PBase

I chose PBase back in 2003. One of the main reasons was when uploading photos, it kept the exact name as in 20110415-051_SpringW.jpg
I would change the title, but if I right clicked to download my own photo to possible upload elsewhere, or save it to my own drive for a web version of the larger file, I still had the name 20110415-051_SpringW.jpg matching my larger file 20110415-051_Spring.NEF and 20110415-051_Spring.tif

At one point it changed where the file name became some odd characters like 133966223.qGqamuXx_20110415-051_Spring.jpg
At least it still had the actual file name at upload at the end. I use my naming conventions to locate my own original files on my hard drive when someone sees a photo on PBase and asks to license it or purchase it as a print if it is not already on my own reflectionsbyruth.com

Now when right clicking, the file name is 133966223.qGqamuXx.jpg


Most of my newer uploaded the past couple years I would always place my upload name into the description ( 20110415-051_Spring.jpg ) But I didn't do that for every upload because I didn't know your whole system would change.
That still leaves me to figure out the month and day so I can go to my hard drive to locate the original.

The only good thing for me is I keep my photos into albums
by state
then by my own Bucks County, PA
Spring
each year 2004 to current
Summer
each year 2004 to current
Autumn
each year 2004 to current
Winter
each year 2004 to current

When did this change and why weren't we notified? If I knew, I would have gone to each file to be sure I list under it the file naming convention allowing me to locate it.

reflectionsbyruth wrote:I chose PBase back in 2003. One of the main reasons was when uploading photos, it kept the exact name as in 20110415-051_SpringW.jpg
I would change the title, but if I right clicked to download my own photo to possible upload elsewhere, or save it to my own drive for a web version of the larger file, I still had the name 20110415-051_SpringW.jpg matching my larger file 20110415-051_Spring.NEF and 20110415-051_Spring.tif

At one point it changed where the file name became some odd characters like 133966223.qGqamuXx_20110415-051_Spring.jpg
At least it still had the actual file name at upload at the end. I use my naming conventions to locate my own original files on my hard drive when someone sees a photo on PBase and asks to license it or purchase it as a print if it is not already on my own reflectionsbyruth.com

Now when right clicking, the file name is 133966223.qGqamuXx.jpg


Most of my newer uploaded the past couple years I would always place my upload name into the description ( 20110415-051_Spring.jpg ) But I didn't do that for every upload because I didn't know your whole system would change.
That still leaves me to figure out the month and day so I can go to my hard drive to locate the original.

The only good thing for me is I keep my photos into albums
by state
then by my own Bucks County, PA
Spring
each year 2004 to current
Summer
each year 2004 to current
Autumn
each year 2004 to current
Winter
each year 2004 to current

When did this change and why weren't we notified? If I knew, I would have gone to each file to be sure I list under it the file naming convention allowing me to locate it.

Some years back, Phase started using cloud based caching. I think that's when it changed. But you should see your original name in the filename if you use the original image size. The name will be stripped of underscores.

My glass half full thought says at least that means somebody out there is changing something! But quite a few years back I started prefixing my filenames, even here at home, with a character or three that indicates the camera, followed by the index number applied by the camera in the case of my digi-stuff, or by roll-number.frame on film scans.

When I build up a gallery, I copy that code and place it in parens in the technical notes section. So later if I see "(G8456)" I know it's frame index number 8456 from my Canon G15, where "(Erc016.02)" would be frame 2 of roll 16 out of my Ercona II 6x9 folder. I already had a directory tree on this system mirroring my PBase galleries, but after the big crash back in 2009? I started creating HTML files that display thumbnails of those directories and images, and saving my caption data in an HTML comment field for each shot so if I do have to move the stuff, I might do it with minimal effort.

These days I also use EXIFtool to put EXIF data in my film scans -- can't tell you the warmth of the fuzzies from seeing an EXIF calling out a folding camera from the 1950s!

In short, the long tortured history indicates it is probably prudent not to depend on this site for anything but read-only -- and barely that. Although what it can do when it's all working is definitely way cool.

DaveT