[CloudApp Users] Ideas for an improved image viewer

[mschoening]

Hi guys,
I thought I'd ask around for some ideas to improve the image viewer.
The image viewer is the page rendered when you open an link with an
image uploaded with CloudApp.

Why are we changing it?

1. We ditched ads completely (please don't focus on that now, we will
announce something in regard soon) and therefor have more liberty when
it comes to designing. We could take it as far as serving the image
directly (without any viewer). We haven't made up our mind regarding
that yet but if we do decide to ship something like that we will make
it an option.

2. There is a Chrome Bug and why fix something we don't like anyways.

3. Jumping back to the first point, no ads means we can completely re-
think the entire concept of the page.

I am looking forward to your ideas.

P.S: If you suggest custom designs you are automatically banned from
CloudApp. We don't want to run a second MySpace with all the marquees
and glitter. Joking, or maybe not.

--Max

[mplappert]

I would prefer a direct link to the image file. I think that the image
viewer isn’t adding any value or additional information that would
legitimate its presence. Even if it looks fancy it’s the image I care
about. Embedding an image becomes easier and more intuitive if I’m not
dealing with a HTML page. Plus, all modern browser handle images
pretty well, e.g. large ones are resized and can be zoomed, …

[iPhone360]

I think, you guys should make it like idzr does it. For example, when
you view the link on the iPhone, you see a small preview of the image
on an optimized site. But with the button, that is under the preview,
you can view the image in full size.

This would be great, on the desktop, the iPad and the iPhone.

[ceichstaedt]

I'd also prefer the direct link. Especially on the iPhone the current
image viewer doesn't feel right. Why do we still need it if it does
not even have the purpose of displaying ads any more? And this "embed"
functionality, well, who actually uses that? It looks great on the Mac
with its animation and the icon, but it slows everything down on the
iPhone.
(At least for me with my 1st Gen iPhone. I'm going to upgrade to the
4G iPhone soon, but there are still a lot of people with 1st Gen
iPhones or iPod Touches.)

[Ken]

Users have different preferences. Perhaps it could be offered as an
option, just like your privacy links? Or to keep to the tradition of
URL tinkering, an extra flag in the URL would lead to a direct image:

http://cl.ly/1234 goes to the HTML version and http://cl.ly/1234.png
would go directly to the image.

Ken

[Oscar]

Take a look on Skitch. THAT is the WAY.

Eg. http://skitch.com/omata/n29ts/htc-desire

Regards,

Oscar.

[Ken]

Skitch is nice but we have to be careful here. Skitch is designed with
users commenting on the image in mind -- it's a tool to receive
feedback and encourage collaboration, whereas CloudApp is designed for
quick sharing of anything. Surely, if CloudApp allows feedback for
images like Skitch, then for consistency the other items (URLs, files,
etc) should allow for feedback and commenting, too.

I think CloudApp will do well to focus on what makes it a great tool:
its ease of use, no fuss interface and excellent integration with
Finder.

Thoughts?

On May 18, 6:53 pm, Oscar <oscar.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Take a look on Skitch. THAT is the WAY.
>

> Eg.http://skitch.com/omata/n29ts/htc-desire

[digitxp]

With all the votes for a direct file, I think that the viewer should
be quite the opposite if it wants to integrate with
Twitter well. I think that the image should be centered on a white
background (to compensate for people who don't
know what transparency is) and a row of tools with rollover labels.
The tools would be monochromatic, like Google
Chrome's buttons, but would be easily seen. A few of the tools may be
retweet, zoom, embed, link, etc. and the
embed/link functions would be either a textbox or a button that copies
it to clipboard (I kinda like the latter more,
except for the part where you have to explain what's going on).
Just not too snazzy--I'm waiting for an HTML5 drag-n-drop :-).

[ceichstaedt]

I bet the comparison to Skitch was a joke (not only because of CAPS).
I think everyone choses a service depending on what he/she needs. And
Skitch is good to share images and the like with family or close
friends. According to the skitch website, it "happens to be the best
way to make lolcats" - A feature I don't need.

Cloudapp is easy to understand and professional. And if you get a
skitch link like http://skitch.com/omata/n29ts/htc-desire , there are
several reasons why I don't use it. For example if you want to show
your work in progress to a client, especially those who are do not
know the internet very well, they are distracted by the cluttered
website with all its features. I also personally dislike the skitch
design. The glossy pink design, the heart and "Pssst!.. This page is
Secret" make it look like a dating website - so it is completely
useless for any serious business.

So please, don't add any unnecessary features. Otherwise I have to use
the complicated dropbox and open finder windows each time I want to
share something or I'll try FileShuttle and use my own server - but
this method does not include short links as far as i know.

