RMweb - Change of hosting, missing images - April 2022

[Donington Road]

12 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Like "image.png"😄

 

Several of mine were but usually screengrabs, which I didn't keep.

Any proper images, I have saved on one of my several drives.

 

 

The images I originally posted had all been resized or cropped or adjusted in some way and had meaningless file names.

I do have all the original images (larger file sizes than RMweb allows) which I have since renamed after posting.

It is now going to be a case of trying to match those links in the old posts to the original images, then process those original images all over again.🙁

Having the EXIF data will help a little with matching dates of files to date posted but it is not a job I am looking forward to.

[melmerby]

12 minutes ago, Donington Road said:

 

The images I originally posted had all been resized or cropped or adjusted in some way and had meaningless file names.

I do have all the original images (larger file sizes than RMweb allows) which I have since renamed after posting.

It is now going to be a case of trying to match those links in the old posts to the original images, then process those original images all over again.🙁

Having the EXIF data will help a little with matching dates of files to date posted but it is not a job I am looking forward to.

My original photo images are all DSC00XXX.jpg format and stored in datal order folders. (My Sony compact camera did that as standard, my Canon one doesn't, unless it's an option I haven't found)

The resized ones (which I have posted) are given proper names and stored in a different folder.

 

I've now done all uploads since Jan 1 2022 apart from those I can't replace, so will leave for now......

More later.

Edited April 7, 2022 by melmerby

[RedgateModels]

53 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Like "image.png"😄

 

Several of mine were but usually screengrabs, which I didn't keep.

Any proper images, I have saved on one of my several drives.

 

 

Capture.png is all too common for me, hopefully they are all in the pre-june 2021 so will eventually come back to us ....

[Donington Road]

10 minutes ago, melmerby said:

My original photo images are all DSC00XXX.jpg format and stored in datal order folders. (My Sony compact camera did that as standard, my Canon one doesn't, unless it's an option I haven't found)

The resized ones (which I have posted) are given proper names and stored in a different folder.

 

I've now done all uploads since Jan 1 2022 apart from those I can't replace, so will leave for now......

More later.

 

Mine come out of the camera as img_xxxx and are downloaded in date folders, most images are around 12 to 15MB each.  Too much for RMweb, so I process those destined for RMweb, upload them and then discard them.  The original files from the camera I keep and rename to something more appropriate and catalogue in folders by subject.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Another thank you to those who’ve highlighted the drop down “My attachments” option - I wonder if it’s worth @AY Mod  flagging up in a general notice / banner for general attention?  Seems to me to serve two helpful additional functions:

 

1.  An easy way for me to check how the re-indexing is progressing without being tempted to try and bother anybody to find out.

2.  As easy way for me to be reminded of where I put attachments in other threads since June 2021, besides those I started.

 

I may not have some my attachments any more (even recently quite a few of mine weren’t photos, mainly track plan ideas), but I can at least edit the posts I’ve made since June 2021 to reflect this when I get time.  Just a thought, Keith.

Edited April 7, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke

[DaveF]

Many thanks to Andy for his hard work in sorting things out and keeping us all informed.

 

So far putting my 2021/2 photos back is working well, fortunately I usually save the files with the caption.  It is pure chance that I still have the daily upload files on my PC for most of the missing months, usually I just put the images in a single  file for a whole year once they are uploaded.

 

The images in posts from previous years are gradually reappearing.

 

David

[AY Mod]

6 minutes ago, DaveF said:

The images in posts from previous years are gradually reappearing.

 

I'm thankful to hear this bit David as I was in touch with the migration team earlier today who advised that everything in the backup* had been transferred over so it seems it will just take time to join the dots between where everything is. I've seen that be the case before with major system moves indexing where everything is hiding.

 

* Which made me concerned that the backup was incomplete or corrupted.

 

It's a long waiting game.

 

[Tallpaul69]

Hi All,

I am going to toss a "hand grenade" into the arena , and then run like hell!!:-

 

Maybe I am missing something, but why are so many people, getting so uptight, and spending so much time over photos attached to past postings?

I can perhaps understand it with regard to recent postings which may be of "live" topics, but really!

 

Come on guys, get a life, there is so much modelling to do and so little time?

 

Surely, as I intend to do, it would be more productive to get on with modelling and composing new posts, and then if one found that a lot of people were asking for particular of any photos from past postings, deal with the problem at the time, on an exception basis?

 

Just thinking..........................?

 

Happy modelling!

Cheers

Paul  

[AY Mod]

3 minutes ago, Tallpaul69 said:

I can perhaps understand it with regard to recent postings which may be of "live" topics, but really!

 

I applaud anyone patching up the last 10 months, it would be sensible to leave the older stuff to catch up.

[Oldddudders]

18 minutes ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Maybe I am missing something, but why are so many people, getting so uptight, and spending so much time over photos attached to past postings?

