# Can we consider allowing direct image uploads? **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [January 21, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213 "2025-01-21T15:40:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/41 "2025-01-22T13:18:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The only time SDMB exhibits that behavior is if the person who posted their image did an ignorant or sloppy job of it. Wait, there’s a way to get it to NOT do that? Every image I see linked in this thread does that for me. What’s the alternative method? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/42 "2025-01-22T13:32:05Z")
What do you see in @Susan’s post #33 in this thread? On my ~8x10" landscape screen with a maximized browser window I see a ~3x5" portrait format image of a crane-like bird standing on muddy grassy ground. I do not see any link. Once we establish what you see on the very same post we can begin to address what’s wrong where. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/43 "2025-01-22T13:51:22Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > What do you see in @Susan’s post #33 in this thread? Sorry, I meant what happens if you click on the image. For a linked image, it opens in a new tab: [https://media.cleanshot.cloud/media/76644/HYtVTtN4TExAxcJfJ4TSUlUlLQP58XTBUlc0f70P.mp4?response-content-disposition=attachment%3Bfilename%3DCan%2520we%2520consider%2520allowing%2520direct%2520image%2520uploads%2520-%2520Site%2520Feedback%2520-%2520Straight%2520Dope%2520Message%2520Board%2520-%2520%2520January%252022%2520%2540%252005-49-27%2520AM-converted.mp4&Expires=1737575770&Signature=MmYHlc9hi2dh93Ij4XO0kZfSNtAttoZOtocz8fqchALf5DWzXq3ybgwiwdMz0TdyegAuelLHbdgvz30o3gmfnca5rU6GooeUiuPy7iEpLqDm87Dcnu9o0Xvtvc-vbiKxWah9DEBJbrL3qswwRORRcSyKCvIKc7ff9htgAYb-q5JfG9-6NgI6fD63TJVVB-z4xIQg~VUsY8y0~U4UD0zrmp5YJCRK0eWY3WBoIcV-gM~oTeVjiWHLja8RnLL6REWgMgwnwLA5FL69pnp0LiIWpfUKEbgWCMk1j7knkR9I-69fgV6ssIV-l4IEvNRh5Iel9TkasAX8WtSxZxEILLTowQ\_\_&Key-Pair-Id=K269JMAT9ZF4GZ](https://media.cleanshot.cloud/media/76644/HYtVTtN4TExAxcJfJ4TSUlUlLQP58XTBUlc0f70P.mp4?response-content-disposition=attachment%3Bfilename%3DCan%2520we%2520consider%2520allowing%2520direct%2520image%2520uploads%2520-%2520Site%2520Feedback%2520-%2520Straight%2520Dope%2520Message%2520Board%2520-%2520%2520January%252022%2520%2540%252005-49-27%2520AM-converted.mp4&Expires=1737575770&Signature=MmYHlc9hi2dh93Ij4XO0kZfSNtAttoZOtocz8fqchALf5DWzXq3ybgwiwdMz0TdyegAuelLHbdgvz30o3gmfnca5rU6GooeUiuPy7iEpLqDm87Dcnu9o0Xvtvc-vbiKxWah9DEBJbrL3qswwRORRcSyKCvIKc7ff9htgAYb-q5JfG9-6NgI6fD63TJVVB-z4xIQg~VUsY8y0~U4UD0zrmp5YJCRK0eWY3WBoIcV-gM~oTeVjiWHLja8RnLL6REWgMgwnwLA5FL69pnp0LiIWpfUKEbgWCMk1j7knkR9I-69fgV6ssIV-l4IEvNRh5Iel9TkasAX8WtSxZxEILLTowQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K269JMAT9ZF4GZ) ([Video file](https://share.cleanshot.com/kmXXCX7W6wpPLxB06kwy)) vs the standard Discourse behavior for directly uploaded images, which opens them in an in-page lightbox, with a carousel that lets you scroll through adjacent images: [https://media.cleanshot.cloud/media/76644/g6eLIoOTspYe0JR7lwS0WB3ojMrfA5D5gDLokuxA.mp4?response-content-disposition=attachment%3Bfilename%3DTransit%2520-%2520A%2520Public%2520Tranportation%2520theme%2520-%2520Theme%2520-%2520Discourse%2520Meta%2520-%2520%2520January%252022%2520%2540%252005-50-30%2520AM.mp4&Expires=1737575770&Signature=IDEOhA84xQxHFNcf-PIQ3kHoYqrAhKKlz~0g~clc673CfwvsP5DjtOZlSQ7OrusU8NshTsBa1Xr6bSn9GnajtklCgX~R2WmxVc04hmQWpZIIY8034bbpqI49~JuUiTGTTcR-Ah8Z714Gzyo8bO9So1L6A9eBjnpbLGUcrLE0Ndotz8tjZznR9GAl9~yJ2ZApONcRsl0FLQEXJZnx5cChM1Tcvg12IZTkYNobc8JEbM2-1izac6RtOLEyL0TSQWuuqZq7IS08hIJsybKrAGtTbxvb9XNInh2IrVfxE03l3Ta-S4InPdcW3KlI4mWQ8PHUPmgT-VE~l1CPnNeQE5bdhw\_\_&Key-Pair-Id=K269JMAT9ZF4GZ](https://media.cleanshot.cloud/media/76644/g6eLIoOTspYe0JR7lwS0WB3ojMrfA5D5gDLokuxA.mp4?response-content-disposition=attachment%3Bfilename%3DTransit%2520-%2520A%2520Public%2520Tranportation%2520theme%2520-%2520Theme%2520-%2520Discourse%2520Meta%2520-%2520%2520January%252022%2520%2540%252005-50-30%2520AM.mp4&Expires=1737575770&Signature=IDEOhA84xQxHFNcf-PIQ3kHoYqrAhKKlz~0g~clc673CfwvsP5DjtOZlSQ7OrusU8NshTsBa1Xr6bSn9GnajtklCgX~R2WmxVc04hmQWpZIIY8034bbpqI49~JuUiTGTTcR-Ah8Z714Gzyo8bO9So1L6A9eBjnpbLGUcrLE0Ndotz8tjZznR9GAl9~yJ2ZApONcRsl0FLQEXJZnx5cChM1Tcvg12IZTkYNobc8JEbM2-1izac6RtOLEyL0TSQWuuqZq7IS08hIJsybKrAGtTbxvb9XNInh2IrVfxE03l3Ta-S4InPdcW3KlI4mWQ8PHUPmgT-VE~l1CPnNeQE5bdhw__&Key-Pair-Id=K269JMAT9ZF4GZ) ([Video file](https://share.cleanshot.com/pmRBXVyqlCGHj6PMqFgC)) Edit: Huh, not sure if the videos work. Added links. * * * (I need to click on the images because my eyes are bad and I can’t see them without expanding them to full screen. The Discourse lightbox sizes them appropriately to full-screen. Opening a linked image in a new tab just opens them at their native resolution and it takes a bit of fiddling to resize them to fit the screen.) ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/44 "2025-01-22T14:03:14Z")
