Attaching full-size images to a post

[peteski]

When viewing posts with photos attach to them (where photos are stored on TRW) those photos very often show up as thumbnails.  This means that I have to click on each thumbnail to see the full size image. If someone has a dozen photos in their post (like it often occurs on the weekend update threads) I have to click on every photo's thumbnail to see the photo. So does every other person who reads that post. That is a lot of extra clicks!

I tried to come up with a reason as to why someone would upload a photo but instead of Inline full-size image choose to select a thumbnail. There is no advantage to selecting thumbnail.  But I think that I finally figured this out. The default attachment type is End-of-post expandable thumbnail. So if the person uploading the photo does not do two extra mouse clicks to select Inline full-size image (or doesn't even realize that a full-size image option exists) the image ends up as a thumbnail. The person posting saves 2 mouse clicks, but then everybody viewing the thread has to click on the image to see it full size. I find that cumbersome.

Is there any way to re-order the pulldown menu selections under the Attachments to make the Inline full-size image choice the default one?  That would save lots of mouse clicks for everybody: the person who posts won't have to do couple of extra clicks to post a full-size image in their thread, and all the people viewing the post later will not have to click on the thumbnail to expand it.  Sounds like a win-win situation all around.

[bbussey]

Interesting. I didn't know an inline image option exists. Good to know when posting from the iPhone.

[thomasjmdavis]

I have plenty of RAM and a cable modem, but I have always assumed the thumbnail option was for the convenience of those not blessed with bandwidth.  Doesn't it take forever for some folks to download a page with a dozen large photos?  I figured the defaults were set as they were on purpose, and the powers-that-be wanted us to post that way.  Noticed last time, however, that I was the only one on the page who did. 

Will be moving back to my old farmhouse when I retire in the spring, not sure if I will be able to get anything near as fast as what I have now.  Although the computer itself won't be a problem. 

Tom D.

[peteski]

The days of posts with "56k safe" in the subject line are pretty much over.  If there still are some people using dial-up, that is probably a very small fraction of the total members.

Besides, we aren't talking megabytes for image sizes. The forum resizes the uploaded photos automatically anyways, so even the full-size images are not more than couple hundred kilobytes in size.  Usually less than 100 KB. Also, even the thumbnail sizes are fairly large so the bandwidth saving is not all that great.  I'm just tired of having to click on every uploaded photos to see it full size.

Here's is the latest example of such thread: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=37636.msg452594#msg452594

[nkalanaga]

What I would like to see, and I don't know how complicated the programming would be, is "mouse-over" thumbnails.  Move the cursor onto the picture and it automatically zooms.  I've seen that on other sites, often for ads, which can get annoying.  But it would be handy for those who want to look at some pictures full sized, but don't care about, or don't have bandwidth for, everything on the page.

[svedblen]

Do you know that you only need to click the first photo, and then you can use the down and up arrows keys to move between the photos in the same post, which then expand automatically? Try that.

[peteski]

I didn't know that - thanks!
But I would still rather not have to hit any keys and simply scroll down through the post using the scroll wheel and see all the pictures at their full size (the size allowed by the forum).

[svedblen]

I agree. I also prefer expanded photos.

In Sweden we have a saying that goes "humans are lazy by nature". I don't know if that saying is universal, but the laziness seems to be 

[peteski]

In Sweden we have a saying that goes "humans are lazy by nature". I don't know if that saying is universal, but the laziness seems to be 

This is true planet-wide!    Often humans also like to take the easy way out, or take a path of the least resistance.

[John]

the lazy man will find a way to do it easier ..  why don't you write a greasemonkey script or something similar for your browser of choice to automatically expand pix

[peteski]

the lazy man will find a way to do it easier ..  why don't you write a greasemonkey script or something similar for your browser of choice to automatically expand pix

Because that is *WAY* more difficult and complex than simply rearranging the pull-down menu selections (assuming that it is even possible), and I'm too lazy.    I'll just look at the thumbnails (unless the people who post photos bother to post them as full size images). 

I simply asked if it was possible to rearrange the menu items and explained my reasoning.  I received some interesting replies and workarounds, but nothing which directly answers my request.