I think for some topics, in particular layout threads, the OP sees the thread as the history of their subject. I fully understand their consternation that there might be gaps in it, and since images were a key part of Andy Y's original vision for the site, in contrast to other forums where the written word was pretty much 'it', loss of pics would be a real blow.

 

If you consider some threads to be no less than an online album, the missing pics would seem a disaster. 

[Compound2632]

37 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I think for some topics, in particular layout threads, the OP sees the thread as the history of their subject. I fully understand their consternation that there might be gaps in it, and since images were a key part of Andy Y's original vision for the site, in contrast to other forums where the written word was pretty much 'it', loss of pics would be a real blow.

 

If you consider some threads to be no less than an online album, the missing pics would seem a disaster. 

 

Which is why the wise have kept their own personal back-up of their topics, or at least of their own postings therein, and certainly their images.

[Andy 53B]

30 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I think for some topics, in particular layout threads, the OP sees the thread as the history of their subject. I fully understand their consternation that there might be gaps in it, and since images were a key part of Andy Y's original vision for the site, in contrast to other forums where the written word was pretty much 'it', loss of pics would be a real blow.

 

If you consider some threads to be no less than an online album, the missing pics would seem a disaster. 

 

I agree with the disappointment regarding the loss of photos from the last year, but what gets me is the criticism and grief that Andy and the rest have the team have had to endure from some people for something that was out of their control and the great job they've done in migrating RMWeb.

 

I hope that majority of positive support on here outweighs some of the carp they've had to deal with.

 

@AY Mod, I know this probably isn't in your 'domain' and probably doesn't really affect most of the users on here, but the World of Railways website still links to RMWeb with the /community link,

 

Thanks

 

Andy

[Donington Road]

1 hour ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Hi All,

I am going to toss a "hand grenade" into the arena , and then run like hell!!:-

 

Maybe I am missing something, but why are so many people, getting so uptight, and spending so much time over photos attached to past postings?

I can perhaps understand it with regard to recent postings which may be of "live" topics, but really!

 

Come on guys, get a life, there is so much modelling to do and so little time?

 

Surely, as I intend to do, it would be more productive to get on with modelling and composing new posts, and then if one found that a lot of people were asking for particular of any photos from past postings, deal with the problem at the time, on an exception basis?

 

Just thinking..........................?

 

Happy modelling!

Cheers

Paul  

 

As the old saying goes "a picture paints a thousand words"

In many posts the loss of a picture breaks the continuity and the thread becomes meaningless.

Edited April 7, 2022 by Donington Road

[Siberian Snooper]

Some of the content within some of the threads are useful references and may be rendered useless without the photos, so hopefully overtime they will get replaced.

 

 

[rab]

1 hour ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Hi All,

I am going to toss a "hand grenade" into the arena , and then run like hell!!:-

 

Maybe I am missing something, but why are so many people, getting so uptight, and spending so much time over photos attached to past postings?

I can perhaps understand it with regard to recent postings which may be of "live" topics, but really!

 

Come on guys, get a life, there is so much modelling to do and so little time?

 

Surely, as I intend to do, it would be more productive to get on with modelling and composing new posts, and then if one found that a lot of people were asking for particular of any photos from past postings, deal with the problem at the time, on an exception basis?

 

Just thinking..........................?

 

Happy modelling!

Cheers

Paul  

 

I totally agree @Tallpaul69

 

The situation reminds me of the panic buying

at the beginning of the pandemic for, of all things

 

Toilet Rolls!!!

 

Let's get our priorities right

Yes we all realise the importance of the photos,

but Andy has said that apart from those uploaded

in the last 12 months, the photos are being restored.

 

JUST BE PATIENT.

 

I used to think that RMWeb was somewhere where

I could get away from the 'I want it now' culture,

but it seems to have infiltrated even here 

[jamie92208]

3 hours ago, AY Mod said:

 

I'm thankful to hear this bit David as I was in touch with the migration team earlier today who advised that everything in the backup* had been transferred over so it seems it will just take time to join the dots between where everything is. I've seen that be the case before with major system moves indexing where everything is hiding.

 

* Which made me concerned that the backup was incomplete or corrupted.

 

It's a long waiting game.

 

Hi Andy, just to give you some figures.  My own My Attachments  runs to 266 pages with 25 per page.  85 of those are back to June 2021 and I've repopulated 20 of them so far.  Last night I went through the remaining 180 pages and only  57 of them had content on them. Most of these are in solid month blocks but only about 5 of the blocks are next to any others.  I have noticed that no files, as opposed to images have yet appeared.  I checked again today and there was no change. I'll certainly leave them for the time beibg but will check again in a few days time.

 

I hope that this info is of some use.  One of the intact months is May 2021. If you wanted I could send ypu a PM with the other months on.

