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DON'T Use Photobucket on Ratsun


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Who does your image hosting?  Although I gotta say your steps sound pretty much identical to wayno's on Photobucket...

use.com  

 

 The only thing that goes wrong is  when you delete images,  some times codes get messed up  and changes pics.  Example,  the truck design in my signature  area changes when I delete  images of my account. But not very often.

 

 you can also add videos  and template for ebay and such

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I tried to start a Flickr account this morning.  The so-called plan was to compare Flickr to Photobucket.  I expected to fill out a form of some kind when I clicked the "Sign Up" button.  Instead I got a window asking me to sign into my Yahoo! account. 

 

WTH?

 

It said I could sign up using Google too, so I clicked on that.  That took me to a form proposing that I give Yahoo! my Gmail password.  I realize that "web privacy" is an oxymoron, but I'm not gonna willingly hand out my Gmail password to Yahoo!. 

 

I did a quick Google search.  Flickr is owned by Yahoo!  That explains it...

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Don't mind me.  Just doing some experimenting.

 

"wayno's method", or METHOD #1 - at PB, double left-click on picture, right-click, copy image, back to Ratsun, right-click, paste directly into post.

 

P4280038.jpg

 

SUCCESS

 

Let's try this - grab Direct Link and paste it into the post

 

http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n564/Telkwa/P4280038.jpg

 

FAIL

 

OK, let's try copying the Direct Link and using the Image tool, that's what WormDrive said and I believe that's datzenmike's method also...  METHOD #2..

 

P4280038.jpg

 

SUCCESS

 

Both of the successful methods above made the image immediately viewable.  Much better than blue text.

 

Now, some experiments with "sizes" or resolution or whatever you want to call it.

 

METHOD #1

 

P4280042.jpg

 

518kB is over half a MB.  More data than necessary for the forums.

 

METHOD #2

 

P4280042.jpg

 

Using the Image Tool resulted in an image that displays slightly larger than Method #1.  (EDIT: Well, it did at home on a 24" monitor.  At work now, on a 20" 3:4 ratio monitor the two images above are the same size.)

 

Next I want to try something a little bit different than Method #2.  I suspect this will give identical results to #2, it's just a slightly different procedure.  Instead of double-clicking on the image to get the bigger image, then clicking on Direct Link, I'm taking the Direct Link from the Library page.  What I'm calling the "Library Page" is illustrated in the third picture in post #1.  So, Library page, left-click on the Direct Link text, right-click on the highlited code, copy, then back to the Forum.  Click on Image Tool, paste, OK.

 

P4280047.jpg

 

Notice the text in the two pictures above.  I'm hoping this will help people wrap their heads around the concept of scaling vs. compression.  For the horn picture I set the camera to 1024 X 768, but set the quality to "High".  The resulting image held about 518kB of data.  In the last picture with the wrecking yard nuts & bolts and the pneumatic tool I set the camera to 1280 X 960, which should result in more data.  But I set the camera to "Normal", so it actually recorded 260kB, less data than the "smaller" picture. 

 

There's some kind of scaling that goes on between Photobucket and Ratsun Forums, because no matter how much data is in the original picture, they never seem to display any larger than above.  I suspected 1024 X 768 was at or beyond the limits for posting to the forum. 

 

640 X 480 is good enuf for some subject matter and I will use that more from now on.  640 X 480 "NORMAL" is as low as our SP-500UZ digital camera goes.

If I need more picture or more detail, 1024 X 768 "NORMAL" should be good enuf.  1024 X 768 "HI" is overkill, and wastes resources.

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I tried to start a Flickr account this morning.  The so-called plan was to compare Flickr to Photobucket.  I expected to fill out a form of some kind when I clicked the "Sign Up" button.  Instead I got a window asking me to sign into my Yahoo! account. 

 

WTH?

 

It said I could sign up using Google too, so I clicked on that.  That took me to a form proposing that I give Yahoo! my Gmail password.  I realize that "web privacy" is an oxymoron, but I'm not gonna willingly hand out my Gmail password to Yahoo!.  So Flickr, for me anyway, is not an option.

 

I did a quick Google search.  Flickr is owned by Yahoo!  That explains it...

