Polyvore has been acquired and shut down, but your personal data are still in there. How to retrieve your hard work and fix your blog posts featuring Polyvore sets.
What happened to Polyvore? What you need to do if you had an account on Polyvore
Yesterday I tried to access the Polyvore platform both from my computer and from the app. In fact, I was going to create a few collages to showcase how to style the latest fashion trends. From my computer I clicked on Polyvore dot com and I was redirected to a luxury online shop (I won’t give them the pleasure to be mentioned on my website). I was puzzled. I tried to open the app and I got the message “no network connection”. Still puzzled.
What actually happened to Polyvore?
After some research, I found a press release posted with nonchalance on Polyvore blog. Long story short, they declare that their website has been acquired by an e-commerce of luxury fashion. As a matter of fact Polyvore doesn’t exist any more.
That is without any warning, a platform used daily by thousands of fashion stylists, art lovers, interior decor designers was abruptly discontinued. But that’s not all. The press release goes on.
What’s left of Polyvore?
Here’s what’s left:
Your creations, which – they say – you can retrieve (for a limited time). You need to go to here by May 10, 2018 and request a download of your content. Then you will have until May 15, 2018 to retrieve the download.
Your personal data, which are going to be used by the new owner by May 15, 2018, unless you opt out by visiting the same link above mentioned.
Why you should opt out and boycott the new website owner
I will not dwell on the personal feelings of loss and disruption after many years of using what I considered one of my favorite social media.
I’d rather focus on the deep outrage for being lawfully betrayed and taken advantage of. So let me outline the damages caused to ex Polyvorers to the sole advantage of the new website owner.
Major damage for bloggers who have been using Polyvore
First of all thousands of fashion or lifestyle bloggers who have incorporated Polyvore sets in their posts have now blank images where their collages used to be.
And guess what? Their blog posts, which previously linked to Polyvore, now link to SSense dot com (the new owner). The immediate consequence is a huge damage for the bloggers who have to go through their posts and manually upload each image. Of course provided they manage to download their creations.
On the other hand, this means a huge win for the new owner, who now can dispose of tons of incoming links from websites with fashion-related and therefore relevant content. Which, in case you are not a SEO expert, means earning in a snap a high Google page rank and visibility for their website.
Major privacy issue for former users
Another reason why I wrote this post is to spread the world for those of you who haven’t been using Polyvore for some time.
You may not be aware of what is going on and have your data legally stolen on the grounds of tacit consent. You have until May 15, 2018 to opt out, lest the new owner acquire your account data.
Once again, major privacy issue for you. And major win for the luxury brand having at their own disposal a massive database of fashion lovers worldwide.
How to fix your blog posts featuring Polyvore sets
In order to fix your old posts which now feature blank images linking to the new owner, first of all you have to download your creations as explained above.
After saving your collages as images on your computer, rename each of them with the title of the relevant blog posts.
After uploading all of them on your blog, I’m afraid you will have to go manually through each post, and replace the Polyvore widget with the relevant image.
Remember that deleting your posts would damage your blog by penalising its Google ranking. So take your time and edit, instead of deleting those blog posts.
But for now, if you are as outraged as I am by this shameful commercial move, make sure to remove all links from your site to Polyvore. Unless you want the new website owner to get tons of free incoming links enhancing his Google page rank.
How to remove all links from your site to Polyvore at once
I’ve asked for advice to my trusted webmaster MDAC as to how to remove all links at once.
He recommended two free WordPress plugins, that is Search and replace and Broken Link Checker, which allow to replace urls from the plugins page without going through each post.
Here are some examples of the collages I used to create. Do you happen to know another platform able to do the same?
Grazie per aver visitato Coco et La vie en rose fashion blog Italia! Thank you for being here and following Coco et La vie en rose international fashion blog.
Thanks for this post – I have to admit I never used Polyvore so far 🙂
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
😞👎 still trying to edit all my old posts EVERYWHERE on the internet… Hundreds of thousands of them!
Some users are using Trendme
https://www.trendme.net/en/set/proljece-ljeto-2018-collection/street-style-4-set/MjA0NzU1NDA0NQ,,.html
Sadly, I don’t know any similar platform.
I used to use it myself, so it ain’t nice to hear what has happened.
I’d be happy to read if you find a new option for these collages in one of your future posts.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Celien | The Losing Struggle
Che belle idee!
https://julesonthemoon.blogspot.it
che casino! Un online shop e’ comprato non sono Polyvore, ma tutti i informazioni? Non ho mai usato Polyvore, ma capisco perche e’ un disastro per i blogger che hanno usato i loro collage e adesso devono rimovere tutti i immagini perche gli hanno un link per un online shop.
I’ve heard of Polyvore before but I have never used it myself. Thank God I didn’t! Must have been awful and massive headaches for other bloggers who did
xxxx
http://www.thenewgirl.me
These news are truly disturbing, as it has not been mentioned on a wider scale! It is a major loss and was a great platform (greater than where it is pointed on today). Shame 🙁
Buyandpossess
I used to use this for all my collages too so I’ll have to look into this to save my collections!
Wow! This is crazy! I had no idea, thanks for the update. I luckily didn’t use this that much, but I did a few times. Definitively looking into this!
Oh my goodness the scarf and the skirt are my absolute faves! Also, sounds absolutely awful having to renew all links and images babe. Hope you sort it!
I am sad. 🙁 I loved polyvore. It was so much fun to create fashion sets, and pictures. It was quite addicting, I would spend 3 or 4 hours a day on polyvore! I hope the site comes back in some form because I enjoyed it so much!
I just registered, and created a set on trendme.net! Thanks for the link, you are awesome! ♥