Suggestion when posting graphics, links, etc.

[CajunMama]

This is just a suggestion for those who post graphs, links to model runs, etc. without any explanation to it. We get many novice members who are just learning about weather or have a limited knowlege about weather. Please accompany an explanation of what they are to look for or if you're posting a link to model runs tell them what to click if the page has quite a few options to choose from. Alot of us learned from someone taking the time to explain something to us and it's our turn to pass it on.

[freeroam]

I have been reading these boards for a few years, many times I have been confused. Thank you for this wonderful suggestion.

[dizzyfish]

Thanks for the reminder CM. I am guilty of forgetting to fully explain things when I post.

I'll try to do better.

[gatorcane]

Cajun, this is a good suggestion. Several times I'll see copy-and-pasted data (e.g. Dvorak data, buoy data, etc) with no explanation as to what it means. Simply bolding a part of the text helps narrow a member's focus but STILL may require additional explanation (even if its a sentence or two).

[hurricanetrack]

It would definitely be nice to have links to satellite pics instead of what amounts to embedding 2,3, even 5 sat pics of the same thing from different channels of the satellite. It gets tough to come in here looking for relevant info when there is a series of IR, WV, Rainbow, some other channel and then a visible and then more and more and more. You get my point. I think the board would be less likely to be cluttered if links to sat pics, etc. would be posted instead of embedding them within the page. That's my opinion- this is not meant to climb anyone's frame, just pointing out what I know I wish could be changed.

[Fego]

Another suggestion; try imageshack or another program when posting a sat image. If a member posts an image (with the original link) then that image will change eventually and we will have a disparity between text and image.

[southerngale]

Another suggestion; try imageshack or another program when posting a sat image. If a member posts an image (with the original link) then that image will change eventually and we will have a disparity between text and image.

Good suggestion. I have asked this numerous times and some people oblige, but many still don't. It's really nice to be able to read a post a few hours or even days later, and be able to see the image that's being discussed.


I agree with hurricanetrack as well. The occasional image would be fine, but sometimes I see image after image after image. While my internet flies with cable, that's got to be particularly hard on dial-up users (and yes, there still are some... by choice, and not by choice).

Good thread, Frick.

[GeneratorPower]

I would also like to say that when TWOs and other *official* products are posted, it would be MUCH better if we didn't snip out portions of it to save space and NOT make a note of that fact. Often, TWOs are posted but people snip out the non-pertinent sections. However, the rest of the TWO is present including the header and lower signature/footer. It looks exactly like the real TWO, but is actually missing several paragraphs. The TWO below was posted in another thread. Problem is, it's missing a paragraph, but gives the impression of being the whole enchilada.

000
ABNT20 KNHC 281749
TWOAT
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
200 PM EDT MON JUL 28 2008

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

A TROPICAL WAVE HAS EMERGED OFF THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA AND SHOWS
SOME SIGNS OF ORGANIZATION. SOME SLOW DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM
IS POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS THE WAVE MOVES TO THE
WEST-NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 15 MPH.

ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS.

$$
FORECASTER BLAKE

In actuality, this is what the full TWO said.

000
ABNT20 KNHC 281749
TWOAT
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
200 PM EDT MON JUL 28 2008

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO IS
ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE. NO
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED AS THE TROUGH
MOVES SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD.

A TROPICAL WAVE HAS EMERGED OFF THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA AND SHOWS
SOME SIGNS OF ORGANIZATION. SOME SLOW DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM
IS POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS THE WAVE MOVES TO THE
WEST-NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 15 MPH.

ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS.

$$
FORECASTER BLAKE

Do you see my point? This can be easily fixed by simply notating the edit with a "<snip>", etc.

To me, this is misleading and can cause you to miss important information.

[vbhoutex]

When posting official bulletins we ask that: 1. a link be provided either before or after the oasted portion. 2. That the entire bulletin be posted or that there are indications of what portions have been deleted.

PLEASE ADHERE TO THIS POLICY!!

[GeneratorPower]

When posting official bulletins we ask that: 1. a link be provided either before or after the oasted portion. 2. That the entire bulletin be posted or that there are indications of what portions have been deleted.

PLEASE ADHERE TO THIS POLICY!!

Is there a link to an official policy on this? Thanks!

[CajunMama]

When posting official bulletins we ask that: 1. a link be provided either before or after the oasted portion. 2. That the entire bulletin be posted or that there are indications of what portions have been deleted.

