Testing Attachments Feature

[rolandogomez]

Please see this post, http://www.shotcritic.com/forums/sho...?p=662#post662 for uploading attachments...let me know if you like this feature...thanks, rg sends!

[r_fredrick_smith]

The attachment feature does not appear to honor the size limitations but allows much larger files to be uploaded. This may pose a problem. Also, are they permanent. Will they always be there, or will they go away? Will allowing attachmented distract from using the albums? Might it not be better to only allow albums since that is ultimately a better organized system? Lots of questions.

Here is my sample attachment, which I call, "the death of film".

Cheers,
rfs

[PhotosbyChuck]

The thumbnails are nice. I see another use for it actually -- attaching non-images (which cannot be uploaded into albums). For example, allowing users to attach PDFs might be useful for topics like, "What should a model release look like?" or even a useful article, workshop brochure, etc. The need would be infrequent and not critical. Just offering another use for attachments that isn't a duplication of albums.

[RSStory]

I tend to agree with what chuck said. I think it would be better to use the attachments for things other then images, and use the albums for the images.

Scott

[r_fredrick_smith]

That might work out well, but did you look at the sizes and file types help associated with this option?

Often times pdf and psd files, for example, will be many megabytes in size. I think it is usually better to host these offline at one's own server or outside server space that allows larger files, and then link to said file.

The other problem looks like it will be the limit on the size of all attachments that a user has made to all posts. Once that is reached, then some attachments must be deleted to make room for others. This means that existing posts will no longer have their attachments and they will become less useful.

So I think considerable analysis needs to be done of how attachments work and whether they will tend to be more confusing than useful. Will they make for lots of future posts that no longer have their attachments and thus lose there usefulness?

Cheers,
rfs

[RSStory]

Very good point RFS. I am wondering if they are really needed at all.

[PhotosbyChuck]

Most PDFs are small (relatively speaking). Something like a model release, article or workshop brochure should be roughly 100k. However PSDs (which you mentioned) can be pretty large.

One point I didn't make, however is that a lot of posters have trouble with the BB code for posting an image. Attachments makes it easier, perhaps -- although the rich text editor this site uses has an image button.

Another negative is that it will be used by some to post their photos for critiques. Since the image is then displayed in a popup, it's not so easy to refer back to the image while typing the critique since attachments are not displayed in that mode.

I think it's a neat option, but I'd recommend you reserve its use for administrators and special things rather than making it a general feature.

[r_fredrick_smith]

I just tested it with a PDF of 500k and it fails with this error



Since RG says that each user would have 2.5 MB for attachments, and I am only at 134k, then 500k would not have brought me past that limit. But the error talks about dimension limits of 0 x 0 which doesn't seem to really apply.

I'm not sure its worth the effort. I'd rather see a link in the post area that allows direct insertion of album photos, as that would be much more useful that attachments.

Cheers,
rfs

[rolandogomez]

Not sure about the attachment limits, but the whole idea for attachments, and I may point it to a special forum only, is for the flash portfolio player. I think we'll save it for contest posting, special type forum only (Best images), then that way the image(s) will be featured on certain areas of the site, like the front.

I've increased the limits and removed some categories for attachments, but also for registered users the total limit is 25MB and moderators, 100MB, think perhaps tutorials here for PDF's? More on this later, but I do encourage putting images in the albums first. We're still waiting on a modification for the pop-out panel for the reply boxes so people can click that link and post directly in the post box. More on that soon, little bit at a time, thanks, rg.

[Electricseashell]

Noted.. so I'll go load the pictures I added as attachments in an album and remove the attachments.. your work here is great. Thanks for all the efforts.
Not Salmon Smile I'll leave that one because it really is one of my favorite photos.