Instagram and the Abuse of Inappropriate Hashtags.

Some of you might have seen the commotion on one of my recent Instagram posts of late.

Firstly,

Let me first clarify that I am not out to shame any individual publicly, which was never my intention in the first place.

I am against the flagrant misuse of shop hashtags, which has been going on for some time, despite the efforts of many shops that have been going around, commenting ONE BY ONE on every single picture to politely ask the said Instagram user to please kindly remove any inappropriate hashtags.

This has been going on for some time, but I felt that the situation had reached a whole new low when I came across this: Someone actually hashtagging pictures of her cosmetics for sale, with shop hashtags.

-____-

As you can see, I was so mad about it that I actually left a comment with my personal account, quite politely asking this user to stop abusing hashtags, because it is extremely unethical, to me at least.

AND GUESS WHAT?

This person actually ignored me, and had the cheek to delete my comment, pretending that nothing ever happened!

I don't deny it, I was extremely pissed off. And so I posted this on my Instagram.

To the kind folks who have agreed with me, left a comment of support, and helped to report those users/photos, thank you so much. Some other users have commented that I am being unnecessarily harsh, but in fact, I am just minding my own business (literally!)

Why am I so pissed off with inappropriate hashtagging?

Hashtags are there for a purpose.

When I search for a particular hashtag, obviously, I am looking for Instagram pictures of something in specific. Especially when it comes to names and brands. 

For instance, if I were to search for #AngelinaJolie, I sure don't wish to see pictures of random unattractive naked girls who look nothing like Angelina Jolie. And if I search for #Chanel, I am not interested in random pictures of quilted imitation bags from Taobao that have been happily tagged as #Chanel too. Hashtags are there to facilitate easy browsing and sharing on Instagram, NOT for abusing by being used inappropriately!

For many customers who search for a particular shop hashtag, what they are looking for are Instagram pictures of outfits and reviews, from customers who have bought/worn items from the shop, or yes, even buying/selling posts of apparel, but only relevant to the shop.

By inappropriately hashtagging all these shops, customers and myself have to trawl through a HUGE amount of junk, and it is really really frustrating when all you want to do is look at nice pictures of outfits.

There are even more unscrupulous people, who have their own shops and resort to hashtagging the "popular" shops in order to get more viewership for their shops. SERIOUSLY? That is the lowest of the low. I can't even begin to tell you how much I abhor unethical business people, even more than unethical people in general.

Just take a look at one of the most popular online shops in Singapore, and their hashtag gallery.

Out of the first 21 photos, 14 of them are NOT EVEN RELATED to LoveBonito. That is the extent to which hashtags are being abused by our local shopping community on Instagram. It is ridiculous.

How you can help to play a part

If you are a customer of the shop viewing their hashtag gallery, and you see all these inappropriately tagged photos, what you can do is to tap on the "Photo Options", to "Report Inappropriate" and flag the photo as spam.

Tap on the button on the bottom right.

Then tap on "Report Inappropriate"

And you can report the photo as spam.

Good riddance to all these spam photos, and let's make Instagram and shop hashtags a pleasanter experience for everybody! If you are one of those guilty of inappropriate hashtags, I implore you to stop doing so, and only use the appropriate hashtags at your own discernment.

xoxo

 PS. I have removed the photo on my Instagram as nicely requested by the person in question who has also removed her inappropriate pictures/hashtags, but I wish to increase awareness of this issue, which is why I am posting it on my blog instead.

PPS. I don't usually like to rant or bitch on this space, but let's just say I woke up with fiery intent to make the world a better place.

PPPS. If some of you ignorant folks are gonna say, WTF, you think you own that hashtag on Instagram? Who are you to tell me to stop using it? I'd like to say this to you. Dude, you don't own the road either, so you mean I can't tell you not to litter on the roads if I see you doing so? Please get the idea of social etiquette and courtesy into your befuzzled mind.

PPPPS. If you don't shop online, or don't belong to the local online shopping community, you probably have no idea what the fuss is all about, in which case, just ignore this post!

Event: Guess 30th Anniversary Party!

 

I fell in love with my first pair of GUESS jeans only recently, but have always been a fan of GUESS (especially their shoes!) and i was really thrilled to be invited to GUESS's 30th Anniversary Celebration!

I was really blown away with the entire do, from the roving projected GUESS logos along the red carpet walkway, to the incredibly well put together looks on every single model during the Holiday 2012 Fashion Show, and the exclusive Tiesto Capsule Preview!

 

Invited Felicia and Evonne to join me as guests, thank you for coming along, girls! :D This is the interior of the cargo lift that was especially decorated for the event: perfect spot to cam-whore! AWESOME leopard prints, and I'm glad I was dressed right in theme with my leopard printed scarf. 

