Inline image support
I've searched and seen this mentioned before, but why is there no support for inline image tags/links in 2024?
This is not for meme support. I've just thought about this since there's a post weekly for images of pets, and I actually wanted to do a post and ask for opinions on an image, but there's nothing inline.
I tested a standard html <img> but that obviously didn't work. So, image support, is it coming?
Clarification
With inline images, I did not mean in the style of Reddit. I would expect them as part of the conversation and be closed like the details tag:
As for storage, Tildes wouldn't be the store. Again, as policy, something like direct links only, i.e. https://www.007ffflearning.com/post/images/20200419.jpg so you'd have to include the full image path.
I don't expect that inline image support is coming, as that seems quite antithetical to the discussion-focused goal of Tildes. Unfortunately, inline images have been disastrous for both reddit and Twitter, where they're used almost entirely for "reaction" images, and not substantive content.
Even though Tildes does offer a higher calibre of discussion than other platforms, I fear that offering an easy-to-abuse tool like that would be detrimental to the site's overall quality.
I understand that links may be inconvenient at times, but they seem much preferable to the alternative.
Please no.
Going to immediately clutter discussions/be used for memes regardless of intention. I think I'd be ok with a show/hide link to view a linked image inline but really do not want images displayed inline by default.
The main use case for me is those more technical things where you want to link to some diagram or other relevant image that's hard to explain in text, or when you're sharing some creative thing like in the timasomo showcases.
I'd prefer something like: manually-written block-level
<img>tags are allowed only inside manually-written<details>tags. It also doesn't need to solve the image hosting problem, so yet more friction that needs to be overcome before you can share something inline.Example for reference
This way those carefully crafted showcase messages could still include the thing in an easy-to-read inline way for those readers who are interested in seeing the images inline. But all the friction and hiding them behind collapsible tags should discourage frivolous or memetic uses.
This is exactly how I have envisioned it. I have updated my original post with clarification.
Agree on counts. Shouldn't be open by default - something like the RES expand thing would be really nice to have in my opinion. Definitely no image posts though images in comments would be very welcome for ~creative threads too
Have you seen the Philosophy section of the Tildes docs? Under Content is this:
I interpret that to mean that if shallower content (e.g., images) were allowed, it would quickly reduce the overall quality of conversation on the site. And I think that's probably accurate.
I'll still occasionally use emoji though! 🤪
I wouldn't mind a little decoration from the target site on link topics, and link previews if posted in a comment. Also with the hide / show by default for link previews, like TangibleLight showed in another comment.
I have read the philosophy and I get that, I truly do. However, there are times when having an inline image makes for ease and flow. If I was explaining a wiring diagram or a trying to ask for advice on something electrical, it would be great to include that image rather than making someone go off to a hosting site.
There are times when images should be easily opened and closed with a single click that doesn't take away from the conversation, in my opinion. I don't think that would dilute the content and long form idea of Tildes.
@Deimos' comment on the Tildes Gitlab feature request about adding embedded images and videos:
https://gitlab.com/tildes/tildes/-/issues/263
And it's also worth checking out the tildes.official topic from way back in the day related to it as well:
https://tildes.net/~tildes.official/c1/daily_tildes_discussion_allow_in_line_expanding_of_videos_etc
Based on Deimos’ comment there, I wonder if it’s something that could potentially be added, but (and this would be more complex to implement), only enabled in specific communities or specific posts even. (And, as mentioned in other comments, always collapsed by default under a details tag). I think that could significantly limit the spam potential, and still be a useful addition.
I don’t think they’re a “necessary” feature, but I could see situations where it could be useful (such as the pets post).
If it were introduced in a limited capacity, the community I'd see benefitting the most from inline images would be ~creative. After all, most creative endeavors are more visual than text-based, and sharing images through links isn't quite the same.
The world has changed a lot in 5 years since Deimos closed that post.
As others have said in this chain, if set appropriately it would be used for good and flow correctly. Maybe it's worth reopening and seeing how Deimos feels about it these days with the discussion and implementation that Tildes members would be happy with?
I won't reopen it myself since he's the one that closed it... but that is why I pinged him, so he can see this topic and reopen it himself if he feels different about it now. ;)
Tildes, thankfully, has not changed in that same direction. Inline images are not a good fit here and extremely unwelcome.
In addition to the above: there's nothing that stops you from linking to images. People do it with some frequency. Having to click on a link adds some degree of intentionality to the process and helps ensure the layout looks cleaner for everyone.
While I agree, fully, with keeping Tildes free of images, this is really only the case for people who are connecting from a device with a fair sized screen and a mouse. On my phone, for example, if I were to look into a thread that was primarily about images, it would be very annoying to have to click, look, click back, find where I was, scroll, click, look, click back, etc.
Expensive and dangerous to store. Antithetical to the idea of good discussion. No offense, OP, but I think I'd prefer if Tildes never ever ever did this.
This is a request for inline image support to render images from links which is a bit different.
Even in an extremely limited form (specific communities, hidden by default) I personally would rather this adjustment not be made. This specifically down to my personal preference (so I get not everyone will agree) in terms of aesthetics and whether it fits with the vibe here, and I just have a personal bias that leans towards more text-forward, efficient content and I like that Tildes bucks typical web trends, since very few sites do anymore.
I would prefer that we be overzealous in protecting against the infiltration of imagery. I think once it is allowed in limited form, it will eventually be requested to open it up more for this or that justification and eventually misused and/or starting to echo the vibe of other sites that Tildes (thankfully) isn't.
I don't find it that bad to expect someone to click a link to an external image instead of inlining it. Browsers and phones tend to handle that well-enough, and that keeps the site clean and only loads external data to someone's computing device if they specifically authorize it (by clicking a link)
I get that there are technical solutions to some issues I have raised but I'd prefer the site not even have the infrastructure to support it at all vs. that
In other words, I don't think the infiltration of imagery is a worthwhile tradeoff to making some comments with image links less annoying for people that don't like clicking them on their phones
You may already know this, but there's the Hover Zoom+ browser extension that may help. It's not inline, but quicker than opening in a new tab.