Change in SmugMug URLs for better privacy

Andy

jenweavernj wrote:

Same thing is happening with the DGRIN Forum. I wanted to change my Avatar so I used the URL feature rather than uploading from my own PC.

I went to "Share" and copied the link I wanted and pasted in into the field and got INVALIS URL.

Is this being looked into? Seems the links are not usable in situations like this.

If it works, linking an avatar for Dgrin (might be a forum bug, I'm not entirely sure...), you'd need to use a link like this:

http://www.moonriverphotography.com/photos/158548292_Nt9Fk-80x80.jpg

EDIT: Linking of the avatar doesn't work (vbulletin / Dgrin issue). Upload it, that's fine. Has to be 80x80 or smaller, and 18kb or smaller.

DavidTO

I've got a question about the new keys.

I uploaded some new images today into an old, grandfathered gallery, and wanted to embed in a post. What I used to do was just copy the image number from the end of the URL, and then put it in the surrounding code, with the IMG tags, and the rest of the URL.

This time when I grabbed the image number, the images didn't link properly. I figured that the image number alone (without the key) would be good in a grandfathered gallery, but I guess not. I ended up going into the sharing window and grabbing the URL that way. It turned out the images did have keys on them.

I don't much care one way or the other about the keys, but I want to understand when and why they show up. Why weren't they showing up when I was viewing them in smugmug view in the gallery? What am I missing?

Here's a link to one of the images: http://davidrosenthal.smugmug.com/gallery/113654_pPm2c#252896954

This gallery is set to private, but it's an old gallery, created before the changes.

I think I'm just being stupid. That's the most likely explanation.

jenweavernj

Andy wrote:

If it works, linking an avatar for Dgrin (might be a forum bug, I'm not entirely sure...), you'd need to use a link like this:

http://www.moonriverphotography.com/photos/158548292_Nt9Fk-80x80.jpg

EDIT: Linking of the avatar doesn't work (vbulletin / Dgrin issue). Upload it, that's fine. Has to be 80x80 or smaller, and 18kb or smaller.

I was using the .jpg URL link from the share feature... I'm totally fine with linking them in forums...that works perfectly...

I just wanted to let everyone know that it wasn't working for linking the URL for an avatar. I used the browse feature and uploaded it off the PC as Andy mentioned...

It seems it's not just a DGRIN issue since I can't use one of the direct links to add pics to the right side of my blogspot.com page either...I had to save them to the PC and then browse for them and load them that way.

Just wanted to put it out there because we may come accross this more when sites let you use a URL to load your photos. (I prefer using the URL because the share feature off our sites is sooo easy.)

Andy

jenweavernj wrote:

I was using the .jpg URL link from the share feature... I'm totally fine with linking them in forums...that works perfectly...

I just wanted to let everyone know that it wasn't working for linking the URL for an avatar. I used the browse feature and uploaded it off the PC as Andy mentioned...

It seems it's not just a DGRIN issue since I can't use one of the direct links to add pics to the right side of my blogspot.com page either...I had to save them to the PC and then browse for them and load them that way.

Just wanted to put it out there because we may come accross this more when sites let you use a URL to load your photos. (I prefer using the URL because the share feature off our sites is sooo easy.)

Jen, the links are working perfectly in blogs, forums, anywhere really (except for Dgrin avatar).

Please list exact step by step what you are doing, including gallery links and the url link you are trying to embed. We can help you

Andy

DavidTO wrote:

I've got a question about the new keys.

I uploaded some new images today into an old, grandfathered gallery, and wanted to embed in a post. What I used to do was just copy the image number from the end of the URL, and then put it in the surrounding code, with the IMG tags, and the rest of the URL.

This time when I grabbed the image number, the images didn't link properly. I figured that the image number alone (without the key) would be good in a grandfathered gallery, but I guess not. I ended up going into the sharing window and grabbing the URL that way. It turned out the images did have keys on them.

I don't much care one way or the other about the keys, but I want to understand when and why they show up. Why weren't they showing up when I was viewing them in smugmug view in the gallery? What am I missing?

