Posting using Attachments vs Externally Hosted Links

[Colin Southern]

@ Chuck (and others who only post using thumbnails)

Hi Chuck, I see that you're duck was posted as a thumbnail. I started out posting my images that way too, but it became apparant that I was going to run out of space pretty quickly - so I had to force myself to use the "Insert Image" feature. I had a bit of grief with it at first, but now that I've got a better understanding of it, it actually works a lot better for me - and I thought you might find it advantagous too ...

All you have to do is upload your image online somewhere (eg you could put it on your website in a "CiC Online Images Folder" that isn't visable to the public - then you can simply click the "Insert Image" button when posting here, and enter the URL to the image - and "job done".

For me, the tricky bit was working out the what the correct URL to the image was - on photo.net & Flickr I could just display the image in a different window - right-click on the image - click "properties" and then highlight/copy the location from the properties sheet. On pbase.com this didn't work properly, but I discovered that if you click "Edit Picture" it takes you to a page where they give you the link to copy/paste.

Thought that you might like to keep it in mind for the future.

Cheers,

Colin - pbase.com/cjsouthern

[iPhillip]

I think its better to attach the image via the sites hosting system (Manage attachments in "Go Advanced"), then you can just post the image inline as well if you think its necessary b copying the image URL/address of the locally hosted image then paste into the insert image tab.

Doing it this way keeps it a whole lot tidier and easier to manage.

For example:



And everything is seen and hosted form the same place - it makes all images reliable as sometimes images can be deleted or accounts disabled if hosting from imageshack/photobucket etc.

PS: this is my Entry.

[crisscross]

On pbase.com this didn't work properly, but I discovered that if you click "Edit Picture" it takes you to a page where they give you the link to copy/paste.

Colin - pbase.com/cjsouthern

Don't know what we would do without you Colin - but it does require the exact procedure in the right order. Actually it is the same URL format that you, indeed I often have, used within pbase, just here you have to precede it with the 'Insert Image' to dig a 'hole' for it instead of 'PB-image'. As a macman I am more used to using menus or keyboard than micro-icons, so tend to kill off header bars full of icons too small to distinguish or plain unecessary

[Colin Southern]

"I think its better to attach the image via the sites hosting system (Manage attachments in "Go Advanced"), then you can just post the image inline as well if you think its necessary by copying the image URL/address of the locally hosted image then paste into the insert image tab."

I agree Phillip - but the whole concept falls to pieces if you're doing it regularly as the space for locally held images is rationed, and runs out rather quickly - so then you have to delete old images - and then they drop off from the post that they were put in

You're right in that if you ever change hosting companies (as I've just done) if breaks a lot of stuff too (but can be fixed). The ideal from our point of view would be to have unlimited space here for storage, but that would more than likely put Sean's bandwith useage through the roof.

Cheers,

Colin - pbase.com/cjsouthern

[McQ]

One option would be for me to provide some type of tiered storage space, where power users (like yourselfs) get more storage space once they surpass a given post number milestone. One could get 4X the space after their 100th post, for example. However, in order to see what the forums could provide I'd need to do a more thorough evaluation of traffic and storage requirements...

On the other hand, hosting your photos on an external server, such as flickr, pbase, photo.net, imageshack, smugmug, etc. means less bandwidth usage for my server and (for the time being) and a lot more available storage space.

[Colin Southern]

"One option would be for me to provide some type of tiered storage space ..."

We're going to have to address this off-topic posting of yours Sean! Seriously though, it might be a good topic to split onto it's own thread?

To be honest Sean - in my opinion, it's fine the way it is. In my case I probably would have continued to use the thumbnails had I have had a lot more space, but this way it forced me to get off my butt and organise a better solution (which really wasn't hard) - so ultimately the limits did me a favour as I learned something new.

Hosting the images elsewhere does take a little bit more time & effort to set up, but I doubt that it would be a problem for those dedicated to making this a better place - and something we can all help someone struggling with.

On the other hand, if you end up hosting more image data at your end - and the site keeps growing (as I'm sure it will) then I'm concerned that a point will get reached (sooner rather than later) where we'll start to see performance issues - upgrades & more bandwidth will be required - and then we start getting into the territory of how that needs to be funded - and (heaven forbid) subscriptions and/or advertising may be required.

