Photos, I may be speaking out of rank here, but I use BBC Code when you click Input format below your inputed response or posting material.
Put [img] http://www.yourhost.com/directory/yourimage.jpg [/img] (not real) (the [img] tags should be input without any spaces between the URL and tags, I just had to add space so the server would not look for something that's not there and leave a red x instead of my text) after you have uploaded the JPEG to your ISP. Make sure the [img] opening tag and [/img] closing tag are correct, note the slash in the closing tag. Then preview before posting. The learning curve is steep but once you do it a couple times you get it and it opens up a whole new world to posting, you can do A LOT!! That's howcome the red x is red! Read the more information about formatting link below after you expand the Input Format box.
This is how I post inline images.
About MileHiDad, Make Babies, Not War!
We Dads are Pioneering New Childcare Methods in the Worlds Second Oldest Profession!
What happens if you're in a car going the speed of light and turn the headlights on?

That would make it easier to post but I am a geek who risks learning new things to be rewarded with fancy postings if that's a word; if not, Mike, can we code it in? It's really not that hard, [img] and [/img] and the address of your image is all you need!
About MileHiDad, Make Babies, Not War!
We Dads are Pioneering New Childcare Methods in the Worlds Second Oldest Profession!
What happens if you're in a car going the speed of light and turn the headlights on?

picture this - a hand outstretched, palm down, fingers together. Now it is running in a slow back and forth motion over the top of my noggin. I have just explained my response to technical computer jargon. (I secretly envy you...)

Although I am a web developer by profession and although BBCode (for "b"ulletin "b"oard code, which is not HTML) has become the standard used in most online forums, it is still too much to ask the average Joe to learn to be able to do simple forum tasks.

Most good forums have original post or comment input boxes that have buttons for the most common tasks used in posting: bold, italics, hyperlinks, images, etc. I could have sworn that the prior version of this site had these buttons above the input boxes.

Mike - Does the current version of Drupal that you are using have a module that would add this functionality to the input boxes?

- Randy

Back to the "would you sticky the posts"....my hope was that people would rate the posts (using the little star widget on the original post, and we'd then have an automatic "top rated" post section that would serve the same purpose. Maybe that's wishful thinking?

I LOVE that art! Who takes credit for creating that one?

Ok, I've reworked the image attachments:

1) You can still link to external images, as before. If you know how to do this, it will save us some server space, so continue to use that if you can. This works for comments and the original posts.

2) Alternately, create a post. AFTER you submit it, you'll see an "images" tab. You can upload one or several images there. They'll appear at the end of your post. This lets you create an image gallery and inline images.

3) You can add images to comments by using the "file attachments" field. Images will be displayed inline with your comments. They will not show in the preview, but will show in the post.

There are various size limits. I think that it's 640x480.

Separately, I also tried to clean up the notification emails a bit (less garbled characters, no irrelevant local stuff).

Let me know how it goes.

Now, here is some Kung Pow chicken:

You can't point to the people who do know how to post a pic as evidence that everybody does... or that everybody wants to take the time to learn. How many people on that other forum have never posted a pic? I'm sure there are lots more of them too, and they either don't know how or don't have the time to learn about photobucket.

Picture buttons (and bold, italic buttons) are forum standards. And they make it easier for everybody. Thanks for adding the File attachment button. It really is helpful.

I have to note that this site probably runs on a SQL database on the server, most hosting packages I have used (8)allow a 100 MB database on a server. If you inbed images in the database, it will fill up quickly and then there will be problems for this community service. Then you get into size restrictions and camera settings, my camera is set to a fairly high resolution for store reprints if the wife wants them.
I figure the guys who really want to post images will take the time to figure it out.
About MileHiDad, Make Babies, Not War!
We Dads are Pioneering New Childcare Methods in the Worlds Second Oldest Profession!
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems!!

Gentlemen, while spirited debate is a good thing, let's remember one thing - I'M A DUMBASS! (when it comes to computer stuff!!) I'm struggling to recall my 9th grade typing class as it is. It's OK that I'm not as knowledgable in technical stuff, and I'll pick it up as I go along. Anyway, I probably can dust your ass when it comes to home improvment (Licensed Contractor) or cynicism. So continue with the debate, no feelings hurt on this end.

Me assuming adding images is a piece of cake or you guys who assume that fancy interventions are necessary. We all sound like internet snobs.

paddyrat, a 'tag' is a notation that changes how things are displayed on the screen (in this case, anyway)

The only one relevant to this discussion is [img], as MileHi was explaining. The computer IDs a tag by the brackets.

to embed an image, you tell the computer an image is coming by typing

[img]

Now the computer will look for a url, the address of the image file. This is the most difficult part. Sizing and uploading your own images takes practice, especially to stay organized and remember where you put things. The abovementioned photobucket is a free and very easy to use 'host' (FYI, a host is computer space, connected to the internet, where files are kept for access through the internet.)

For tutorial purposes, let's post an image that's already 'hosted'.

If you right-click your mouse on any of the images in this thread, there will be an option called 'Properties.' Click that. This brings up an info box. One of the items listed is the 'Address.' Highlight that, right click, and 'copy' that address.

When I do this to the kung-pao chicken, I get this:

http://www.athomedad.org/files/testpic.jpg

when I right-click and paste. That is the address of that image file. That is the image I will post.

To tell the computer you are done with your image, you need to 'close' the tag. this is done by placing a slash in front of img, so a closing tag would be:

[/img]

If you string the bolded items together without any spaces, you get this:

and that is how you post a picture. To practice, make a post and try it, and use preview to see if it worked.

Peace.

PS -- if you didn't know, you can right click on all sorts of things to get options to cut/copy/paste/and do a lot of things that are not obvious like see the properties and even the programming of most web pages.

PPS -- What I did in my example is called 'lifting' and it is not generally a good practice to lift images from a web site and post them as your own.

That's what 've been thinking the whole time. But while we're both right, we're also both a little wrong in that we are making assumptions and speculating on things we have no clue about (ie other people's abilities and motivations.)

I call truce.

Thank You Jim L and everyone else, It sounded as easy as it is. Now I just have to get some pics to where I can show them and I don't know when that will happen.

Dan

Everybody's back in the sandbox and playing nice, I see. Thanks for the help, I am humble enough to accept help when I know that I need it. I'm going to practice before I start putting pictures in my posts, so beware. (no snickering from the smart kids in the front row, I see you)

Aye, there's nary an animal alive that can outrun a greased scotsman...

Well after about 10 minutes of practice and a super easy hook-up to Photobucket (Thanks Guys), I'm finally ready to show myself (and my buddy W.)

Aye, there's nary an animal alive that can outrun a greased scotsman...