How to I use the image tag?

November 1, 2001 6:48 AM

I have noticed some comment posts have images....is this "allowed" and if so, how does an oaf like me do it too? (Advanced apologies for my ignorance. I did search but couldnt find the answer.)

posted by Voyageman to MetaFilter-Related at 6:48 AM (23 comments total)

It's allowed de facto, since they don't get deleted. However, restraint is called for. The html goes like <img src="URL" width="X" height="Y" alt="ALT">, where URL is a full web address, such as http://www.metafilter.com/myimage.jpg, X is the images width in pixels, Y is the images height in pixels and ALTis something descriptive.

If you don't know the width and height, right-click on the images and hit "properties" in IE (dunno nutscrape). You can also use these to re-size a picture, although it will be slower to load.
posted by walrus at 7:13 AM on November 1, 2001

If you insist on posting an image please don't post one that's larger than, say, 10k.
posted by sudama at 7:27 AM on November 1, 2001

use serious restraint

I can tell we're at a sort of critical mass here. I used to see one maybe popup once a month, and now they're nearly daily. If it really adds something to the conversation, if the image isn't too big in physical size or file size, then use it, but please, only do it if it is absolutely necessary.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 7:40 AM on November 1, 2001

Note: you have to have the image on your own site, though. mefi won't host your images for you, and linking to someone else's images is bogus--basically like stealing bandwidth.
posted by jpoulos at 7:57 AM on November 1, 2001

Is it OK to link to photos elsewhere? like on Google?
posted by Carol Anne at 8:02 AM on November 1, 2001

Jpoulos: I said I was sorry... :)
posted by ColdChef at 8:03 AM on November 1, 2001

Is it OK to link to photos elsewhere? like on Google?

If I was google I'd be pissed off. It's using their servers to support someone elses website. Every time their picture loads in this page that's someone's search being made slower. Of course, you could link to their page with the picture on ...
posted by walrus at 8:39 AM on November 1, 2001

Did I read that backwards btw? Were you asking if it was OK for google to index pictures on other sites?

If you were asking that, I'd say it's borderline. I can block google with robots.txt if I'm really worried. I'd go about it by putting all my images in one directory and blocking the search engines from that area. However, not all engines obey robots.txt, and most people don't know about it. It's like opt-out spam.

I suppose it depends whether (as legally required) I want someone to read my terms and conditions of usage before they find and download my original artwork, for instance. Subverting site hierarchies can be both a good and bad thing, depending on how much of a control freak I am (and happily for my sanity I amn't). I guess at the end of the day I'd be stupid putting my stuff in public webspace if I was that paranoid.

Hmm ... this can of worms now officially open.
posted by walrus at 8:55 AM on November 1, 2001

I posted this photo, , found via Google's Image Search Engine, to a Metafilter comment today. Is doing something like that OK?
posted by Carol Anne at 9:03 AM on November 1, 2001

I did it once out of desperation. I think the idea is to try and use your powers for good.

All these tags are yours, except the blink tag. Don't go there. Use them together. Use them in peace.
posted by john at 9:12 AM on November 1, 2001

Carol Anne- Have you tried Picsearch (and Find Sounds while we are at it) ? I so prefer it to Google.


posted by Voyageman at 9:14 AM on November 1, 2001

Carol Anne- It's not really a good thing to do--like jpoulos said, it amounts to stealing their bandwidth.
posted by moss at 9:17 AM on November 1, 2001

Carol Anne posted a link to the photo, not embedding the photo inline in the comment. I see nothing wrong with that.
posted by waxpancake at 9:34 AM on November 1, 2001

Voyageman: thanks for telling me about Picsearch (I hadn't run across it).

Perhaps mathowie himself could explain what photo links are OK and not? In non-tech language, please.
posted by Carol Anne at 9:48 AM on November 1, 2001

If it's in the public domain, the only reason why not to post a html link would be if evworld had posted terms and conditions somewhere higher in their site hierarchy expressly forbidding it, or if it's in a country with different legal precedents to the US.

Then it's a can of worms.

sanity check: it probably doesn't matter at all for non-commercial use ;)
posted by walrus at 9:53 AM on November 1, 2001

umm, waxpancake can you please repeat yr comment. the question is not about links to images.
posted by danOstuporStar at 9:57 AM on November 1, 2001

dan:

you're right; carol anne, on the other hand, was talking about a link she'd posted. there is nothing wrong with that, i would also agree. in other words, the issue being discussed (posting images via the img tag, not via a href tags) was not what carol anne had in mind. wax was merely trying to clear things up.
posted by moz at 10:04 AM on November 1, 2001

darnit...after i posted i saw how twisted my words were. i meant "apparently waxpancake needs to reiterate his comment as it hadn't been heeded yet."
posted by danOstuporStar at 10:24 AM on November 1, 2001

wax was merely trying to clear things up

Too late, they're out of the can now.
posted by walrus at 10:28 AM on November 1, 2001

chef: :-)

mi bandwidth es tu bandwidth. i really was only referring to third party sites. Someone who doesn't even know about MeFi, but whose images are showing up there....
posted by jpoulos at 11:10 AM on November 1, 2001

*whew*
posted by ColdChef at 11:21 AM on November 1, 2001

D'oh!

I'm sorry, Carol Anne, I misunderstood your question.

Thanks for pointing that out, waxpancake.
posted by moss at 12:04 PM on November 1, 2001

linking to someone else's images is bogus--basically like stealing bandwidth.

I have done this, and I'm very sorry. My bad.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:44 PM on November 1, 2001