Forum image uploads (split from gallery feedback thread)

[Cathus]

there are photography forums much bigger & far more popular than this one which manage to serve up images that are uploaded direct into the forum software database without any problems of speed or accessibility.

Images that are served from the gallery come from the same database as they would come from if they were served from a forum attachment. I don't see why it should be an issue to have forum attachments.

[pburness]

Originally Posted by ap4a

The database is on a web server, so you've still got to upload it to that web server.

Thats just being pedantic, trivial and missing the point entirely.
Let me try a different approach: I do not want to use a web interface, such as the 'upload a photo interface on photoradar' or 'flickr' or 'some other web server' to add a photo into a gallery / collection / album / portfoliio, so I can then go into a different environment 'the forum' to add a photo into a message for discussion purposes when it is possible to do it directly from within (a modern) editor / database domain.

Having the image posted elsewhere (outside of the discussion forum) may have no value whatsover, and may even detract from an otherwise nice collection of photo's.

Given the number of times the database for this site has fallen over in the last few months I'd disagree.

Then identify the root cause and fix it or live with it. Don't restrict progress on existing problems.

If your database (and admittedly, I don't know which one you are using) is falling over then it is unlikely to be the data within it or the access load - it will more likely be configuration or access permissions, or possibly bound by the limitations of the server.

It's all the same discussion.

I don't see it that way, you can either improve what you have, or defend what you have.
Technically there is no reason why you cannot do as I have requested therefore no more discussion on that aspect.
Next discussion is do we want to, can we afford it, what benefits does it bring, is it a priority etc.

[Lurkalot]

Originally Posted by Cathus

I don't see why it should be an issue to have forum attachments.

Precisely what I was going to say. Uploading a image directly to a post is easy, all Marcus has to do is turn the attachments on. It's built in.

Obviously setting this for logged users only.

[donoreo]

I am behind the idea of uploading directly to the forum as well. Put a limit on file sizes and there is no problem. Doing so is far, far superior to linking to another site or even another spot on this site (linked from the forum database to the gallery database is not an efficient design in my point of view).

[Lurkalot]

I did ask for the attachments to be enabled on 02-08-09 This was when we were in beta.

What goes around comes around.

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by pburness

Thats just being pedantic, trivial and missing the point entirely.

It's not really. It's specific and addresses one of your original points which seems to have got lost in the twists introduced in the discussion.

Just to remind, you at first asked to be allowed to post images here, and then that it be done directly on your computer. The first has been addressed and the second point you've clarified. The rest of the discussion is a deviation which can keep going around in circles.

Having the image posted elsewhere (outside of the discussion forum) may have no value whatsover, and may even detract from an otherwise nice collection of photo's.

That could well be the case, and I don't use Flickr or any other sharing web site I use for posting to forums for that reason (unless the images are there already). But sticking to just this site for the time being, they already host people's photos for free, why would they want to escalate the cost so that they potentially host them twice in separate parts of the site? It could be that their budget allows for it, if it does then it likely should include a budget for a developer to fix the outstanding issues too.

If your database (and admittedly, I don't know which one you are using)

It's not my database, I'm an end user like yourself.

I don't see it that way, you can either improve what you have, or defend what you have.
Technically there is no reason why you cannot do as I have requested therefore no more discussion on that aspect.
Next discussion is do we want to, can we afford it, what benefits does it bring, is it a priority etc.

It's all the same discussion because it's a question of do they or do they not do it. All the reasons for and against come within that same discussion as it would be pointless to split the issue off into countless minor debates about different aspects of the same issue. However, given that, if they have the capacity for it, or the budget to scale up their capacity (including dealing with their dodgy databases) for it, then I'm neither for nor against it (as in I'd continue using the old method as I prefer to have better control of my content, including relating to terms applied to a service).

Originally Posted by Lurkalot

Precisely what I was going to say. Uploading a image directly to a post is easy, all Marcus has to do is turn the attachments on. It's built in.

Unlike IPB I wasn't aware it was built in to Vbulletin. A former colleague of mine had an IPB forum that he allowed attachment uploading on and it didn't take long for his web space to be used up entirely. Granted he didn't have a dedicated server like this site is run on, but he also didn't have as large a user base posting images to it on a regular basis like this one either.

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by Cathus

Images that are served from the gallery come from the same database as they would come from if they were served from a forum attachment. I don't see why it should be an issue to have forum attachments.

Is that level of integration between Drupal and VBulletin there? If so that addresses the point I've just made about the potential of duplicate images being hosted between the galleries and the forum.

[Lurkalot]

Originally Posted by ap4a

It's not really. It's specific and addresses one of your original


Unlike IPB I wasn't aware it was built in to Vbulletin. A former colleague of mine had an IPB forum that he allowed attachment uploading on and it didn't take long for his web space to be used up entirely. Granted he didn't have a dedicated server like this site is run on, but he also didn't have as large a user base posting images to it on a regular basis like this one either.

Look below when replying, you'll a little list of what you can and can't do as a regular member. You'll see you may not post attachments, and that's because they are turned off in the admin panel.

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Space for the attachments shouldn't be a problem, they can crank this up or down as desired. As they already run a gallery, which I have to say some of the images are huge in file size, I don't think server space is a problem.

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by Lurkalot

Look below when replying, you'll a little list of what you can and can't do as a regular member.

Heh, I've never gone that far down a page

Space for the attachments shouldn't be a problem, they can crank this up or down as desired. As they already run a gallery, which I have to say some of the images are huge in file size, I don't think server space is a problem.

Not knowing how much server space they have (left) I don't know how long it'd take to fill. But you're spot on about the size of some of the images, which I think in part contributes to my point about space becoming an issue. Especially if there becomes duplication (if that can be avoided then it's a moot point anyway though).

[Cathus]

The attachments are configured so that you can dictate a maximum file size and/or pixel size, so you simply wouldn't be able to upload huge images files, unlike the gallery.

as to the database, certainly on the websites I adminsiter where I have a content management system & a forum, whilst they are in different tables they are on the same database & calls are made to that one database bu both the forum & CMS