Feedback Visitors Unable To Enlarge/enhance Thumbnail Photos

[margd]

One of our members sent me a PM pointing out that guests to the site are unable to enlarge or enhance thumbnail images. As an example, log out and then go to post #4 on this thread:

Unsure Of Cat

If you click on the thumbnail to that post, you get a rather unfriendly message that you lack the privileges to view the image.

I can't think of a reason why enlarging thumbnail images should be restricted only to members and would like to suggest that we make them available to guests as well. For those seeking information, it does no good if they can't see the example illustrating their problem.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Sometimes members post an image on purpose only as a Thumbnail, and not as a larger image. I think larger images (e.g. those posted as "Full size") do show up for site visitors, only just in a smaller size than the one which shows for a registered, logged in Member.

I think one reason a Member might want to post one of their own images as only a Thumbnail might be if there could be any copyright preferences for the original larger image.

Members who register (versus just guests) agree to follow Anne's rules for copyright, which include images. Maybe just having the thumbnail option as a choice for members who want that is... a good thing?

 

[margd]

You're right that respecting copyrights is important but we didn't have this issue before. Also, most of the images that people are posting are of their own cats and I'm not sure they are copyrighted.

I've found thumbnail images often are the default even though I'd prefer to be able to post images directly to my message box. I'm wondering if this is the reason why many messages now have thumbnail images and not due to copyright issues.

 

[AbbysMom]

I've visited a lot of forums where guests weren't allowed to view any media at all, so I don't think seeing just thumbnails is that big of a deal.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I think my post wasn't too clear, so maybe I should explain a bit more?? I'm not trying to be a pain!

You're right that respecting copyrights is important but we didn't have this issue before. Also, most of the images that people are posting are of their own cats and I'm not sure they are copyrighted.

Actually, people's photos are copyrighted.
link: Copyright Fair Use and How it Works for Online Images : Social Media Examiner

-snip from above link (bold text is found in original link)-

[...] Copyright is a federal law of the United States that protects original works of authorship. A work of authorship includes literary, written, dramatic, artistic, musical and certain other types of works.

Copyright attaches as soon as the original work is created, and applies to both published and unpublished works. As soon as you type words, click the shutter on your camera (or, for many of you, hit the home button on your iPhone), apply paint to canvas or paper or lay down tracks for your next hit, you’ve got a copyright (with some exceptions).

Copyright is an automatic right and does not require the author to file special paperwork, as is the case for trademark and patent. Registration is required to enforce the rights, but as a matter of right, an author is not required to register anything to get the right to use the “circle c,” showing the work is copyrighted. [...]

And anything you post on TCS becomes under the site owner's copyright per their Terms of Service.

Part of Anne's TOS is, "You are granting us with a non-exclusive, permanent, irrevocable, unlimited license to use, publish, or re-publish your Content in connection with the Service. Your account will not be deleted should you request to leave."
Part of her Forum Rules has this, "Once you post, you are giving TCS the right to edit, publish and distribute your published content, including but not limited to posts, pages, reviews, albums and images. You cannot withdraw or retract your content contributions or seek payments from us in relation to this license at any time."

Pictures get taken from web sites all the time without permission. A site owner can track this a bit better if people who become members might do such a thing (that's not to say TCS members would!).

So whether my photo of Milly is a good one or a bad one, since I "authored" it, the copyright is mine -- until I sort of transfer that, in effect, over to TCS by posting it on Anne's site (if I become a member posting "content" I agree to her terms). There are a lot of really great photographers on here (not me, that's for sure), a lot of the images are really awesome and very professional. If I as a poster here want to narrow the window of control over my image from anyone on the web "taking" it without recourse, maybe I want to post it as a thumbnail image -- until Anne, essentially, becomes in control over it under the copyright umbrella. If a non-member only sees a thumbnail, all the better, in this case.


I understand where you're coming from Margd, but maybe this new platform might have a lot of benefits for TheCatSite.

 

[margd]

This issue is obviously far more complex than I realized when I first posted. I guess I had the rather naive view that guests could view all images before so it seemed only natural to continue the practice. I wasn't really aware that other forums also limited viewing images to members and certainly didn't take into consideration all of the copyright issues involved. So...thank you both for letting me know!

 

[AbbysMom]

I wasn't really aware that other forums also limited viewing images to members

A lot of forums are much worse than that. Some won't let you read any threads if you aren't a member or you can only read one of two posts in a thread and have to create an account to read the rest.

 

[Anne]

Thanks for reporting this, margd . I took a look at the thread and there seems to be a post there where the issue isn't with a thumbnail but attachment showing up as text. I think we would all prefer to see some kind of image - even in thumbnail size - rather than a text for attachment. I'm not sure how this can be fixed but adding this to my list of things to investigate. If you come across more examples, please post them here. Thanks!