Forum image uploads (split from gallery feedback thread)

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by pburness

4)The Forum
Where images can be posted for critique, discussion, PR, support etc. (this needs to be improved though as the limitation on only adding a url is a real bind).

What limitation? You can post images in the forum.

[pburness]

Originally Posted by ap4a

What limitation? You can post images in the forum.

The limitation is that the image has to be on the web somewhere, you can't load the picture directly from your PC.

Phil

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by pburness

The limitation is that the image has to be on the web somewhere, you can't load the picture directly from your PC.l

Unless you want to be the only one who can see it then there's no way around that 'limitation'.

[pburness]

Originally Posted by ap4a

Unless you want to be the only one who can see it then there's no way around that 'limitation'.

There is, but you have to use a more modern editor that allows embedding of the image.

Phil

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by pburness

There is, but you have to use a more modern editor that allows embedding of the image.

Where do you intend to embed the image from? Your computer? If so then your computer needs to be permanently on, and be findable through the DNS system. If that's already the case then you can host the image on your computer and embed it here already.

If that's not the case, or a viable option, then you'll have to host it somewhere on the web and embed it. Like you can do now.

All images on the web are embedded via a link. None are directly embedded within a page.

[pburness]

Originally Posted by ap4a

Where do you intend to embed the image from? Your computer? If so then your computer needs to be permanently on, and be findable through the DNS system. If that's already the case then you can host the image on your computer and embed it here already.

Not strictly true - modern forums (or rather the database's behind them) will allow you to store a binary object within them, and therefore access it directly without a URL call. There are advantages and disadvantages to this:-
Disadvantages are database size, as obviously the image itself will be stored in the database and not just the few bytes reference link to the image storage location.
Advantages to this are - the processing of the image only needs to be done once (during the upload the image can be pre-processed for sizing etc.) prior to storing as a Binary Object, it has faster loading times. It is a one step process. If somebody removes the image from it's URL/storage location you can still see it in the forum.

All images on the web are embedded via a link. None are directly embedded within a page.

Correct, but some are linked by a URL, some are direct calls into the database fields. The current process used on this forum dictates that first I need to upload my image into some repository (Flickr, PhotoRadar, wherever..), then I need to copy this link into the insert picture dialog box in the forum editor.
There are forum editors that move this to a one step process where I can hit the image icon and it will allow me to either browse my PC for a filename and then upload it as a Binary Object and insert a field link into the text, or allow me to enter a URL in a standard manner.

Phil

[ap4a]

Right, but using blobs would ultimately make the database far bigger and slower than it needs to be, and cause more problems than it solves, and place far more of the burden of hosting images than is necessary onto this site. It's also hosting it in the database, and not on your computer as you originally were asking for, and still requires a means to link to it, albeit from within the database itself instead of an external image file.

Right now there's a mechanism for adding images that works, and is consistent with other forums including those that use different forum software. Changing that would require the staff of this site to re-engineer the forum software to do something it hasn't been written to do and would take more time than it's clear they have, especially when there are more urgent matters.

And just to reiterate, you can add images to posts in the forum.

[pburness]

Originally Posted by ap4a

Right, but using blobs would ultimately make the database far bigger and slower than it needs to be, and cause more problems than it solves, and place far more of the burden of hosting images than is necessary onto this site. It's also hosting it in the database, and not on your computer as you originally were asking for, and still requires a means to link to it, albeit from within the database itself instead of an external image file.

Right now there's a mechanism for adding images that works, and is consistent with other forums including those that use different forum software. Changing that would require the staff of this site to re-engineer the forum software to do something it hasn't been written to do and would take more time than it's clear they have, especially when there are more urgent matters.

And just to reiterate, you can add images to posts in the forum.

Where did I say I wanted the image permanently hosted on my computer? If you are referring to post 39396 then you've mis-understood. What I would like is the ability to upload the image directly from my computer into a forum post without having to upload it onto a web server/repository first.

Making a call to the internet and having an image served can take just as long and probably longer than accessing the image directly from the forums database. I don't believe the database hosting will be that much impaired to be honest, as many organisations are using similar methods for huge userbase communities without detrimental performances.

So technically there is no reason why it can't be done - if it's a funding / priority / preferrential engineering reason then thats a different discussion.

And for the avoidance of doubt, I know you can add images in the forum I do it occassionaly, even if it is an archaic method....

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by pburness

Where did I say I wanted the image permanently hosted on my computer? If you are referring to post 39396 then you've mis-understood. What I would like is the ability to upload the image directly from my computer into a forum post without having to upload it onto a web server/repository first.

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

Making a call to the internet and having an image served can take just as long and probably longer than accessing the image directly from the forums database. I don't believe the database hosting will be that much impaired to be honest, as many organisations are using similar methods for huge userbase communities without detrimental performances.

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

So technically there is no reason why it can't be done - if it's a funding / priority / preferrential engineering reason then thats a different discussion.

It's all the same discussion.

[ap4a]

Split from the original thread so as to not detract from the feedback being given.