Inserting Images Into Your VansAirForceForums Messages by Doug Reeves 
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One of the neatest features of posting in the VansAirForceForums is the ability to embed images.  A downside is that until recently you had to have knowledge of how to upload to a web server, which meant having your own web site, authoring software, upload client, etc.  Most people don't have their own web site...and software...and skillset.  Not everyone has (or wants) this.  But, a bunch of people have digital cameras and images of their RV project on their home computer.  Lots more than have their own web site.

Why would doing this help anyone?  Say someone asks in the forums for a close up picture of a particular part of construction.  You have it on your computer's hard disk from your own RV construction pictures, but since you don't have a web site you only have the option of sending it by email to that one person.  Everyone can't benefit from your picture.  The overall 'RV knowledge base' isn't improved upon.

OK, so first you need to find a free place on the internet that offers image hosting (Google search for free image hosting).  You'll find thousands of places to do this!

One such place is www.TinyPic.com.  Another is www.Imageshack.us.  Another site is www.Photobucket.com (select the 800x600 option for your picture for best forum results).

After uploading your image, look for the 'direct link to image' box, or something similar to that.  This is the address you will copy/paste into the forums.

While in the 'Reply To Thread' or 'New Thread' screen look for the 'Insert Image' icon.  Whenever you get to the part of the message you want to insert the image, click on that icon (in screenshot below).

A user prompt box will appear.  Put your cursor in the text box and paste the address from your computer (Ctrl-V on Windows machines).  Click 'OK'.  Screen shot below.

You're done, it didn't cost a penny, it didn't take up ANY disk space on the VAF servers, you don't have to create a web site and everyone gets to benefit from your photography.  The 'knowledge base' has expanded.  Pretty cool.

 

And A Shortcut Tip...
  I increased the number of images you can have in a post to (10).  If you use one of the thousands of free places on the web to host images, you can quickly insert images into a post by surrounding the URL they give you with [IMG] and [/IMG].  In most of these sites, you upload the image and look for the 'Direct Link To Image' URL.  TIP: Make the image 800 pixels wide or less for best viewing in the forums - it preserves the proper word wrapping.
   For example, inserting the text below into a post will result in this.  I got it all squared away using Notepad before copy/pasting it into the post.

[IMG]http://www.vansairforce.net/randompic/27.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.vansairforce.net/Graphics/VAF_Caps_And_Shirts/travels/HooverDam.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.vansairforce.net/Charity/IMG_0894.JPG[/IMG]