[mplappert]

I use CloudApp because it is fast and simple. By adding buttons for
different tools or comments you destroy what makes this app so great.
I totally agree with Ken and ceichstaedt on this.

[Mislav]

First of all, I'd like to ask the developers: what is the real reason
you want to redesign the page? Is something wrong with it? Are users
complaining?

Please don't make it anything like Skitch. Their horrible page is the
reason I switched to CloudApp in a second after I found out it exists.

I absolutely adore the current image page. I guess the only thing on
it (besides the image) is the background and the tiny footer, but I
find the background excellent for most uses and the footer completely
unobtrusive to the eye. I second a request by Ken that adding an
extension like ".png" would fetch the raw image. This is useful for
pasting to service that inline images in content once they recognize
the extension, like Campfire chat. Currently there is no way to inline
the image in Campfire because the URL to the raw image ends with "/
content" (last time I tried).

One more thing that would be wildly useful to me is ability to have
more than one snaps on the same page. Technically this could be very
easy; it could be represented by a URL like this:

http://cl.ly/ab12+cd34

CloudApp could split the identifier when it sees a separator character
and display multiple images, one under another. I often take before/
after snaps, so I imagine my workflow would be taking one snap,
pasting the URL somewhere, taking another snap, pasting the second URL
and combining them. Or the web interface could give me a URL for
multiple snaps.

But other than that, I don't really need more features or a snazzier
UI. I use CloudApp over Skitch because CloudApp offers less, and looks
more sleek. If I wanted more features and more UI, I would have used
Skitch.

[connor96]

There is a way to download the image direct as it is. Just put the
http://cl.ly/jssye/content Its a direct download.

[Aaron Russell]

Personally I think I'd prefer just a direct link to the image... but
if that were the case then for consistency sake then all links should
directly link to the content including documents and other uploads.

If it's decided an image viewer is the route you take, then that's
cool too. I guess my only request would be some back-end resizing of
large images so the image displayed on-screen is resized to a
reasonable on-screen size, but with VERY intuitive and easy access to
the original image too.

[mschoening]

Don't worry guys. We will not overload the page. The reason why we
want to re-design is because we think we can simplify it a little.

[Jonatan]

The reason why Cloud exists is because we needed. The alternatives we
had were XY or ZX, but we just needed X, or even 1/2 of X. We won't
add features and more features just to have MORE than others, we will
have great and necessary features, nicely integrated and well thought.

On May 18, 7:53 pm, Oscar <oscar.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Take a look on Skitch. THAT is the WAY.
>

> Eg.http://skitch.com/omata/n29ts/htc-desire

[Parkersweb]

Hi Max,

I think the "link directly to the image file" approach would have to
be an option for me. Part of the reason I use Cloudapp for sharing
designs with clients is that it forces the image to be full size. The
number of clients who think that the implemented site should fit
exactly within their own screen dimensions because the jpg I sent them
scaled when they opened it up in the image viewer... sheesh.

Andrew

On May 18, 5:36 pm, mschoening <max+goo...@bylinebreak.com> wrote:

[Maximilian Schoening]

That is a really compelling argument. When we work with clients I sometimes am not sure wether they are viewing at 100%. I will definitely take that into account!

--
-- Max

[Mislav]

On May 18, 11:40 pm, connor96 <connorfannin...@gmail.com> wrote:
> There is a way to download the image direct as it is. Just put thehttp://cl.ly/jssye/content   Its a direct download.

Uh, right. That's what I said. I also said that the problem for me is
that URL doesn't end it ".png". Services that auto-inline the image
can't guess that this URL is an image because it doesn't end with an
extension.

[Kevin Hoagland]

Please listen to Mislav and use a direct link...or at least a way to
switch your uploads to direct links in the Settings. I use CloudApp
nearly entirely for screenshots and image sharing, so the raw image
without a viewer is necessary for many websites to understand the
file's content.

[REK]

I agree, a direct link would be greatly appreciated.

[connorf...@gmail.com]

Add /content to the end of the link and it's then a direct link >_>

Sent from my Nokia phone

[REK]

Maybe I stated that wrong, I just wanted to echo Mislav a few posts up
so that images have a direct link ending with their file type

On Jun 6, 5:02 pm, "connorfannin...@gmail.com"

[Kevin Hoagland]

I stated as well as Mislav did that a direct link ends in the
filename, because that's how websites read the content of the file
within.

Not only that, but for some reason, clicking "copy Image URL" from the
context menu of a picture in the default image fiewer takes you to /
content as well! All I ask for is some way, preferably within the
settings, to make it so an uploaded picture's URL ends in its filename
(.png, .jpeg etc)

On Jun 6, 5:02 pm, "connorfannin...@gmail.com"
<connorfannin...@gmail.com> wrote: