Polite request to posters - Photobucket

ThePrettyDamned

I vaguely remember @RaymondLin doing a very detailed and extremely useful post on the best way to get pictures on the forum. I use Flickr - which is okay, but a bit of a hassle. I think Raymond recommended imgur. 

Neil

I've always used photobucket as I have all my pics on there.

I post on many other fora and have never once heard anyone moan about PB except on here.

 I guess it must be the forum software as I have never managed to be able to post direct links here either.

I've never heard anyone saying they can't see my pics when I've put a couple of guitars up for sale.

Can you see this?

Dot can.

monquixote

I've moved this to help and feedback. 

The forum software has always been able to host photos we just choose not to allow it for legal and space reasons.

TTony

@monquixote

what's happenning with (y)our investigations into the alternative hosting solution?  

monquixote

It's entirely possible I'll just have to write some code to make it happen if we want to implement it.

DLM

I suffer similarly on my Samsung devices with Photobucket. Sometimes I grab a different device specifically to look at a Photobucket upload on here to avoid clicking the link on one of my Android phones.

I happen to know that Dropbox-hosted images also won't show with certain content-control software, though. Then I have to switch back to an Android device.

I use Flickr for the uploads I post here, which isn't quite as convenient as it could be, but is OK.

The problem isn't the forum software here, though. IMHO it's not really cricket to ask to be allowed to upload to the forum's servers. This is a free service!

TTony

monquixote said:

It's entirely possible I'll just have to write some code to make it happen if we want to implement it.

Anything's possible - it's software


Seems like the problems with the free-hosting services are only going to get worse as they get more ad-infested, device-sensitive or more awkward to link to this forum, so if we (you) could work out a way of overcoming all of those issues with a tFB-specific solution, people may well be inclined to use it, even if it's not quite as free as the rest of the forum ...

paul_c2

Drew_TNBD said:

Yep. Photobucket is total arse jam. Use Dropbox or Google Drive.

Dropbox isn't perfect either.... www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/85009/fs-fender-mim-telecaster-in-car whether its a user issue, or a Dropbox issue, or this server, or something else, who knows?

andyp

I've had a ballache of a time with Photobucket, it's horrible as the user and the viewer. Unfortunately I've used it for quite a while so have stuff on there I need to move. I started a thread in Making and Modding so have been using it a lot lately but I want rid of it.

Sounds like Imgur is the way to go then. That's tonight's job then! Cancel Photobucket and bin it.


Edit - Hmmm. I just tried Imgur. It looks like an Instagram setup? I don't want to post stuff though, I just want to host it so I can link it here. I went to log in to my old Flickr account and I've been locked out, then it seems if I want a new one I need a Yahoo email address? Is this right?

Andy

martinw

Nobody has addressed the point I raised: if you post the 'direct' link instead of the url, there's no issue using Photobucket with either PC or mobile that I know of. On my android phone I just see the pics unless someone has posted the link.

I also post on other fora with no problems, and the whole Photobucket thing doesn't occur there.

Why not just remind people to post the direct image link in the correct way?

clarkefan

True, you're right, I saw your photo of the cars and nothing bad happened It loaded immediately as well, same time as your text, no latency.

hotpickups

I have to admit I post 'direct' image links from photobucket on here and sometimes the image does appear in the thread for me but sometimes not and can just see the URL. However, it's very rare that I get any ads come up if I do click on them. Could it be your service provider that dictates if you get ads or not etc?

ChrisMusic

I get the feeling that there *may* be a lot of "user error" in all this.
However there are some genuine issues with some of the hosting services.
Possibly a bit of solid research by @TTony & @monquixote might offer the exact methodology for posting correctly ? This will only work if people choose to follow it correctly, and as long as the forum, hosting sites and device OS don't cause unforeseen issues.

Hosting on site would stop the deletion of content as so often happens with images, but would use a lot of extra server space, and I for one applaud the free forum that tFB currently is.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I have attempted to keep the index section updated in my old "How to Post Pics ~ a Little Help" thread, which was eunuch-ised after admin split it into various spin off threads, which no one seems able to find for some inexplicable reason.

I think they are all still open to post the latest advice when issues arise, so they should be the *first* port of call in resolving any issues with images or videos or even sound files, i.e. posting MEDIA help

In terms of navigation:
The "New Members" category points you to a page where you have to log in again even if you are already logged in, maybe @TTony could edit the link address to circumvent that ?
The FAQs (and posting pics is a FAQ) are a little ambiguous IMHO, you need to click on general and then it needs to  go to the OP which is a hosting index, again maybe the destination could be edited please @TTony ?

I am not sure if going back to a sticky is either relevant, or even noticed by many members (another "user error" issue just like some following the classified rules (or not))

Hope my ramblings are of some help to someone   (:|

ChrisMusic

Sorry the link to the index section from my old "How to Post Pics ~ a Little Help" thread seems not to work, so please click below.

