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Why is posting an image a 3-step process?


Ronald Epstein

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Upload image -> Attach Image -> Attach image to post

Not certain why it is so complicated on IPS. Most forum platforms let you simply click on the image uploader, select the image and click OK.

Hope that in future the whole image uploading process can be made somewhat simpler.

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I don't see what's complicated.

The last step is optional. You don't have to attach it to your post unless you want to place it somewhere specific in your post. Which, you would have to do even with drag and drop support.

It's a two step process. It's only three steps if you need to attach the image somewhere in the middle of your post instead of leaving it at the bottom.

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I don't see what's complicated.

The last step is optional. You don't have to attach it to your post unless you want to place it somewhere specific in your post. Which, you would have to do even with drag and drop support.

It's a two step process. It's only three steps if you need to attach the image somewhere in the middle of your post instead of leaving it at the bottom.

I strongly believe this is a common mis belief by many others. One person start complaining about this and others accept his claims and start spreading the word.

IPB image attachment process is smoother then vBulletin , it has better integration than any other forum solution with My Media functionality.

Only downside on IPB is no image uploader on quick reply. Other than that i strongly believe this is started by gossips and a hard core fanatics by another script.

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I don't see what's complicated.

The last step is optional. You don't have to attach it to your post unless you want to place it somewhere specific in your post.

That's the exact idea of what I am doing, and why it is somewhat more complicated.

Image uploaders on other forums allow you to place your cursor at the point you wish to insert the image. Then, it's a matter of clicking on the image upload button, selecting the image and pressing okay.

I upload images daily on IPS. It just seems the added step of having to press an additional step (add to post) of adding an image that the user already intends to add to post in the selected position is unnecessary.

I am sorry that some here feel that my complaint is unfounded and that IPS is doing it correctly. Coming from other platforms, the image upload process is actually one step simpler.

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To save yourself that extra click, you will be forcing every upload people make to appear in the middle of the text they're typing.

I frequently upload files while I'm typing. As I'm on a DSL connection and files don't upload in a split second for me. I don't want attachment blips to start popping up in between words as I type.

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Kirito,

I have never seen this forced issue.

On most platforms, all a person needs to do is place their cursor exactly where they want that image to be before selecting upload. In most all cases it is above or below their text. Just place your cursor in the exact location, click image upload, choose the image from your desktop and then OKAY.

On IPS, it's slightly more cumbersome. You have to select the image, then press "attach the image", then press "place image in post" Isn't the intent to place the image in the post? Why does it have to be confirmed? There is a separate attachment function at the bottom of the editor for other things.

Before we came to IPS I heard that image uploads were even more complicated. I *believe* (and let me know if I am wrong) that only recently was an actual image upload button that would enable quick picture upload from the desktop even included on the platform.

It just seems to me, coming off of other platforms, that IPS is somewhat behind in this. In fact, the entire editor needs a total revamp (which I hear IPS is doing).

Listen, I am in on the side of IPS. I want this service to succeed and do better because it only means that our forum does better in the process. All I am pointing out is that these editor functions are being done better elsewhere and that hopefully they can be done as easily and effectively here.

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IMO, it's a matter of personal preference... I personally like the way IPS does it because of how I add content...

I draft my entire post... Upload all of the images, then add them to the post where I want them.

For those that think more linearly I can see why you would like the change.. You add the image as you go... But keep in mind that not everyone constructs content in the same manner... So each method caters to how each specific user builds their content.

There is merit to both...

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It's not cumbersome, and it's really not hard to click an "add to post" button.

I think it may make sense to have a drag & drop upload system work this way, but not for when the user manually uses the attachment upload section. Additionally, it should really only do this if the user drags and drops the image(s) to the editor itself. I'm not sure how the drag and drop upload system is actually going to work though.

If you could drag and drop to either the editor or the "attachment box" or whatever you'd like to call it, I think that could be pretty useful.

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With the method proposed, I can see a level of frustration from all users that have to constantly move images they upload because it put them in places they didn't want them...

Also, with the proposed, the uploaded content is forced to be embedded in the post content... That may not always be what people want to do... They may just want to attach a few things to a post for reference but not want to embed them in the content...

While it does take an extra click with the way IPS does it, it gives the user greater control of their content.

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By the way, despite the fact there were opposing opinions, I really appreciate the level of professional discussion here. Nice getting to know all of you and I thank you for taking my comments under consideration.

I agree drag and drop would be AWESOME. Nobody is doing that, and if it could be done, what a fantastic feature that would be.

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I prefer it if my members don't post inline their image attachments. Reason being that at some point they will run out of storage space and the image will get deleted. You're then left with a message like the following once the image is deleted which looks very messy:


I agree that things need improving in version 4 as a regular query / complaint is images are too hard to include.

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On IPS, it's slightly more cumbersome. You have to select the image, then press "attach the image", then press "place image in post" Isn't the intent to place the image in the post? Why does it have to be confirmed? There is a separate attachment function at the bottom of the editor for other things.

