It’s a known fact that using the same image more than once is against Local Guides rules. But it’s also a known fact that many of us have been guilty of this – inadvertently of course.
So, when does this happen and how can one stay on the right side of this rule?
Circumstances when you are likely to find yourself posting the same image twice
You’re on holiday and you’ve got intermittent internet. You upload a bunch of photos and then check a few moments later to see if it’s been uploaded. You don’t find it among your list of uploaded photos and you think, Ah, it must have been poor internet connection, so you repost your photos. And before you know it, you find yourself with duplicated images against your account.
Another common mistake when duplicated images can occur is when Google Maps prompts you to contribute your photos and you assume that it’s kept track of what you’ve already submitted and it’s safe to do just that. So you hit the post button and unknowingly end up with duplicated images.
There are no exceptions to this rule of not uploading an image twice – so if you are thinking of posting the same photo of a shop front for instance that is in shopping centre and you’ve already posted that photo to the business and then think, why waste a perfectly good photo, and you post it to the shopping centre, well, that’s to contravene the ‘no duplicated image’ rule. The correct thing to do would have been to take two photos and use one for each purpose.
What things to keep in mind to avoid seeing double
A solution to the first example I gave earlier is to keep in mind that it can take up to 24 hours sometimes for a photo to turn up against your profile. So be patient and don’t be in such a hurry to repost your photo.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that if you post more than a handful of photos at the same time, it can take longer for the photos to show up than if you were to post just one photo to one place at a time. This is a trial and error observation. Believe me, more error than trial. (eye roll here)
Unreliable internet can be a real pain where posting duplicated images is concerned – especially when you are travelling. The only sure way is to hold off on posting photos until you are on home turf (or have reliable internet) when you can then post your photos in a sequential order.
But you might be thinking, how will I remember where I took those photos several weeks on after I’ve visited umpteen places? One trick I’ve developed is to take a screen shot of my location or a photo of a sign board that gives me my location. The only problem with a screen shot though is that it is in a different folder from my regular photos which can make posting photos a little awkward later – but having the correct time and date can help you work out where you took those photos. However, if you use the Google Photos app, and you also backup your screen shots, then they will all be in the one place in the correct order. Neat isn’t it? (wink)
And about Google Maps prompts to post your photos? Don’t assume that it has taken into account what you’ve already shared. Believe me, I’ve been caught out on this one too.
If you are like me and tend to be snap happy and take a gazillion photos when travelling, and can’t wait to share them, if you don’t want to run afoul of the photos guidelines, you need to develop some way of keeping track of what you’ve posted and what you haven’t. And the only safe way is to do it sequentially and logically when you have reliable internet and to avoid posting a few here and a few there while travelling. And if you like to post a few here and a few there, perhaps you might want to consider keeping a log book of sorts.
Staying out of double trouble
So in conclusion, if you’ve doubled up in posting images, you are not alone. Many have done this inadvertently. But if you’ve done it or are doing it still because you didn’t know you shouldn’t, now you know better. Should you remove your duplicated images if so? Absolutely.
Anyway, I hope you’ve found this post helpful. Would love to hear about your experiences too with regards to this topic.
In the meantime, keep taking wonderful photos and helping the world stay connected and be more accessible.
. Also, if you have accidentally made a mistake, just go back in and delete any duplicates. Happy snapping 
Yes it’s my hope that this will help others navigate the trail.