And especially for the event, i was clad in my pair of GUESS Ultra Skinny jeans, which also received compliments from the friends that saw me that night! The theme was party chic, so i put together a rather sophisticated look (if I do say so myself) with the Ashford Blazer from TheVelvetDolls, the leopard printed scarf, a tank top, jeans, and my favourite pair of GUESS heels! ;)

 

with Evonne who looked amazing in her newly refreshed hair color, she was getting stares from the crowd for sure... heh!

 

The show started with DJ Beats and a live percussion showcase, loved the atmosphere!

And I was just oogling at all the hot male and female models... endless legs, toned abs and just looking so gorgeous in every single outfit! What a feast for the eyes!

The Tiesto Capsule Preview. Hot hot hot!

with my two lovely friends Felicia and Evonne! :)

And managed to grab a shot together with Bea and Mel as well! :D They were clad in GUESS jeans as well and looking smooookin' hot!

With lovely Mel!

 

Left the event real happy with the super functional denim tote bag filled with goodies!

Been proudly carrying around this denim tote bag, it now serves as my laptop bag! Love the huge ass GUESS logo on it too, heheh. 

Happy 30 years, GUESS!!!

***

My past few days Instagram-ed... are you following me on Instagram (@yinagoh) yet? :D

Evonne surprised me with a very belated birthday present... the new Urban Decay Vice Palette!!! OMG.. I LOVE IT! Played around with it today, will post up more pictures of looks and the palette soon... :D Thankkk youuuuuuuu Ah Ling! I cho love it!

Hair entry also coming up soon... with my really really chio purple hair! So excited to share more pictures soon!

And I spent last Sunday morning sweating it out together with Rachell at the Marigold HL Yoga Singapore 2012 event! Enjoyed myself so much together with Rachell!! It was a great morning of good exercise and fun! Hoping to post more pictures soon too, heh. Sooo many things to update!

Going off right now for dinner with some of my favourite girlies, yay! Be right back real soon with another blog entry ASAP!

xoxo

Lunch at Oversea Restaurant again!

yoohoo!!! I'M BACK from my cruise, teehee, had an awesome time onboard with YZ! ^_^ it's was great to get away from work and just relax and have a good time! but anyway, i'll be blogging about it soon enough once i've started editing the massive amount of pictures!

meanwhile, this entry is a continuation from the ice cream workshop entry, right after our ice cream making session, we headed for lunch just a few steps away, at Oversea Restaurant at Shaw Leisure Gallery! Fel and i have been there once before, and it was an A-MA-ZING lunch experience, you can read about the previous food tasting session we had here!

this time round, we were invited to sample a totally different selection of dishes from previously, more to 家乡小菜, or homemade fare, which were reaalllly delicious, and really made me feel like i was having a lovingly home cooked meal at home with the familiarity and comfort of simple good food!

back at Oversea Restaurant, and we were seated in the same section as previously, which is a private dining area with only two tables.

Fel and I! pretty nice lighting in the restaurant. LOL. good for camwhoring.

this time round, we had like a multitude of dishes prepared for us, (i think there were a total of 8 or 9 bloggers present) so feast your eyes on the food ahead!! :P i hope i didn't get any of the names wrong... cos there were too many dishes and they were all served one after another!!! @_@


#1 辣子鱼滑
Fish paste in chilli sauce! the first dish that arrived at our table, waiting to be devoured by an entire table of female bloggers who were all very hungry. hahaha. unfortunately, we all had to take pictures of every dish before eating them! :P this tasted like fish cake/fish ball consistency, in chilli sauce (the kind you have with chill crab..) and it was really yummy! soft with a nice chewy texture, but not too rubbery. the chilli sauce tastes super good when you drizzle it over rice!

#2 肉碎桂豆苗
String beans with minced pork, this really tastes like home! love the addition of minced pork to the beans, it gives it a fuller flavor and added to the crunchiness of the beans!

#3 百草西柚霹雳动球???
ok i am just guessing (by trial and elimination). this dish was some thai styled fish fillet with grapefruit. tangy and refreshing!

#4 肉丸豆腐
simple meat balls with tofu, served in a clay pot! i looove clay pot!!! keeps my food piping hot, just the way i like it. yummy meatballs with an awesome sauce that complemented the meatballs really well!

#5 伊班茄子
this is sautéed eggplant, which i generally don't like eggplant, but it was YUMMY! super love the texture and flavor. kind of like melt in your mouth but not slimy.

#6 菠萝云吞
fried wanton that's put in like go lo yok tomato sauce! hmm, pretty neutral about this one, cos the wanton got a little soggy by the time i got to try it!

#7 凉瓜炒爽肉
love this one, stir fried bitter gourd with pork! the bitter gourd is only slightly better, and helps to make the strong flavor of the sauce less jelat. and i love meat in general, so i love this one :D

#8 鱼汤让四宝
yong tau hu with deep fried tau kee! the soup was sooo tasty and good! much better than the average yong tau hu out there. i only got to taste like one spoonful of the soup??? cos it was finished up so fast! lol. the deep fried tau kee is served separately so you can choose to have it on its own, or put it in the soup.

