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How to Display Pictures in Forum


Frank Hagan

How to Display Pictures in Forum  

27 members have voted

  1. 1. How to Display Pictures in Forum

    • As Links Only
      1
    • As Thumbnails Only
      8
    • Leave it as it is!
      20


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How do you want to have pictures displayed in the forum messages? Here are the choices, and the pros and cons:

As links only:

This choice puts a link in the message that you click, and the picture pops up in a new window. Pro: faster loading of the message, you don't have to wait for pictures to display if you are going back to re-read the message after someone has added a comment. Con: if you have a pop-up blocker, you'll have to SHIFT-CLICK to see the picture (or some other method).

As thumbnails only:

This choice puts a small thumbnail in the message, and you can click on it to see the full picture. Pro: faster loading of the message than full size images, Thumbnail provides a preview to see if you want to wait for the big image to load. Con: if you have a pop-up blocker, you have to SHIFT-CLICK to see the pop up picture (or some other method).

Current method:

This puts the full image into the forum UNLESS its over a certain size, then it puts a link in the message. We try to balance the size we allow with the resolution most users are using, so that a large picture doesn't foul up the readibility of the message (i.e., so you don't have to scroll right and left to read the text).

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The only draw back I see to the links and thumbnail choices is that you could still end up with pictures that don't fit the screen of your browser. On the plus side they both would allow people to post pictures without having to learn how to use picture editting software.

With the way the forum is set up now it does end up encouraging people to learn to reduce the size of a picture so that it will display and we can see the whole picture in our browser window. You loose the overall effect of a beuatiful boat when you can only see half of it at a time.

Bob

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I'm about as computer challenged as anyone. Once I learned what to do to post here, I found it easy to work with. I have a couple of photo editors that allow me to set the size by pixels and for some of my photos I have some of them saved in two sizes just so I can post them or send them to others.

I agree with Bob that the system works. I know how frustrating it was for me to get to be able to use it, but it works. I'm for keeping it the way it is.

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I vote for changing to thumbnails.

The reason is that the current images, at 600x400, still cause me to scroll left-right... so it is a pain for me. (I have a big screen, but I set up my browser so that I can open 2 windows side by side. I usually have about 10 windows up)

If you change it to thumbnails, (I assume you have software that saves two versions of the file, one as submitted, one thumbnailed), the advantage would be that we don't have to wait for the BIG image to download for the 66th time. And, unlike the "links", we can still see what the image is, so we don't have to click on the link, again, to see what it is.

Any way to make it a user settable value: see links, see thumbnails, or full image?

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Any way to make it a user settable value: see links' date=' see thumbnails, or full image?[/quote']

That would be ideal, but I don't see that option anywhere on a user-level basis. I had also wanted to have the pictures load if they were a certain size, and then load a thumbnail for the larger pics, but that isn't an option either (I'll double check to make sure).

So far the vote is going about 70% to keep it the way it is.

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The thumbnail alternative sounds quite nice to me. You get to know from the quickly loading small picture if you are interested in seeing it in full scale, so you have a choice.

I am not quite aware what are the limitations of this solution regarding the actual picture file. Will this one be limited to a certain size (WxH) and/or bytes? If not, then nobody should run into problems posting any picture that they have on their computer.

If an active link is NOT allowed with this solution, then it will always be possible to give a link as a text string. Anyone interested can cut the string and paste it into the browser to have a look at the picture (if not possible to post as a thumbnail).

I will not cry even if we stay with the current solution.

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127 views, 21 posts? :? Five replies, 21 votes, got to be more thought and opinions than this. I have a very slow and old computer, and dial up. My eyes are not that great for viewing small thumb nails to determine a picture. Usually I use the setting in my camera to size the photo for user friendly viewing. This does not do a very good job in zoom shots, though.

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Thumbnails don't have to bee 10x10. I have often seen them around 150x100. Still big enough to see what is there, and small enough that it is easy and quick to load. If you want to see the BIG image, just click on it.

Frank, I don't know how easy it is to change, but maybe we need to try it for a few days. I'd be surprised if more people don't like it after they try it.

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Given the last few comments and Frank's information that it is easy to switch from thumbnails back to the current solution, I would vote (which I already did) for trying the thumbnails.

My point is: It is a general human tendency to avoid change, especially if it is not clear what the change will lead to. In this case we can run the thumbnail alternative for a couple of weeks and then have a vote after the test period. With this approach the vote can be based on experience rather than "we know what we have but not what we get". :D

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I really hadn't thought about it before now, but, if you can make the thumbnails as big or small as you want then you could make them big enough for us young-uns to see without clicking to the larger view. While, the older-uns can click to see the larger view. :lol: Just might be the answer we're looking for. :D

I have nothing against trying anything differant. If you want to try the thumbnails for a while, then I say lets do it. As you say, you can always change it back. :wink:

Don't matter to me. I don't have problems posting pictures as it is. 8) :P

Vac950.jpg?dc=4675432062226810841

By the way, the above picture is 504 by 336 at 72 dpi.

Bob

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Easy for you to say' date=' Mr.Cox. You have a fancy kickup rudder that makes your boat smaller in the picture. :wink: :P[/quote']

In the imortal words of Gary Coleman, "What You Talkn' bout. Who said that?"

In the picture above I cheated and took the rudder off. Makes the picture even smaller. :lol:

P Doug, you'll have to forgive those of us on DSL or Broadband. We've already forgotten how slow a landline can be. :)

At least if Frank was to change to thumbnails it would be a little faster. :roll:

Bob

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I wonder who the dummy could have been that was the only one to vote for links only :roll: :oops: I bet he has a real slow computer and probably on a landline :(

You never know ... I do get to vote too, you know. :shock:

I do have dial up access at home (but REALLY fast access at work!) Between the two, I think I have about DSL speed! I'm just waiting for Verizon to get a SO close to my house, so I can get DSL!

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