topic Re: Images in Community Site Feedback

Images

jab1 — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 18:08:04 GMT

With reference to this topic:https://community.plus.net/t5/Community-Announcements/Where-s-my-image/m-p/2016880#M8514 , - is this a new policy? I have never noticed this issue previously.

Re: Images

Townman — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:12:44 GMT

Hi John,

Yes new policy associated with the new “security online” regulations. Some say the new rules are more about control than safety … certainly going to cause a lot more work for the admin team.

Re: Images

jab1 — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:31:13 GMT

OK, @Townman . Must admit I did wonder if those crazy, badly thought out 'regulations' might have some bearing. Our 'elders and betters' live in a bubble! 😁

This is going to totally destroy the usefulness of forums such as this.

Re: Images

bmc — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:16:26 GMT

@Townman

Does this apply to attachments as well?

Whan an image is under moderation is there a holding image displayed with a message like - "Image under moderartion"?

Brian

Re: Images

RobPN — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:21:25 GMT

It doesn't appear to apply to images added via HTML, at least for the time being.

Re: Images

jab1 — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:33:36 GMT

@bmc wrote:

@Townman

Does this apply to attachments as well?

Whan an image is under moderation is there a holding image displayed with a message like - "Image under moderartion"?

Brian

I suspect the 'yellow triangle' is the holding image - with zero explanation!

Re: Images

Townman — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:34:41 GMT

Hi Brian,

If I am honest, it is still embryonic! We are discussing this with the business. I can see images pending approval, which are visible in the post. There are hints that pale yellow triangles will be place holders for images awaiting approval.

AIUI this will apply to all images.

Re: Images

RobPN — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:38:23 GMT

@Townman wrote:

I can see images pending approval, which are visible in the post.

Certainly at the moment, although not visible in the post itself, anyone can see the missing images by going to the posters profile page and checking their posted images section.

Re: Images

jab1 — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:39:25 GMT

I know this is a repeat comment, but unless this 'monitoring'/approval process can be automated or speeded up, the forum is going to collapse as an effective support medium.

Re: Images

RobPN — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:44:09 GMT

I totally agree @jab1

I had prepared a post earlier to include @bmc's missing images via HTML in another thread, but on checking before posting I noticed the originals had been released from jail.

Re: Images

Townman — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:47:59 GMT

@RobPN wrote:

Certainly at the moment, although not visible in the post itself, anyone can see the missing images by going to the posters profile page and checking their posted images section.

I do not understand what is being stated here - I can see images waiting approval, which are visible in posts and do not have a yellow triangle if I look at the poster's profile. I am mindful that could be a facet of my SU service status.

As per an earlier post, this is embryonic, appeared yesterday but does not yet appear to have bitten. There is a risk of inappropriate FUD being generated here.

Re: Images

jab1 — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:53:34 GMT

@Townman wrote:

.

I do not understand what is being stated here - I can see images waiting approval, which are visible in posts and do not have a yellow triangle if I look at the poster's profile. I am mindful that could be a facet of my SU service status.

Very likely, @Townman 😀

Re: Images

outcast — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:00:07 GMT

@James_B

Just a quick note to let you know that all images uploaded to the forum go through a moderation process before they appear publicly.

Because of this, there may be a short delay between when you upload an image and when it becomes visible. We appreciate your patience — our moderation team works as quickly as possible, but we also want to review things carefully to keep standards high.

@James_B

This new procedure simply isn't working !. 😡

Can you specify what your expectation of "short delay" means ?

In an active topic where pictures are being posted to help another struggling customer in real time, the pictures need to appear say within ten minutes, otherwise the reply with the hidden picture will be read hundreds of times in the first half hour, and people will never come back later to see what vital bit of information had been hidden in the picture.

The yellow triangle place holder is meaningless !

The forum regulars understand that there is a picture waiting to be moderated, but the hundreds of casual readers will just assume that the picture is censored or had been deleted.

It wouldn't be so bad if the triangle also had the text "IMAGE WAITING FOR MODERATION APPROVAL" written across it !

What happens when an image isn't approved ?

Is there a red triangle that says "IMAGE HAS BEEN BLOCKED" ?

Does the original poster get a notification to have the opportunity to re-post a new image, and have special editing capability to make that change beyond the usual 20 minute editing timeout ?.

I already have images a week old still waiting to be approved, making all my efforts to help a complete waste of time !

