Better attachments handling

[Kindred]

did you even go to the link that I posted just above?  That is ILA - which works on 2.0.x

[w5hro]

I didn't have time to read through every single post within this topic, but I do agree with the topic's author that in-line attachments are a necessity. I had a phpBB3 board for a few years and like most other forum software out there in-line attachment are built in standard feature. Honestly, having it built-in is a no brainier...

Anyway, not trying to take sides, but the reason I switched to SMF from phpbb3 is because phpBB3 was a big resource hog and it was always an issue when on a shared server. I really miss not having some of it's standard features though like the in-line attachments.

[Arantor]

Honestly, having it built-in is a no brainier...

You'd think so, wouldn't you? But no, it isn't. Not when you're dealing with a project that exemplifies a conservative approach to development.

[Kindred]

Additionally, what some consider a no brainer, other consider and unneeded feature... And vice versa...

After all, there are many things that I consider "no brainers" that people continually do wrong... :p

[w5hro]

One thing I will say though is as far as attachment handling is concerned, mainly with photos is that SMF does create the different sizes so when a user clicks on a topic the pages loads don't take forever like they do with phpBB3. So in that regard it is much better. With phpBB3 it downloads the entire big file size of every single attached photo with every page load

[Arantor]

But here's the thing. A case has been made. Look at the case on its merits, there's certainly a strong case for change to improve the way SMF does something. But it's one of those things that 'there's nothing wrong with how it is therefore no need to change it' even when it can definitely be improved.

[Kindred]

Well, I don't see the need for it, but I am generally willing to consider some things..,  although when people start harping on things and calling them no brainers and other commentary like that, my argumentative side kicks in and I tend to disagree just on principle...

[Arantor]

That's where you and I differ. If someone's calling it a no-brainer, I want to know what logic is in place that makes them arrive at that conclusion. I want to see how they got to that point, and put myself in their place and see if I agree.

[w5hro]

Well, certain types of forums out there like mine for example having the ability to place pics or files in-line is really helpful and useful. You write a paragraph referenced to a photo, drawing or a file, then place that attachment below the paragraph, then below that start another paragraph with another attachment. It's better than having the reader needing to look through all of the attached photos or files at the very bottom of the post and determine which one is which. It's mainly about the presentation.

[Arantor]

And there are options for doing it with an add-on.

[w5hro]

And there are options for doing it with an add-on.

What add-on?

I searched around here and all I found was a coupe of outdated mods that had to be used together, but they were for a really old version of SMF like 1.x?

[Arantor]

The one mentioned earlier in this very thread called Inline Attachments...

[w5hro]

The one mentioned earlier in this very thread called Inline Attachments...

That's back from 2009 and needs work for SMF 2.0.7 compatibility. Someone realized there was a need for it so what happened?

Anyway, it still should be a standard built-in SMF feature just like being able to send attachments in PM's. There' a small handful of things like that coming to mind.

Later...

[Arantor]

I'm sorry, did you actually read this thread? Bottom of page 2 (i.e. a few posts up from this one, really), there's a link to the Inline Attachments mod, as currently maintained - it hasn't changed in a year because it doesn't need to, it works fine on 2.0.7. Link: https://github.com/Spuds/SMF-ILA

I was kind of hoping that you'd take a little initiative seeing how I pointed it out as being in this thread

Attachments in PMs is not a standard feature because it's a legal minefield to deal with.

[radu81]

I started this topic a few months ago, because I had some problems with Tapatalk and Inline Images. After all I saw that usually most problems came from Tapatalk. I unistalled Tapatalk because it brings more problems than advantages.

I could mark this topic as solved: the resize images mod works fine with smf 2.0.7 even if the mod is not updated and works also well with ILA and HS4SMF (Spuds mods). Using the mobile template from smf-media all mods works together fine. There is no difference for me using 3 mods to handle better the attachments rather than have them in the core.

In understand Arantor and the other developers, so it's better to not have them in the core and let the developers work on the new 2.1 version. I hope that the three mods will be also updated to 2.1. Everybody knows that most forums like mybb, kunena, xf.. etc have inline & resize attachments in the core but why loosing time and resources to include them in the core when the mods works well?