Here's a link to one of the images: http://davidrosenthal.smugmug.com/gallery/113654_pPm2c#252896954

This gallery is set to private, but it's an old gallery, created before the changes.

I think I'm just being stupid. That's the most likely explanation.

New image, post-Keys release, needs a key, even in the grandfathered gallery.

SO you'll need XXXXXXXX_KEY like this:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/158548292_Nt9Fk-L.jpg

com3

i kinda liked it the way it was before... now the URL's are all long and look kinda tacky...

personally, i think it'd be great if the url's were coreespondant to the gallry names...

i.e., http://seppes.com/Motorcycles points to my motorcycles category... but what about http://seppes.com/Motorcycles/AFM pointing to my AFM galleries within the motorcycles category.

that'd be the hawtness.

DavidTO

Andy wrote:

New image, post-Keys release, needs a key, even in the grandfathered gallery.

SO you'll need XXXXXXXX_KEY like this:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/158548292_Nt9Fk-L.jpg

But why doesn't this show in the URL? I'd like to have the ease of copying from the URL like before. Is there some other way I should access the image to get that key in the URL?

jenweavernj

Andy wrote:

Jen, the links are working perfectly in blogs, forums, anywhere really (except for Dgrin avatar).

Please list exact step by step what you are doing, including gallery links and the url link you are trying to embed. We can help you

I'm sorry, you must think I'm just a dummy...I guess I'm not explaining it correctly...


*with blogspot.com
*you go to customize - (to customize the side of your page)
you add a page element
*I chose the "picture" option - this adds pics down the side of your blog
*I use a URL for the photo...for example sake here is a URL I tested: http://jenweaverphotography.smugmug.com/photos/253080601_ujLNd-S.jpg

*I paste it in and I get:

test.jpg

It always worked before and now it doesn't....kinda bummed because it's sooo much easier this way.


The links work in the actual blog posts that I write.
The links work in the forums I belong to.

Just not in "upload using a link" area of blogspot.com and Dgrin. Now these are the only 2 places I have tested....maybe others will have the same issue and report more instances.

jfriend

DavidTO wrote:

But why doesn't this show in the URL? I'd like to have the ease of copying from the URL like before. Is there some other way I should access the image to get that key in the URL?

Can you right click on the image and grab the whole image URL directly from that. It will have everything already in the URL (image ID and key). That's what I do.

DavidTO

jfriend wrote:

Can you right click on the image and grab the whole image URL directly from that. It will have everything already in the URL (image ID and key). That's what I do.

Yeah, I could. But sometimes right click is disabled. I'm just so used to making my own URL from the photo number in the location bar up top, and I'm just surprised that the key isn't a part of it. I'm trying to figure out why that is, I'm probably just looking in the wrong place

jerryr

Hi the question I have is what is the variable for the key.
That is, if I want to add to my javascript:

urlToImage = webServer + "/photos/" + ImageID + "-L.jpg";

What is the Key variable ? I tried ImageKey and ImageKEY and no luck...

Thanks - jerryr

Andy

DavidTO wrote:

But why doesn't this show in the URL? I'd like to have the ease of copying from the URL like before. Is there some other way I should access the image to get that key in the URL?

You can put it in lightbox, or use the share button:

Andy

jenweavernj wrote:

I'm sorry, you must think I'm just a dummy...I guess I'm not explaining it correctly...


*with blogspot.com
*you go to customize - (to customize the side of your page)
you add a page element
*I chose the "picture" option - this adds pics down the side of your blog
*I use a URL for the photo...for example sake here is a URL I tested: http://jenweaverphotography.smugmug.com/photos/253080601_ujLNd-S.jpg

*I paste it in and I get:

test.jpg

It always worked before and now it doesn't....kinda bummed because it's sooo much easier this way.


The links work in the actual blog posts that I write.
The links work in the forums I belong to.

Just not in "upload using a link" area of blogspot.com and Dgrin. Now these are the only 2 places I have tested....maybe others will have the same issue and report more instances.

Seems like blogger's form doesn't like the url for some reason - I can't say why, it's a valid url for sure - you've done it right.