 

I am lucky in that I kept my resized files and the original file names so am able to identify most of them pretty quickly.

 

Good luck.

 

Jamie

Edited April 7, 2022 by jamie92208

[rab]

I hate to be the one to bring up an old moan

and I'm hoping the problem is at my end, but

is anyone else noticing the forum is beginning

to slow down again.

 

 When it first came back it was, as someone said, flying.

A comment was made then that it could have been due

to there not being any photos.

 

I'm quite happy to live with a slight reduction in speed, but

am interested to know if anyone else is noticing the same.

 

If not, and the problem is with my broadband,

i will have to go and tug Mr. Branson's beard

[MrWolf]

I've always added pictures using the "Add Files" button. Now when I click on it, it lights up blue for a second as before, but nothing else happens. It doesn't matter what topic I try to add a picture to.

Sorry to be a PITA when there's so much else to sort out, but I thought that I ought to bring it up in case there's an issue at your end.

[AY Mod]

7 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I've always added pictures using the "Add Files" button. Now when I click on it, it lights up blue for a second as before, but nothing else happens. It doesn't matter what topic I try to add a picture to

 

May be worth a cookie and history clearout and login again.

[melmerby]

3 hours ago, Donington Road said:

 

Mine come out of the camera as img_xxxx and are downloaded in date folders, most images are around 12 to 15MB each.  Too much for RMweb, so I process those destined for RMweb, upload them and then discard them.  The original files from the camera I keep and rename to something more appropriate and catalogue in folders by subject.

You are right. So easy to forget which was which

My Canon ones are all img_xxx.jpg, the two previous Sony cameras were DSC00xxx.jpg

The uncompressed images for both are up to around 60MB but compressed onto disc they are around 5MB per file.

[ngtrains.com]

This might be

• me doing something wrong or
• Something thats been reported already or,
• a twist in the setup on my PC/tablet or
• something to do with the great reset

Whatever, i hope someone can point me in the right direction

 

When i read a topic and get to the end of a page and click the next page number it takes me to the end of the next page not the beginning as I would expect or, as I think, it used to do. Braigfht ideas anyone. Its irritating rather than essential.

 

[Miss Prism]

2 minutes ago, ngtrains.com said:

When i read a topic and get to the end of a page and click the next page number it takes me to the end of the next page not the beginning as I would expect or, as I think, it used to do. Braigfht ideas anyone. Its irritating rather than essential.

 

You go to where the ads take you. You have no control over where the ads take you.

 

[Tony Teague]

4 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Hi All,

I am going to toss a "hand grenade" into the arena , and then run like hell!!:-

 

Maybe I am missing something, but why are so many people, getting so uptight, and spending so much time over photos attached to past postings?

I can perhaps understand it with regard to recent postings which may be of "live" topics, but really!

 

Come on guys, get a life, there is so much modelling to do and so little time?

 

Surely, as I intend to do, it would be more productive to get on with modelling and composing new posts, and then if one found that a lot of people were asking for particular of any photos from past postings, deal with the problem at the time, on an exception basis?

 

Just thinking..........................?

 

Happy modelling!

Cheers

Paul  

 

I completely agree.

Even if you have an average number of followers (whatever number that is?), how many of them are going to regularly look back and re-read previous posts?

The internet is a transient place where most users skim through the latest pages and move on; some obviously read those things that interest them in greater depth - but I would suggest that very few make a habit of re-reading and / or delving back in to what has past.

So I'm with the, "get on with the modelling and respond if / when someone is keen to look at a missing image" approach.

Tony

[BWsTrains]

5 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Maybe I am missing something, but why are so many people, getting so uptight, and spending so much time over photos attached to past postings?

 

Simply because this place is a great source of inspiration, resource, research and enjoyment for some (many?) like me. I have got incredible amounts of input from a wide range of work in planning my new layout which will be all the better for it. Much depends on the images which accompany text in posts and blogs.

 

To consign their valuable work to some electronic dustbin might make sense if you don't value it but there is an absolute wealth of stuff on bashing kits, fixing problems etc, building scenic items and much more. 

 

For anyone who finds this hard to believe, look through the Farthing Layouts, Sherton Abbas Blogs, many workbenches, too many to credit, Much Murkle, Peterborough North, Mid-Cornwall lines etc. etc. (apologies to those many others not listed).

 

But don't look yet, they currently are shadows of their former selves. 

 

It's so good that Andy and his team share these views on restoration, I think you've taken far to narrow a view of the true worth of RMWeb to us modellers,

 

Colin

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by BWsTrains

[Ian J.]

A good reason to hold on to past images:

 

What if someone new comes to the forum, sees a thread or blog article demonstrating a technique they are interested in knowing how to do, and the images that show so much of the information just aren't there...?