternity galleries in separate categories, you could place them both inside of the category Photography, for example. That way, on your home page, you would have your category Photography (or whatever category you choose), and then when you clicked on that category, both of your galleries (maternity and portraits) would be on the next page.

If I understand this correctly, if I did that, when a visitor came to my home page, they would NOT see either a Portraits gallery or a Maternity gallery, right? Instead, they would see a Photography (or whatever) category. They would need to know that portraits and maternity are INSIDE that category, correct? As it is now, if they get to the home page, they can see all my galleries right there, without having to know where things are. Or have I misunderstood?

Second, Barb, do you see my point that, at least in my case, there is no need for Categories at all and they do not help organize anything (except of course I understand SM requires them)?

It seems to me that categories and galleries are just like directories on my hard drive. My name is the parent directory, categories is the next level down, and galleries is the next level after that, etc. If you say this is basically correct, then it seems that I just need to accept the fact that while the category level serves no purpose for me, it does serve some purpose for SM and is necessary, and that's that. If this is correct, maybe I can get my mind around it and move on.

I'm very happy to hear you say that I've done the categories more or less correctly. Surprised, but very happy. Thanks again.

Barb

If I understand this correctly, if I did that, when a visitor came to my home page, they would NOT see either a Portraits gallery or a Maternity gallery, right? Instead, they would see a Photography (or whatever) category. They would need to know that portraits and maternity are INSIDE that category, correct? As it is now, if they get to the home page, they can see all my galleries right there, without having to know where things are. Or have I misunderstood?

Nope, you understand correctly That's why we also give you the option to create your own category names, so you can have categories that will make sense to you and your visitors.

Second, Barb, do you see my point that, at least in my case, there is no need for Categories at all and they do not help organize anything (except of course I understand SM requires them)?

The way you have it set up now is fine. Showing all of your galleries on your homepage seems to work for you, and that's great! That's why we give you the option. You may find one day that you have far too many galleries to show on your homepage and change to using categories. Good to have choices

It seems to me that categories and galleries are just like directories on my hard drive. My name is the parent directory, categories is the next level down, and galleries is the next level after that, etc. If you say this is basically correct, then it seems that I just need to accept the fact that while the category level serves no purpose for me, it does serve some purpose for SM and is necessary, and that's that. If this is correct, maybe I can get my mind around it and move on.

Pretty good analogy. Our structure is: category --> subcategory --> gallery. You will need to choose a category when you create a gallery. You do not have to choose a subcategory. If you wanted to place all of your galleries inside of one category, that can be done, too, and would eliminate different categories for you. Choices, choices, choices

dcyphert

Category not showing in Control panel drop-down
When I try to create a Gallery called 'Weddings' it tells me it already exists, but I don't see it in the 'Rename' drop-down...so I only assume it doesn't exist...right?

NEVERMIND!!!...Once I went to the 'Other' Gallery and chose to customize what was to be a wedding gallery, the Weddings gallery was an option...but it was not showing in the rename drop down back in the control panel...hmmmmm

AnneMcBean

dcyphert wrote:

When I try to create a Gallery called 'Weddings' it tells me it already exists, but I don't see it in the 'Rename' drop-down...so I only assume it doesn't exist...right?

NEVERMIND!!!...Once I went to the 'Other' Gallery and chose to customize what was to be a wedding gallery, the Weddings gallery was an option...but it was not showing in the rename drop down back in the control panel...hmmmmm

Only custom categories (the ones you create) can be renamed.

SmugMug's standard, pre-loaded categories, like "Animals" and "Family" and "Wedding" can't be changed. However, you're welcome to create your own "White Wedding" category, or "My Wedding" category, etc.

-Anne