Please make "Get a Link" easier

probinson

Love the sharing and Get a Link features but could I add a feature request to please put a quick shortcut button for "Get A Link" for the current photo in a gallery? The shortcut link could default to Medium size or whatever.

Right now it takes a lot of clicks to get one link and getting several links is nearly unbearable

I count 4 clicks - 1) click Share 2) click get a link 3) click the size 4) click back to go back to the gallery

Thanks for listening!

P

Andy

We have. It's in final testing now and hope to have some cool new get a link stuff out on the site REALLY SOON.

emtp563

Andy wrote:

We have. It's in final testing now and hope to have some cool new get a link stuff out on the site REALLY SOON.

I told you last year the "new" Get a Link function sucks. It still does- it's too complicated for the non-internet savvy user. I can't tell you how many times I have to explain to people how to get a link. I even have text instructions in all my galleries and a lot of people still don't get it. The average computer user doesn't know what the Hell the Windows Clipboard is and where the link is copied to when they click on it.

Andy

emtp563 wrote:

I told you last year the "new" Get a Link function sucks. It still does- it's too complicated for the non-internet savvy user. I can't tell you how many times I have to explain to people how to get a link. I even have text instructions in all my galleries and a lot of people still don't get it. The average computer user doesn't know what the Hell the Windows Clipboard is and where the link is copied to when they click on it.

it's a good thing we've improved it, vastly. It'll be live on the site, very soon.

Tim Kamppinen

I'm glad to hear this! I don't think there's anything complicated about the current method (in fact it's very simple...) but it does take way too long. Looking forward to the new one... hopefully a dropdown menu or something like that... ::fingerscrossed::

SamirD

Glad to hear a faster solution is in the works. I'll keep my eye out for it.

pilotdave

Andy wrote:

We have. It's in final testing now and hope to have some cool new get a link stuff out on the site REALLY SOON.

Does it mean something different when it's in all caps?

I wish you'd stop using the word "soon." It has lost its meaning. If you really mean it, pick a date. Pad it by a couple weeks or a month or two. I know you guys don't want to give ETAs because you might (and probably will?) miss them. But when "soon" takes a year or more, you missed the commitment anyway. We don't know what "soon" means, but we know "soon" does not mean a year. So why not go all out and miss a hard date? Then you just come up with a new date. It'd make people happier. Just something to bring back to your boss.

Dave

timnosenzo

pilotdave wrote:

So why not go all out and miss a hard date? Then you just come up with a new date. It'd make people happier.

I sincerely doubt that.

SamirD

Maybe use 'in the future' and 'in the near future' and 'soon' for different levels of soon.

I've learned this much, when it's done, it's done pretty close to right the first time, so it's worth the wait.

pilotdave

timnosenzo wrote:

I sincerely doubt that.

Oh I think it would. "Soon" is frustrating. A date is a real target. If they miss the date, people can get their aggression out by complaining that they missed the date. That's really satisfying. And then they provide a new date (or at least say it won't be "soon") and the process can start all over.

I think it'd make for happier customers.

I don't know why a company that admits they went offline for a little while because they forgot to pay a software license fee would even hesitate to provide their best guess at a completion date for features in active development. If they miss the date, so be it. I seriously doubt they would try to make excuses for why it happened. Honesty and transparency is really their policy. Providing best guess dates and explaining schedule slips fits right in with the way they do business.

Dave

Andy

pilotdave wrote:

Oh I think it would. "Soon" is frustrating. A date is a real target. If they miss the date, people can get their aggression out by complaining that they missed the date. That's really satisfying. And then they provide a new date (or at least say it won't be "soon") and the process can start all over.

I think it'd make for happier customers.

I don't know why a company that admits they went offline for a little while because they forgot to pay a software license fee would even hesitate to provide their best guess at a completion date for features in active development. If they miss the date, so be it. I seriously doubt they would try to make excuses for why it happened. Honesty and transparency is really their policy. Providing best guess dates and explaining schedule slips fits right in with the way they do business.

