Screenshot Share

[aok]

So, the bandwidth issue. This is purely about people posting images in the descriptions that are already hosted on nexus yes? Because each view of that page then calls all of those images from nexus, yes?

 

But when those images in the description are hosted at flickr, or photobucket, or imgur, then the bandwidth that is being used is flickr's, or photobucket's, or imgur's. Yes? Yes.

 

So how will instituting a small gallery - where users have to upload their 10 series images directly to nexus, to be called up by nexus' servers, to be hosted by nexus - possibly save nexus bandwidth? You would be guaranteeing that those 10 images are hosted at nexus and using nexus bandwidth, whereas previously only 1 of them would be hosted at nexus and 9 of them would be hosted elsewhere.

 

How does that make sense?

 

Really, all that needs to happen is this:

 

1) any images posted in descriptions MUST be hosted off site: people may not link to pictures already hosted at nexus in the descriptions

1.1) with that in mind, it would be a great idea to create a 'favourites' system (instead of endorsements, which are more trouble than they are worth), whereby people can add other people's images to their favourites, and then they can link to their favourites in their description, thus bringing the exposure to other people's pictures that they really like - since the majority of the pictures in descriptions that are hosted on nexus are the ones where people say 'check out these pictures from my fellow screenarchers'

 

2) impose rules about how wide these images in the description that are hosted elsewhere can be: flickr, for example, automatically makes available an 800px version of your pictures when you upload their, and you can grab the bbcode for that size right from the photo page and paste it into the description, so no tiresome manual resizing is needed. That way, there aren't 'messy' streams of images being cut off the page littered everywhere. Not that they'd be costing you bandwidth if hosted elsewhere anyway...

 

3) impose a limit on the number of pictures allowed in one description. I'd say 10 is a decent compromise. I've seen posts with more than that that look just wonderful because they are part of a story, but as was posted as an example earlier, there can be the odd one or two times someone goes overboard where it looks like crap. Again, if it's not hosted on nexus, it's not costing you bandwidth anyway...

 

--

 

I know that nexus is a modding site. And your bandwidth problems are because you are a victim of your own success, so they are a double edged sword - the more people you have here who have a great experience the more premium memberships you are likely to generate, thus being able to expand and sure up the services; the more people you have here who have a great experience, the more will keep coming back and using more bandwidth. So perhaps you have to decide once and for all what you want nexus to be.

 

Do you want it to be a faceless, soulless site where people come to download a mod, then leave?

 

Do you want it to be a thriving community of modders and players, who share their love for the game and consider nexus to be a valuable resource and somewhere they want to spend their time?

 

If it's the latter, then you simply have to realise that communities grow up around many different things, and in terms of nexus the ability to share images is a huge, huge part of that. You have to realise that so much mod downloading is generated because of the image share, as people showcase new mods, people ask 'where's that armour from?' or 'wow, what enb are you using?' or 'I just have to know what skin texture you are using!' and then pootle off to download it themselves.

 

It also drives mod creation - so many new mods have grown out of people who use the image share deciding that they want to do what the modders do, they think they can create a great enb preset too, or they think they can make a really great male skin mod... and so they start doing it, but while it's a work in progress they just post pictures to the image share, which generates interest, feedback, excitement, ideas, and then hopefully leads to a solid mod hosted on nexus for download once it's finished.

 

Creating a series of images more often than not provides the exact opposite experience to a random pic dump of any old rubbish. The majority of people consider carefully which of their pictures work together, the message they want to get across, the aesthetic totality of what a series offers instead of just one picture on its own. Screenshot taking (or screenarching - although I don't care for that name) has for many become more than just 'I killed a bear today - look I took a picture of it. Did you kill anything?' It has become an art form. Like any artist, the ability to curate your work and show it in ways that make thematic and aesthetic sense is crucial.

 

Recognising how important the different parts of the community are might involve a paradigm shift on your part, but please don't for a second underestimate it. Just because nexus wasn't originally intended to be an image sharing site doesn't mean it hasn't evolved from where it began. Communities appear in surprising ways, and they are crucial in the way they form the bedrock of a place.

 

If, however, you want it to be the former - well then your bandwidth problems will likely be solved overnight because people will leave in their droves. Perhaps that would be preferable? Then people can come here, download a mod, and disappear. If there are any decent mods still to be made once some of the avenues for creativity, ideas and sharing are limited. (I'm being flippant with this last point. I say it to make a crude point.)

 

So to summarise:

 

--The ability to post a series of images is important. Nexus might not have begun with image sharing in mind, but it has since evolved to be a place where people come to do that. It helps generate a sense of community and also innovation, and drives traffic to mods.

--The community of people who use the nexus sites are what makes the nexus sites. That should be fostered and encouraged to flourish, making nexus a truly wonderful place to for modders and players to be - not severely limited and curtailed. Its potential should be realised, even if it means redesigning certain parts of the site. Don't waste the opportunity to have this be a wonderful place.

--Bandwidth would increase from forcing people to have no choice but to upload all their images to nexus; whereas by allowing people to post pictures 2-10 of their series in the description while stating that if they do so they must be hosted elsewhere would save bandwidth.

--Having a favourites system in place that people can link to will negate the desire/need for people to post thumbnails of other people's pictures that are hosted on nexus in their descriptions, which will also save bandwidth for the site.

 

I hope the people who are making the decisions about this take the time to read my feelings and thoughts on this. I also hope they will be able to take some serious time to consider just what the image share parts of the nexus sites do for the site and for modding as a whole, and what a wonderful thing a thriving, colourful, varied community can be.

My feelings exactly. Embrace this. Very well stated!

[djekmiami]

WOW...

