![[FGM] Bootie](https://i0.wp.com/thefewgoodmen.org/wp-content/uploads/wpforo/avatars/fgmbootie_193390399.jpg?resize=110%2C110 "[FGM] Bootie")
Hey everyone!
Okay, I'll admit I'm getting a bit frazzled by all this LOL. Can we gather all the image linking conversations into this one thread? It's gotten scattered across 4 or 5 different places and I think it'd help to have everything in one spot.
So here's where we're at: This forum is free and runs on WordPress infrastructure. The hosting and multiple daily backups are handled by WordPress, which gives us solid support and security – something that's really important after everything we've been through recently.
I've already invested in some add-ons like Private Messaging and Tagging to make the experience better for everyone. The frustrating part is that only after paying for these features did I discover this image linking issue – basically, attached files show as links instead of displaying the actual images.
Here's what I've learned so far:
- Imgur works for most people, but not for me – which kind of defeats the purpose if I can't see what's being posted!
- Flickr works well and gives you 1000 free images with an account, but clicking an image redirects you to Flickr, which is annoying
- ImgBB keeps coming up as a recommended Imgur alternative
- There's also something called Nextcloud hosting (honestly, I'm not really sure what that is!) but if it solves our embedding problem, I'd consider using club funds for it
I'd love to tap into everyone's collective knowledge here. Could some of you try these options and report back?
- Someone test ImgBB and share how user-friendly it is, plus which link format works
- Someone try PostImages and do the same
- Can anyone explain what Nextcloud actually is?
Are there other options I'm missing? I really want to keep us on a recognized hosting platform with professional support available 24/7 rather than going the self-hosting route – security and reliability matter.
We came together as a community to rebuild this... let's figure this out together! I'm heading to bed now but looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts tomorrow. 🙂
Bootie
Well, that's disappointing about IMGUR. It works just fine for me, but if you guys across the pond can't see the pics I post I can see a problem there. 😢
"If brute force doesn't work you aren't using enough brute force." - mTk
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"Turn based games don't need a pause key". - mTk
"Overkill is underrated." - Col John "Hannibal" Smith
Senatus Populusque Romanus- SPQR - The Senate and People of Rome (circa 60 BC)
I remember years ago when I lost images with Imageshack, then with Photobucket. Hundreds of images vanished from the Club. Until we discovered Imgur. And even that's not viable anymore. 🙄
I'll ask again what I asked in another thread: Should we use "attach file"?
For this point "basically, attached files show as links instead of displaying the actual images."
I've just tried the wpforo addon "wpForo Advanced Attachments" on their online live preview demo environnement.
On this thread https://addons.wpforo.com/community/wpforo-advanced-attachments/wpforo-advanced-attachments/paged/8/#post-3508 :
- When you are not logged in to wpforo : you dont see any images, only links
- When you are logged in, you see the images (create a demo account to view them)
Perhaps you could ask wpforo support, specifying that the site is hosted on the wordpress.com infrastructure ?
@lacigal Yes, I've looked at that option. The main issue is that it stores all images locally, which means storage costs will accumulate over time as we'd need to expand capacity. The interface also seems a bit clunky, though it does function properly. At $29, it might be worth testing out. I'm not worried about non-logged-in users being unable to view content; the site is intended for our use, and anyone interested can simply register. I also know you can put a limit on file size which would help with the storage issue as we can restrict images to 500kb or similar. When I did audits on uploads from the old site people were uploading files that were PNG format of more than 500MB at times... absolutely bizarre, as it absolutely drains resources and slows the site down.
Pros
- Secure
- Integrated
- It Works
- Cheap cost to initialise
- You get your own local storage area
- Images won't disappear or die as external factors won't affect them.
- Donations and ongoing Patreon donations can cover the cost going forward.
- Tiered storage capacity on site so we can upscale gradually to suit business needs.
- Can reuse the same image multiple times (no need to upload each time)
- We can limit the file size and type.
Cons
- Potential to cost me down the line as the site may need to expand storage capacity, possibly outstripping donations.
- Learning a new attachment system (would have to do that regardless whatever we use).
Ok, with all things considered I think we should give this a go as the pros seem to heavily outweigh the cons unless I have missed some. The worst that can happen short-term is we lose $29. I will purchase this later when I get back from the hospital and we can give it a day or two to see how it goes.
Bootie
This is from my home machine. It inserted right away after copying the link. I didn't even have to use [img] tags. Odd behavior.
Ive looked at the source code it automatically embedded it with img tags.
Can someone do a test from a dropbox account.
I'l try..
My file size was too big...
Test from Dropbox
Link :
image URL copied :
?is_prewarmed=true
Take 2
10 best free online image hosting services... https://www.online-tech-tips.com/best-free-image-hosting-sites/
@thegreatwhitenorth how you were only sharing a link to the image not the actual image. Bizarre?
Tried posting a link from Dropbox.
All I got was the above. Probably did something wrong...
This is from my home machine. It inserted right away after copying the link. I didn't even have to use [img] tags. Odd behavior.
it's seem coming from darmok.dyndns.org , dynamic DNS, a personal web server
or image copied from https://forum.warwickforum.com/threads/how-much-did-the-special-limited-editions-cost-new.15445/
Also problem of hosting from home accounts is if you move the folder or delete it all the linked images die with it. I will try this paid forum add on later today and see how we get on.
https://imgbox.com/VNCHpNQQ" target="_blank"><img src=" 
" alt="imgbox"/></a>" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><a href="https://imgbox.com/VNCHpNQQ" target="_blank"><img src="https://thumbs2.imgbox.com/25/b9/VNCHpNQQ_t.jpg" alt="imgbox"/></a>
IMgbox kinda works...
This is from my home machine. It inserted right away after copying the link. I didn't even have to use [img] tags. Odd behavior.
it's seem coming from darmok.dyndns.org , dynamic DNS, a personal web server
or image copied from https://forum.warwickforum.com/threads/how-much-did-the-special-limited-editions-cost-new.15445/
It's the other way round. This is my image and I copied it in that forum thread. The bass is long sold now, though.
Also problem of hosting from home accounts is if you move the folder or delete it all the linked images die with it.
I serve from home but not my home machine I work on. There is a dedicated 24/7 machine there that doesn't mess with forum-targeted pictures once they are placed and does VPN, proxy and other duties.
It works !
It might be interesting to use recent web image formats such as webp or avif, which offer very effective compression that is better than jpg.
And definitely no png or bmp 🙂
This image webp : 11KB , png before 54KB.
With a limit of 200 KB, you can obtain high-quality images in these new formats.