Dave

I gotta get back to work, it's almost 930pm here in NY - but I'll say this again: it's been tested internally - it's ready to go to our final testing place internally before going live. We need to put out our major release first then this can go. Said major release should have gone last Thursday but the site blew up

Soon means soon, Dave. It doesn't get any closer to going live than where it is now.

probinson

pilotdave wrote:

Oh I think it would. "Soon" is frustrating. A date is a real target. If they miss the date, people can get their aggression out by complaining that they missed the date. That's really satisfying. And then they provide a new date (or at least say it won't be "soon") and the process can start all over.

I think it'd make for happier customers.

I don't know why a company that admits they went offline for a little while because they forgot to pay a software license fee would even hesitate to provide their best guess at a completion date for features in active development. If they miss the date, so be it. I seriously doubt they would try to make excuses for why it happened. Honesty and transparency is really their policy. Providing best guess dates and explaining schedule slips fits right in with the way they do business.

Dave

It's software. There are no dates - that's just the reality.

As the original poster that started this little kerfuffle I am more than happy to hear it is coming soon. I can wait and I'm glad we have this forum where the SmugMug guys are so responsive to our every request!

timnosenzo

pilotdave wrote:

I think it'd make for happier customers.

I don't think it would make any difference at all.

People get upset about saying "soon", people get upset about missing dates... what is the difference?

Andy

We did. Give it a whirl today and see how you like it? New gallery links, new tabs, photo links, embeds, and feeds to create if you like.

mtnbiker

Andy wrote:

We did. Give it a whirl today and see how you like it? New gallery links, new tabs, photo links, embeds, and feeds to create if you like.

I think the photo links should be the first selection, not gallery. My guess is most people use links to individual photos, not galleries.

In my opinion, the best order of the tabs would be:
Photo Links, Embeddable Links, Gallery Links, Feed Links

But thanks for a much more user friendly interface.

Plus is there a way to make all sizes available in the photo links when the owner is logged in?

One last thing (very minor), on the email that is generated from the send an email link; the line at the bottom says "See more photos from this SmugMug site" but links to the individual gallery that the photo is contained in. Shouldn't the text read more like "See more photos from this SmugMug gallery."

aaronbrown

mtnbiker wrote:

I think the photo links should be the first selection, not gallery. My guess is most people use links to individual photos, not galleries.

In my opinion, the best order of the tabs would be:
Photo Links, Embeddable Links, Gallery Links, Feed Links

Big fat +1 to that! Photo, Embeddable, Gallery, Feed FTW!

However, THANKS SMUGMUG for this generally awesome update!

kygarden

Me 3 on that order

Just nit-picking, but it would be nice on the embed option to not auto-insert the code to link the image back to the gallery. In my case I have the gallery I use for the blog locked/password-protected and it's pointless to send them there in that case. However, what we have now is better than before. I was getting tired of typing <img, etc, etc...hehe ....all the time.

Allen

Ya just made everyone use one more click. Why does it have to be so cute?
Putting all the links on one page would work just as good. Duh, I know how to
scroll down to see all the different links.:D Is that so difficult to understand?
This is an over design that just makes it way more complicated.

Andy

Allen wrote:

Ya just made everyone use one more click. Why does it have to be so cute?
Putting all the links on one page would work just as good. Duh, I know how to
scroll down to see all the different links.:D Is that so difficult to understand?
This is an over design that just makes it way more complicated.

Hi Allen, I'im sorry you feel that way Thanks for the feedback, we really like it.

Lots of customers wanted more stuff but don't want to scroll.

So, we made the page have tabs, and within the 'get a link' tab, you can scroll from image to image, that's a huge improvement if you post pics a lot.

And the feed maker.

Allen

We went from the original two click for a link to four. Great efficiency improvement.:D
btw, the scroll thru photos is nice.

LPC

+another 1 to Photo, Embeddable, Gallery, Feed

Now when I go to copy a link to post an image in another forum I get the popup - Do you want to allow this webpage to access your Clipboard - Allow access / Don't allow (I get this every time)

Before I would just have to click on the link and it would automatically paste it to my Clipboard without prompting.

Yet again a re-hash supposedly designed to make things easier makes things more complicated. I do wish SM would stop fiddling and concentrate on providing stability instead.

How can I avoid getting this warning every time?

(My security settings are Medium-High and SM is on my allowed site list).

