Best way to link to Instagram posts in Metafilter? May 7, 2023 10:29 PM Subscribe
I would like to create a post on Metafilter, about some instagram content that's not available anywhere else on the web. What's the best way to link to this content so that people without Instagram can easily view it?
Does it work to just link to the url like this https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr7mJc4K2YG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link ?
(The link goes to a random post on my own Instagram, a picture of a dead butterfly)
When I'm not logged into Instagram, that link takes me to the correct page, with a "login?" dialog that I can just close to see the post. Is that acceptable?
Does it work to just link to the url like this https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr7mJc4K2YG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link ?
(The link goes to a random post on my own Instagram, a picture of a dead butterfly)
When I'm not logged into Instagram, that link takes me to the correct page, with a "login?" dialog that I can just close to see the post. Is that acceptable?
This works great for posts that have only a single picture. I have had trouble seeing all the pictures in a post through the browser. At a certain point it tells me to create an account to see more. I think two or three pictures tends to be ok? But also, be aware that it will always link to the first picture or video in a post (at least that’s the behavior I observe). Hopefully this is helpful information!
posted by Bottlecap at 3:26 AM on May 8, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by Bottlecap at 3:26 AM on May 8, 2023 [6 favorites]
In addition to the picture limit Bottlecap notes, you can’t see any long descriptions (the “more” under any text accompanying a pic) or any comments, without an Insta account.
There’s an Insta aspect to the Questionmark fpp, and these limitations kind of kill some of the fun.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:56 AM on May 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
There’s an Insta aspect to the Questionmark fpp, and these limitations kind of kill some of the fun.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:56 AM on May 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'm trying this just in case - a link to any Instagram picture just gives me a plain white screen. I used to get the login dialog, but wanted to try to see if I could just close it - but right now I'm not even getting THAT.
Tested this on both Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:23 AM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Tested this on both Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:23 AM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
In addition to the multi-picture limitations already mentioned, neither of the links in this thread would allow you to view the full nested comments, which are very much part of the main content of the ARG that prompted this Meta.
I understand why folks want to avoid Instagram, but encouraging people to access the project in question via workarounds with such serious limitations seems a bit disrespectful to the project as it was conceived (as well as its creators).
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 8:49 AM on May 8, 2023 [6 favorites]
I understand why folks want to avoid Instagram, but encouraging people to access the project in question via workarounds with such serious limitations seems a bit disrespectful to the project as it was conceived (as well as its creators).
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 8:49 AM on May 8, 2023 [6 favorites]
I understand why folks want to avoid Instagram, but encouraging people to access the project in question via workarounds with such serious limitations seems a bit disrespectful to the project as it was conceived (as well as its creators).
On the other hand, basing a large part of such a project on the (unspoken) requirement of having an account on a social media platform is also disrespectful. It also makes one wonder if the project isn’t an oblique promotion for Instagram, given such a requirement.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:42 AM on May 8, 2023 [10 favorites]
On the other hand, basing a large part of such a project on the (unspoken) requirement of having an account on a social media platform is also disrespectful. It also makes one wonder if the project isn’t an oblique promotion for Instagram, given such a requirement.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:42 AM on May 8, 2023 [10 favorites]
Having followed the work of one of the creators for many years, I can state confidently that it's not any kind of promotion for Instagram.
That said, I do kind of resent that it's a requirement.
posted by tealdeer at 9:54 AM on May 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
That said, I do kind of resent that it's a requirement.
posted by tealdeer at 9:54 AM on May 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
It also makes one wonder if the project isn’t an oblique promotion for Instagram, given such a requirement.
That’s a heck of stretch. I guess anything is possible (and it is always fun to engage in some ARG-fueled paranoia), but it seems much more likely that this project is being done on IG due to a combination of reach and features that you’re not going to find on the open “no account needed” internet.
If anyone knows of recent ARG’s that were done with no proprietary services/software, I’d be really curious to hear about them. It’s certainly possible, but just thinking through all the compromises/workarounds that you’d need to use makes me understand why people opt for IG/Discord/whatever.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 10:11 AM on May 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
That’s a heck of stretch. I guess anything is possible (and it is always fun to engage in some ARG-fueled paranoia), but it seems much more likely that this project is being done on IG due to a combination of reach and features that you’re not going to find on the open “no account needed” internet.