#9 油浸脆草莞鱼
crispy fried carp fish with lemon grass and a super tasty sauce! the lemon grass is supposed to counteract the oiliness of the fried fish, to aid digestion and all that! i thought it was well done, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside! :D

#10 原粒面酱豆根薯仔煲
baby potatoes with tau kee (i think) awww this one is like my favorite! the potatoes were so well marinated and soft it practically dissolves in your mouth! i love potatoes! hee. reminds me of a dish my mummy cooks.

#11 咸鱼烝鸡腿
stir fried chicken thigh meat with salted fish, this one was a tad too salty if you eat it with your own, so you have to eat it with some rice! tastes really fab with rice, the salted fish flavor complements white fragrant rice perfectly, and the chicken is tender too!

#12 瓦煲番茄蛋
another favorite, clay pot tomato omelette thingy! the tomatoes are so yummy and i also love eggs to the max! can't live without eggs :P the omelette was soft and fluffy and went well with the tomatoes and sauce!

on top of the dishes that were prepared for us, we got to try TWO more, cos we were so greedy. LOL. no la. cos they thought they would let us try this dish as well, and we requested for the special order char siew that you CANNOT MISS if you visit Oversea Restaurant!!!

soft bone pork with carrots in clay pot, i don't know what's the exact name, but this one is like soft stewed pork loin with soft bones that are edible! together with carrots and onions that make the stew sweet and tasty!!! thumbs up for me!

and ultimate must order if you visit Oversea Restaurant, signature Char Siew! it's so popular you have to call in advance to make reservations for it! and it's super worth all the calories zomg caramelized goodness and melt in your mouth char siew!! don't know why that day's char siew looked darker than the previous time we had it, here. lol. or maybe just different camera ahahah.

THUMBS UPSSSSSSS all the way!!!

#珍珠雷莎汤丸
we ended off the sumptuous feast with glutinous rice balls, i was expecting them to come in a soup, but nope, they're dry and came with a peanut sugar topping!! very soft and the sesame flavor is soooo yummy.

look at the all the cleaned out plates and pots on our table. we practically finished every last morsel of food.... D: like hungry ghosts like that! but they were so good!

surprisingly, the bill came up to a very very affordable amount! as you can see, most of the dishes only cost between $9.80 to $12.80! stuffed ourselves so much, and with drinks and all that, it cost only about $20 per pax (we had about 10 persons at the table!) exclusive of our last two special order dishes, with really reasonable portions and great variety!!!

there's this window to the kitchen outside the entrance of the restaurant, look at that char siew goodness just hanging there so decadently.....

and with Fel posing at the entrance of the restaurant! :D BTW, we are both wearing the same cardigan leh can you tell!! HAHAHA. Rivera Mesh Cardigan in Rust Orange and Cherry Red!

***

Oversea Restaurant (Singapore branch)

No. 100 Beach Road, #01-27 to #01-37,Shaw Leisure Gallery, Shaw Tower

Singapore 189702

Tel 6294 2638

Fax 6894 7881

***

me me me. this was like day 3 or 4 of my braces btw. and i could eat that much food. i'm so amazed with myself. *shakes head*

anyway, i definitely recommend Oversea Restaurant, especially if you want to bring your parents/family out for a meal and they are more traditional (like my parents) and prefer to dine at chinese restaurants!! it's really affordable for the quality of food and the general ambience and service. but remember to call to make reservations cos they are really packed during the weekends, especially dinner time! i can't wait to go back again, honestly :P LOVE the food there!!!

once again, thank you so much to Elfaine from The Sample Store for the invitation! ^_^ as well as the great team at Oversea Restaurant for so much yummy food and utmost hospitality!!

***

some instagrammed pictures from my Spongebob at Sea cruise aboard Superstar Virgo, with Star Cruises, before i actually blog about it in detail!

hee YZ and i brought along our couple wear along for the cruise, love how it looks so nautical and completely goes with the cruise theme. LOL. i think we attracted a lot of stares!

an outfit for another day, my superbly cute Polkahearts Peterpan Tee, i loooove heart prints if you can't already tell, and it goes so nicely with high waisted shorts, was wearing a pair from TCL!

close up of the heartssssss

I LOVE THIS POLAROID!!!! we took together with Spongebob and Patrick! HEE. sooo cuuteeeeee!!! super love.

and another one with the christmas tree!

brought along a straw hat. be careful with hats if you're out on the deck, the breeze can get really strong and that would be the end of your hat........

power packed breakfast (FULL OF EGGS!!!) on board!!! nom nom nom. we stuffed ourselves silly with food!

YZ with Spongebob on the christmas tree hahaha

and ending off with YZ and meeee!

had such a good time on board!!! :D happy to be back though, cos there's so much work waiting to be done (as usual) @_@ anyway, heading out for a super early Christmas party soon. bwahaha. am bringing along my "famous" Horlicks ice cream as my contribution! woooo. super #dietfail lor! :(((

update again soon! i've got another give-away coming next!!!! enjoy your Sunday night!