flux
594 & CU24
Hi folks,
A how-to for one of the forum's most near-and-dear purposes is in order, and I felt compelled to assemble one. Please understand in advance that I have no affiliation with any of the services mentioned here. This is by no means a complete list, rather a collection of resources that forum members have done well with since Photobucket's recent account changes.
Suggestions/additions welcome! Full disclosure: I'm centered on Windows, Android, and Chrome... so if anyone has additional tips for other platforms, please feel free to chime in.
Let's get started.
Q: Why do I have to do all this, anyway? Can't I just upload images directly to the forum?
A: Many forums have the capability to host user images, but at a cost. Every image requires storage, and server bandwidth for viewing. That may not seem like a big deal for the occasional meme image or New Guitar Day -- but with the existence of large, popular, image-heavy threads here like Private Stock Friday, it adds up. At the time of this posting, it alone spans 430+ pages, contains 8,593 replies, and has 1,281,835 views. To take that burden off the mothership, financially and otherwise, we can easily host and post our own pictures elsewhere. That helps keep spaces like this free for everybody to use.
Q: What should I keep in mind when sharing my images?
A: This is the Internet, and as such some security precautions should be considered. It's grand fun to share images of your beloved gear and new purchases, but beware: if you're snapping photos with a phone, it might embed geo-location or other potentially sensitive data by default -- that means that unless you're careful, you might inadvertently broadcast your whereabouts.
It's best/easiest to use a hosting service that cleanses your imagery of sensitive data. However, if you're PC-competent, you can accomplish the same results manually.
More information: What Is EXIF Data, and How Can I Remove It From My Photos?
Also, try not to hotlink obscenely large images, it's inconvenient for people viewing the website on slow connections or mobile devices. Additionally, please don't hotlink to images you don't have permission to use, or are copyrighted. For example, that sweet picture of your new guitar, which is hosted on the dealer's website... and that brings us back to A#1.
Q: Okay, I've read your wall of text and just want to post my images. How does that work?
A: Pretty easily, you just need to do two things:
1) Upload the image you wish to share to a hosting site
2) Once you've done so, copy the link and bring it back to your post
Images must be wrapped in the forum's IMG tag in order to display properly within your post. If you're unfamiliar with bb-code tags, please refer to this usage guide.
Now, a real-world example, using the forum's text interface:
That brings up this dialogue box. Paste in your image URL and the forum will wrap it in IMG tags.
Which yields:
Praise the Wood Library! Now we can have fun.
For posting multiple images within the same post, just repeat the process for each additional image.
Hosting site information and tutorials are posted as individual replies, below, to break up this large chunk of text.
A how-to for one of the forum's most near-and-dear purposes is in order, and I felt compelled to assemble one. Please understand in advance that I have no affiliation with any of the services mentioned here. This is by no means a complete list, rather a collection of resources that forum members have done well with since Photobucket's recent account changes.
Suggestions/additions welcome! Full disclosure: I'm centered on Windows, Android, and Chrome... so if anyone has additional tips for other platforms, please feel free to chime in.
Let's get started.
Q: Why do I have to do all this, anyway? Can't I just upload images directly to the forum?
A: Many forums have the capability to host user images, but at a cost. Every image requires storage, and server bandwidth for viewing. That may not seem like a big deal for the occasional meme image or New Guitar Day -- but with the existence of large, popular, image-heavy threads here like Private Stock Friday, it adds up. At the time of this posting, it alone spans 430+ pages, contains 8,593 replies, and has 1,281,835 views. To take that burden off the mothership, financially and otherwise, we can easily host and post our own pictures elsewhere. That helps keep spaces like this free for everybody to use.
Q: What should I keep in mind when sharing my images?
A: This is the Internet, and as such some security precautions should be considered. It's grand fun to share images of your beloved gear and new purchases, but beware: if you're snapping photos with a phone, it might embed geo-location or other potentially sensitive data by default -- that means that unless you're careful, you might inadvertently broadcast your whereabouts.
It's best/easiest to use a hosting service that cleanses your imagery of sensitive data. However, if you're PC-competent, you can accomplish the same results manually.
More information: What Is EXIF Data, and How Can I Remove It From My Photos?
Also, try not to hotlink obscenely large images, it's inconvenient for people viewing the website on slow connections or mobile devices. Additionally, please don't hotlink to images you don't have permission to use, or are copyrighted. For example, that sweet picture of your new guitar, which is hosted on the dealer's website... and that brings us back to A#1.
Q: Okay, I've read your wall of text and just want to post my images. How does that work?
A: Pretty easily, you just need to do two things:
1) Upload the image you wish to share to a hosting site
2) Once you've done so, copy the link and bring it back to your post
Images must be wrapped in the forum's IMG tag in order to display properly within your post. If you're unfamiliar with bb-code tags, please refer to this usage guide.
Now, a real-world example, using the forum's text interface:
That brings up this dialogue box. Paste in your image URL and the forum will wrap it in IMG tags.
Which yields:
Praise the Wood Library! Now we can have fun.
For posting multiple images within the same post, just repeat the process for each additional image.
Hosting site information and tutorials are posted as individual replies, below, to break up this large chunk of text.
Last edited: