The easiest item, and hoping most people will try, is to just upload some images from a range of cameras and especially phones. This has to be done to the test server, I can give you the details of that if you don’t already have them. Upload the images as part of an observation which can be junk as this data will not be kept after testing.
The thing we are testing here is keeping more of the metadata that is already embedded in the image e.g. date and location but also copyright and potentially other fields such as description. It is particularly important to test a wide range of mobile phones as sometimes the orientation of the image comes out wrong.
There is an updated versoin of the UK dictionary on the test server so if you happen to notice any problems with that you can let me know. The full testing of this update has been delayed.
The underlaying software on the server has been changed, you should not notice any effect of this but if there are any oddities let us know.
We are working on a modification to the reputation system, this is not yet available to test but we will be asking for comments on how it might better work. I have some ideas which might address the issues which have been raised but would like to discuss them with a small group of users - let me know if you want to be involved.
I am there @miked. But just to remind you that the test site is very low on resource. I was expecting to find a test done by you or Chris, there is no sign.
Currently it is refusing to load direct from my phone. But I’ll keep trying and will make an ob in the next half hour
Just checking you are on the correct site with the extra username and login required.
I had put on quite a few observations with images from different cameras and one phone, think chris has also put items on.
OK… then you have not kept me up to date with the Test Site access
I’m offline for an hour.
Send me access details please. I have just added two Obs to the old? test site
Just going through the images uploaded recently.
In almost all cases there is some EXIF data present, mostly camera make and model, etc.
With the watermarked spider image there is no EXIF data at all, so whatever application has been used to apply the watermark has probably stripped it out.
So I think its safe to say that my recent change in this regard has been a success and hasn’t led to issued with orientation. Thanks to those who took the time to contribute to the testing.
Oh dear Chris - I’m still uploading observations to the ZA community and quite a lot of my data appears to have been corrupted - possibly after transferring to the new computers, but somehow the date and time taken seem to get changed to another date/time possibly modified - I haven’t checked the cameras though.
Glad that you are doing this I think some of my photos may gave been copied from posts I sent to Picasa and posted on iSpot.by someone else - I need to check
Unfortunately the EXIF format gets interpreted differently by different camera makers so its certainly possible that some fields end up with incorrect data - or no data at all.
Of course anyone can edit or remove EXIF data these days, so unfortunately it probably wouldn’t stand up as evidence in legal scrutiny.
I used to use Picassa myself years ago - was bought out by Google then discontinued. Their web albums were apparently also closed in 2016.
You might find this interesting - I’ll see what I can attach for you (not sure if I care, my work has been plagiarised so often even by my colleagues - if they think it’s worth copying it is a compliment yes!! I’m not the poorer for it and what is MONEY anyway?)
Is this worth checking? One of two posts where I recognised my photos - read the comments:
but look at the properties, if you con, on my photo
The date created 2016 crops up in many of my old pics
THEN the other one is on iSpot photographed above Fish Hoek
Just a different location
We use a new option on Flickr - not sure what it’s all about Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs
Maybe iSpot should offer a choice I see Tony R does something when sharing on Pacific Bulb Society site.
Thanks for all your work
M
I already know what it is cause I use it. Hopefully other people do understand what it is aswell but I got a Creative Commons link which exsplains what it is. I hope this might be helpful
My happy story has been an Orchid that was spotted on iSpot by an American professor who asked to use it in a publication.
He sent me a really nice Coffee Table Edition as thanks.