 

Oh yes... I forgot that was a thing. Its been a few years since Ive created the account. When I first signed up, Facebook and Google login werent an option. I created a Yahoo email with the same info as my regular email and used that to sign up for Flickr. Ive only logged in once to that email and that was to verify my Flickr account. Then you just log in normally. It was a minor inconvenience for all of about 2min 8 years ago. Going strong still and no email issues to date. 

 

You are correct though, Im not sure why Flickr does signups that way. Weird. 

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You are correct though, Im not sure why Flickr does signups that way. Weird. 

 

Flickr is Yahoo's property and if they want to make access to Flickr contingent on signing up for a Yahoo! account, well, that's their prerogative.  Or if they wanted my gmail address, that's reasonable, just like I had to give Photobucket my gmail address. 

 

But my gmail password?

 

Yeah, I don't have a Facebook account either. 

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I circumvented all that by creating a yahoo email address. Took 30 sec. Now Flickr doesnt have any of my data... Small price to pay I think as Ive never had to come here to Ratsun (or anywhere for the matter) and complain about their service or ask for help on how to do something. 

 

 

 

Hopefully this thread gets some good info in it... seems lots of people need PB help. Good luck with the how-to

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Thanks, tristin -

 

It might take a few days or weeks, but I'll put something together.  I kinda like helping out with little projects like this, but as you can see there's almost always room for improvement.  Thing is, you kinda gotta put something out there, even if it's not perfect, then be prepared for a small dose of humiliation as people come along and point out the mistakes. 

 

I mean, just look at all the free help that people have donated so far B) 

 

It seems to me we'd need others to pitch in with guides for smartphones, Flickr, etc. in order to be more complete.

 

I almost created a Yahoo! account this morning just so I could get to Flickr, but bagged it at the last moment. 

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Man, its pretty sad when all these threads for Photobucket are necessary. How to navigate, how to post pictures, why doesnt this work, why doesnt that work... 

 

If the programmers would leave shit alone we would be fine, but no... they have to 'updat' everything to make it 'better' :lol:

 

 

This window below does not appear to me, I see nothing like this page below, I have tried to find it, but have been un-successful so far, I use google chrome, and have windowsXP.

pb-3.jpg

 

 

Wayno, if you go to photobucket and click on your name in the upper right corner, then go to user settings, then click the albums link that shows up you can turn on easy linking mode (which should be on to begin with) then make sure the IMG code is checked and then save the sttings you will get box like shown in the pic you quoted.

 

Stupidest thing ever to have to dig around and have to turn on the linking for a photo site. None of these programmers use the site for forums is my guess.

 

 

 

 

Edit: Great thread by the way...I was avoiding it thinking it was another bitch fest and I didn't want to get all pissed about photobucket programmers being stupid. :rofl:

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Thanks, 2e -

I know how easily threads can degrade into bitch/flame fests.  Not interested in that.  I'll continue pinging away at this until I'm ready to write Version 2.0.

 

For instance, I'll have to try your advice when I get home and see if I can change my PB account so that it doesn't show the easy linking mode.  I was thinking that maybe wayno's situation had something to do with XP.  Your explanation makes more sense.

 

BTW, I haven't visited the Photobucket user settings.  So the features I've been describing, and the way they behave, is how it's been since I joined Ratsun a few months ago and starting using it frequently.  I'd signed up with PB more than a year ago but used it infrequently.

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If the programmers would leave shit alone we would be fine, but no... they have to 'updat' everything to make it 'better' :lol:

 

 

 

 

Wayno, if you go to photobucket and click on your name in the upper right corner, then go to user settings, then click the albums link that shows up you can turn on easy linking mode (which should be on to begin with) then make sure the IMG code is checked and then save the sttings you will get box like shown in the pic you quoted.

 

Stupidest thing ever to have to dig around and have to turn on the linking for a photo site. None of these programmers use the site for forums is my guess.

 

 

 

 

Edit: Great thread by the way...I was avoiding it thinking it was another bitch fest and I didn't want to get all pissed about photobucket programmers being stupid. :rofl:

I just switched to the quick link. Why doesn't it copy with one click? With the default you hover over the gear, then drop down to get the links, click the desired link once and it's copied. But with the quick links showing, need to highlight and then copy.