If anyone knows of recent ARG’s that were done with no proprietary services/software, I’d be really curious to hear about them. It’s certainly possible, but just thinking through all the compromises/workarounds that you’d need to use makes me understand why people opt for IG/Discord/whatever.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 10:11 AM on May 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
Not all proprietary services lock people without accounts out of even viewing content as aggressively as IG.
posted by Dysk at 11:19 AM on May 8, 2023 [12 favorites]
posted by Dysk at 11:19 AM on May 8, 2023 [12 favorites]
Sure, but ARG’s are inherently participatory. I can’t fault a creator for not choosing a platform that would be best for a passive bystander if they’re creating an experience for an active participant.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 11:56 AM on May 8, 2023
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 11:56 AM on May 8, 2023
Participatory != “Open an Instagram account”
Or, at least, it shouldn’t. Would you be just as strident in your defense if the project required a Twitter account?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:36 PM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Or, at least, it shouldn’t. Would you be just as strident in your defense if the project required a Twitter account?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:36 PM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
I understand why folks want to avoid Instagram...
It's more that Instagram doesn't want *me*. Once they've decided you are fishy in some way, for reasons they won't tell you, you need to buy a new phone to even have a chance of creating an account. (Edit: Maybe early adopters don't realize Instagram requires a valid, non virtual phone number to create an account nowadays).
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 12:36 PM on May 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
It's more that Instagram doesn't want *me*. Once they've decided you are fishy in some way, for reasons they won't tell you, you need to buy a new phone to even have a chance of creating an account. (Edit: Maybe early adopters don't realize Instagram requires a valid, non virtual phone number to create an account nowadays).
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 12:36 PM on May 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Maybe early adopters don't realize Instagram requires a valid, non virtual phone number to create an account nowadays
Is this a very recent change? I created my account this February with a throwaway Protonmail account and never provided a phone number.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 12:51 PM on May 8, 2023
Is this a very recent change? I created my account this February with a throwaway Protonmail account and never provided a phone number.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 12:51 PM on May 8, 2023
Would you be just as strident in your defense if the project required a Twitter account?
I’m not sure what I said that made you feel I was being strident, but I apologize for it.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 12:53 PM on May 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
I’m not sure what I said that made you feel I was being strident, but I apologize for it.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 12:53 PM on May 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
The link provided sends me to a blank screen when behind a VPN - Windows machine and tried on browsers Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Opera. When the VPN is paused it allows me to see the image of the dead butterfly on all the same browsers. I've found this to be generally the case with about half the Metafilter links to Instagram. Picuki has never worked correctly for me.
posted by Ashwagandha at 1:57 PM on May 8, 2023
posted by Ashwagandha at 1:57 PM on May 8, 2023
Is this a very recent change? I created my account this February with a throwaway Protonmail account and never provided a phone number.
I don't know if it's recent. Last time I tried to create an account, years ago, I couldn't proceed without entering a phone number. I got a screen very similar to this reddit post from 4 years ago Googling revealed other people with the same problem.
I just tried again, with a fresh protonmail account. I got through the first step, where insta sends an email to the protonmail account. once i enter the security code from the email, it immediately asks for my phone number and won't let me proceed without it. My best guess is they have listed my IP address as suspicious, or my adblocker is somehow blocking whatever anti bot CAPTCHA stuff they do. Clearly it's not universal if you were able to create an account.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 2:05 PM on May 8, 2023
I don't know if it's recent. Last time I tried to create an account, years ago, I couldn't proceed without entering a phone number. I got a screen very similar to this reddit post from 4 years ago Googling revealed other people with the same problem.
I just tried again, with a fresh protonmail account. I got through the first step, where insta sends an email to the protonmail account. once i enter the security code from the email, it immediately asks for my phone number and won't let me proceed without it. My best guess is they have listed my IP address as suspicious, or my adblocker is somehow blocking whatever anti bot CAPTCHA stuff they do. Clearly it's not universal if you were able to create an account.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 2:05 PM on May 8, 2023
Yeah, if Meta/FB/IG already has suspicions about your IP address it’s definitely not going to work. I used the open guest wifi at my local Target since I had no interest in Meta knowing my home IP, which worked without issue.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 3:08 PM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 3:08 PM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
The link works for me (Aus, Chrome, have an Insta account but not logged in).
Posting links to MeFi that lots of people can't access or have varying barriers to access sometimes result in aggressive responses. From the FAQ (you probably already know this):
Can I post a link to something behind a free registration?
Generally speaking, no. Things that you link to should be freely available on the web. This generally means no registration, even if there is a handy workaround using bugmenot. This goes for double for links behind reasonably prevalent pay walls (Chronicle of Higher Education, JSTOR content, etc); try to make sure your link is available for everyone before you put it on MetaFilter.