In my opinion, inline posting from external sources must shift the majority of the bandwidth burdon to the users and their chosen hosting sites; or "someone elses problem" from a Cambridge in Colour bandwidth perspective.

Cheers,

Colin

[McQ]

"One option would be for me to provide some type of tiered storage space ..."

We're going to have to address this off-topic posting of yours Sean! Seriously though, it might be a good topic to split onto it's own thread?

Yes, yes...it was my fault that this thread got split. When I got halfway through my post I realized that I was veering into totally unrelated territory. I didn't want to hijack your active bird/boat challenge so I split this part off.

On the other hand, if you end up hosting more image data at your end - and the site keeps growing (as I'm sure it will) then I'm concerned that a point will get reached (sooner rather than later) where we'll start to see performance issues - upgrades & more bandwidth will be required - and then we start getting into the territory of how that needs to be funded - and (heaven forbid) subscriptions and/or advertising may be required.

In my opinion, inline posting from external sources must shift the majority of the bandwidth burdon to the users and their chosen hosting sites; or "someone elses problem" from a Cambridge in Colour bandwidth perspective.

Well, I switched to a new server about 9 months ago when the forums first went online. The server is overkill even for now, so there's still a lot of headroom.

In terms of the bandwidth issue, I could make it so that the attachment images could only be used for posts/links within the cambridgeincolour.com domain. This would prevent the site as only being used for some sort of imageshack style image hosting server by others. That's the real concern. Also, there's already a built-in photo album/sharing feature in the forums software... (although likely nowhere near as good as some of the dedicated photo hosting packages). This feature would still be leaps and bound above the current attachment system.

At risk of internal revolt , One thing to consider way down the road is this: ads that show up only for those who are not logged in. That would pay for the extra storage and server of those who actually go through the trouble to register and log in. Everyone else would be completely unaffected. The majority of bandwidth use is consumed by guest users anyways.

Just brainstorming out loud here...

[Davey]

Can you use flickr as an image host? I am probably wrong but I thought they didn't like you doing that (although links to them are ok using them the way you would imageshack is frowned upon) but it was ok to hotlink to them so people navigate through their site rather than just pull image from them and display without link using [IMG]url[/IMG]. Forgive me if this isn't the case.

I don't often use the hosts that allow you to use the link to display elsewhere as they often tend to delete the images, sometimes quite quickly so it's not the safest option. Well for free accounts that is.

[Colin Southern]

"Can you use flickr as an image host?"

Yes, as far as I know. I setup a Flickr account the other day - uploaded some images - and then linked to them OK here.

The "right-click on the image chooe properties and copy/paste the contained URL" worked just fine for me.

Cheers,

Colin - pbase.com/cjsouthern

[shreds]

I do believe there is something in their terms whereby they don't like you doing anything other than providing a link to your flickr site.

Need to put the legal hat on a disappear into a darkened room to analyse this!

Certainly other forums have highlighted difficulties.

[Davey]

Yeah I heard there was something in the terms. Stupidly enough I never read most TOS/EULAs on software and websites etc unless it's something I really need to check (how do I know without reading you may ask, the answer being I don't ). Still I'd guess you're likely to get away with it if people are visiting your flickr stream, but if you just use solely as a host to display images safely for free for display on other forums then they will get funny about it. I could be wrong about this but might be worth checking because if you upload a load of stuff only to get the account binned and you have to do it all over again it could be a real pain, especially with the upload limit on free accounts and if you've been adding to it over a long time.

I made flickr account a while ago but never put anything on since, I put 2 (small) lots of photos on and that was it. Also one of the 2 sets I uploaded were more as preview of a work in progress to show friend before I complete it. I really will have to upload something.

[Colin Southern]

I think that most TOS / EULA's can be summerd up very easily ...

"You have no rights, no privilages, and you're entitled to nothing"!

If all else failed, perhaps - for images posted in this site - there could be the option of getting Sean to officially host them, but those interested chip in something appropriate to cover the costs?

Any thoughts Sean?

Cheers,

Colin - pbase.com/cjsouthern