 

using safari.

 

Yeah, I know first world problem. 

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If the programmers would leave shit alone we would be fine, but no... they have to 'updat' everything to make it 'better' :lol:

 

 

 

 

Wayno, if you go to photobucket and click on your name in the upper right corner, then go to user settings, then click the albums link that shows up you can turn on easy linking mode (which should be on to begin with) then make sure the IMG code is checked and then save the sttings you will get box like shown in the pic you quoted.

 

Stupidest thing ever to have to dig around and have to turn on the linking for a photo site. None of these programmers use the site for forums is my guess.

 

 

 

 

Edit: Great thread by the way...I was avoiding it thinking it was another bitch fest and I didn't want to get all pissed about photobucket programmers being stupid. :rofl:

 

I did what you said and the links appeared, but they didn't copy when I clicked on them, I still have to take another step to get the code, so I will just keep doing it the way I am.

I did un-check all the other codes though, so when I ask for a link code, all I get is the IMG code.

Thanks for the info, I had no idea I could do that, now I can go in there and really screw things up.  :lol:

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Wayno beat me to it.  I just made some screenshots this morning. 

 

In Photobucket, left-click on your name upper right hand-corner.  You'll get a drop-down box.  Left-click on "User Settings".  Left-click on Albums.  Just like 2eDe said...

 

pb-9.jpg

 

I'm not saying "Do This".  I'm just showing what I did this morning.  Turn off everything but Direct Link, and make sure easy linking mode is on.  Mouse toward the bottom of the page and "Save" the settings.  Now go back to your Library.

 

pb-8.jpg

 

Just the one code that seems to work the best for Ratsun.  I'm not sure how useful this is, because it's not hard to remember that you want "Direct Link"  once you've dinked around with it a few times.  Nonetheless, it's fun to tweak with stuff.

 

I still have to left-click on the words "Direct Link" to highlite the actual code, then right-click on the code and Copy, but that doesn't seem onerous.  Once I've got the Direct Link saved to clipboard, it's back to Ratsun, make sure the cursor is where I want it, left-click on the Image Tool, paste the code, OK.

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I just switched to the quick link. Why doesn't it copy with one click? With the default you hover over the gear, then drop down to get the links, click the desired link once and it's copied. But with the quick links showing, need to highlight and then copy.

 

using safari.

 

Yeah, I know first world problem. 

 

 

I have no idea. I would love to know why they decided to change everything when it worked really well before.

 

Double click the link text in the window and then hit 'ctrl c' that works pretty ok.

 

 

I did what you said and the links appeared, but they didn't copy when I clicked on them, I still have to take another step to get the code, so I will just keep doing it the way I am.

I did un-check all the other codes though, so when I ask for a link code, all I get is the IMG code.

Thanks for the info, I had no idea I could do that, now I can go in there and really screw things up.  :lol:

 

 

I've stopped using the IMG code though as the added the html link to it. I started using the direct link and the ratsun picture icon. Adds an extra step but it helps.

 

 

Have I mentioned that this shit worked fine before they started screwing with it? :lol:

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O. K. so I'll chime in on the smartphone side since I'm only on Ratsun on my phone. I also only browse the full version and not the mobile version of Ratsun. I have an iphone and not an android phone so I'm not sure about it but I would assume it would be the same.

 

Download the mobile Photobucket app. To place a picture in your photobucket account (in the app) select "upload media". Then camera roll. Select the picture you want in your photo bucket account and it will revert back to the photo bucket app. Move the picture to the desired file in your photo bucket account if you have multiple files. If you don't do this now and you post the picture and move it later, it will break the link and will have to be redone.

 

Have a window in safari opened with Ratsun pulled up. Press the home button to go to your app screen. Then tap the PB app. Go to "my albums" and then the desired folder. Tap the picture you want to post. In the bottom right corner there is a circle with an "i" in it, tap that. It will bring up 4 link codes. Tap the bottom one (the IMG code). It will say "IMG copied". Press the home button again and open Ratsun in safari back up. Double tap in the reply box at the bottom of the page (in the correct thread) and tap "paste". All you see is the image code but when you tap "post" your picture will appear. You can also add text just don't screw with the IMG code.