However, we do see a lot of links to things like the NYT, so maybe the FAQ is a little behind the times or something.
posted by dg at 9:45 PM on May 8, 2023
Posting links to MeFi that lots of people can't access or have varying barriers to access sometimes result in aggressive responses. From the FAQ (you probably already know this):
Can I post a link to something behind a free registration?
Generally speaking, no. Things that you link to should be freely available on the web. This generally means no registration, even if there is a handy workaround using bugmenot. This goes for double for links behind reasonably prevalent pay walls (Chronicle of Higher Education, JSTOR content, etc); try to make sure your link is available for everyone before you put it on MetaFilter.
However, we do see a lot of links to things like the NYT, so maybe the FAQ is a little behind the times or something.
posted by dg at 9:45 PM on May 8, 2023
There are normally good archive workarounds for newspapers like the NYT, which doesn't seem to be true for Instagram?
posted by Dysk at 11:12 PM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Dysk at 11:12 PM on May 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
even if there is a handy workaround using bugmenot
Now there's a name I hadn't heard in a while
posted by trig at 3:49 AM on May 9, 2023 [4 favorites]
Now there's a name I hadn't heard in a while
posted by trig at 3:49 AM on May 9, 2023 [4 favorites]
I would love a list of how to work around some sites because I am definitely not clear on how to do that.
That said, I don't think there's a workaround for Instagram.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:11 PM on May 9, 2023
That said, I don't think there's a workaround for Instagram.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:11 PM on May 9, 2023
There is a workaround to view Instagram feeds, I've been using this one ever since IG made itself difficult to see posts without an account.
Basically you enter the IG username you're looking to view and it loads about 30 posts at a time. I don't know a way to use it to link directly to images or to single posts, however.
Warning, though: You'd best have an adblocker running when you visit otherwise you will get pop-ups.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 9:31 AM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
Basically you enter the IG username you're looking to view and it loads about 30 posts at a time. I don't know a way to use it to link directly to images or to single posts, however.
Warning, though: You'd best have an adblocker running when you visit otherwise you will get pop-ups.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 9:31 AM on May 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
The Pluto Gangsta's link seems to show the pictures but not all the comments. That is the same issue as with the picuki workaround.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 9:57 AM on May 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 9:57 AM on May 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
That's true, if you click on a specific picture set, you'll see the text it was posted with but not any of the comments.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 11:46 AM on May 10, 2023
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 11:46 AM on May 10, 2023
Sure, but ARG’s are inherently participatory.
Yes and no. Forums are inherently participatory as well, but you might like to just read them, without signing up. Certainly, it would be weird to link a forum you couldn't even read without an account as a mefi FPP. But forums are inherently participatory!
Lots of ARGs have been linked from metafilter, and I've looked at a lot of them, even give deep in a few. Not once have I participated in the way you're suggesting. I don't think ARGs are inherently participatory in the sense that there is no space for an audience, only for co-performers. You can enjoy an ARG without being one of the people actively participating in that sense.
posted by Dysk at 9:37 PM on May 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Yes and no. Forums are inherently participatory as well, but you might like to just read them, without signing up. Certainly, it would be weird to link a forum you couldn't even read without an account as a mefi FPP. But forums are inherently participatory!
Lots of ARGs have been linked from metafilter, and I've looked at a lot of them, even give deep in a few. Not once have I participated in the way you're suggesting. I don't think ARGs are inherently participatory in the sense that there is no space for an audience, only for co-performers. You can enjoy an ARG without being one of the people actively participating in that sense.
posted by Dysk at 9:37 PM on May 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Alternative Reality Game?
Amateur Radio Group?
Applied Research Grant?
Anual Real Growth?
Accident Review Group?
Anti Replicator Gun?
posted by Zumbador at 9:53 PM on May 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Amateur Radio Group?
Applied Research Grant?
Anual Real Growth?
Accident Review Group?
Anti Replicator Gun?
posted by Zumbador at 9:53 PM on May 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
If Instagram thinks you have an account (stored in cookies) then it will force a login before showing you any content. You can avoid that by deleting the cookies or always opening in private/incognito mode.
So yes tagging instagram posts in some way will help people who need to, open them in private mode.
posted by Lanark at 4:12 PM on May 13, 2023
So yes tagging instagram posts in some way will help people who need to, open them in private mode.
posted by Lanark at 4:12 PM on May 13, 2023
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works for me.
posted by lalochezia at 11:47 PM on May 7, 2023 [3 favorites]