This idea is more important then first realised.  If you could insert video and images and sound files from your computer it would make posting so much easier.

it is a real pain to place your file on another server and then link it.  Can we please consider this?

Also important because this would allow the building up of your images at Railpage and you could then publish these:

http://www.railpage.com.au/gallery/user/hitachi by way of example.

RSS could be made available for each user gallery and then published or read using RSS tools.

if you build up your images and files at Railpage it would be FANTASTIC to be able to insert an image from your computer or from your gallery.  You could re-use your images.

The images could be submitted to the monthly photo comp!

thinking more.  what if you then decided to link your images at Railpage to other services.

Also you could attach an image from your phone or tablet when posting on a mobile device.  this makes inserting files even easier.

I am probably pre-empting the response from Michael on this, but doing what you ask requires Railpage to store all the images and media files, and this would be a very expensive process. Using Flickr and then providing a link is a simple way to place the burden of storage on sites designed for this purpose.

Having administered several forums where it is you that pays for the hosting, I would never allow media to be stored on the site as the storage task can very easily get out of control. It is extremely difficult to control the content that is placed on the site as well, so it increases the burden of work for administrators in vetting the material.

Can't see it happening.

So how hard is it to copy paste a link, again?

https://www.flickr.com/#/photos/c3049/16372256717/

I am probably pre-empting the response from Michael on this, but doing what you ask requires Railpage to store all the images and media files, and this would be a very expensive process. Using Flickr and then providing a link is a simple way to place the burden of storage on sites designed for this purpose.

Having administered several forums where it is you that pays for the hosting, I would never allow media to be stored on the site as the storage task can very easily get out of control. It is extremely difficult to control the content that is placed on the site as well, so it increases the burden of work for administrators in vetting the material.

Can't see it happening.

Exactly.

I am probably pre-empting the response from Michael on this, but doing what you ask requires Railpage to store all the images and media files, and this would be a very expensive process. Using Flickr and then providing a link is a simple way to place the burden of storage on sites designed for this purpose.

This depends on how the data is stored. Storage is really quite cheap these days.  It is very inexpensive compared to 10 years ago.

There are other ways to store data these days.  There are gallery and media systems which store and catalogue images and video.  Has this been considered?

This is on of the only rail forums I use which does not have a gallery function.  It used to have a good one which was removed.

Having administered several forums where it is you that pays for the hosting, I would never allow media to be stored on the site as the storage task can very easily get out of control. It is extremely difficult to control the content that is placed on the site as well, so it increases the burden of work for administrators in vetting the material.

How could it get out of control?  It is up to the individual user to manage their own collection.  This is the same for flickr and picassa.  Railpage would be no different.

This is happening everyday guys across ther globe on many other forums.  I consider this site to be far better run and administrated than most including many of the facebook groups I have seen which can be a right royal mess most of the time.

Administrators or moderators already have to vet material posted.

Wastes storage.

How do you control the amount of material uploaded to the site? Storage is cheap?, sure it is until YOU are the one paying for it, maintaining it and backing it up. Railpage runs on donations and the generosity of those who own and maintain it, but this does not mean they have deep pockets.

As for administering it, these days the site is held responsible for any material stored on it, just like Youtube, so any material posted there by a member is subject to the same rules with regard to intellectual property, and monitoring that facet alone is way too much work for volunteer administrators.

You mention Facebook? You are aware that FB is a multi-zillion dollar worldwide business that employs ten of thousand employees to look after it, while Railpage is purely voluntary?

This is not bodybuliding.com this is Railpage.com.au this is not the site of dumping photos and going.
Use imgur like me!

https://www.railpage.com.au/blog/flickr/

Wastes storage.

What is a waste of storage?

I think you guys need to think a little more deeply.  When it comes to posting images on facebook the process is far smoother and intuitive than it is here.  I do not run the site granted but I should not be deterred from having a view.

It is much easier to post your photos and video on facebook than here. My proposal makes it just as easy with the ability to do more with the images and you are arguing with me?  Why?

You are entitled to an opinion. You are also entitled to have other people prove that your opinion is not based on fact.

What is a waste of storage?

I think you guys need to think a little more deeply.  When it comes to posting images on facebook the process is far smoother and intuitive than it is here.  I do not run the site granted but I should not be deterred from having a view.

It is much easier to post your photos and video on facebook than here. My proposal makes it just as easy with the ability to do more with the images and you are arguing with me?  Why?

Facebook has got trillians to spend we have got just a server.
You can go and donate then we will probably do it

X'Trap, shoosh. Anymore uninformed rambling and you'll be slapped with a warning.