 

Also to note, Only pictures that will be posted are taken with my iphone so I have never resized or cropped/chopped or edited a picture so what you guys (& gals) see on your screen is how it was taken. Unless it is one I was looking at online and saved to my camera roll which sometimes post small.

 

Hopefully I explained how I do this well enough for it not to sound like jrock rambling. :poke: . <<<<Also to get the emoticons you have to actually type a colon ( : - not HRH's), then the word poke, then another : without spaces. It will appear correctly when you tap post. The emoticon thing doesn't work on a phone. At least I haven't figured that out yet.

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OK, this evening I want to work on scaling vs. compression some more. 

 

First off, there are several file structures or formats that support images.  .jpg, .bmp, .png, .gif and so on.  .jpg is by far the most popular.  Most digital cameras record images in the .jpg format.  .jpg is a "lossy" format, which means that it can take a picture and jettison some of the original data.  For instance, the "HI" setting on our camera tells it to keep more of the original data than the "NORMAL" setting.  In a nutshell, the .jpg algorithm looks for colors that are similar and changes them to one color.  It's difficult to tell where similar colors were combined if .jpg is being used lightly.  It's easy to see where similar colors were stripped out and given one value when .jpg is being used heavily.  The act of stripping data from an image is called compression.

 

I use GIMP for photo editing.  Think of it as an open-source version of Photoshop.  GIMP, like most image editing software, can use the .jpg algorithm to modify an image.  GIMP provides a sliding scale of 1 to 100.  1 is the most compression, 100 is the least.  So instead of two choices on our camera, I have a hundred choices. 

 

 

Here's the original photo, taken with our Olympus SP-500UZ at 1024 X 768 "HI"

 

P4070028-4.jpg

 

I took the original image, opened it in GIMP, and ran .jpg all the way down to 1, then saved the new image.  Here's the result...

 

P4070028-6.jpg

 

You can see the .jpg algorithm at work, trying to toss out similar data yet still present an image that has some resemblance to the original.  Notice how 165kB of data went to 13.  But the picture's size is the same.  That's compression.

 

I opened the original image again in GIMP.  GIMP has a scaling tool.  I scaled the image down to 102 X 77 pixels.  Here's the result

 

P4070028-2.jpg

 

This image is literally 102 pixels on the long side by 77 pixels on the short side.  Yet the image holds 14.3kB of data, which is more than the severely compressed image above!  That's scaling.

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Don't mind me, just trying to make sure I've got this right.

 

METHOD #1: GET THE "Direct" HYPERLINK

 

1) Open Photobucket Library, left-click on picture. 

2) New window comes up with just the picture that was left-clicked. 

3) Your hyperlinks will appear to the right.  Left-click inside the window next to "Direct" to save the hyperlink to your clipboard.

 

pb-10.jpg

 

NOTE: I went into my Photobucket settings and turned off all linking tools except Direct Link.  That's why you see only the Direct hyperlink tool in this screenshot.  Take a look underneath the red oval.  There's a link that takes you to your settings, where you can tweak your hyperlinks.  I'll go back and turn them all on, as you'll see in the next screenshots.

 

METHOD #2: ANOTHER WAY TO GET THE "Direct" HYPERLINK

 

1) Move your cursor over the image.  The "gear" icon appears.

2) Left-click on the gear.

3) Left-click on "Share..."

 

 

pb-14.jpg

4) You'll get a new window.  Left-click on "Links"

 

pb-12.jpg

 

5) All of your hyperlink tools appear.  Left-click on the actual hyperlink underneath the word "Direct" and you'll get the yellow flash, and/or a yellow "Copied" will appear for a moment.

 

 

pb-13.jpg

 

METHOD #3: SAME AS ABOVE BUT QUICKER (thanks, wayno!)

 

1) Back to your Library. 

2) Left-click on the image you want.  When you get the new window look for the "chain" icon above the picture.

 

pb-16.jpg

3) Left-click on that.  You'll get the list of hyperlink tools, just like method #2 above, but fewer steps.

