Stovebolt.com Forums The Back Office IT Short Bus Pictures in the forums ... instructions

I know this has been around awhile. Tiny started a thread back in 2015 and it became a "sticky."

These are step-by-step instructions in PDF download (with screen shots ... my favorite) for uploading an image in the forums. It is a one-page PDF -- well worth printing and keeping.

Tiny's post said: "It is now possible to post images in the technical forums and the Swap Meet area. Images can be no larger than 300KB and no more than five per post. Click the link below for the How To. If you have questions about how to resize images post it in the 'Bus."

That limitation has changed. The only place you can't post pix is in Spoon and Private Messages.

Also, important to know (it was for me): the picture comes from your computer or device. Doesn't have to be "up there somewhere" like the links are.

More and more folks are beginning to realize how easy it is to post photos to their threads/posts, making it easier on us visual types to try and help them out. Even this 75yo non-Tech guy can do it. Just don’t ask me to post links.

I, too, and a visual learner. At 72, I must have serious brain foggy. Plus, words. Use the right word if possible. That helps a lot with the dog and kids. THAT I know.

I certainly am stoked to do this. First one was to add Barry's pix and remove all the ones I had on the server.

I *will* try to control myself.

Or not.

I use the free "Post Image" host to post photos anywhere. For the first year posts were accompanied by shapely ladies in very warm weather outfits but now it is family friendly.

There are a few issues associated with linking photos, as we the forum, have learned in the past. They disappear if the host changes their policies. In that case, all of the photos that accompanied a very detailed post, may someday be gone, losing all of that knowledge that you brought to the forum. A picture tells a thousand words. Thus the reason the forum now allows photos within the post.

The other issue, is the photos take much more time to load so they can be viewed. In many cases you can view only one at a time so you have to go thru the loading process again. Imbedded pictures, up to five, are there, while you reading the post.

I would however like to see the accompanying clothing models in the former pictures. Did I say that! Sorry, it is a family friendly site. Shame on me!

I think the stumbling block for posting photos is not in our instructions but in the stubbornness of the users. “I’ve always done it this way and I’m not going to change”.

The old instructions required posting links and in certain places on the site those instructions are still there. New members who actually take the time to read through the instructions and guidelines think they NEED to use links. Even when guided to our new instructions in the left margin of every page, they refuse to change.

Member “coilover” is a good example and since he responded to this thread I’ll pick on him. He has always used a photo hosting site and he is happy with the results so in spite of being asked to use the new program, outside of The Greasy Spoon, he still uses his old way.

Five minutes worth of experimenting and the new instructions become clear and much easier than switching back and forth between sites.

Those using cell phones as their primary computer don’t generally see the left margin of every page so they are fighting an uphill battle right off.

It is so much nicer when reading a post and the referenced pictures are right there to look at. Plus, a lot of us don’t trust some of these hosting site and won’t click on them.

As for photos directly in the Greasy Spoon, no way, absolutely not, nope, ain’t gonna do it. That could get way out of hand very quickly, porn (Evan’s scantily clad ladies) and spamming come to mind.

Links have their places but not as a primary means of posting photos.
Rant over!

While the topic of posting photos is active, I'd like to add some info.

When you bring up the Attachment Manager window, you'll see the box where you can add a caption to the photo that you are about to drag-and-drop or navigate to.

You must put the caption in the box BEFORE you add your photo.

The caption cannot be added or edited after you add the photo. If you do want to add or change a caption, you have to delete the photo, add the caption, and bring the photo into the Attachment Manager again.

If you need to change the size of a photo, you can use the Paint program that comes with Windows. Just open your photo in Paint and there's a resize icon you click to make it smaller. Attached below are some screen shots that show:

• Where you'll find Paint in the Windows Start menu
• Paint's resize window that comes up when you click on the resize icon
• The resize icon circled in green

Cheers, Dean

By the way, in the Gallery Forums, you can add up to 25 photos! Very cool!!

Dean

Much to respond to here.

Rather than go thru too much history (many of you already know the growing pains of the site), I'll get to the CURRENT thinking.

Having the images on the site as a photo (not a link) is a much better plan. We have had lots of lamenting from Bolters who have lost their pictures. In cleaning up the static pages, we had a lot of broken links, for various reasons. I can imagine the frustration of reading a post and have the link to an image not work.

I also like the idea of the thumbnail size in the post which opens up to basically a slideshow when there is more than one image.

People don't read instructions. We are working on making the instructions easier to read AND we are working on a step by step video. Perhaps the instructions, being in PDF format for download, is part of the problem. I'm on a PC so it was easy for me to print out, once I figured out where it went on my computer.

Dean has a very important piece to add to the instructions. From our newspaper days, you need to have some kind of caption for the picture.

And a final note: the LINKS to images isn't necessarily a BAD thing. In the NEW THINK, all the images are at the bottom of the post. I can see how for some posts, it's more helpful to have a link to go along with what you are taking about!

Both have their benefits.

I'll be back ....

Dean,

I missed your photos. DUH. Very neat. I wondered how you did that for the images you have sent me.

I'm such a step-by-step person.

25 photos eh? Each post or entire thread?

Peg

You can add 25 images to the first post in each thread in the Gallery Forums. ;-)

At least, that is what is documented in the Attachment Manager window.

Cheers, Dean