script images

1. overview

These notes are currently a design status document. They will slowly morph into the help page for people contributing images.

There will be a discussion thread on the Mailing list and AltME REBOL3 (links will provided once the threads exist).

Starting in September 2009 the Script Library will get a little more visual. We're implementing an idea of Maxim's to allow scripts to have a set of associate images.

You can see an example here:

• The script ascii-chart.r  has two thumb-nail images displayed just under the navigation bar.
• Clicking either of them takes you to a page that shows the larger associated images and some text with each.
• You can also see a smaller icon against the script when it appears in the search results. 

2. who can provide images?

At first, just the script owners. However, if some owners want to delegate that to others, that will also be possible later.

3. what types of image?

Phase 1 will accept JPGs and PNGs only.

We'd expect three sizes of image:

• very small -- an icon to be displayed beside search results
• fairly small -- for up to five thumbnail images to be displayed above the scrip
• bigger if necessary -- for up to twelve images to be displayed when the thumbnails are clicked. Each of the large images can have a caption and a paragraph of text

All three sizes are optional. No script need have any images.

4. hosting of images

4.1. where will the images be hosted?

That's a big question! REBOL.org does not have the disk quota or bandwidth to host images for all the scripts -- or even for a majority of them.

Therefore, we are working on the assumption that they will be mainly hosted externally:

• on the script owner's website if they have one
• on a generous REBOL community member's website, if such an angel wishes to volunteer
• on external image websites (such as flickr) (but watch you do not lose your copyrights and/or ownership in doing so).

4.2. aren't there issues with external hosting?

Yes. For example:

• bait'n'switch - spammers contribute a plausible script, and create some acceptable images. When they think the Librarian's attention is elsewhere, they change the images to something unacceptable
• sponging - a naive script owner provides links to images that they do not own. The real website owner notices and takes exception to their images being used and their bandwidth being leached.

You can assume that the Librarian's will have appropriate controls in place to spot such problems.

5. adorning your scripts now

5.1. i want to use this now - what do i do?

If you own scripts that you would like to be adorned with images, then:

• please do it!
• create the images on you own webspace (or some third party webspace)
• view your script while logged on, click [update script] then the new link: To add or update images associated with the script, please click this link
• as an example of how to specify the images see: images for ascii-chart.r  (you can view this file, but not update it as you do not own that script).

6. other issues

6.1. popularity statistics

• Having images will count slightly towards a script's popularity  (it's a measure of how cared for the script is)
• Counts of how often the images are viewed will affect the popularity stats too (just as views of the script itself does)

6.2. owner statistics

• will give you (the script owner) counts of how often the large images are viewed