(another forum software update "feature perhaps, like the vanishing picture, video and emoticon links that happens whenever you either manually save a draft or edit your post ? )

Comment #222064

TTony

ChrisMusic said:

In terms of navigation:
The "New Members" category points you to a page where you have to log in again even if you are already logged in, maybe @TTony could edit the link address to circumvent that ?

Just checked that out - and it worked OK for me without needed to re-log-in???

TTony

ChrisMusic said:

The FAQs (and posting pics is a FAQ) are a little ambiguous IMHO, you need to click on general and then it needs to  go to the OP which is a hosting index, again maybe the destination could be edited please @TTony ?

Not 100% sure what you mean there - but there's a link to an "index" of how to post pics using various hosting sites in both the New Members section *and* the FAQs *and* a stickied thread in the Help & Feedback section.

The previous approach put all the instructions for each hosting site into one thread, which became very (very) long.  And disjointed as people started discussing the pros & cons of each host or difficulties in using each one.  Hence the instructions for using each host were split out into a dedicated thread for each, and then linked from an index that was (hopefully) posted in enough places for people to be able to find it.



Now, a more appropriate criticism may well be whether the various "how to" instructions are still valid.  Do they work with the current version of the forum software?  Do they work with the current implementation of the hosting site?  Do they work with the usual platforms, OSes and browsers?

I'd guess not in all cases!

We are looking at being able to provide media hosting that's tightly - and easily - embedded with the forum.  That would come at a cost, but it seems that it would be useful, particularly for people who are bored of trying to work with the limitations of the various free hosts ...

ChrisMusic

TTony said:

ChrisMusic said:

In terms of navigation:
The "New Members" category points you to a page where you have to log in again even if you are already logged in, maybe @TTony could edit the link address to circumvent that ?

Just checked that out - and it worked OK for me without needed to re-log-in???

Navigating via this route appears to have a link to a " www.thefretboard " address, which always leads me to a sign in page whenever I have happened across one, see below for where I was directed, not sure if yours is an admin permissions thing, or I am just unlucky ?  When logged in I just get " thefretboard.co.uk " in my address bar Safari 7.0.2 OSX 10.9.2, and deleting the www. from the front of a normal page address (i.e. not the sign in one) usually / always takes me to the correct page circumventing the login window.  I hope that make some sort of sense !

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/entry/signin?Target=discussion/54241/posting-pics-vids-soundclips-how-to

ChrisMusic

TTony said:

ChrisMusic said:

The FAQs (and posting pics is a FAQ) are a little ambiguous IMHO, you need to click on general and then it needs to  go to the OP which is a hosting index, again maybe the destination could be edited please @TTony ?

Not 100% sure what you mean there - but there's a link to an "index" of how to post pics using various hosting sites in both the New Members section *and* the FAQs *and* a stickied thread in the Help & Feedback section.

The previous approach put all the instructions for each hosting site into one thread, which became very (very) long.  And disjointed as people started discussing the pros & cons of each host or difficulties in using each one.  Hence the instructions for using each host were split out into a dedicated thread for each, and then linked from an index that was (hopefully) posted in enough places for people to be able to find it.

Yes Tony, I totally understand, and support, the reasons for splitting the information into more easily digestible, and more relevant chunks.  My original thread was becoming quite cumbersome, that is one reason why I originally indexed the main advice posts, which in itself is problematic when the software guides you to #latest post.  I didn't mean to come across as critical, sorry if I did, that was not my intent.  (Brit, born and bred, but sometimes I think that English is a foreign language to me !)

However members on the forum seem to have a lot of difficulties with posting pics, for whatever reason, which could be easily resolved by referring to the relevant help thread, yet we seem to have numerous threads, mostly in classifieds I grant, littered with issues over posting pics, just take a quick trawl and I'm sure you will come across a few.

Quote from TPD  (I couldn't get the quote to appear in the right place so just copied and pasted in):
I vaguely remember @RaymondLin doing a very detailed and extremely useful post on the best way to get pictures on the forum. I use Flickr - which is okay, but a bit of a hassle. I think Raymond recommended imgur. 

So even long standing members seem to only have a hazy awareness of how to find the relevant info, hope I am not misinterpreting you there @ThePrettyDamned , or overstating this.

I didn't realise that there was a sticky in the Help and Feedback section as I never go directly in there, but it does seem to be the most logical place to put it.  Just goes to show, "you can lead a horse to water..." (or maybe not!)

To clarify your original question, #latest address is the problem I was referring to, the index you have posted @TTony is the OP of the thread, but the link address takes you to the #latest post, relevant for an ongoing thread, but not where the entry point is the OP = index.  

bingefeller

Use imgur! 

RaymondLin

IMGUR, pick the HTML link.

Problem solved, it really is that simple.