Change in uploads to MetConst forums

[GF_Kennon]

Due to the fact I want to reduce the bandwidth this forums is consuming, which at this rate will bring MetConst down, I am disabling uploading of attachments to the forum.

There are plenty of places to store the files other than uploading to MetConst and hotlinking from within, this sucks our small amount of bandwidth dry and can cause the site to fall from it, as such in the near future I shall be disabling this feature, and relocating existing uploads elsewhere.

There are places like Photobucket and Imageshack etc for uploading images, you can also use Dropbox for your files as well as images, if someone wishes for me to make a quick tutorial for this I can, but you can just go sign up to Dropbox and find out yourself.
Its best to sign up to Dropbox with this link here https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg3NzkwNzI5
This way you will get an extra 250MB of space for use.

Thanks for reading~

[Quietus]

That's a shame, but if it's necessary, then so be it. :^_^:

[squishy_ichigo]

so... all the links are gonna break

are you gonna fix all them after relocating the files or just leave them and fix ones that people mention?

[Phazar]

I've already edited out a lot of posts with attachments and replaced them with Photobucket images of the uploads.  If you want to upload something, image link to it, since you use less space that way.  So yes, the posts are fixed, in a way.

[snarfblam]

GF_Kennon gave a SEVERELY LONG explanation on how Dropbox works on irc, and it actually sounds very nifty, so anyone who doesn't have their own hosting really should look into it. Prolly easier than an image hosting site, and good for lots of other stuff too. No harder than uploading images directly to MetConst anyways.

[JAM]

What if disable only image attaching? Attaching an image to the post with IMG tag is what causing traffic overload.

Wait, how long ago attaching of image was forbidden?

[Phazar]

Image attaching was first restricted about midday Sunday.  It takes up so much less bandwidth if you just upload an image to the web and use img tags to put it on here, rather than this "img linking to attachments" that has been going on.  However, all files that are not image files can still be attached.

[begrimed]

I for one am all in favor of removing user-uploaded material from the site's database.

[Silver Skree]

I for one am all in favor of removing user-uploaded material from the site's database.

As am I. I have better, more reliable, and less MetConst-bandwidth-sucking alternatives for all my hosting needs.

[personitis]

I for one am all in favor of removing user-uploaded material from the site's database.

Also agree. I can go off and find places to host my stuff if not do it myself.

[JAM]

I for one am all in favor of removing user-uploaded material from the site's database.

I disagree with this... Attached images in IMG tags are what causing traffic overload, but anything else... I think, there should be another stabile server (if not this one), where all data should be stored. Not rapidshare or similar filehoster for downloading. If use them, after some time, the data will be lost. =( Just don't want to lose any guide or hack/patch in future. Think about it: a lot of dead links in next year...

You know, there are SCU forums restored but because of many external links in posts, almost all download links are dead... Some hacks are lost (MetRace), but topic is still there. There are another reason of this but effect is the same

[Lunaria]

The point is that dropbox is a great options for just that. Therefor, it would be pointless to allow any hosting on the forums anyway. Not to mention, if you really want good free filespace you could always just sign up at 10x, where you can upload a whole site and more via FTP if you so wish to.

[Quietus]

While I agree with what JAM is saying, the fact remains the same, in that Kennon is funding the site, and unless people are going to donate to help out, we should do whatever is necessary to keep the site.  If it means storing things elsewhere, then so be it.  Better that than no site at all.

[GF_Kennon]

JAM, does what you are saying concern the actual main site, ie all the hacks and guides and stuff on there will not be moved, this only affects the forums, Dropbox is a lot different to other file hosting and image hosting sites, which is why I recommended it, also makes it easy to update stuff too, read the wiki page to find out what I mean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropbox_%28service%29

This change affects the forum only, nothing on the main site is affected, and will go like this.

From 11:59PM GMT All uploaded images will be removed from the forums

As for legitimate hack files, they can stay, for now anyway.

[JAM]

GF_Kennon
Phew, I was thinking of the worst. Glad that it wouldn't happened.

Dropbox is a lot different to other file hosting and image hosting sites, which is why I recommended it, also makes it easy to update stuff too, read the wiki page to find out what I mean.

Thanks for the link. I have a free hosting, it's good for images, but for other things it's kinda suck (no rar's, zip's and avi's)

As for legitimate hack files, they can stay, for now anyway.

If in future, in someday you will have to remove them, please give us enough time to archive everything. Because this site is a center of SM hacking where a lot of things are discovered everyday.

[GF_Kennon]

As for legitimate hack files, they can stay, for now anyway.

If in future, in someday you will have to remove them, please give us enough time to archive everything. Because this site is a center of SM hacking where a lot of things are discovered everyday.

Heh, just remember I don't mean the site there, the plan was to remove the attachments as soon as they made it onto the site but I think we got lazy there, its just to make sure that we keep the forum usage down, because the forum is the main bandwidth eater, around 20 times more than the main site!

The way I'm having it now will probably stay and not change, but to make that figure go down, I might :p