My own personal opinion is that such a feature is little more than re-inventing the wheel. Why spend time building such a feature when there's a plethora of other websites that already do it, and do it better? Yes, hard drives are cheap but servers are not, especially when you factor in bandwidth and data centre space. My opinion also extends to the Downloads module.

However, I can see value in such a feature.

There are ways to have the feature requested - Insert an image from your computer - without requiring gobs of server space, by utilising other storage providers (such as Amazon or Azure) or a DAMS. From that point it becomes less about storage (since there's a pre-existing service providing that functionality) and more about integrating a storage API into Railpage. That's a lot easier and a lot simpler.

So, I'm not ruling it out. I'm also not endorsing it - yet. There's a backlog of other things that need doing before I start on something like this.

s3 is right - how hard is it to copy a link? We already auto-embed content from Flickr, Vicsig and other sites.

Facebook has got trillians to spend we have got just a server.
You can go and donate then we will probably do it

Wait, "we"?

There are ways to have the feature requested - Insert an image from your computer - without requiring gobs of server space, by utilising other storage providers (such as Amazon or Azure) or a DAMS. From that point it becomes less about storage (since there's a pre-existing service providing that functionality) and more about integrating a storage API into Railpage. That's a lot easier and a lot simpler.

Then you still need to factor in the cost of bandwidth, do you not? It's still a storage mechanism. It still costs.

s3 is right - how hard is it to copy a link? We already auto-embed content from Flickr, Vicsig and other sites.

I couldn't get it to trigger based on the link above, though. I'm doing something wrong . To me, the easiest way is to copy paste the link to the image (the in/photostream one from Flickr as an example), and have it display here. As Michael has said already, there's no point in re-inventing a wheel for little benefit.

Then you still need to factor in the cost of bandwidth, do you not? It's still a storage mechanism. It still costs.

It depends where the storage provider sits in relation to our servers and the end user. For the sake of argument, let's say we end up using Azure. I'm sure there's an AJAX library available for pushing and pulling content to Azure, meaning RP wouldn't see any of that traffic - it's direct between Azure and the end user. IE, no increase to our bandwidth.

It depends where the storage provider sits in relation to our servers and the end user. For the sake of argument, let's say we end up using Azure. I'm sure there's an AJAX library available for pushing and pulling content to Azure, meaning RP wouldn't see any of that traffic - it's direct between Azure and the end user. IE, no increase to our bandwidth.

Right, gotcha. Just making sure because in all tests I have done my bandwidth use soared!

I couldn't get it to trigger based on the link above, though. I'm doing something wrong . To me, the easiest way is to copy paste the link to the image (the in/photostream one from Flickr as an example), and have it display here. As Michael has said already, there's no point in re-inventing a wheel for little benefit.

I have read the contents of this read and make the following comments:

1. Storage is a lot cheaper than it was years ago
2. We have plenty of internet bandwidth
3. We have a lot more storage now with the new servers
4. Let Michael and I worry about costs. These do not concern myself
5. Management I need to think through but not a lot different from what we do now
6. I see the issue as a one of the use case and usability.

From a process perspective it is harder to post an image from your computer or mobile device to Railpage than it does on Facebook (for example).  I agree with this comment.

Posting an image or video on Railpage is a 2or 3 stage process.  You need to join a 3rd party service, submit your images and or videos (you may require two different 3rd party services for this) and then once you have the URL of the digital asset, you need to then post this on Railpage.  This is dumb but it works for MOST people.

What does sound better is being able to select a digital asset from your list of assets (at Railpage) when compiling a forum post or a PM and then inserting this as required.  if it is a new item then you select insert from device/computer/upload and upload the asset at the time you compile the post.  The item is then stored with us in the DAMS under your account at Railpage.  People could then follow you on Railpage and see your timeline of new images and video.

I note also inserting an image from the device (computer or tablet etc.) using the forums post option is available on other sites I discovered last night. Even trainorders.com Interestingly some forums use the same editing function/toolbar as we do but have the extra button(s) for this very purpose.

We have a DAMS platform.  We need to look at how to integrate this platform in the same way we do flickr but with added functionality.  I would add that being ableto obtain a URL from your asset pool on Railpage is a good idea. We are already moving in this direction for railcam images as the number of railcams is about to expand.

in terms of the photo competition, this is more interesting.  if i read the above posts correctly it is being suggested that to enter a monthly comp you would either upload and select or just select (if the asset is already in your library) the image or images you wish to enter.  These are then compiled across all users for the monthly comp. Users can then review the images submitted for the monthly comp and vote.  thinking of offering a financial prize per month for the winner but Greenhill might get a few votes for his work around puffing billy.