PLEASE ADHERE TO THIS POLICY!!

Is there a link to an official policy on this? Thanks!

7. Third-party content. In an effort to prevent plagiarism, we require that any statistics, quotes, news articles, forecasts, and the like obtained from a third party to be posted on storm2k.org must be in the form of a brief quote that cites the original source and/or includes comments by the poster other than the quotation. If you are unsure then just post the link.
ALL POSTS containing copied and pasted material must contain the source.
A. Every Post is to contain a citation of the source.
B. Your interpretation, reaction, or some comment that ADDS VALUE to the pasted information. We are not interested in long copy and paste threads alone.

New Rules and Guidelines for Everyone

[bvigal]

Another suggestion; try imageshack or another program when posting a sat image. If a member posts an image (with the original link) then that image will change eventually and we will have a disparity between text and image.

Good suggestion. I have asked this numerous times and some people oblige, but many still don't. It's really nice to be able to read a post a few hours or even days later, and be able to see the image that's being discussed.
...

Amen to that!!! It would be sooo nice if images were static! Not all of us can check this site every hour all day. Many times I've come in to read several pages and "catch up" on what's been discussed, and the newly-loaded satellite pics, or other data, don't make any sense when reading their accompanying comments. Frequently I go back several pages to compare changes in a storm, only to find the pics, i.e., like on page 40, and on page 55, are all the same!

[lonelymike]

Another suggestion is to limit the number of graphics posted of the same thing on a thread. For us people in the caves who are still on snail dial up it makes it harder to view a page in a timely manner. Not trying to rile or stifle posting just making an observation.

[bvigal]

Fego wrote:
Another suggestion; try imageshack or another program when posting a sat image. If a member posts an image (with the original link) then that image will change eventually and we will have a disparity between text and image.

This really is an EXCELLENT suggestion!! Just went to Ike discussion thread to "review" where it all began, etc. There are HUNDREDS of pics that don't exist anymore, just that little red "x" where they used to be. It really degrades the value of the thread as an archive of the storm - what a shame!

Gotta really love those posts that start out "As you can see from this chart of wind shear(or whatever)...", and the visual is from today(live linked) and the whole post makes no sense at all, because the illustration the poster was using to prove a point has completely changed.

Yes, it takes a few more minutes to save that satellite pic or model, then upload it to imageshack or other pic hosting. But, at least then YOUR post, recorded for posterity, will make sense and have value beyond just a couple of hours. Wouldn't that be nice?

[meteorologyman]

I have a suggestion so everyone is not seeing a bunch of rainbow graphs and images.

When a new storm forms there should be a few topics and here is an example when Ana forms:

Ana-Visible and Infrared images

Ana-Sea Surface Temperatures and Shear

Ana - Analysis (meaning current windspeed, heading, location,Air force Recon)

Ana - Forecast/Predictions

[Recurve]

Agree!

People discussing a developing system post great images, but the discussion is mostly about will it / won't it where it's going / not going. Having separate image threads, where the talk is mostly about the images themselves (or obs therein) would be great.

[Blown Away]

I love this model run view, compact and to the point. Can somebody provide directions on how this was done?

[Blown Away]

Can anybody explain how to do that?

[abajan]

Judging from the number of graphics still being posted unaccompanied by any text whatsoever, I take it this thread is either not being read or its advice is being ignored. I would recommend making this more than a suggestion and PMing all members about this annoying practice. Perhaps then the message will get through.

A picture may be worth a thousand words but some pictures need words!

[Florida1118]

Im completing the Invest database, and it is difficult to go back and see a satellite picture or other image and its either missing or its a picture of nothing because it is new everyday. Going back through all the threads, I keep seeing many/nearly all of the pictures hot linked. That's good for quick info during the storm, but seeing a picture of a cold front instead of a TC isn't helpful later on. I know some don't want to download the picture or anything else, but It would be very helpful If you can, you upload it so the image doesn't go away/update. That and with the models, we can't look back at them because their a completely different image. For example:

Wow I didn't expect that to happen!



And we see...Nothing! Or the TWO:
Wow the percentage went way up!



And...Nothing. (For all that don't know, going back through the TWO archive Is EXTREMELY tedious. You must either go back though each TWO since November 2010, or go forward through EVERY TWO since 2009!!!! And if a storm is active, its 8 clicks per day...which takes 1 minute. If you try to speed click, nothing happens. You have to wait for the image to load, then go forward 6 or 3hrs.) So PLEASE upload your image!