New Premium Feature on GreatLakesBass.com - Image Gallery

[djkimmel]

Been thinking about trying this out for a long time and finally bit the bullet - an integrated picture gallery.

Since this is a purchased version and I'm not sure what to expect in additional storage space, forum performance and any effect on the webserver, I am offering this as a premium feature to those of you who have been the most helpful and supportive members of GreatLakesBass.com for now as my way of saying thanks.

Anyone, guest or member, can view the picture galleries, comment and rate (and report any inappropriate) pictures, but only those of you who match the criteria below will be able to upload new pictures to the already existing categories when you are logged in, and even create your own personal picture galleries you can upload to to share your pictures with everyone.

The picture gallery also provides several link options you can use to automatically insert and link your pictures into posts. There are dimension and file size limits to uploads but they are generous and the forum picture gallery handles a lot of the resizing for you.

You can upload pictures and create your own personal picture galleries if:

1. Your membergroup is 'Big Fish' or above - greater than 99 posts including 'Master Angler' (250 post and up) and 'Legend' (500 posts and up); or

2. You have volunteered in the past two seasons to help GreatLakesBass.com by working at one of the outdoor show booths; or

3. You have donated $5 or more in the past two years to help with the expense of running GreatLakesBass.com. If you are in either 2 or 3, you will be listed as a member of the GLBass Friends group - I consider all of you a friend, but this is to designate people who have helped out above and beyond;

4. You are a promotional sponsor-advertiser of GreatLakesBass.com.

To start creating galleries and uploading your own pictures if you fall into one of these groups, just click the Gallery tab above. Anyone can go to the Gallery tab and view uploaded pictures, commenting on or rating them.

There is also a 'note' feature on the picture to try out where you can actually leave a note about an 'area' or areas of the picture - this is intended to mark members or known people in your pictures. When you mouseover the boxes in a noted picture, you'll see what the note is that pertains to that person.

If you are not in the groups right now to be able to upload your own pictures and/or create your own picture gallery I hope you get there soon. By the time more of you become eligible to add your pictures, I hope to know the impact on the website. If you think you should be in one of the groups, but you are not, please PM me or Contact me and let me know. Some of the changes will happen on their own such as when you reach 100 posts, but some assignment has to be made manually for now such as thanks to volunteers.

Note: When uploading a new picture through MyImages, pick the Category first before you fill out any fields including title. After you pick the correct category, then fill out title and everything else. If going through a category to upload a picture, if you decide to change the category, do that first before you fill out other fields so you don't lose those entries. The web page is reloaded when the category is chosen or changes.

[djkimmel]

I will continue to look for other benefits that are free and available to all members such as more contests more often starting up soon including a season long fishing report contest.

[bob o]

i like the new image gallery. it's very easy to use.

[djkimmel]

I thought about coming up with a help page or something but I hope it isn't necessary. It appears I'll have to make my own if it is necessary.

[djkimmel]

A couple things I will point out is if you are in the Group Big Fish or above, or in the GLBass Friends group, go to Gallery > MyGallery and you can have your own member Gallery under your username if you want people to be able to see your own pictures together.

The other thing is the size limits are pretty generous so eligible members can get most of their digital photos online and then use the preformatted links below the picture to copy directly into their posts and show their pictures. Just use the 'BB Code' link or 'BB Medium Image Code' to show the picture and link back to the gallery. The forum will resize your picture to stay within display size limits.

You can upload pictures up to 5MB in size and 2500 pixels by 2500 pixels. If you upload a digital picture larger than 2500x2500 the forum will resize the picture to fit. I do not have any user quotas set at this time since I'm limiting the number of people who can upload for now to see how it goes for a while.

I've been wanting to say thanks to the most active members for some time so this is an attempt to do so, and also make it easier for the most active members to share pictures since I like that. I imagine many of us like to share pictures.

One additional thing I also mention, there are Facebook and Twitter share buttons under each picture that can automatically send a picture to either service with the title as your status.

Note: When uploading a new picture through MyImages, pick the Category first before you fill out any fields including title. After you pick the correct category, then fill out title and everything else. If going through a category to upload a picture, if you decide to change the category, do that first before you fill out other fields so you don't lose those entries. The web page is reloaded when the category is chosen or changes.

[Cheetam]

Very cool.  I'll have to check it out.

[Cheetam]

Hey Dan, do the galleries link to our profiles, or do we have to click on the "Gallery" link to get there?

[djkimmel]

Hey Dan, do the galleries link to our profiles, or do we have to click on the "Gallery" link to get there?

Not in your profile. Go to the Gallery tab and then below that to the MyGallery tab to create your own categories and start building your own personal picture gallery.

Oops. I see you already figured that out. Good job. You're the first member with their own gallery. If I would have had to bet, I probably would have put my money on you being first...

For others, to see personal galleries, just go to the Gallery tab and then under the Gallery Name column click the Member Galleries link. You can sort by member name or by total images.

Personal gallery images will still show up in the various summary categories below like 'Recent Pictures,' 'Most Viewed' and 'Top Rated'

[Skulley]

I just posted my two biggest bass I caught in 2010 just to see how the gallery worked.  Pretty cool feature DK.  Kind of like the GLBass.com bragging board.        I think this feature is pretty cool.


BD                                     

[Cheetam]

Hey Dan, do the galleries link to our profiles, or do we have to click on the "Gallery" link to get there?

Not in your profile. Go to the Gallery tab and then below that to the MyGallery tab to create your own categories and start building your own personal picture gallery.