Someone needs to think through the photo comp module (i note there is some discussion in the developers area). Start with submitting images and or video?  Do we have multiple classifications?  We have done this before, should be able to do it better next time with some michael magic.  The competition can be pushed out to social networks and has been very popular in the past.  I can hear Bradley Matthews liking his lips!

Leave the idea with us as I now understand the other benefits in doing so and the idea of the photo comp.

I say I agree with @bevans

That is an impressive post because it addresses the "user" rationale for the changes proposed and shows additional value in implementing the change.

Nice small and well described "use cases"

in terms of the photo competition, this is more interesting. if i read the above posts correctly it is being suggested that to enter a monthly comp you would either upload and select or just select (if the asset is already in your library) the image or images you wish to enter. These are then compiled across all users for the monthly comp. Users can then review the images submitted for the monthly comp and vote. thinking of offering a financial prize per month for the winner but Greenhill might get a few votes for his work around puffing billy.

I had not myself thought this through but it sounds very logical and went constructed.  This issue in my mind comes back to the need to make it easy for users to share media and content.  This change would do that.  A photo competition is a solid way to ensure media is shared and for self and user gratification.  I like the idea.

This feature can also be used to build this idea for events

https://www.railpage.com.au/ideas/general/allow-uploading-of-photos-for-

if you have uploaded your images then you can submit them or tag them or somehow make them relevant to an event.  This could be a heritage run.  An RSS feed could be developed to include the event and the actions and contributions for the event.  This could be pushed to social media.

(As I have said in the developer area I am happy to assist with the DAMS changes)

in terms of the photo competition, this is more interesting.  if i read the above posts correctly it is being suggested that to enter a monthly comp you would either upload and select or just select (if the asset is already in your library) the image or images you wish to enter.  These are then compiled across all users for the monthly comp. Users can then review the images submitted for the monthly comp and vote.  thinking of offering a financial prize per month for the winner but Greenhill might get a few votes for his work around puffing billy.

The photos of puffing billy have been first class!

Seriously this idea is good.  You guys need to make it as easy as possible to post images and video on the site.  @bevans is right. There are too many steps for a lay person.

I concur something easy and able to be understood by just about anyone is the way to go. Most websites these days give you the option to download photos from your computer to the the site you are on reasonably easy once you get the hang of it. Not everyone is a IT professional on the internet!

I just hate those that put up up a link to somewhere rather than simply post up a photo, it can get past a joke at times the use of links like this, especially when some imbecile puts up links to things every day to get their views on their website to tick over, there are people out there like this!

@michaelgreenhill would it be possible to use the upload feature of the Flickr API to implement this idea while avoiding using space on RP's servers?

@michaelgreenhill would it be possible to use the upload feature of the Flickr API to implement this idea while avoiding using space on RP's servers?

Excellent idea but not practical.  We are moving to DAMS anyhow for the railcams.  We need to implement to the DAMS API for railcam images.  Also access will be a lot quicker.  Currently closest flickr cache is Singapore.

Let me explain in more detail without getting too OT.  The new series of cameras being tested have a series of new features.  One such feature is the ability of the camera to push video of the train to the RP servers.  An image or images are also sent to the RP servers.

This will mean you could insert the video from a cross at Gheringhap or Goulburn into a forum post or actually into the photo comp if you like.  The code base which will be required for this can be used for the forum uploads.

Storing railcam images and video locally on a big disk will make accesses vastly faster.

Make sense?

Excellent idea but not practical.  We are moving to DAMS anyhow for the railcams.  We need to implement to the DAMS API for railcam images.  Also access will be a lot quicker.  Currently closest flickr cache is Singapore.

Let me explain in more detail without getting too OT.  The new series of cameras being tested have a series of new features.  One such feature is the ability of the camera to push video of the train to the RP servers.  An image or images are also sent to the RP servers.

This will mean you could insert the video from a cross at Gheringhap or Goulburn into a forum post or actually into the photo comp if you like.  The code base which will be required for this can be used for the forum uploads.

Storing railcam images and video locally on a big disk will make accesses vastly faster.

Make sense?

Yes.

Yes.

The DAMS platform has plugins available to allow the user to access either group or user based images.

You could have access to your own photos and say group photos if you are sharing.

The DAMS platform has plugins available to allow the user to access either group or user based images.

You could have access to your own photos and say group photos if you are sharing.

Looking at the plug ins this week @bevans  They look to be javascript and allow you to choose images from the DAMS and insert them into the posts.  This could work really well if implemented in the user friendly way.  It is just too hard to add images to a post when you are a novice user.

I am sure the coders will do it justice.  Any news on the new hardware?  The issues are definitely holding the site back.