Before we came to IPS I heard that image uploads were even more complicated. I *believe* (and let me know if I am wrong) that only recently was an actual image upload button that would enable quick picture upload from the desktop even included on the platform.

We have had attachment support for many, many years. It has not materially changed in that time (other than being able to upload multiple files at once in the 3.x line).

For what it's worth, the "add to post" allows you to choose if you want to insert it into a specific spot in the post, or if you want to simply include the file at the end of the post content. Not manually inserting a file (images are not the only thing you can upload, remember) is actually pretty common.

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I think that part of the dissension in this topic is because of the differing audiences of our various forums: some of us run forums with tech-savy members who have no trouble understanding why clicking the "attach image" button doesn't put the image into the post, while others have members who expect the button to behave like the "Insert Image" button in MS Word and its ilk and get frustrated when it doesn't. This difference is why any single solution is problematic for some subset of forums. Personally, the less my members have to worry about the fact that they are working "in the cloud" the better: I'd like to see an editor that more-or-less mimics the standard word processor as much as possible: when they click the 'Insert Image' button I'd prefer that it upload the image, attach it, and insert it into the post at the cursor location, all in one fell swoop. This does mean a change in workflow though, for those who (like Aiwa) prefer to think of it in terms of the two-step "Upload, then Insert" mentality of the current system; if your connection is slow I can definitely see how that would be annoying.

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  • 1 month later...

I have noticed since this way of integreation with images my forum members have stopped posting images, they see the URL part and think I have disabled image upload.

The issue is for most forum members is the may be members of different communities and if they see something different they assume the feature is disabled and will continue without an image or abandon their post completely.

Even with a pinned topic entitled how to upload images does not help matters as nobody reads it :(

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I have never seen anything as whacky as the image upload

process on IPS.

3 steps to do what all other forum editors do in 2.

...and many times, I do the first two steps (upload, choose file)

and completely forget about the third step whereas you have

to attach the file.

It's that 3rd step that is completely crazy.

...but then again, this is the worst editor I have seen anywhere.

I am hoping IPS is really sincere about making it better in 4.0.

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Yeah, because if you forget to attach the image to a specific place in your post, it will just up and vanish into the abyss, it doesn't conveniently locate itself at the bottom of your post automatically or anything.

Because it definitely makes sense to assume that when you don't see your image anywhere in the post you're making, that it's magically going to appear in the place you were typing when you started to upload the image.

The only thing I'd really like is an "attach all to post" function, which I was looking to add into my forums myself sometime soon.

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Upload image -> Attach Image -> Attach image to post

Not certain why it is so complicated on IPS. Most forum platforms let you simply click on the image uploader, select the image and click OK.

Hope that in future the whole image uploading process can be made somewhat simpler.

If 3 steps are too complicated... there is no hope for this world.

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Personally I would like to have the copy/paste of screen capture.

Just realize I should give more explanation, in my domain, forum are being uses by users to help each other. So many will simply open an application and capture portion of the screen then paste it

Something like this

First click extrude

post-360965-0-19057000-1368766280.png

The select a plane

post-360965-0-72811500-1368766341.png

And so on

Having to capture, save, upload... cut and paste nothing can beat that and it make the writing much fluid

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If 3 steps are too complicated... there is no hope for this world.

I realize you are being sarcastic.

But why make it more complicated than it should be?

Users should be able to just point their cursor where they want the image to appear in the editor.

Then the process would be...

1. Click on image button and located image on desktop

2. Click on file and select upload/attach

No, 3 steps is not more complicated -- but take it from someone that is constantly using the editor -- it is more cumbersome and it's a step backwards from what most every other forum editor can do.

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Ronald - please take a step back momentarily and breath. :)

We are always looking to make improvements in areas that can use them. We agree that uploading images can be simplified and this is a focus point in 4.0. Unfortunately, harping about the way uploading attachments works repeatedly is not going to speed that up. I feel you're being a bit combative in your posts here and would just like you to approach your feedback with a little nicer tone is all.

We have heard the feedback. You are not the first to suggest that it can be simplified. We will be working on that in the next major version. That is how software development works - we aren't going to tear out the editor entirely in a minor maintenance release to change how functionality works. Until then I wish I could give you a suggestion, but the attachments editor has worked nearly the same for something like 5 years and it's not something that can just be swapped out on the drop of a dime.

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  • 7 months later...

Question: how do I set the settings so that it works the way you're describing here?

It seems that in my forum, the images always appear as attachments at the bottom.. regardless if they are 'added to post' or not..

Also, my fear is that if I change this now, posts that currently do have images attached at the bottom only will disappear ..true?

Thanks

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Question: how do I set the settings so that it works the way you're describing here?

It seems that in my forum, the images always appear as attachments at the bottom.. regardless if they are 'added to post' or not..

Also, my fear is that if I change this now, posts that currently do have images attached at the bottom only will disappear ..true?

Thanks

File a support ticket. Something is not right.

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