Andy

LPC wrote:

+another 1 to Photo, Embeddable, Gallery, Feed

Now when I go to copy a link to post an image in another forum I get the popup - Do you want to allow this webpage to access your Clipboard - Allow access / Don't allow (I get this every time)

Before I would just have to click on the link and it would automatically paste it to my Clipboard without prompting.

Yet again a re-hash supposedly designed to make things easier makes things more complicated. I do wish SM would stop fiddling and concentrate on providing stability instead.

How can I avoid getting this warning every time?

(My security settings are Medium-High and SM is on my allowed site list).

I'm sorry you don't like our improvement

This looks to be security software related, to me? What browser are you using and what security software, plugins, etc?

Andy

I think we'll cookie the tabs, so that the one you use last will be the one that's active next time you go there. Seems that would be a good thing?

LPC

Andy wrote:

I'm sorry you don't like our improvement

This looks to be security software related, to me? What browser are you using and what security software, plugins, etc?

It's really not an improvement (did any SM users actually complain about image linking the way it was or ask for it to be changed?)

No security software at all just naked ie8.

Andy wrote:

I think we'll cookie the tabs, so that the one you use last will be the one that's active next time you go there. Seems that would be a good thing?

I think the cookie/login issue I am having in the other thread might mean that I'd have problems here too but let's see.

Andy

LPC wrote:

It's really not an improvement (did any SM users actually complain about image linking the way it was or ask for it to be changed?)

hundreds and hundreds at least, over the years. I promise, we're not looking to make your life miserable.

LPC

Andy wrote:

hundreds and hundreds at least, over the years. I promise, we're not looking to make your life miserable.

What did they complain about for goodness sake? It was soooo simple

Anyway, even if I have to live with the pop-ups I hope the order is changed at least. Maybe you should run a poll before you change anything from now on - make it truly democratic for all of us paying customers

Andy

LPC wrote:

What did they complain about for goodness sake? It was soooo simple

Anyway, even if I have to live with the pop-ups I hope the order is changed at least. Maybe you should run a poll before you change anything from now on - make it truly democratic for all of us paying customers

I'd really like to help you with your IE8 cookie issue - which we can't replicate and don't experience. I invited you to SmugChat earlier... can you? http://wiki.smugmug.net/display/SmugMug/SmugChat

Oh and we did start a few months ago with http://smugmug.uservoice.com but it is not the only thing we base our product decisions on.

The get a link feature has been a source of customer emails for years especially by folks that blog and ebay and forum a lot.

LPC

I'm trying. Your web-based chat interface is a broken link

And I have been linking/embedding my images in countless forums for years with no problems at all. You've just made it more complicated.

Andy

LPC wrote:

I'm trying. Your web-based chat interface is a broken link

And I have been linking/embedding my images in countless forums for years with no problems at all. You've just made it more complicated.

Laurence, we can argue about that, or we can try and fix your IE issue -

Sorry for the web interface not working - can you use Chatzilla maybe? It's super easy to use with Firefox.

Sheaf

LPC wrote:

Maybe you should run a poll before you change anything from now on - make it truly democratic for all of us paying customers

A voluntary response from a small but vocal sample of our userbase (Dgrin)? Doesn't sound very democratic to me.

We do our best to be in tune with our customers as much as possible. Every employee answers help emails every week, quite a few of us participate in or at least view Dgrin regularly, we have Uservoice that we pay attention too, and we even frequently check customer tweets/blogs/etc. SmugMug isn't open source. We're a business and while we know that our customers are our lifeblood, we also know that the first thing a vote would do is make SmugMug free and put us out of business.

jziegler

LPC wrote:

I'm trying. Your web-based chat interface is a broken link

And I have been linking/embedding my images in countless forums for years with no problems at all. You've just made it more complicated.

Actually, they just made it MUCH easier for me. I usually link a -M or -L (depending on the forum) with a link to the light box to click for a larger version. The new code does just that with the proper BB code formatting. So now I can just click on that and I'm good to go. Before I clicked, pasted into a spreadsheet, copied a different cell from said spreadsheet, and pasted again. Far, far easier for me now.

Good job sorcerers!

Jim