DrDavid

I was wondering.... For a public gallery, where privacy doesn't ever matter.. Is the KEY still required to view the gallery?

For example, I make a new gallery with albumid=1234567 and the key is 12345.. If I link to the public gallery without the key, will it still work? or will it fail? Perhaps public galleries should work with or without the key, and if a gallery is MADE unlisted, the key should then be set/re-generated?

David

Andy

DrDavid wrote:

I was wondering.... For a public gallery, where privacy doesn't ever matter.. Is the KEY still required to view the gallery?

For example, I make a new gallery with albumid=1234567 and the key is 12345.. If I link to the public gallery without the key, will it still work? or will it fail? Perhaps public galleries should work with or without the key, and if a gallery is MADE unlisted, the key should then be set/re-generated?

David

New gallery, will need the gallery# and key. Use the link that we give you in the share page.

DrDavid

jerryr wrote:

Hi the question I have is what is the variable for the key.
That is, if I want to add to my javascript:

urlToImage = webServer + "/photos/" + ImageID + "-L.jpg";

What is the Key variable ? I tried ImageKey and ImageKEY and no luck...

Thanks - jerryr

I use this:

 urlToImage = webServer + "/gallery/" + AlbumID + "_" + photoInfo[ImageID]['AlbumKey'] + "/1/" + ImageID + "/Large";

That creates a link to the single image page of what they ordered... I found it was more useful.... But, I think to get the Imagekey it's:

photoInfo[ImageID]['ImageKey']

DrDavid

Andy wrote:

New gallery, will need the gallery# and key. Use the link that we give you in the share page.

That's a bit of a bummer.. I occassionally gave out URL's with the album ID written in (only 6/7 digits, so, no big deal).. Guess I'll be making lots of custom vanity URL's now. Not a big deal luckily. But, I'd still vote for PUBLIC galleries to not require a key--just make it optional.

David

bwg

DrDavid wrote:

I use this:

 urlToImage = webServer + "/gallery/" + AlbumID + "_" + photoInfo[ImageID]['AlbumKey'] + "/1/" + ImageID + "/Large";

That creates a link to the single image page of what they ordered... I found it was more useful.... But, I think to get the Imagekey it's:

photoInfo[ImageID]['ImageKey']

That won't always be the case. For smugmug style, it will be there, but for other styles, use ImageKey.

Our javascript is a bit inconsistent at the moment, we're working on cleaning it up.

DrDavid

bigwebguy wrote:

That won't always be the case. For smugmug style, it will be there, but for other styles, use ImageKey.

Our javascript is a bit inconsistent at the moment, we're working on cleaning it up.

I thought I saw Jerryr say that he tried to use ImageKey and it didn't work? Also, how about AlbumKey? Is there a better/consistent variable I can use? I'm using photoInfo[ImageID] for that.... and photoInfo[ImageID] for the imagekey's.. You're saying that I should use only:

ImageKey

and

AlbumKey <-- I'm guessing here

??

David

DrDavid

bigwebguy wrote:

That won't always be the case. For smugmug style, it will be there, but for other styles, use ImageKey.

Our javascript is a bit inconsistent at the moment, we're working on cleaning it up.

There is a bug in ImageKey... When I use image key, it only uses the imagekey of the FIRST image. AlbumKey works fine, but, ImageKey as a dynamic field to use in a script is not working.

photoInfo[ImageID] returns the correct key... ImageKey does not.

David

bwg

DrDavid wrote:

There is a bug in ImageKey... When I use image key, it only uses the imagekey of the FIRST image. AlbumKey works fine, but, ImageKey as a dynamic field to use in a script is not working.

photoInfo[ImageID] returns the correct key... ImageKey does not.

David

sorry, I must not have been clear. Use photoInfo[ImageID] for smugmug style, but ImageKey/AlbumKey for all other style.

jerryr

Ok - here is my test:
(Sorry no luck on the ImageKey; style = Traditional)


This gallery was created Sunday:
http://www.jrphotosandwebdesign.com/gallery/4311576_pq8kM/1/219253544_ZjyiW/Medium

This gallery was created back in the Fall:
http://www.jrphotosandwebdesign.com/gallery/3789668_MKjGR/1/218578211_NmZFD/Medium

Again, any help on obtaining the imageKey using the traditional or allthumbs style is greatly appreciated...


