How do you start an image hosting site?

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

08/27/2009 06:28:32 PM · #1

OK
I want a site like imageshack, or photobucket, or what-have-you to host images. Specifically, images safe for educational settings--monitored for content, and open to kids. Right now, at my school, flickr is blocked, as well as most image sites, because the content isn't monitored. Oddly enough, this site isn't, but lets keep that on the down low as I check it at work!

So... I'd like to create a simple site where kids can upload content to so they can link it to their blogs (I have a edu-friendly blog site where I monitor what they publish before it goes live online). Our district approves snapfish, but that site resizes images, and if you have a smaller banner, or animated gif, it won't work.

Any ideas on this brain buster?

Apple iPhone 5

08/27/2009 06:32:28 PM · #2

Originally posted by tpbremer:

So... I'd like to create a simple site where kids can upload content to so they can link it to their blogs (I have a edu-friendly blog site where I monitor what they publish before it goes live online).

What software are you using for the blog site? Wordpress?

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

08/27/2009 06:36:30 PM · #3

Originally posted by JH:

Originally posted by tpbremer:
So... I'd like to create a simple site where kids can upload content to so they can link it to their blogs (I have a edu-friendly blog site where I monitor what they publish before it goes live online).

What software are you using for the blog site? Wordpress?

I'm using www.classblogmeister.com. Its very simple, somewhat ugly and constrictive, but it is approved by my district. Ideally, I'd like to let kids run wild on blogspot, but the problem is monitoring.

What this site does is when a student wants to publish an article, they click a button. I then get a notification, look at it, approve it, or send them comments on how to make it better, and then it can or can not go online. All comments also have to pass approval. You can take a look here. Students today just got on and put in a bit of info about themselves... no real published articles yet.

ETA: the site doesn't support image uploading... thus, my issue.

Message edited by author 2009-08-27 18:39:15.

Apple iPhone 5

08/27/2009 06:46:15 PM · #4

Originally posted by tpbremer:

ETA: the site doesn't support image uploading... thus, my issue.

Ah, I see. The reason I mentioned wordpress is because it has plug-ins that make image uploading and linking fairly straightforward. But as the blog is hosted by someone else, your options are limited because you can't modify the existing blog software.

Are you thinking then of running your own image hosting on a server somewhere? - The disadvantage is that the students will have to first upload their image, then obtain the URL, and finally paste the URL as a sort of [img] link in their blog post. It would be a bit like using flickr to post clickable thumbnails on the DPC forum (i.e. takes a few steps, but it's quite possible)

If you have your own site or server which isn't blocked by your school and on which you can run scripts, and you have sufficient space for the photos, this shouldn't be a problem. Are you a techie? If so, then there are PHP scripts out there which allow for uploading of photos to a server. e.g. //www.webdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101466

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

08/27/2009 07:33:09 PM · #5

Unfortunately, I'm not...

I'm looking for a creative solution to the problem. For example... I can put images on my district based site, but I can only upload one at a time (I have 150 students) and only I'm supposed to do it. Even if I have kids help, all of the images are in their own private network folders--which I can access, but again, only one at a time.

Ultimately, I'll figure something out--I'm just looking for a workaround that saves me time.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

08/27/2009 07:44:29 PM · #6

MyFamily.com is a good resource for affinity groups of all kinds, not just families. You can set up all kinds of parameters for access, uploading, etc.

08/27/2009 07:48:43 PM · #7

Originally posted by GeneralE:

MyFamily.com is a good resource for affinity groups of all kinds, not just families. You can set up all kinds of parameters for access, uploading, etc.

mmmm.... that looks good... I'll try it tomorrow, thanks.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

08/28/2009 09:10:36 AM · #8

RATS!
Tried it and it appeared to work, except when I'm not logged in, it says "To view this image please visit myfamily.com"

errrrr...

soup

Canon EOS-30D

08/28/2009 10:03:13 AM · #9

wordpress might work, with the nextgen gallery plugin installed.

you would be admin, the students would be contributors ( they can write and manage posts, but not publish them )

you'd have to play around with the image gallery section, but it possible to create albums, and what not. i'm not sure how the contributor access would play out with images though. i know you can insert an image from a local computer into a post or page from the text editor ( so it wouldn't be published until you published it, but the image would be in the image library area - for others to potentially view until deleted... might be worth looking into.

i might not be sure exactly what you're after though.

here's a screen shot of the admin page

Message edited by author 2009-08-28 10:04:47.

mosall

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon

08/28/2009 11:57:32 AM · #10

picasa web albums might work.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

08/28/2009 01:40:13 PM · #11

Originally posted by tpbremer:

RATS!
Tried it and it appeared to work, except when I'm not logged in, it says "To view this image please visit myfamily.com"

errrrr...

Your students would each have to have an account, and log in. AFAIK, you can limit their ability to add or change things with some degree of precision, at least on the "old version" of the site. Are the photos intended to be seen just within your group or by the general public?

08/30/2009 05:16:57 PM · #12

Well, I'd like them to be seen by the general public... especially so kids can email friends and families to direct them to their blogs. Most students have had no exposure to this kind of web publishing. My district (as well as many school districts) is very tentative about many web 2.0 apps because of the lack of control. We have a ridiculous amount of blocked web sites--which can get especially frustrating as a teacher in the visual arts.

The individual albums would work, except that students are technically not supposed to be uploading anything on their own from school. So I set up an account for my students an manage it that way.

The IS supervisor just informed me that if I can find an image hosting site where students can't search for images, we can probably get it approved. i.e. tinypic, and imagebucket wouldn't work because you can find other peoples images. Anybody know of one of these sites that has been around for a while, doesn't have too much memory restrictions (we'll web size images), and you can't search on.

btw, I really appreciate the people who have taken the time to read this thread and help problem solve. Its things like this that make me really love this community.