Groundspeak Portal

A little before finding out that Groundspeak was making some changes to the backend of the Waymarking site, I started noticing that once in a while, my photo upload would fail.  No error message.  Just after activating the upload, the process would quit and go back to empty fields for the file name and description. It doesn't happen all the time but enough to believe there is a systematic issue.

Anyone else seeing this?

It happens to me all of the time.

I think it is random and depends on how long the query to the database has been. Something interrupts the query, and you get sent back to the upload page. If you are uploading a small image file, your query time will be shorter (ie you have a greater chance of success). If you are loading a large image file, then your upload and query time will be much larger (so that your chance of a successful upload is MUCH less).

That is just my impression of the behavior I have been seeing.

4 our of 5. I find that sometimes if I go ahead and save after failing to upload a picture then go edit and try to put the picture in it will take it. No rhyme or reason when it fails.

rakeinthecache:

A little before finding out that Groundspeak was making some changes to the backend of the Waymarking site, I started noticing that once in a while, my photo upload would fail.  No error message.  Just after activating the upload, the process would quit and go back to empty fields for the file name and description. It doesn't happen all the time but enough to believe there is a systematic issue.

Anyone else seeing this?

Yes. It USUALLY happens to me.  So I pre-shrink my photos now before I try. Making them 800x600 (or 600x800 depending on orientation) seems to fix the problem every time.

I found a combination of two things eliminates this problem. First, I reduced the resolution of the photo when I shoot the picture. I have my camera set to medium pixels instead of fine. This reduces the initial 'size' of the photo (125k or less). If I am needing to take higher quality photos (something that I want to enlarge to an 5" x 7" or 8" x 10"), then I change the resolution to Fine or Super Fine. But for Waymarking (which is what most of my photography is for), I just use the medium resolution.

I then pre-edit my photos to 600 pixel width or less. I just use Paint Shop Pro and resize the image (after editing, if I have done any to the photo) to 600 pixels (or less) wide. I have not had any upload problems when I have done this. If I forget (yes, it happens sometimes!) to resize to the 600 pixels wide, it takes a loooong time to upload (because the Waymarking program is trying to resize the photo) and I realize I goofed.

Take care,
Outspoken1

My images are typically over 2000 x 1600 pixels at a resolution of 72dpi in raw format. If I'm uploading a more polished image, we're looking at 3000x2000 pixels at a res of 600dpi. I get blips from time to time and that's understandable. I don't complain, I just do it over. If the blips are too much of an inconvenience, shrinking them does sound like an excellent suggestion. Keep the images to 800x600 at 72dpi.

 

- Elle