Where is that image from? Is this a real product? How much does it cost? I really want one. I have nothing useful to add to this thread at this time. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/45 "2025-01-23T01:25:20Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Where is that image from? Is this a real product? How much does it cost? I really want one. It’s real but a prototype so not available for sale. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/46 "2025-01-23T13:21:36Z")
This makes me very sad. I must go and watch videos of puppies doing silly things. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/47 "2025-01-23T17:22:46Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Sorry, I meant what happens if you click on the image. Ah. It would never occur to me to want to click on an image in a post. It’s already there for me to see. As to the lightbox + carousel, what’s the source of the other images? Every pic posted in the thread by anyone, akin to how the wikipedia image viewer works, or everything else at the linked image’s original URL that might be publicly available? I’d be pissed if I posted the direct url to a cute pic of my cat and somehow that caused folks to be able to read the rest of my album of GF pix. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/48 "2025-01-23T17:28:01Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Anyone who has an account at an image hosting site already has the only hard part of posting an image at SDMB. The rest is simply lazy people whining. IMO. Ouch. I don’t have such an account. I don’t even understand how they work or why they exist (other than to post photos that we can then link to and post here)., Anyway, I don’t care and I’m not whining. But I am lazy. I hate the effort it takes to email a photo to myself from my phone so I can email it to someone from my computer. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/49 "2025-01-23T17:38:28Z")
I am reminded of this classic: **[xkcd: Workaround](https://xkcd.com/763/)**. Double-emailing is another example of deliberately doing things a harder-than-necessary way, if not the hardest way possible. In your laziness to avoid learning you’re making a lot more work for yourself. Which is certainly your right. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/50 "2025-01-23T17:50:00Z")
As someone who works at The Internet, I strongly advise against allowing direct image uploads. It’s a whole can of worms that will make the boards that much more unpleasant for the people working behind the scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/51 "2025-01-23T17:56:35Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I hate the effort it takes to email a photo to myself from my phone so I can email it to someone from my computer. …what? I assume this is a joke but I’ve seen people do stupider things so not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/52 "2025-01-23T17:58:57Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I assume this is a joke but I’ve seen people do stupider things so not sure. Not joking. Is there an easier way to get a photo off my phone and to my computer? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/53 "2025-01-23T18:04:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > what’s the source of the other images? It’s just all the pictures in that one thread. