Think about our forum image size policy?

johnraff · 2025-06-08 08:39:30

marens wrote:

...it would be good if they had a size limit in KB/MB.
I know it is technically difficult (impossible) to determine the magic number exactly.
I think the only solution is for moderators to work on a case-by-case basis.

Some flexibility is called for yes. But I think we should have some kind of baseline to recomend people to follow.

For now, I mostly use the Preview button before Submit a post.

I nearly always do this too - certainly if there are images or quotes in it.
Checking with Preview before posting is something I would recommend to everyone. It can save you from making silly mistakes.

marens · 2025-06-08 17:34:40

johnraff wrote:

Some flexibility is called for yes. But I think we should have some kind of baseline to recomend people to follow.

I agree.

This is my suggestion:

Let's introduce a temporary limit on image size in KB.
Maybe 300 KB (or however much you want) in » Artwork & Screenshots ?
After the trial period, you can reduce/increase the size.

The Monthly Screenshot Thread should have a similar note at the beginning:

No full sized screenshots, use your favorite image host.
It is recommended to use thumbnails here as the maximum allowed image size is 300KB.
Larger images will be deleted.

The start can be » July 2025 Screenshot Thread.

Everyone should follow the rule during the trial period.
Moderators will also know what to do.

Once the trial period is over, you'll know what to include in the Rules.

johnraff wrote:

I nearly always do this too - certainly if there are images or quotes in it.
Checking with Preview before posting is something I would recommend to everyone. It can save you from making silly mistakes.

I can only say that the forum software works great.
It immediately shows what is wrong.

johnraff · 2025-06-09 00:27:07

johnraff wrote:

Checking with Preview before posting is something I would recommend to everyone. It can save you from making silly mistakes.

Also, if you're working on a long post, doing a Preview now and then helps keep the software memory alive, so your post isn't lost. I'm not quite sure whether the caching is happening in the browser or the server, but regular previews certainly help.

tamberoo · 2025-06-17 21:44:57

A moderate tangent here, but that's fine since that's what (web) forums are for. Personally, whenever I upload images to the forums here, my process looks like this:

1) Obtain whatever image(s) I would like to upload here.
2) Resize the image in GNU Image Manipulation Program to be appropriately sized for a thumbnail, along with dithering the image to reduce color information a fair bit, which will help lower file size.

2a] When I dither the image, I actually change the image mode to Indexed and use a color palette to base my dithering on. This can be done by pressing ALT―I, M, I. Or it can be done by using a mouse on the top toolbar and selecting Image > Mode > Indexed. Either way this will open up a dialog that allows one to dither their images.
2b] Sometimes I also draw a 1px border on the edge of the thumbnail to help it stand out against a page background.

3) Save this modified image seperate from the original, since the modified one is for a thumbnail. I sometimes play with different filetypes (.gif, .jpg, .png if the image has large areas of transparency, and rarely do i use .bmp) and/or varying compression levels in order to get a smaller file size. I usually try to avoid saving things like metadata, comments, and auto-generated thumbnails since those are extra features that increase file size. I definetely do save the color profile, since that keeps the image mode as Indexed!
4) Upload both the original image and the thumbnail version to an image hosting web site, along with obtaining direct links to those two uploaded images.
5) Attach them in a post I would like to make here on the forums:

5a] Insert the \[img\] for the thumbnailed version.
5b] Wrap a link around this [\img\] that instead goes directly to the original image, not the thumbnail.

6) Do a little dance, roll my shoulders back, unclench my jaw if I'm feeling stressed that day. You know, try to have fun with it all.

This allows visitors to these forums to only load the reasonably smallest possible file size since they only see thumbnails. I do play around with the image dimensions and/or compression levels for the thumbnails depending on how difficult it can be to see the contents in its "preview", so sometimes a little larger might be necessary. But for the most part, it works fine enough. And if anyone is ever interested in viewing the thumbnail version and not the full image, they can always secondary-click on the thumbnail in the forum post, and select "Open Image in New Tab". All in all, this process doesn't take me more than 5 minutes per image, and is very easy to memorize.

Perhaps some day I could reinvestigate the ImageMagick... tomes? And try to make myself some scripts to automate this. Some day. Take care, y'all.

