The folks who we purchased a license to the gallery from have issues with the way I am using it. Specifically the fact that it's being used on what they consider "different Web sites". This situation cropped up after they found the TFactory.org site but I am fairly sure the legal quandry extended to the UK site as well (or any other satellite site I would want to do in the future). So....

I am going to be forced into some kind of serious change at some point. Options include:

1. a new gallery
2. updating the gallery to a single header and format so it will appear to be on one site (but using different domains) - this is my preferred choice but I am not sure the photopost folks will go for this.
3. Update all URLs to a single domain. Probably http://gallery.kitmaker.net. This will mean seperate logins for the gallery (but only once if you save cookie). And it will mean I can ditch a lot of the customized coding I have done on v4.1 and upgrade to v5.0 without too much pain. So a few pros and cons to this option.

Well, nothing is going to happen on this soon as I have my weekend at Disneyland starting tomorrow.

Just keeping you all in the loop and privy to the wonderful inner-workings of Armorama!

Cheers,
Jim

Personally I am not thrilled with the gallery as they set it up. You have made some good improvements to it but it still leaves a lot to be desired. silk purse from a sows ear type thing. Do we have any other options as far as galleries go?

Batch deleting would be my first addition.

Hey Jim, not to high jack this thread but if you ever get bored with Mikey and the gang there is a pretty decent hobby store, Brookhurst Hobbies, a couple miles from Disneyland.

http://www.brookhursthobbies.com/

If this means anything it was there back in the early 70s when I first got into this hobby.

To tell the truth, the Gallery is the one section of the site I don't mess with much unless i'm looking for specific subjects. as I find it hard to navigate the search feature helps..

I realize you have to work within the limits of the technology and that any photo post system that is user drivin will become somewhat sprawling...

I say do what you think will work out best to solve the legal issues....

who knows maybe a "upgrade" and reorganization is what is needed.

also I do think some type of photo gallery is one of the attractions of model building sites and should be kept..

I think the issue in its simplist form is that the people who wrote the Gallery software don't actually sell the code to ya to use as you want.. what they do is sell a license to use the software provided...

what it appears to be is that their license is for use by 1 website and consider hosting the images for another group such as the t-factory or the Uk site or satilite sites as different sites and in order to use their software for those you must buy additional "license's" for them..

to extend the concept into the everyday terms..

imagine you buy a car and your license agreement with the dealer allows you to only drive it within your home town.... and if for some reason you want to visit another town then according to the license agreement you have to pay for the car again...

Then again I could be totally misunderstanding the situation..... but this seems to be what is happening..

I think I get it, guys. Folks are using Armorama to host images used on other sites. Check out this thread on ML:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/thread?forumid=110741&messageid=1109279722

I'm sure folks are posting on other sites the same way. Sucking bandwidth is not playing nicely.

Jim,
Make the gallery any way you see fit.All I ask is it be easy to use.
Disneyland?Ooooooh! Star Tours!Yeessssssssssss!
Bring me back a hat that says' Star Tours'!! My last one got stolen!!
Rick

with one or two extra photos then most people in there I say....darn there cotton picking hides

I certainly think you hit the nail on the head.....
and it's probably a factor in the sites slow down some times.

Perhaps Jim could/should insert a code to stop this practice.

WELL I THINK INDEED this has to stop. Since Armorama is hosting its own gallery for its needs let other sites do the same . Maybe this way some resources will be freed

If that theory is correct, that's a really tough one. To have a gallery on Armorama, one has to be a subscriber. How do you filter out which subscribers are abusing this system? What if they're regularly contributing members? What if they are paying members? Then they are supporting the livelyhood of the site.

I think before we all get stressed about this (and jump to too many conclusions) let's just enjoy our weekends, as I'm sure Jim and the family are, and wait till the bossman gets back and tells us more about the problem.

Though I can't even begin to understand the amount of work this idea would involve, I would support to have the gallery overhauled and possibly start from near scratch. For this I would support numerous changes.

1.) Batch deletion as BroAbrams discussed
2.) Strongly urging members to keyword their images so it is easier to search for images.
3.) Also having a feature to characterize whether the image is of a model or of the real things for reference purposes.

I know almost nothing about the TFactory.org site, so maybe someone could fill me in on the background of the site and its relationship to us. I looked at the site and as mentioned, it does have the same format as Armorama. But is TFactory an extension of Armorama? If not, are they subscribers to the same service as us? And if not that, are they in effect "hijacking" the format? if that is true, they would be at fault, but we would still be responsible to protecting the format. So there would be a security issue.

Jeff

So are you saying that using the Big A gallery as a host server to post pics on other sites is a NO NO? I have to admit I am guilty of linking the same pics on ML as I do here through the Armorama Gallery. If that is not allowed I will certainly stop.

Hi there

I hate legal stuff, so I won't comment on it.

But just in answer to those who are so keen on scrapping the existing Gallery and starting again... bear in mind that could mean literally thousands of pics have to be re-linked unless a change is done right. Every post in the forum that includes pics, every Review and every Feature could need an overhaul.

We could almost be at a standstill while that takes place.

Just a thought

Rowan