What procedure do you have in place to ensure that ALL images have been reviewed and approved within a reasonable time frame. Perhaps you need a background task that sends a notification (every five minutes) to the image moderators to say that an image hasn't been approved yet.

@James_B

What am I supposed to do ? - every time I post a reply with a picture, and am actively engaged helping a another customer, should I tag YOU to say that I have an image that needs approval immediately, as clearly whoever is supposed to be reviewing these images isn't doing their job quickly enough (or at all !).

@James_B

You either need to roll-back this change to the forum until you can implement a workable solution, perhaps AI ?, otherwise employ a new member of staff 24/7 to moderate these images within say 10 minutes.

I really don't see why this change was even necessary in the first place, the old system worked fine, where of all the many eyeballs looking at the topics, there was always some petty busybody who would report any image that they didn't like to a moderator, and the image would quickly get removed. That system worked great (sometimes too well), AND the forum still worked.

Now it is nearly impossible to explain in real-time to non-technical or elderly customers who have requested help, either by showing them an image, or asking them to post screenshots to aid with diagnostics. Trying to use words to explain what would be so easy to understand in a picture, makes this forum unusable.

@James_B

Why did you roll-out a system that obviously wasn't going to work, and put an undue burden on the volunteer moderators ?.

If these measures were added to avoid doing age verification, then why not restrict forum visibility and posting capability to past and present Plusnet bill payers ? (as was originally suggested when this current version of the forum was first implemented !)

Re: Images

jab1 — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:11:35 GMT

@outcast Your thoughts on this 'Online Safety Bill' stupidity mirror mine. I almost feel like giving up after 13 years of trying to help.

Trying to help non-technical customers is nigh impossible, because if we need to explain something, a picture paints a thousand words, as they say, but it is pointless posting them if they can't be seen.

Re: Images

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:05:36 GMT

Being a Superuser I see all images so it is difficult for me to see it status, so I have to use another browser which is not logged in to the forum to check. I can post image without the need of approval.

I will release an image on a thread I am subscribed to, if I visit a thread and see a relevant image I will release it.

Re: Images

jab1 — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:27:31 GMT

Fair enough, @Dan_the_Van , and yes you do, but the implementation of this is flawed - IMO. If anyone, either the OP in a topic, or someone trying to help, posts an image, we have to rely on SU's or mods spotting them and releasing them quickly, otherwise they are useless.

I'm currently around from 0700 to 2100ish, but I don't have the time, or patience these days, to be continually checking back on topics to see if an image has been released.

I'm not having a go at you, Dan, merely pointing out the current practice is flawed.

Re: Images

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:33:43 GMT

@jab1

From what I can see attachments are treated differently, I would imagine they are virus checked before being uploaded.

Recently an image included a broadband username so that was not released.

I do understand your frustration.

Re: Images

jab1 — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:42:41 GMT

As you say, Dan, attachments are treated differently, but this 'safety' net (as @James_B refers to it), is nothing of the sort - it is the businesses response to the 'requirements' of the Online Safety Bill, but it does not work in a dynamic environment.

The problem with attachments is that they have to be downloaded and viewed separately, which destroys their usefulness - there are usually words in the body of a post which they need to be viewed in conjunction with.

Re: Images

outcast — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:01:44 GMT

@Dan_the_Van wrote:

Being a Superuser I see all images so it is difficult for me to see it status, so I have to use another browser which is not logged in to the forum to check. I can post image without the need of approval.

It is the same for the person who originally posts an image, in a logged in session the image appears as expected, but get the yellow triangles on the same post when viewing on another logged out browser.

It is hopeless needing to run two browsers just because @James_B can't implement a working system !.

My criticisms expressed in this topic are NOT aimed at ANY of the Moderators or Superusers

I am NOT saying that the moderators or superusers are failing in any way, or are being too slow - I understand your position.

Expecting these volunteer's to do additional work, because of @James_B 's poorly thought out changes is unacceptable.

Re: Images

Townman — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:23:46 GMT

This is not @James_B ’s doing, but the business responding to Labour government policy.

If folks think this is all stupid, then write to your MP. It is stupid and poorly thought through by this government … but this is now what is required of service providers. They are obliged to ensure a number of requirements of on line “safety” are complied with. Thankfully in this space there is no history of issues, but the same is not the case across the division. Consequently strict governance is being applied for everyone’s “safety. 🎱 ⚽ 🏀 🏈

@James_B

It might help if those who have the ability to approve images saw an alert on threads … in addition to just seeing the image (as though approved).