[w5hro]

I'm sorry, did you actually read this thread? Bottom of page 2 (i.e. a few posts up from this one, really), there's a link to the In-line Attachments mod, as currently maintained - it hasn't changed in a year because it doesn't need to, it works fine on 2.0.7. Link: https://github.com/Spuds/SMF-ILA

I was kind of hoping that you'd take a little initiative seeing how I pointed it out as being in this thread

Attachments in PMs is not a standard feature because it's a legal minefield to deal with.

I did, I download it last night and there were several errors during the test install so I didn't install it.

Anyway, that also brings up another important question I pointed out in one of my previous posts. If it was working for 2.0.7 then how does that mod handle and embed the attachments in a post say like photos? Will it place the largest full size photo in the post or will it place the thumbnail size to where if you click on it the next larger sizes start to come up just like if it wasn't placed in-line? That's an important issue because if will greatly effect page loads. One thing SMF has over the other forum SW packages is that it is very efficient in that regard and the same principle needs to be used for photos when they are placed in-line. If it was part of standard SMF install package then you would think those same principles would be maintained, right?

Not sure what you mean about the attachments in PM's being a legal issue?

Just the other day a member sent me a PM and I needed to send him a pdf file and I had to create a topic so he could download it from there which was nutz because I couldn't reply with it attached to the PM.

[Arantor]

If you did, how come you started talking about a mod from 2009 when it clearly wasn't?

As for attachments in PMs being a legal issue, of course it is. The site owner is legally responsible for all content on the site. Including PMs. It would not be difficult for members to share illegal material between each other, where you have no ability to view it or vet it, or remove it if it is found to be illegal.

And before you get into 'but that's only hypothetical', I know of 3 sites where this has happened, where highly illegal material was shared between members and the admins didn't know about it until they were questioned by police for enabling such material to be shared. (And no, DMCA Safe Harbour is not a protection in this case either; that's only for site owner's protection against copyright infringement, not more serious matters.)

[w5hro]

If you did, how come you started talking about a mod from 2009 when it clearly wasn't?

I was looking at this mod: http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1179

Is that not the one? Maybe I went to the wrong one. Actually the one above is from 2008 and was last updated in 2010. I said 2009 so I must have looked at it wrong.

As far as attachments in PM's are concerned, isn't that the responsibility of the site owner and not the forum SW creators? All you need is a disclaimer.

P.S. Police I would think you meant FBI. The local police would have nothing to do with those matters.

[Arantor]

No, it's not the one. Like I said, had you read this thread, you'd have found the link I specifically pointed out which is the Inline Attachments mod.

And while yes it's the responsibility of the site owner, the direction of the software team historically has been to not get involved in such things, especially as there is a mod for it.

As for police vs FBI, that presumes the offences happened in the US. They didn't happen in the US. The three sites I mentioned were based in the UK where we don't have an FBI and such matters are the jurisdiction of the police.

[w5hro]

No, it's not the one. Like I said, had you read this thread, you'd have found the link I specifically pointed out which is the Inline Attachments mod.

Well, as I had stated in my very first post...

I didn't have time to read through every single post within this topic, but I do agree with the topic's author that in-line attachments are a necessity. I had a phpBB3 board for a few years and like most other forum software out there in-line attachment are built in standard feature. Honestly, having it built-in is a no brainier...

And while yes it's the responsibility of the site owner, the direction of the software team historically has been to not get involved in such things, especially as there is a mod for it.

Which PM mod? The one from they guy in Russia? If so that one wont currently work with 2.0.7 either.

I'll check out the other In-Line attachment mod, but what about my previous question below?

Anyway, that also brings up another important question I pointed out in one of my previous posts. If it was working for 2.0.7 then how does that mod handle and embed the attachments in a post say like photos? Will it place the largest full size photo in the post or will it place the thumbnail size to where if you click on it the next larger sizes start to come up just like if it wasn't placed in-line? That's an important issue because if will greatly effect page loads. One thing SMF has over the other forum SW packages is that it is very efficient in that regard and the same principle needs to be used for photos when they are placed in-line. If it was part of standard SMF install package then you would think those same principles would be maintained, right?