Oops. I see you already figured that out. Good job. You're the first member with their own gallery. If I would have had to bet, I probably would have put my money on you being first...

For others, to see personal galleries, just go to the Gallery tab and then under the Gallery Name column click the Member Galleries link. You can sort by member name or by total images.

Personal gallery images will still show up in the various summary categories below like 'Recent Pictures,' 'Most Viewed' and 'Top Rated'

It looks like each gallery has a unique URL so you could copy and paste it into your "Website" link in your Profile.  I just did, and it seems to be working.

[djkimmel]

That's what I like to see... a little creativity.

The designer seems to have done a pretty good job with it. I haven't crashed or broken anything yet He's helping me on a minor tweak today too.

[Cy]

Hey Dan.  I like the new gallery!  It is very easy to use. 

However, PLEASE tell Cheetam that it isn't his personal gallery for all his stupid crank bait pictures.  My gosh Jeff, if you have seen one custom painted bait...you have seen them all.  Get over it already!!!!

Just kidding Cheetam!!!! 

Nice new feature Dan.

[t-bone]

It worked well. I had one thing that was a little strange, if I entered the title and then choose the picture but then went and selected a category - it wipes out all of the stuff I just entered.

[djkimmel]

I noticed that it is programmed kind of expecting that you fill out each piece of information from top to bottom. The programmer probably expects that's how most people do it. When I create something I try to expect people will always do the unexpected - just different philosophies.

There's some processing that happens when you browse for a picture or choose a category and it is either too difficult or just the philosphy difference that the gallery was not programmed to remember settings upon some changes.

Try to use the upload form from the top down. Most ways to get to upload a picture, you have to choose a category first other than choosing the MyImages option. I'm guessing some important settings are changed when the category is chosen.

I will mention above that you should pick the category first or change categories before you enter any other information. I would prefer it kept the entries too.

I may ask or review his notes to see if he can make this change in a future upgrade to remember the present form entries. It is common in email forms to remember but sometimes there are security risks too in leaving behind certain pieces of information. That is also a possibility besides just expecting people will do things in order.

[t-bone]

It isn't a top to bottom thing, anytime you select the category it wipes out all data entered - even the title which is the first entry field. So maybe category should be the first field?

[Cheetam]

Hey Dan.  I like the new gallery!  It is very easy to use. 

However, PLEASE tell Cheetam that it isn't his personal gallery for all his stupid crank bait pictures.  My gosh Jeff, if you have seen one custom painted bait...you have seen them all.  Get over it already!!!!

Just kidding Cheetam!!!! 

Nice new feature Dan.

It's either pics of cranks or my ugly mug!    

[djkimmel]

Hey Dan.  I like the new gallery!  It is very easy to use. 

However, PLEASE tell Cheetam that it isn't his personal gallery for all his stupid crank bait pictures.  My gosh Jeff, if you have seen one custom painted bait...you have seen them all.  Get over it already!!!!

Just kidding Cheetam!!!! 

Nice new feature Dan.

Glad you like. I kind of figured Cheetam would set the pace. At first anyway. Lets see if anyone else can catch him!

I hoping to test out a change the programmer made for me to make sharing easier.

Also, as Cheetam pointed out above, you can get a the link to your personal image gallery and put it into your forum profile and/or signature by just going to the entry page to your personal image gallery and then copying the URL from your browser address bar. Or just right-click on your username link and choose Copy Link Location.

[djkimmel]

It worked well. I had one thing that was a little strange, if I entered the title and then choose the picture but then went and selected a category - it wipes out all of the stuff I just entered.

I see that happens if you go into 'MyImages' first and then pick the initial category.

If you go into a category first it only happens if you change to a different category. Must reset some options when you choose a category. Again, the programmer must have expected most people to go into a category first I guess. I would expect both.

I'll check his support to see if this issue has been previously discussed. An easier fix would be to have categories first but since people still sometimes do things in different order, I'll see if it is possible to keep the field values. If not, then put category first. Not sure if this can happen soon or at all until I talk to him. He did already make one change for me that was completely new in only 24 hours so that was very nice of him.

[djkimmel]

Hey Dan, do the galleries link to our profiles, or do we have to click on the "Gallery" link to get there?

In talking to the programmer, since this is an added on external feature, not part of the core forum program he is trying to avoid changing the core program which would be required to add a link in user's profiles. I can understand the feeling. I have a number of add-ons I've installed and some of them now conflict with others and/or make regular security updates a lot more difficult.

That may change though since sometime in the next few months, there's a major upgrade coming out to the entire forum software that has added in many extras as standard now. I'll have to evaluate all that when they release the first true public version.

[djkimmel]

Hey Dan, do the galleries link to our profiles, or do we have to click on the "Gallery" link to get there?

Not in your profile. Go to the Gallery tab and then below that to the MyGallery tab to create your own categories and start building your own personal picture gallery.

Oops. I see you already figured that out. Good job. You're the first member with their own gallery. If I would have had to bet, I probably would have put my money on you being first...

For others, to see personal galleries, just go to the Gallery tab and then under the Gallery Name column click the Member Galleries link. You can sort by member name or by total images.

Personal gallery images will still show up in the various summary categories below like 'Recent Pictures,' 'Most Viewed' and 'Top Rated'

It looks like each gallery has a unique URL so you could copy and paste it into your "Website" link in your Profile.  I just did, and it seems to be working.

You could also add it into your signature. Like 'My Image Gallery' or 'Cheetam's Image Gallery'