 

FOURTH METHOD TO GET THE "Direct" HYPERLINK

 

I run into people fairly often who have used computers for years and are still not acquainted with that other button on the mouse.  You know, the one on the right.  For those of you who do know about the other button, I shouldn't have to go into excruciating detail...

 

pb-15.jpg

To me, the simplest method is to simply right-click on the "Direct" hyperlink, then click Copy.  Sometimes the hyperlink lights up when I go straight to it, then the next time it seems like I have to left-click on the word "Direct" first.  This sort of thing doesn't trouble me.  I know the link can be copied, and if I gotta wiggle the mouse around and make an extra click or two, who cares? 

 

OK, that's it for now.  4 ways to grab the Direct Link.  Then once you're back to Ratsun, place your cursor where you want the image, mouse up to the Image Tool, and paste in the Direct hyperlink.

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Your right, photolame changed it a couple days ago, now it doesn't work to right click on the photo to get the IMG code either.

I need simple, the links you are using require you to click on tools above this reply, I don't use any of these tools except the smiley/sad face options.

I left click on the photo I want now, a new screen opens with a larger image, just above the images, several boxes appear, they are a blue box with an "F", a little bird, a red box with a "P", a blue box with a "T", a red box with a "G+", then an envelope, and then a little chain link, that is what I want, I left click on it, the IMG code I want appears, I left click on it, and it flashes yellow, then I go to my post/reply and paste it there, unfortunately  this doesn't show an image in the reply anymore, just the code.

I went into my settings a while back and set it so only the IMG codes would appear, originally all the different codes appeared.

 

This changing things that work fine seems to be a trend these days.

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wayno, thanks for the input.  I hadn't paid any attention to those icons that you pointed out.  Clicking on the icon that looks like a chain takes me to the list of hyperlinks in one step.  That's quicker than the 3 step process I described as the second method in post #44.  I'll add your method and scratch mine.

 

EDIT: I ended up leaving my laborious method and including yours.  Except that I'm using Direct rather than IMG.

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wayno, thanks for the input.  I hadn't paid any attention to those icons that you pointed out.  Clicking on the icon that looks like a chain takes me to the list of hyperlinks in one step.  That's quicker than the 3 step process I described as the second method in post #44.  I'll add your method and scratch mine.

 

That's great right now, but it might not work next week. :lol:

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More experimenting.  I'm using my preferred method to get to hyperlinks, which is right-clicking from the Library, then left-clicking on hyperlink.  As described in method #4, post #44.  The method doesn't matter so much in this case.  I just want to compare using the Direct hyperlink vs. the IMG hyperlink.

 

USING DIRECT HYPERLINK

 

1) In Photobucket, go to Library.

2) Right click on Direct, left-click on the actual hyperlink, copy.

3) Back to Ratsun, place the cursor where you want the image to show up, click on Image Tool, paste the Direct hyperlink, click OK.

 

bosozuko04.jpg

 

The image shows up in the post.  Click the Enter key to move cursor down a space and I'm ready to go.

 

USING THE IMG HYPERLINK INSTEAD

 

1) Back to Photobucket Library.

2) Right click on IMG, left click on the hyperlink.

3) Back to Ratsun post.  Paste the hyperlink directly into the body of the post.  Do not use either the "Link" or "Image" tools that appear in the Ratsun toolbar.

 

bosozuko04.jpg

 

 

OK, I can see the hyperlink text but not the picture. 

 

Now it's down to personal preferences.  Some folks prefer fewer steps.  Others don't care about clicking a few more times.  I'm in the second camp.  I want to see the image before posting.  Although it isn't there now, I'm pretty sure the image will appear after I hit the "Post" button and send this in to Ratsun.  But that's because I've been messing with this for a few weeks.  For the newbie, the IMG method involves a leap of faith.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Copy/paste the Direct hyperlink from Photobucket, then use the Image Tool in the Ratsun toolbar to properly insert the hyperlink into the post.

 

Or:

 

Copy/paste the IMG hyperlink from Photobucket, then paste it directly into the body of your post.

 

To me, those are the two paths to success.  There are other ways, but I'm fairly confident we've narrowed this down to the two simplest.

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