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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

How Much More Power is Needed?

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cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/13/2006 : 14:06:39

The other day, I was doing a search on adding a queen bed to the cabin of my C25 traditional cabin. I did the normal thing and did a search and found a lot of threads about it. Many of them had pictures, but since we have to post our pics on another host and then refer to them, many of the supporting pictures are no longer there.

I was able to e-mail one of the posters and ask for pics and he was gracious enough to send them to me. However, if the site would support the addition of pics (downsized of course), then the Tech Tips section, and the archived posts would always have them to refer to.

On other forums that I have been a member of, a poster was able to upload the photo for inclusion and if it was too big, the site would automatically re-size it. Is this something that just requires way to much computing power and is rather costly? I can't relate it to the other sites being a paid for one since I also use them without subscription.

BTW: I am a member of this association, so it is not a matter of trying to get something for nothing. Just curious.

Mike
Grand Lake, OK
N.O. Catalina 25 #4849
In my opinion 75% of the earth is water for a reason. That's why I sail.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2006 : 14:20:25

There are many reasons that pictures dissappear. Lots of mine have and many more will as I redo my picture pages. Lots of us reuse our posting spaces and the links fail. As for what it would take to host them ourselves, well we can talk about that at our next officer's meeting and get back with you. Storage is certainly cheap now.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2006 : 15:53:57

Thanks Frank....one other thing to add is that the other sites that I am familiar with automatically resize your uploaded pictures. I would assume that also saves storage space. This certainly would leave pictures of mods and the like available to members on down the road. I too have to reuse my picture hosting site for other reasons. So what I had there a year or two ago is no longer there.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2006 : 16:58:36

IMHO as a professional webmaster, allow me to cover this issue just a little.

One of the simple facts of the web is: If it's free, then it is free to dissappear! ie. If you don't pay for the hosting, then don't expect it to last forever.

The other issue is 'responsibility', none of us would like to see 'inappropriate' images on or off the site shown in the forum. We have been very fortunate in that sense, and that says a lot about our association and our forum members good taste. However, there is a liability issue with allowing the hosting of images: That liablity would include a wide range of issues from copyright infringement to illegal content.

I have built websites where the public are allowed to post images to the site owner, but they are not visible to the public without first going through a owners vetting process, so there is a need for strong site management in those circumstances.

Web hosting can be pretty cheap, my company sells hosting accounts from under $6.00 per month (no links here though!) and there are plenty of similar services out there.

My conclusion is simple. If someone wants to post their pictures to the forum, then they should get a website, host their pics there and link to them in the forum.

Just my 2p worth.

Paul
Webmaster

Edited by - on

Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2006 : 18:24:49

Having the forum host the photos would be nice so that old threads would continue to show the photos, but I do understand the liability reasons for not having that feature. I use www.zoto.com and there are many other free photo hosting sites. I haven't used the others much, but with Zoto you can upload your original file for back up storage and then if you want to post it smaller on a forum or whatever reason, it gives you links for several smaller sizes.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2006 : 19:24:08

I take no issue with what has been indicated and understand the problem. The only reason that I brought it up was my inability to find many of the photo's that would have helped in trying to see what the thread was referring to. As far as free goes, that is exactly why I put the comment in about being a member. I an not one to expect everything for free.

Maybe a compromise is possible. If someone were to run a thread about a project that they did and it has a wide basis of appeal. Couldn't that thread with its associated photo's (if there are any) be archived much like the project database is. I don't have a problem either with having my own separate site for posting, its just that when you move it, it's gone.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2006 : 19:49:09

We have put together quite a few articles with pictures (most hosted locally) in the Tech Tips.

Have not had a thread that was that out of the norm that warranted creating a new tech tip in quite a few months.... unless any of you know better

Paul
Webmaster

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2006 : 20:13:16

What are the parameters of a tech tip?

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2006 : 20:44:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">What are the parameters of a tech tip?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Something new, exciting, great interest, uniquely valuable, reproducable.

Could be a principle, modification, or method. Certainly has to grab the interest of the reader.

So if you have a nuclear powered outboard with laser navigation steering driven off a 12v LED powered generator solar panel with swim ladder and selfinflating mosquito protection suitable for all models of the association boats and has a self bailing auto tailing winch free folding cradle mounted capability requring no manual input and can be produced for less than the cost of a burger king waffle and takes up less room, then you would probably meet all the criteria .. assuming that everyone, their sailing partner and boats cat/dog showed interest in it. Of course, it must make toast and qualify the boat as a cruiser, nothing that would limit the boat to being a 'daysailer' would ever reach the tech tip pages...

paul

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2006 : 09:38:11

Hmm,

I would have thought the installation of an MSD in a Capri would have been interesting to a few, but perhaps there aren't as many no dumping zones where you guys sail. They are considering making the whole of Casco Bay a no release area.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2006 : 10:53:25

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by britinusa
 Have not had a thread that was that out of the norm that warranted creating a new tech tip in quite a few months.... unless any of you know better

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
How about the axe-handle outboard lifting system?

BTW, the liability issue must be bogus... Too many sites like ours and much larger (e.g. Trailersailor) host pictures you can upload with impunity. Site rules could say (1) no vulgarity, and (2) no copywrited material. But we already have rules like that for text, right? So what's new?

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 10/14/2006 10:57:11

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