Dangers in using web based photo storage web sites

[iamflagman]

I'm a big fan of using photos to help describe a situation, a problem, or a solution and I frequently use photos from my own web based photo web site and even though I pay a fee to maintain this site that is on one of the most popular professional photo web based sites, it can still be susceptible to a problem that can drastically affect the Wanderlodge Owners Group Forum and it's future effectiveness in helping identify and resolve issues. The potential problem arises when a picture that has been added as a link like this;

or even if it not displayed on the forum's page but only a link to the picture is posted like this http://www.pbase.com/iamflagman/image/91964380

The problem is what if the website that has the photo stored on it closes down? The link no longer works and the forums software cannot display the photo that is linked to a non-existent web site, this is more of a problem on FREE photo storage web sites, I had this happen on a FREE photo storage web site that I had been using, but before it closed I was able to transfer those photos over to my current FEE BASED web site.

To help resolve a future issue I am going to copy all of my web site photos onto a file on my computer, so that in the future I will be just adding them as an ATTACHMENT to the forums posts, that way the photos will be added to our database and the dependence on an outside web site, will be greatly reduced.

We also strongly discourage linking pictures here on the forum to photo storage web sites that require the viewer to log onto, or become a member of that web site before they can view the photos.

The best way to add a photo to a message here on the forum is to add it as an ATTACHMENT, as I have done below. It can still be added directly to the body of your message show here, but now it will then become a part of the forums database.

http://www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.co...1&d=1245236715

Thanks for your help.

.

[Randy Dupree]

Great idea John!

[Lee Davis]

I use Smug Mug (pay site) to store my photos and use a link to them for others to view. I don't think they solicit memberships but do not know as I do not go in that way. So far that works for me. I don't upload photos to the forum because that is harder to do and take too much juice to do it when I have a so-so WiFi connection. That's is probably the best way, but not usually for me.

I will discontinue doing the link to Smug Mug pictures if that's what you want.
Otherwise I will only do it sparingly when I have what I think are helpful pictures.

I might also add that clicking on a link and finding it doesn't work anymore is a relatively common thing anymore and although disappointing is not the end of the world .

[iamflagman]

Originally Posted by Lee Davis

I use Smug Mug (pay site) to store my photos and use a link to them for others to view. I don't think they solicit memberships but do not know as I do not go in that way. So far that works for me. I don't upload photos to the forum because that is harder to do and take too much juice to do it when I have a so-so WiFi connection. That's is probably the best way, but not usually for me.

I will discontinue doing the link to Smug Mug pictures if that's what you want.
Otherwise I will only do it sparingly when I have what I think are helpful pictures.

I might also add that clicking on a link and finding it doesn't work anymore is a relatively common thing anymore and although disappointing is not the end of the world .

Discontinuing is not needed, but if that is all that you can do, that will be fine.

While it may not be the end of the world, when we loose a large sum of photos on our web site, that are very helpful and referred to in a FIX, for the person needing that photo to understand the fix.........IT CAN SEEM LIKE THE LAST STEP BEFORE THE END OF THE WORLD