 

Took me a while but I read the entire thread and as an alleged screenarcher myself I have one suggestion for the box:

 

The Nexus & The Archers & Storytellers can all win.

 

Incorporate the privilege of this function (that I use as well and love) as a benefit of becoming a premium member.

 

As a business guy myself I see opportunity where most see none and this an opportunity for both sides.

 

We (the PRINTSCREEN addicts) get to keep our fix and Nexus gets a buck more that goes towards the well being of the site.

 

Humans are rather simple to be frank, we want what we do not have.

 

I/e when I joined Nexus I was here for the mods and then saw all the wonderful images. I wanted that. I asked how to and learned. (thank you Willow, Tairen, VickG etc.)

 

Case in point, we get asked all the time by new members "hey what mod is that?", "what ENB is that?", "hair?" etc......

 

Well, how about "hey, how did you post that series?"

 

Answer..."I'm a premium member, join."

 

I know Nexus is primarily free, trust me I know that. But offering a premium membership with more benefits than d/l history, faster d/l, supporter's sec, increased cap on daily image uploads will be better for everyone.

 

New members will see our series' and will want to follow suit and Nexus gets more premium members thus acquiring more funds for maintenance and so forth.

[Farvat]

 

Just FYI, we're planning to remove this ability from the Image Share soon because frankly, we don't like it. We'll code in something so you can setup a "showcase" of some of your other images instead, but we'll be removing the ability to use the img tags in the Image Share descriptions.

Robin Scott

Site owner

Honestly, I think that this decision is not very smart. If I were you I would not do such a stupid thing. Try instead to find a way in which all parties to the causes remain satisfied without starting a conflict, which in the end will hurt you economically. As already suggested, make it a privilege for the premium members of Nexus. I would pay for this, but without, I would not see any reason to support economically this site.

Use your head, if there is demand for a service, create a bid for that service.

Edited July 4, 2013 by Farvat

[JimboUK]

 

 

Just FYI, we're planning to remove this ability from the Image Share soon because frankly, we don't like it. We'll code in something so you can setup a "showcase" of some of your other images instead, but we'll be removing the ability to use the img tags in the Image Share descriptions.

Robin Scott

Site owner

Honestly, I think that this decision is not very smart. If I were you I would not do such a stupid thing. Try instead to find a way in which all parties to the causes remain satisfied without starting a conflict, which in the end will hurt you economically. As already suggested, make it a privilege for the premium members of Nexus. I would pay for this, but without, I would not see any reason to support economically this site.

Use your head, if there is demand for a service, create a bid for that service.

 

 

Rude posts like this aren't helping.

[VictoriaG]

I'm assuming when the change happens it will break all existing image descriptions to?

[JimboUK]

I assume the images will turn into links to the images, that's what swapping img for url would do.

[djekmiami]

I'm assuming when the change happens it will break all existing image descriptions to?

I really wouldn't think so, at the least I hope not. If it would, it would not be in the best interest of Nexus as it would make the site seem like a site with issues as it would be an image section with a lot of broken links. Very ugly at that.

[djekmiami]

 

 

Just FYI, we're planning to remove this ability from the Image Share soon because frankly, we don't like it. We'll code in something so you can setup a "showcase" of some of your other images instead, but we'll be removing the ability to use the img tags in the Image Share descriptions.

Robin Scott

Site owner

Honestly, I think that this decision is not very smart. If I were you I would not do such a stupid thing. Try instead to find a way in which all parties to the causes remain satisfied without starting a conflict, which in the end will hurt you economically. As already suggested, make it a privilege for the premium members of Nexus. I would pay for this, but without, I would not see any reason to support economically this site.

Use your head, if there is demand for a service, create a bid for that service.

 

To support my earlier post, I believe this would be the best way to go. For all parties or those interested. Although the driving force behind Nexus is the amount of accessibility one receives for the cost of nothing but in no way or another do I see whatever premium costs that are deposited into Nexus' capital unwelcomed, hence the recent revamp in methods of payment.

 

In the end, Robin can do what he pleases with Nexus and its features and he has done so very well from what I have read online versus other sites that offer such services. But the ability to download a mod and show it in game and share it is fabulous coupled with the style of how many do so in adding additional images that tell a story or to promote upcoming mods with various images depicting so is even better. Basically you get a community that offers free artistic advertisement whilst built upon a foundation which is the Nexus community.

 

The Nexus community being built mainly by two components; modders & screenarcher's. Removing or altering the facilitation of either to express oneself explicitly is a hindrance within the chemistry of the community as a whole. But to make the change whilst providing it as a premium service is ingenious as it limits the amount of those who will use it thus resolving the issue at hand and hell, who knows, you acquire more members thus more funds put into Nexus.

[Brigand231]

The Nexus community being built mainly by two components; modders & screenarcher's.

You bring up an interesting point, but there's a crossover as well: Modders that create what they do for use in their stories. This goes beyond the obvious like posing mods; I know the mod I've released was made purely to add characters to a story and since I could, I shared it. I know I make use of many mods with a similar history and am grateful that the artists that create them have this outlet to inspire them to mod and share their creations. My point is that while the imageshare may not, on its own, be a priority or deemed to have much value; it absolutely does contribute to the production and release of quality mods, which is the mentioned priority.

[RGMage2]

This is true, screenshots do lead to mod releases. Back in the Oblivion days I used to post on Beth’s “Pictures Of Oblivion Character`s” and I wanted a unique background for a screenshot, so I made a new night sky just for a series of pictures. I had a few requests to release it, so I did. I called it Fantasy NightSky and it went on to have over 12000 downloads. It was never intended to be released, It was only made for a screenshot. I think a lot of people would be surprised if they knew how many mods evolved out of screenshot props.