[Clipart] Problems with the website during/after submission

Jon Phillips jon at rejon.org
Thu Jan 6 13:50:36 PST 2005


Nicu Buculei wrote:
> Jonadab the Unsightly One wrote:
> 
>> Jon Phillips <jon at rejon.org> writes:
>>
>>> Why does the script need to check the filetype. It seems that this
>>> should automatically be checked for, right? 
>>
>>
>>
>> I'm not at all sure it's technically possible to guess right 100% of
>> the time.  I don't know enough about all of the file formats we
>> support to know if there is reliable identification magic for all of
>> them and, if so, that it is.  SVG would be possible to check
>> definitively, I think, but the formula for doing so is somewhat
>> complex. 
> 
> 
> i think we should detect the file type *only* when the image is 
> submitted using the simple form on the front page and *only* detect if 
> the file is SVG.
> as i understand it, the purpose of that form was to provide a quick way 
> for regular contributors to submit a file (which file is expected to be 
> already made compliant - having metadata). if we add additional steps, 
> this beat it's original purpose: to be quick and simple. in addition, i 
> would like that after a successful submission using this quick form the 
> result page to not be the full submit page, but instead the front page, 
> to have access to the quick method again.

Yeah, I'm mainly concerned with keeping the submission process simple. We are 
already asking users to have/make/convert files to SVG (not a dominant file 
format), so then to make it seem difficult to submit is frustrating to the user.

I like your suggestion of keeping the simple submission quick for SVG, but if 
another format is input, then shuttle a user to the more detailed form.

For a quick submission, it would be great to get a user back to the front, or at 
least the stack of images submitted appearing below the simple submission window 
to then quickly allow for one to see their submissions queueing up in realtime. 
I had this setup before in the most general sense, but the only detection I 
wrote into the PHP was to not accept certain filetypes. Hence, jonadab's system 
is much much more robust. I think if we can just get the interface details 
fleshed out, this submission process will rock.

>> _For now_ we rely on the user to tell us the format.
> 
> 
> as an extreme compromise, we can add back to the front page a file type 
> selector, with SVG selected as default

Still not sure...I think we should trust users to put in the right file format 
and filter out that which we don't want with file extension ending, or another 
method. Then, if we start getting junk, then filter out the filth. Otherwise, if 
SVG is submitted that is compliant with metadata fields, it should just go str8 
to the queue. If another filetype is submitted that we allow, then it can go to 
the question an answer.

Right now if I submit a file that I filled out all the proper metadata and 
submit, I still get taken to the more detailed form and am told there are 
errors. I think this is confusing because I set up Inkscape to have a default 
template with all the proper fields filled out. Hmmm...I guess this is a 
separate issue.

Jon

-- 
Jon Phillips

USA PH 510.499.0894
jon at rejon.org
http://www.rejon.org

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