# Need help with attaching an image to a post...? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 30, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337 "2012-10-30T17:01:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/1 "2012-10-30T17:01:36Z")
Hi all, So I don’t pretend to be the brightest crayon in the box right now, what with 90% of my brain taken up by NaNo prep, but it seems that there used to be a way to post an image. > [@](#): > > How do I attach a file to a post? > > To attach a file to your post, you need to be using the main ‘New Post’ or ‘New Thread’ page and not ‘Quick Reply’. To use the main ‘New Post’ page, click the ‘Post Reply’ button in the relevant thread. > > On this page, below the message box, you will find a button labelled ‘Manage Attachments’. Clicking this button will open a new window for uploading attachments. You can upload an attachment either from your computer or from another URL by using the appropriate box on this page. Alternatively you can click the Attachment Icon to open this page. > > To upload a file from your computer, click the ‘Browse’ button and locate the file. To upload a file from another URL, enter the full URL for the file in the second box on this page. Once you have completed one of the boxes, click ‘Upload’. > > Once the upload is completed the file name will appear below the input boxes in this window. You can then close the window to return to the new post screen. However, at the bottom of the page, it tells me that I can’t post attachments. Is anybody allowed to post them anymore? Also, it says the img tag is off, I can’t figure out how to turn it back on, and that method of inserting images doesn’t seem to be working either. Is everyone getting this? Does it not like me? What? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/2 "2012-10-30T17:03:05Z")
Images are only allowed to be directly attached in the Marketplace. Everywhere else you need to link to a hosting site (like Picasa). If you use Tapatalk, you can upload images through the app and they host them. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/3 "2012-10-30T17:07:08Z")
members can post attachments in the Marketplace forum. otherwise you have to link to an image stored somewhere on the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/4 "2012-10-30T17:07:51Z")
Is there a way to do it through a WP blog? That’s exactly what I did (linked the image through the blog; it’s hosted on the blog, so it’s just a link) and it just didn’t show up as an image. Also, the tag at the bottom says that the img code is off. Is there a way to turn it back on? (And I could swear that this used to be different… I’m NOT going nuts, right? Right??) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/5 "2012-10-30T17:11:26Z")
You can’t post images here except in the new-ish Marketplace forum. I don’t think it was that way in the earliest days of the board, but it’s been that way here for a very, very, very long time. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/6 "2012-10-30T17:14:23Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > members can post attachments in the Marketplace forum. > > otherwise you have to link to an image stored somewhere on the internet. (confused) Okay, which is it? Can you post an image by linking to an image stored somewhere else, or can’t an image be posted at all in regular posts? (it will all become clear soon; I have faith… )😉 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/7 "2012-10-30T17:30:01Z")
> [@Anise](#): > > (And I could swear that this used to be different… I’m NOT going nuts, right? Right??) I can’t remember any time that you could post images on this board. Unless you’re in the Marketplace (which is relatively new), you still cannot. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/8 "2012-10-30T17:36:15Z")
> [@Anise](#): > > (confused) > > Okay, which is it? Can you post an image by linking to an image stored somewhere else, or can’t an image be posted at all in regular posts? > > (it will all become clear soon; I have faith… )😉 If the image is hosted externally you post the link. The image itself won’t appear except in Marketplace. Been this way for as long as I recall. ETA: if you use Tapatalk you’ll see the image directly in the post. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/9 "2012-10-30T17:41:52Z")
> [@Anise](#): > > (confused) > > Okay, which is it? Can you post an image by linking to an image stored somewhere else, or can’t an image be posted at all in regular posts? Outside of Marketplace, all you can do is post a link to an image. It will just appear on the board as a link, not an image. People can click on the link to go to the image. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/10 "2012-10-30T17:42:58Z")
> [@Anise](#): > > (confused) > > Okay, which is it? Can you post an image by linking to an image stored somewhere else, or can’t an image be posted at all in regular posts? > > (it will all become clear soon; I have faith… )😉 You can post a link to an image, one that can be clicked on to take you to the site hosting the image so you can see it over there. You cannot make an image show up in a SDMB post unless you are in the Marketplace. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/11 "2012-10-30T19:01:57Z")
When we first set up the SDMB on the internet (as opposed to being an AOL message board), we allowed images. Many posters used images responsibly. Others thought it was hilarious to post goatse. What has been seen cannot be unseen. And a lot of posters didn’t understand the concept of copyright. Images also took up a lot of bandwidth. So, we disabled images a long time ago. When we set up the Marketplace forum, we allowed images in that forum. Nowadays, we only allow links to images, except in the Marketplace. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/12 "2012-10-30T19:48:45Z")
To post a link to the image, you use a url tag instead of img. Try [url=http:/blahblahblah.com/etc/file.jpg] link text [/ url] (removing the spaces) - you should get a clickable link that goes to that image. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/13 "2012-10-30T22:42:40Z")
Okay. But I KNEW there was a time when I’d seen images, before I was actually even a member. (clings to “not crazy” label. It’s sad, really.) ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/14 "2012-10-31T15:18:10Z")
You became a member in Jun 2002, so it is conceivable you were around prior to this software in the ancient depths of time, like 1999, when images could be posted. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/15 "2012-10-31T16:16:03Z")
I think that was it. I remember hearing about this site from SO-at-the-time for years before I actually became a member, so I’m sure I saw it too. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/16 "2012-10-31T18:09:01Z")
> [@Lynn Boooo-doni](#): > > When we first set up the SDMB on the internet (as opposed to being an AOL message board), we allowed images. Many posters used images responsibly. Others thought it was hilarious to post goatse. What has been seen cannot be unseen. And a lot of posters didn’t understand the concept of copyright. Images also took up a lot of bandwidth. > > So, we disabled images a long time ago. When we set up the Marketplace forum, we allowed images in that forum. > > Nowadays, we only allow links to images, except in the Marketplace. I’ve never visited the marketplace but since the image tag works there, has there been a problem with irresponsible use of images? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-attaching-an-image-to-a-post/639337/17 "2012-11-01T08:52:39Z")
I’ve never seen any problem with images in the Marketplace. However, I don’t read every thread in that forum, only the ones which might contain something I’m interested in. And only the thread starters are supposed to put images in their posts, and only Members/Charter Members are allowed to start a thread. So maybe there’s been a problem and I haven’t been aware of it.