Looped animated gifs vs stats

beardedgit

I'm messing about with using looped animated gifs as Featured Images on my homepage (http://beardedgit.smugmug.com) to give it a bit of cheap variety without having to resorting to code or to slideshows where I can't control the crop, the speed and the transition.

These are probably dumb questions, but does loading and looping gifs as Featured Images affect SM's image load stats? Are Featured Image loads counted, and if so does the load stat then stay constant or go up by 1 each time a gif starts a new loop?

:scratch

Andy

A gif is no different than any other image as far as stats are concerned. Once it's loaded, that is a "hit" it can run for a billion years, still one hit.

beardedgit

Andy wrote: »

A gif is no different than any other image as far as stats are concerned. Once it's loaded, that is a "hit" it can run for a billion years, still one hit.

So a gif (or any other permitted image) loaded as a Featured Image registers as a stats "hit"?

Andy

beardedgit wrote: »

So a gif (or any other permitted image) loaded as a Featured Image registers as a stats "hit"?

Why wouldn't it?

beardedgit

Andy wrote: »

Why wouldn't it?

Well, opinions will vary, but some would say that, depending on how it's used, a Featured Image isn't an eye-candy display image per se, rather it's a decoration of a direction sign to another folder or a gallery. Drive to the Grand Canyon and you count it as one visit, you don't clock up another visit each time you see a sign giving directions to, from or around it.

I was also trying to figure which other images count towards stats and which don't. There are other image uses in New SM about which I've been curious, for example the avatar-thumb that appeared recently in the SM Header, and the pic that appears in the SM Contact Form. Surely loading them doesn't contribute to the stats, does it?

rainforest1155

Feature images are displayed as photo tiles on different content blocks and are counted towards stats like any other photo tiles as well (unless you're logged in as the owner). Photo tiles are used throughout the New SmugMug and can be displayed in lots of different sizes, from small to large, and they're more than eye candy.

Your avatar shows only for you as the logged in account owner - visitors won't see it. Photos you view as the logged in account owner don't count toward your stats.

I'm not sure about the profile image, but I suspect if a visitor views it, it's counted towards stats like other photos as well.

beardedgit

That's an excellent explanation, Sebastian - clear, detailed and concise. Thank you

Although I do find it odd that if I load a gallery in SmugMug Style, each of the thumbnails in the grid on the left side would count as a stats hit.

Well, at least both of you guys have educated me a bit more in the Dark Arts of New SM, so cheers for that. I'll soon be a black-belt at this malarkey

rainforest1155

You're welcome!

beardedgit wrote: »

Although I do find it odd that if I load a gallery in SmugMug Style, each of the thumbnails in the grid on the left side would count as a stats hit.

SmugMug style is actually an exception and does not use photo tiles, but still the original SmugMug thumbnails which do not count as a view towards your stats.