Posting Images in Threads

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by OldBoy

Every other site on the internet doesn't have this problem only on here!

That's not really true, though is it? It's the same on here as all the other VBulletin boards and very similar to Invision, PHPBB and SMF.

The issue is (the lack of) user experience, and the need for more prominent guidance as clearly people aren't finding the FAQs.

[Muffy96]

[Muffy96]

Okay still trying to get this right.

[ABERS]

Originally Posted by ap4a

That's not really true, though is it? It's the same on here as all the other VBulletin boards and very similar to Invision, PHPBB and SMF.

The issue is (the lack of) user experience, and the need for more prominent guidance as clearly people aren't finding the FAQs.

I'm not well versed in the intricacies of web site make-ups, but I can seem to post OK on a couple of others by following the clear and precise instructions that are there, but as Oldboy says posting here is, or seems to be, terribly complcated. As for the FAQ's section, when you eventually find it, it's akin to filling out your tax return or BT's telephone help system!

The problem is that for anyone that posts images infrequently, by the time they get to post another one a couple of months down the line they've forgotten the procedure. I expect it's an age thing!

[Muffy96]

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by ABERS

I'm not well versed in the intricacies of web site make-ups, but I can seem to post OK on a couple of others by following the clear and precise instructions that are there, but as Oldboy says posting here is, or seems to be, terribly complcated. As for the FAQ's section, when you eventually find it, it's akin to filling out your tax return or BT's telephone help system!

The problem is that for anyone that posts images infrequently, by the time they get to post another one a couple of months down the line they've forgotten the procedure. I expect it's an age thing!

As I said, it's an experience issue. And not really the fault of the site's owners if after learning how to do it people forget, there's a pretty standard procedure involved. I do think that the FAQs aren't prominent enough nor clear enough for people who find them, however. I think in part it's been complicated by explaining how to use an image from a PR gallery within a post, rather than just explaining how to post an image and then explaining how to use a PR gallery one separately.

But, for the actual forum posting aspect, this site uses a system that is actually easier than on many sites in one aspect and precisely the same in another. IE.

1. the built in automated method

On PR (uses VBulletin): click the image post icon and you're prompted for the address of the image (it doesn't matter where the image is stored, it doesn't need to be on PR already, it can be on Flickr). It then prefills the code for you and places it in your post in full.

On Invision Powerboard: same as for PR/VBulletin above

On a PHPBB forum I'm on:
click the image posting icon and it places the opening BB code tag into your post, you then have to place the address into your post in the appropriate place after it and then remember to click the image posting icon again in order to close it.

On an SMF forum I'm on:
click the image posting icon and it place both the opening and closing BB code tags into your post. You then have to insert your image address within them.

2. the manual method

This is the same on VBulletin, Invision Power Board, SMF and PHPBB - you add the BB Code for opening and closing image tags and place the address to your image in between.

[Amy Davies]

Hi everyone,

A link to the FAQ is at the top of the main forum page - and there's also a sticky at the top of the PhotoRadar section of the forum where another member kindly explains how to insert an image. Does anybody have any suggestions where else they'd like to see it?

You can find the relevant part in the FAQ's by searching for "insert image" where an illustrated guide will guide you through it - please let me know if this isn't clear enough and I'll amend as necessary.

Many thanks,

Amy

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by Amy Davies

Hi everyone,

A link to the FAQ is at the top of the main forum page - and there's also a sticky at the top of the PhotoRadar section of the forum where another member kindly explains how to insert an image. Does anybody have any suggestions where else they'd like to see it?

I think it'd be useful to have it prominent at the top of every inner forum page rather than just the front of the forum, that way it's just a single click away when people are likely to need to refer to it.

[greenwing]

Originally Posted by ap4a

That's not really true, though is it? It's the same on here as all the other VBulletin boards and very similar to Invision, PHPBB and SMF.

The issue is (the lack of) user experience, and the need for more prominent guidance as clearly people aren't finding the FAQs.

I think oldBoy was exaggerating for emphasis, as hundreds of thousands of people do on this forum daily.

The issue is not the lack of experience, it's the fact that this is a photography forum and it would be expected that there would be intuitively obvious ways of uploading pictures. It's not a place where users care about computer-geeky stuff like the underlying bulletin board, they're more interested in camera geeky stuff. If the forum providers don't provide a forum that caters for the anticipated users, then the forum will fail.

Chris

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by greenwing

I think oldBoy was exaggerating for emphasis, as hundreds of thousands of people do on this forum daily.

I know what he was doing, but I don't think it helps to get real issues resolved as it just makes the complaints look petty and overblown. YMMV.

The issue is not the lack of experience, it's the fact that this is a photography forum and it would be expected that there would be intuitively obvious ways of uploading pictures. It's not a place where users care about computer-geeky stuff like the underlying bulletin board, they're more interested in camera geeky stuff. If the forum providers don't provide a forum that caters for the anticipated users, then the forum will fail.

It's precisely a lack of user experience. There's nothing much more intuitive than click a button, insert a link and click to post and this is the same system used on thousands of forums across the world where people cope just fine. Including a number of very popular photography forums where they're also more interested in camera geeky stuff than the underlying forum - for example the Canon user forum at http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ uses the same system as this one, as does Talk Photography, both of which are vastly more active than this one and haven't suffered from using the system in place here. Photographers are proving themselves to be able to use it there, as do more experienced users here. If you think there's a more intuitive system available then I'd be interested in it (and not in regards to this discussion).