vB Code - How to use the vB Code Img (Image) tag?

[Icy Mountain]

Marc/Mods,
I in the process of figuring out how to use the IMG tag on the Cove. It looks pretty straightforward but it seems that I would have to post my desired image at a remote site (like imageshack) and refer to it by URL inside the IMG tags. I'm going to try that as soon as I recall my Imageshack password.

I noticed some posts where the IMG tag is wrapped around a URL here on elsmar.com. It wouldn't hurt my feelings to refer to an outside URL in a funny post and have the URL disappear 5 years from now. However, if I post a screenshot or other "serious" image, I'd like to make sure that the image is here locally. I know I can upload the image as attachments but the feature to have them appear in the flow of the post is very attractive to me.

Do uploaded images go to some standard directory on elsmar.com where I could refer to them using the IMG tag?

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Originally Posted by Icy Mountain

it seems that I would have to post my desired image at a remote site (like imageshack) and refer to it by URL inside the IMG tags.

Yep, that's it: Example: [*IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o127/ClaesG/Lizard.jpg[/IMG*] (I had to "break" the img tags to make the code viewable) produces this:

Originally Posted by Icy Mountain

Do uploaded images go to some standard directory on elsmar.com where I could refer to them using the IMG tag?

I have tried that with limited (ok, none ) success. Over to Marc...

/Claes

[Icy Mountain]

Thank you, Claes.

What I'm looking at is the code from one of Jim Wynne's posts. It contains code that looks like this (without the *'s, I broke them, too):
[*IMG]http://elsmar.com/jpg/batteries.jpg[/IMG*]
Obviously, I wouldn't want to store pictures of lizards, beaver dams and Cousin It on Marc's server. However, there might be some utility to posting screen shots or other data in the flow of the post rather that as a bunch of attachments at the end.

OK, imageshack version working. See this Icy post.

[Jim Wynne]

Originally Posted by Icy Mountain

Thank you, Claes.

What I'm looking at is the code from one of Jim Wynne's posts. It contains code that looks like this (without the *'s, I broke them, too):
[*IMG]http://elsmar.com/jpg/batteries.jpg[/IMG*]
Obviously, I wouldn't want to store pictures of lizards, beaver dams and Cousin It on Marc's server. However, there might be some utility to posting screen shots or other data in the flow of the post rather that as a bunch of attachments at the end.

OK, imageshack version working. See this Icy post.

FWIW, I always use ImageShack, so I don't know why the properties of that image show as they do.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Icy Mountain

Thank you, Claes.

What I'm looking at is the code from one of Jim Wynne's posts. It contains code that looks like this (without the *'s, I broke them, too):
[*IMG]http://elsmar.com/jpg/batteries.jpg[/IMG*]
Obviously, I wouldn't want to store pictures of lizards, beaver dams and Cousin It on Marc's server. However, there might be some utility to posting screen shots or other data in the flow of the post rather that as a bunch of attachments at the end.

OK, imageshack version working. See this Icy post.

I've been out of town - Sorry about the slow response time -- Anyway, a lot of times when I see an image put in using the IMG tag, I copy the image to the Elsmar server and change the link. The reason why is when someone loads a page with pictures calling an outside URL as the page loads it has to go to that URL and grab the image. This can take time and delay page loading. I haven't used the photobucket site but one thing you might want to check is whether/when/if the url to the picture will expire.

A secondary aspect is pulling photos from another site may violate their TOS because my site is technically using their bandwidth to get that photo to display. The photobucket site isn't a problem as far as I can see, but with some other sites it could be.

This is not a serious problem. If it was I would have disabled use the the IMG tag long ago. But don't be surprised if you look at the post at a later date and see the picture on the Elsmar server (you will know by looking at the raw link).

A quick note about the Elsmar server. It is, relatively, huge. My whole site is less than 10 gigs. The drive is an 80 gig drive. When the migration is complete the server will be a 250 gig drive with another 250 gig drive as a RAID 1 (mirroring). Since we're all math wizards and know magic, 250 gigs - ~10 gigs is ~ 240 gigs free. Don't worry about server space.

It's been a long day. Started at 6am and after a day at a client's I drove 350 miles home. So - I'm doing everything from catching up on emails, I HAD to shower, the server migration is technically in process, the man is coming in at 7.30 am in the morning to start putting tile on the bathroom walls, so....

Bottom line is I will review picture attachment permissions and I will do a FAQ on this. I just cannot get to doing that tonight.

Again - Using the vB Code IMG tag is not a serious problem. If it was I would have disabled use the the IMG tag long ago.

[Icy Mountain]

Originally Posted by Jim Wynne

FWIW, I always use ImageShack, so I don't know why the properties of that image show as they do.

Great minds think alike.

Originally Posted by Marc

I haven't used the photobucket site but one thing you might want to check is whether/when/if the url to the picture will expire.

A secondary aspect is pulling photos from another site may violate their TOS because my site is technically using their bandwidth to get that photo to display.

Bottom line is I will review picture attachment permissions and I will do a FAQ on this. I just cannot get to doing that tonight.

AFAIK, Imageshack URL's don't expire.
I double-checked the ToS at Imageshack and, as I thought, using their bandwidth to get the photo is why they exist. After you post an image, you can click buttons that supply you with the proper code, img tags and all, for posting links to their site. For example, this really good quality scan on really cheap DVD media:

See how that image just ends up flowing right in the middle of the post. Now that's cool.

Imageshack does not allow posting copyrighted images that you don't own or "abusive" images. Other than that, it's a free-for-all.
No rush on the review/FAQ; I was just curious.