Debian User Forums

Hi Forum Staff.
In my capacity of recent user (registered early this morning, Central Europe Time Zone), I've faced the title drawback. The forum server refuses any attachment, also when it's very tiny (30kb). My opinion is as follows:

A good figure/drawing/sketch is better than thousands of words!

Does it depend on my fault? Cheers

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=123831 ?

Written inside the suggested link:

You must have the image stored somewhere, "photbucket", "image shack", etc. ]

My answer is: most of them are advs. filled and sometimes awfully acceptable, like image shack. Newertheless, I'll do such a procedure being the forum rule. Thank you

My answer is: most of them are advs. filled and sometimes awfully acceptable, like image shack.

I think you mean "unacceptable" ?
I know, a lot of them have a lot of advertisements. That is how the
get the money to pay for the maintenance of the server/site.
Image files add up and can take up a huge amount of space,
and then there is security issues,...
I use my own site for my images, but realize not every body has that
option.
I just now went ahead and "opened" a place where " Debian User Forums"
members can simply upload a screen shot, if need be, and they don't want
to start a account with some storage site.

Any one that wants to use this still must register, there before they can
submit anything.
This is kind of a "trial" thing, if there is to much abuse, I will stop offering
this "service".

Oh yes, Garry, "awfully unacceptable" was my intention to write!
One more drawback is hidden inside such servers: they shortly erase the uploadings, when roughly exceeding a couple of years, so the forum is ill conditioned about this matter. While the phpBB platform permits to fill inside any image file, which could be regulated, i.e. like it happens in Ubuntu Italia forum, not more 128kb.
Please, consider that as a proposal. Cheers

Please, consider that as a proposal.

It has been brought up before from time to time, on this
forum, I am not any kind of admin, so I can not really even
consider it, I am sure the administration has, but there is
a lot more involved, especially with the volume of traffic
the forum gets.
About all I can do, is what I did just now, in allowing image files
to be attached, on my site,......
The space available is limited, but there is very little traffic,
and usually members here do use a storage site, so I don't
expect it will be a problem, and once the problem is solved,
there is no need for the screen shot any more, it is just
for making it easier to show what errors, or what is happening
on the screen, when the person has a problem that is hard
to describe with just text.
In most cases the screen shots are not really needed, the problem
is many new users do not know how to use the " > " output to a file
command that is available,...but that is another topic, and sometimes
really the best thing is a "picture" , " a picture is worth 1000 words ",...

Interesting discussion! May I proceed? I'll do...for the moment.

About all I can do, is what I did just now, in allowing image files
to be attached, on my site,......

Few words about this. What happens when you (or somebody else who hosts the pictures inside his own repository) decides to abandon the forum and erases them? My opinion is: post+attachments are a unicum and shouldn't be separated. I'm not sure, but the protocol of phpBB platform says that. Cheers

You may be right in theory, but attachments take up a lot of disk space, and this forum isn't hosted on a massive server farm. More probably it's a PC under someone's desk.

Hi Rosemary! You wrote:

...but attachments take up a lot of disk space...

This could be a drawback, in theory, but the practice of other forums with the same platform phpBB says that is possible, as shown here:

Furthermore, Upload attachment is encouraged by the phpBB software, why shouldn't be used? Thx&cheers

Of course it's possible, but that doesn't mean that it's reasonable to expect it. I'm the co-admin on another forum with a smaller user base than this one, and managing the disk space used by attachments is a frequent issue. We're now approaching the point where we will have to spend more money (which we can't afford) to increase the disk space.

You seem to be saying that this forum is deficient in the service it provides. Well, I've got news for you - it isn't a service, it's a user forum run by volunteers, and with minimal financial backing. Meeting your demands would cost money which isn't available.

Very shortly! One more "so huge" forum is Geogebra, whose headquarters are based in UK. Just for the sake of precision/curiosity, please, call them and ask if they receive any minimal financial backing. Our opinions are different, but I've appreciated your feedback. Thank you.