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/54 "2025-01-23T19:32:41Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > And I like the in-page “lightbox” view and thumbnail grid that real uploaded images have, like [on the official Discourse site](https://meta.discourse.org/t/transit-a-public-tranportation-theme/292129), Could you explain what that means in this usage. I’m familiar with lightbox as an actual photographic tool with backlit lighting, but that’s not what’s happening here. I’m another one who doesn’t have an imgur account. People here talk about putting an image up on imgur as negligible work. But say I want to post a graph from a site I’m citing. The graph does not have its own URL. How would I get it up on imgur other than snipping and saving it to my computer before uploading to imgur and then to the SBMB, which is a pain. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/55 "2025-01-23T19:36:29Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Could you explain what that means in this usage. I’m familiar with lightbox as an actual photographic tool with backlit lighting, but that’s not what’s happening here. In web jargon it usually means a grid of clickable thumbnails which, when clicked, load up a larger sized image into an overlay (not a new window or tab). When you go to the link provided and click on the image, you see it comes up larger in an overlay. That’s “lightbox” on the web. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/56 "2025-01-23T19:41:02Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > But say I want to post a graph from a site I’m citing. The graph does not have its own URL. How would I get it up on imgur other than snipping and saving it to my computer before uploading to imgur and then to the SBMB, which is a pain. If the graph isn’t a discrete image (that is, you can’t right-click on it, and do something like "open image in new tab), then, yeah, that’s the only way I can think of to share it, as an image, on the SDMB. FWIW, you’d have to do some of that if we allowed direct image uploads on Discourse, too. You’d have to take a screenshot of the graph, and probably do some cropping on your computer, before being able to upload it. The only difference now is you’d have to upload it to Imgur (rather than the SDMB), then put the link into your post. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/57 "2025-01-23T19:46:55Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Is there an easier way to get a photo off my phone and to my computer? The Imgur app is what I use. It uploads right to the web from my photo album on my phone and generates a link from it. I can even copy the link from the app into an SDMB post in my phone’s browser. I don’t do it that often, mostly if I link to an image it’s some random image I found in a Google search or an image from a news article, but the handful of times I’ve needed to it has been pretty easy. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/58 "2025-01-23T19:53:12Z")
I’ve seen the clickable thumbnails that create a horizontal slideshow many times before, but I didn’t know they had a name. That’s useful info. I put images from my computers onto my websites all the time. Yes, there’s a lot of work involved to make them look their best. Not sure I would need to take that much time for a thread image. When I look into Imgur I see much hate on the net for what it’s become. I remember that other platforms have been mentioned here as alternatives. Is Imgur now a bad platform? Should I use something else? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/59 "2025-01-23T19:58:42Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > When I look into Imgur I see much hate on the net for what it’s become. I remember that other platforms have been mentioned here as alternatives. Is Imgur now a bad platform? Should I use something else? People actually use Imgur as their go-to social media site! Just like one would use Instagram or even Reddit. One time I asked my buddies where they went to after they left FB and they said Imgur. I’m sure people who use it as social media have gripes about it. For those of us who just use it for a place to slap up an image for public sharing, I can’t see what the possible gripe would be. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213/60 "2025-01-23T20:07:57Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > For those of us who just use it for a place to slap up an image for public sharing, I can’t see what the possible gripe would be. That’s all that I use it for and it works just fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-consider-allowing-direct-image-uploads/1013213.md?page=4)