Problems viewing images (Imgur???)

[Dr. Quack]

Hi all. I wonder if anybody has advice for enabling me to view images in certain posts? For some reason I can't see some images, and it appears to be imgur hosted images in particular. I can see a spacer type icon in the post but no image, nor when I click on the image itself.....curiously this is the same when using my (admittedly old) tablet, and also using my PC - same problem regardless of browser (tried Firefox and also Chrome). I can see that others have replied to these posts, so they have obviously been able to see the images, when I cannot. Anybody else having bother? Is it me or is it Imgur??

Frustrated Quack.

[Vinnie]

7 minutes ago, Dr. Quack said:

Hi all. I wonder if anybody has advice for enabling me to view images in certain posts? For some reason I can't see some images, and it appears to be imgur hosted images in particular. I can see a spacer type icon in the post but no image, nor when I click on the image itself.....curiously this is the same when using my (admittedly old) tablet, and also using my PC - same problem regardless of browser (tried Firefox and also Chrome). I can see that others have replied to these posts, so they have obviously been able to see the images, when I cannot. Anybody else having bother? Is it me or is it Imgur??

Frustrated Quack.

I also have this problem on occasion so it's not just you. 

[Mike]

There are a couple of reasons why this could be happening.  I say a couple, but more will probably occur to me as I write this

 

• Check the size of the picture.  Anything over 1024 x 800 pixels is wasted until we're all rocking 4K screens, so ask the poster to reduce the size of their 3400 x 2600 pic, and optimise it for web.  If it takes too long to load it's a waste of bandwidth (that you might be paying for on cellular data), and it's going to result in timeouts where the site gives up waiting and displays the placeholder space.  This can be a big thing, as a 2, 4 or 6mb image can still take several seconds to download, with the aforementioned issues arising.
• If you're using a VPN, some photo-hosts don't like serving to VPNs.  No idea why.
• The photo host might be too slow sending back the picture to the server to display.
• You may be using an out of date browser or operating system (this would have other effects on using the site, sadly).
• Your wifi might be chugging and you can receive the text-based part of the site well enough, but the data-heavy pictures might load too slow to display.
• The internet between you and the photo-host or us and the photo-host might well be congested.  It does happen from time to time.
• Your broadband/cellular data plan might just be a bit slow to receive the pics in time to display.
• OP has moved or deleted the photos.  Even renaming the folder they're stored in will break the link, which is VERY specific, even down to whether it's lower or upper case text.  Any changes will need cleaning up by OP if the photos are to remain visible.

 

Just dwelling on wifi for a minute, if your device is using it, check the service you're getting, and see whether it can be improved.  Sometimes you can be really close to your router, but because of what's between it and your device, signal can drop-off massively over a short distance.  Metal things like appliances, brick or stone walls at a very sharp angle to you could extend the passage through them many times, and rockwool or other insulation can also attenuate signals.  Think where you are, and the route your signal is taking.  If it's a difficult/dense one (no jokes about family members please!), consider moving to another position.

 

Generally speaking, if your browser is displaying the forum correctly, any photo issues will be elsewhere.  The only exception to this is reviews, posts made by me or any of the other Mod team that use BM hosting.

[Dr. Quack]

Thanks for your quick replies folks.  

If it helps, my PC has this exact problem despite being hardwired to router with excellent fibre broadband connection, no VPN, and Mrs. Q couldn't possibly pedal any faster!

Windows 10 is up to date as are both Chrome and Firefox browsers.

In one post I looked at, the pics from Imgur are not loading but others from Imgrpost and from Flickr in the same post load perfectly.....

I'm concluding that the problem originates from outwith Quack Towers, but I'm confused then as to why others are not similarly affected.

Perhaps it'll all resolve itself in time.

 

Q

[Mike]

1 minute ago, Dr. Quack said:

In one post I looked at, the pics from Imgur are not loading but others from Imgrpost and from Flickr in the same post load perfectly.....

That suggests that it's Imgur at the heart of the problem.  Does clicking on the links render the pic directly in another tab ?  If not, that could be them, they're rejecting our requests, or the photos have been moved.  Imgur is the photo hosting arm of Reddit, so I'm sure they wouldn't be too picky with who they respond to.  If all Imgur links were failing, I'd say we'd been blocked or they were having troubles.  If only some were blocked, it could be an issue with the individual server in their farms.  S'not us though

[Mike]

4 minutes ago, Dr. Quack said:

Perhaps it'll all resolve itself in time.

Very possibly.  Most outages that can't be explained conclusively usually sort themselves out eventually.  When is another matter

[Vinnie]

3 hours ago, Dr. Quack said:

Thanks for your quick replies folks.  

If it helps, my PC has this exact problem despite being hardwired to router with excellent fibre broadband connection, no VPN, and Mrs. Q couldn't possibly pedal any faster!

Windows 10 is up to date as are both Chrome and Firefox browsers.

In one post I looked at, the pics from Imgur are not loading but others from Imgrpost and from Flickr in the same post load perfectly.....

I'm concluding that the problem originates from outwith Quack Towers, but I'm confused then as to why others are not similarly affected.

Perhaps it'll all resolve itself in time.

 

Q

My system and problems mirror yours. No VPN, very fast fibre broadband although my router connection is wfi. 

[Stu_davros]

I use Imgur so I checked my own threads,

Only links shown, no pictures. I logged into Imgur to check the pictures and I get a whole load of blank pages instead.

I would say it's definitely Imgur causing the issue (probably).

 

Stuart

 

Edit:

I just checked the Imgur site here UK Users Using TalkTalk ISP Unable to View Imgur Images – Imgur

 

I do indeed use TalkTalk.

Edited January 19, 2021 by Stu_davros
Additional info.

[Alex Gordon]

I've just added a post to my Interceptors GB thread using Imgur and had no problems.I had noticed yesterday and today some threads with Imgur photos were either slow showing the images or not at at all but I think that it was just their server not letting stuff out,other hosts photos were loading up quite happily. 

Edited January 19, 2021 by Alex Gordon
Missed a word.

[Dr. Quack]

Thanks all. Looks like Imgur and Talk Talk aren't playing nicely. I'm with Talk Talk so I expect that's the explanation.

 

Thanks everybody. 

I'll be in my box, twiddling my thumbs until something gets sorted.

Q

[Mike]

I've had a long history of hating TT since they took over my ISP and a couple of months later blocked the protocols used for gaming on my Xbox.  Totally denied it was them, so I upped sticks and left them.  The afternoon of my move miraculously brought back my Xbox connection.  Funny that. I've since ascended to PC gaming and have a decent ISP that doesn't muck about with protocols to save them bandwidth, so don't worry You TT users need to get onto them and get them to reenable Imgur.  Have a look at Reddit too to see if they've also blocked their sister site