I've seen threads where people have uploaded files (mostly jpegs) to their posts. I've also see threads where people have said they couldn't upload a file. But I haven't seen anyone comment on why they couldn't. Is there a trick to uploading a file? I've tried numerous times to upload a couple of jpegs. One is 1200Kb, one is only 500Kb. It sems to upload, the progress bar goes to 100%, and then just sits there. No file ever shows up in my post. I've tried using Firefox (my main browser) and Internet Explorer.
Just tried it with Firefox. If you upload a jpg or png, you have to hit the button for thumbnail or full image. If you upload a FITS, it should just work, as long as the file isnt too big. Otherwise, you'll have to post a link to dropbox or some other online file sharing site.
Just tried 3 times here with a 500kB jpg. And nothing to click for thumbnail or full image. Not working. What's strange, in the lower right hand corner of the "post" window there are 3 buttons - left one says "Post Reply", right one says "More Options". Center one says nothing. But that's the one I click to upload a file. It takes me to a folder on my computer, I click the file, the progress bar, with the file name above it, goes to 100%, and then everything just sits there. The FITS file I'd like to upload is 30MB. I think I did try it at first and got an error message saying it was too big to process. Or that might have been a lightly compressed, very large file size jpg. The jpgs that almost work are highly compressed and small file size. Right now, the progress bar is still visible and at 100%, with the file name above it. There is no options for thumbnail or full. Just remembered, and verified. I do get the options for thumbnail & full but only when I uploaded a 2nd file. The options are above the first file's progress bar. Now I have one 500KB jpg and one 1200KB jpg "uploaded". I just tried a 3rd that is 4000KB and got the "too large" message. I have clicked Thumbnail. Now I'm clicking Post Reply. EDIT: No thumbnails, no files. Using Firefox right now. But tired wit IE earlier.
As Tim suggests Dropbox and Google Drive are probably the two most common free file sharing sites in use amongst astronomers. Dropbox has a free limit of 2Gb, if you exceed that limit the account is locked until you take out a subscription so you need to watch out not to put too many files in the Dropbox and reach the 2Gb threshold. The owners of Dropbox are a bit crafty with the way Dropbox operates since you can delete a file or folder from dropbox view on your desktop, it disappears from view but it moves into a trash can in your Dropbox account, the files in the trash-can count towards the 2Gb limit and this has accidentally pushed many users into the locked account position. When you delete a file or folder from Dropbox desktop view, log into the account and empty the trash-can too. Although Dropbox has a small storage limit it is the easiest to use if you want to share separate folders of lights, darks, bias and flats since as an end user looking at your posted files you can download the entire folder in a single click. Dropbox allows you to share files and folders anonymously. Google drive has an 8Gb free limit but has two annoying features, firstly, if you post a link to one of your files for sharing anyone following that link will see your actual Google user name, it is not anonymous. The other issue is that although you can organise your lights, darks, bias and flats into separate folders, the end user who wants to download your files can only download a single file at a time, gets rather tedious when you are trying to download a couple of hundred files.... William.
Thanks Tim and William. I've very rarely needed anything like Dropbox. But if it's free, it could come in handy. Thanks for the tips, William.