- Layla

Last edited by tamberoo (2025-06-17 21:46:48)

hhh · 2025-06-18 00:52:49

tamberoo (hhh remix) wrote:

1) Start here. Terra firma.
2) A second step. Nothing unexpected.
2a] Wait... wha'? What happened to 3? And if this isn't 3, shouldn't it at least be 3a? Or else 2 should have been 2a and this 2b? Whatever, put in a line break to confuse them, they'll say you're being 'artistic'.
2b] Somewhat of a curve ball to get a Hamlet reference as I'm still waiting on 3, but... OK, classy, a 1px border. Bit'a de 'ole , wha', Graphic Ahhts, iddinit love??! *cackles in Cockney* *Ophelia gurgles slightly downstream*
3) Finally! We got to 3, woohoo! Separated, by the way. Ya' gotta keep 'em separated. Can't have 2b mixing with 3, have you lost your MIND!!??? You want 3a and 3b as well as 3? BECAUSE THIS IS HOW YOU GET 3A AND 3B AS WELL AS 3!!!!!! DID YOU OR DID YOU NOT SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO 2?
4) This has no ending in sight, does it? Waiting for the end is like waiting at the Department of Motor Vehicles... hurry up and wait.
5)
Attach them in a post I would like to make here on the forums:
Mark Z, is that you?
5a] Oh, we're at five-freaking-A now, are we? Friggin' A!
5b] wrapped
6) Do a little dance, make a little love... get down tonight. (Our apologies, Corporate cuts on our equipment budget have limited this video to 6 pixels by six pixels, and personnel has let go of our proofreader. Thank you for your continued support!)
This allows visitors time to contemplate their life choices before committing seppuku on the tile floor of their bathroom.
Take care, y'all.
- Layla

My sister's name is Leyla, by the way. Our dad was Turkish, that's the way he spelled it. T, U, R...

This parody post is done in the spirit of fun and humour and is not meant to be mean-spirited in any way. The original post is valid and informative. Respectfully, I offer that my version is less helpful but more entertaining.

Also, that The Police video is both stunningly cheesy and hypnotically beautiful. Quite the feat. Sting's bass is the underappreciated voice on that track. Yes, it's a 16 letter word. Apparently it flies under the radar of long words, for some reason... Sting.

johnraff · 2025-06-18 06:49:18

@tamberoo take no notice of @hhh - he's in one of his Moods...

Your image upload process is certainly super deluxe.

For those who just want a quick fix and aren't going to care that much about details, I might mention that the BunsenLabs menu has a utility for uploading a quick screenshot with various options:
Menu > Utilities > Take Screenshot
If you choose Imgur > Anonymous Upload
You'll end up with the necessary code on your clipboard ready to right-click paste into a forum post:

There's also a right-click option in the Thunar file manager for image files, offering to upload, eg,
This is imgur's generated thumbnail for a rather small image that the script puts in the link:

This is a direct link:

So you see that for small images it's best not to rely on imgur's auto-generated thumbnails.
@marens pointed this out a few days ago: https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic … 36#p143636

tamberoo · 2025-06-18 22:38:31

Well, I think he does have a point, I could stand to make shorter posts. Doesn't make sense to go to the effort of shrinking image file size if I'm just gonna waste their bandwidth with lines upon lines of text, LOL

hhh · 2025-06-19 01:14:39

^ Text on forums is cheap, but thanks for taking my post in fun. I knew you would from your avatar.

johnraff · 2025-06-22 06:45:28

johnraff wrote:

There's also a right-click option in the Thunar file manager for image files, offering to upload, eg,
This is imgur's generated thumbnail for a rather small image that the script puts in the link:
https://i.imgur.com/c7Gohzft.png
This is a direct link:
https://i.imgur.com/WiNxnIr.png
So you see that for small images it's best not to rely on imgur's auto-generated thumbnails.
@marens pointed this out a few days ago: https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic … 36#p143636

In fact I should take a look at our imgur upload script (I didn't write it) and try and bypass the "thumbnail" image url if the uploaded image is smaller than a certain size, and just use the direct link. Might not be too hard.

micko01 · 2025-06-22 08:49:45

johnraff wrote:

n fact I should take a look at our imgur upload script (I didn't write it) and try and bypass the "thumbnail" image url if the uploaded image is smaller than a certain size, and just use the direct link. Might not be too hard.

Maybe wait till I submit my wayland mods (soon-ish). Saves duplication of work

johnraff · 2025-06-22 09:02:31

^why is this? Are you writing a new image upload script?

#21 2025-06-08 08:39:30

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#22 2025-06-08 17:34:40

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#23 2025-06-09 00:27:07

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#24 2025-06-17 21:44:57

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#25 2025-06-18 00:52:49

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#26 2025-06-18 06:49:18

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#27 2025-06-18 22:38:31

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#28 2025-06-19 01:14:39

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#29 2025-06-22 06:45:28

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#30 2025-06-22 08:49:45

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

#31 2025-06-22 09:02:31

Re: Think about our forum image size policy?

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