This announcement is intended to remind forum members of the purpose of the image repository and our recommendations for image use, on the forum but for off-forum purposes as well.
If you have created a new image that is intended to serve as official imagery for some regional purpose, you should:
1) post a request to have it added to the image repository;
2) once it has been added, use exclusively the image repository copy every time you want to use the image.
Using the image repository for storage and distribution offers numerous advantages. To list a few:
1) Longevity: Images stored in the repository will remain there for as long as this forum exists. Images stored in various users' upload accounts may disappear when those users' accounts expire for inactivity, or when the image uploading service arbitrarily decides to delete old images. If that happens, those images are gone for good. Not only can we not reuse them, but the several pre-existing links to these images no longer display what they were supposed to.
2) Security: There are two problems with members hosting official regional images themselves. First, a disgruntled former member can replace some image they are hosting with, say, porn or some other offensive material (yes, this has happened in the past). Second, the member hosting the images can use them to fish for members' IPs and forum access history, including stuff such as links clicked, hour, browser, etc. By hosting images on the forum, we avoid both of these.
3) Version control: Say we have an image we have been using for a while, then we decide to replace it with an updated design. Using the image through the forum repository gives us an easy way to automatically update all previous uses of this image, on the forum or elsewhere.
4) Locality: Having all official regional imagery in a single place makes it easier to keep track of them. When a new Minister takes office, they can take a look at the repository and find all of the official images for their Ministry there, instead of having to ask around and collect links from all sorts of different sources.
5) Continuity: The repository provides a record of how the Euro brand has evolved over time, and a snapshot of what it looks like currently. By providing a collection of all existing regional imagery, the repository encourages people to reuse the already existing and well-established designs, rather than continuously reinvent the wheel every time a government changes. When people do decide to to redesign an existing image, or when they need to make one, they can look at the repository to get inspiration about how to make the new design compatible with existing imagery.
6) Forum speed: Loading all images from a single location, the repository, considerably decreases forum loading time and improves forum experience for our users. This is particularly important for users accessing the forum from cell phones or places with slow internet connections. Additionally, using the repository makes the forum better protected against service interruptions of various external image hosting services.
On the other hand, there are essentially no disadvantages, besides perhaps some little delay until the admins upload the images.
Naturally, not all images should be uploaded in the repository. As a rule of thumb, an image should be added to the repository if it is intended for some official regional purpose, and it is going to be used more than once. Good candidate images are headers and other graphics appearing on official regional publications, or signature material such as awards and advertisements.
The reason for this reminder is that I have noticed there are several images that fit the above description, yet are not in the repository. Taking a quick look around the forum and our dispatches, here are some images that should be added to the repository:
1) The new CSO awards: http://s6.zetaboards.com/Europeia/topic/8934747/1/
2) The WAAP header and awards.
3) The RMB awards.
4) The Europeian Independent header and footer images.
5) The footer banner in Europeian dispatches.
6) The header, separator, and other graphics of the Europeian Standard.
7) The current headers and other graphics of the EBC1.
I would strongly encourage those responsible for use of those images to post a request to have them added in the repository.
1For me, the failure of the EBC to maintain a consistent brand over the years is strong evidence for the usefulness of the repository in ensuring continuity of regional imagery. It is the only long-standing institution that has not had its banners etc. added to the repository. It is also unique among such institutions in having changed so many banners. Naturally, correlation does not imply causation, but I think it is reasonable to assume that there is a causal link.
If you have created a new image that is intended to serve as official imagery for some regional purpose, you should:
1) post a request to have it added to the image repository;
2) once it has been added, use exclusively the image repository copy every time you want to use the image.
Using the image repository for storage and distribution offers numerous advantages. To list a few:
1) Longevity: Images stored in the repository will remain there for as long as this forum exists. Images stored in various users' upload accounts may disappear when those users' accounts expire for inactivity, or when the image uploading service arbitrarily decides to delete old images. If that happens, those images are gone for good. Not only can we not reuse them, but the several pre-existing links to these images no longer display what they were supposed to.
2) Security: There are two problems with members hosting official regional images themselves. First, a disgruntled former member can replace some image they are hosting with, say, porn or some other offensive material (yes, this has happened in the past). Second, the member hosting the images can use them to fish for members' IPs and forum access history, including stuff such as links clicked, hour, browser, etc. By hosting images on the forum, we avoid both of these.
3) Version control: Say we have an image we have been using for a while, then we decide to replace it with an updated design. Using the image through the forum repository gives us an easy way to automatically update all previous uses of this image, on the forum or elsewhere.
4) Locality: Having all official regional imagery in a single place makes it easier to keep track of them. When a new Minister takes office, they can take a look at the repository and find all of the official images for their Ministry there, instead of having to ask around and collect links from all sorts of different sources.
5) Continuity: The repository provides a record of how the Euro brand has evolved over time, and a snapshot of what it looks like currently. By providing a collection of all existing regional imagery, the repository encourages people to reuse the already existing and well-established designs, rather than continuously reinvent the wheel every time a government changes. When people do decide to to redesign an existing image, or when they need to make one, they can look at the repository to get inspiration about how to make the new design compatible with existing imagery.
6) Forum speed: Loading all images from a single location, the repository, considerably decreases forum loading time and improves forum experience for our users. This is particularly important for users accessing the forum from cell phones or places with slow internet connections. Additionally, using the repository makes the forum better protected against service interruptions of various external image hosting services.
On the other hand, there are essentially no disadvantages, besides perhaps some little delay until the admins upload the images.
Naturally, not all images should be uploaded in the repository. As a rule of thumb, an image should be added to the repository if it is intended for some official regional purpose, and it is going to be used more than once. Good candidate images are headers and other graphics appearing on official regional publications, or signature material such as awards and advertisements.
The reason for this reminder is that I have noticed there are several images that fit the above description, yet are not in the repository. Taking a quick look around the forum and our dispatches, here are some images that should be added to the repository:
1) The new CSO awards: http://s6.zetaboards.com/Europeia/topic/8934747/1/
2) The WAAP header and awards.
3) The RMB awards.
4) The Europeian Independent header and footer images.
5) The footer banner in Europeian dispatches.
6) The header, separator, and other graphics of the Europeian Standard.
7) The current headers and other graphics of the EBC1.
I would strongly encourage those responsible for use of those images to post a request to have them added in the repository.
1For me, the failure of the EBC to maintain a consistent brand over the years is strong evidence for the usefulness of the repository in ensuring continuity of regional imagery. It is the only long-standing institution that has not had its banners etc. added to the repository. It is also unique among such institutions in having changed so many banners. Naturally, correlation does not imply causation, but I think it is reasonable to assume that there is a causal link.