Here is my footer code:

<div id="testfooter1" align="center">
******** type="text/javascript">
document.write("The AlbumID and AlbumKey for the image is: ");
document.write(AlbumID + "_" + AlbumKey);

</********
</div>

<div id="testfooter2" align="center">
******** type="text/javascript">
document.write("The ImageID and ImageKey for the image is: ");
document.write(ImageID + "_" + ImageKey);

</********
</div>

bwg

jerryr wrote:

Ok - here is my test:
(Sorry no luck on the ImageKey; style = Traditional)


This gallery was created Sunday:
http://www.jrphotosandwebdesign.com/gallery/4311576_pq8kM/1/219253544_ZjyiW/Medium

This gallery was created back in the Fall:
http://www.jrphotosandwebdesign.com/gallery/3789668_MKjGR/1/218578211_NmZFD/Medium

Again, any help on obtaining the imageKey using the traditional or allthumbs style is greatly appreciated...

Ah, thats not Traditional, thats SingleImage...but yeah my fault for not seeing what you were talking about.

ImageKey is indeed missing on that page. I'll make sure to add it for my next round of updates.

Sorry about that.

jerryr

Hi - Thanks a big since I thought I was going crazy
Ok - need this asap (I am sure several others need it as well)

Thank you thank you jerryr

GerryDavid

Is it me, or does the 5 letteres keep changing in the link? Ive tried to link an image a few times now, and each time I go to get the url, the 5 letters at the end between the _ and the - keep changing. And then after a little while, the new link doesnt work anymore.

Is there an easy way to fix this? I miss the old way, I had no problems with it.

Andy

GerryDavid wrote:

Is it me, or does the 5 letteres keep changing in the link? Ive tried to link an image a few times now, and each time I go to get the url, the 5 letters at the end between the _ and the - keep changing. And then after a little while, the new link doesnt work anymore.

Is there an easy way to fix this? I miss the old way, I had no problems with it.

Hi Gerry, they don't change. Try the share photos button, the links are easy to grab there...

help: http://www.smugmug.com/help/picture-sharing

claudermilk

Hey guys, just noticed the changes while working in a gallery last night. saw the "unlisted" flag on the galleries & checked the URLs, sure enough there was the security code. I'm happy to see the change & at least on the relatively simple linking I'm doing on my site it's all working fine.

I may just move & rebuild some of my private/unlisted galleries to ensure the new code is required even on older images.

jerryr

bigwebguy wrote:

Ah, thats not Traditional, thats SingleImage...but yeah my fault for not seeing what you were talking about.

ImageKey is indeed missing on that page. I'll make sure to add it for my next round of updates.

Sorry about that.

thanks again for looking into this.
As a temporary fix, I am using the window.location function

- jerryr

Markjay

Great exchange of ideas!
RE: turning off external links Baldy......

this problem presents itself in the Smugsearch. If you type in a search term, the results sometimes show image placeholders with NO image shown.
I'm guessing that is a result of someone turning off external links or, having removed the photo since it's upload?

BTW: this is a great discusssion and, I'm grateful to Smugmug for going out of their way to make our galleries feel as secure as they can be, while strking a balance against all the external linked images "out there".

Markjay

Baldy wrote:

This was our original plan but when we started painting scenarios of all the images embedded in blogs and forums that could later break, we thought the support burden/customer frustration would be too great.

It's reasonably common for someone to load images into a gallery, post them to forums, and then make them private later. They don't have a concept that doing it would make their links break.

As it is, we have a very tough time with the option to turn off external links.

I wish I had a better answer for you.

Thanks,
Baldy

Andy

Markjay wrote:

this problem presents itself in the Smugsearch. If you type in a search term, the results sometimes show image placeholders with NO image shown.
I'm guessing that is a result of someone turning off external links or, having removed the photo since it's upload?

Could be a variety of things - got a link to show us?