In one of the old trip report threads, I posted some pictures. The preview of the pictures inside the thread are not visible anymore (they used to be). The source location of the pictures is ok and there pictures are still there. I can click on the blank frames where the pictures used to be previewed and the pictures will show-up.
Is there a way to fix this? Could it be just my browser?
I am using google chrome with win 10. I have tried Explorer and got the same result.
An example of such a thread is here:
I have tried to contact GM4ZFZ via the sota website but did not get and answer (I am not sure he manages the reflector). I tried to send him a message via the reflector but was told I am not an authorized user.
It’s because your images are links to your own webserver, which serves content using HTTP, and the way the image is displayed (via javascript) causes the browser to reject displaying it. With the reflector using HTTPS, the browser won’t load the image as it is “mixed content”, but once you click on it, you should be able see it as it loads (insecurely) in a new window.
HTTPS your website (using LetsEncrypt or something) and then update the image links to be https instead of http and they’ll reappear (I’m 95% certain).
Thank you everybody for the feedback. It looks like Firefox knows how to handle this better than other browsers. The weird thing is that it used to be ok but not anymore. Maybe the underlying code of the reflector has changed and has become more stringent with regards to security.
I will check out Andrew’s suggestion and see if there is a way to convert the source to HTTPS. I shall revert once I have done a bit more testing.
Yes, it sounds like it’s the browsers after doing further research on the topic.
I have added a SSL to my server address but I think it will get updated overnight (in the US). It is not a dedicated SSL with IP so I am not sure whether or not it will work. It is a domain-validated SNI without IP. Anyway, I’ll keep an eye on this to see how it goes. I may have to clear my browser’s cache as well.
If it does not work then I’ll have to buy a SSL or host my pictures somewhere else (implying I would have to change the source of all my pictures).
Hello Arnaud,
It works now! After reading your last message i did a CTRL + F5
Back to the activation report Font Sancte and the photo appear.
73 de Gerald F6HBI
Hello Tof, my partner in crime!
See you next year when Japan lets me out of the country (hopefully), I already have a list of summits in mind for us (if my knees let me).
Take care.
Convert remote images to local images by downloading them; this prevents broken images.
Which is currently switched off. This was done fairly early on in the life of this reflector as the large numbers of images being included in posts resulted in the reflector volume on the server growing extremely rapidly. Jon decided that given that our reflector billing was based on size, this was leading to rapidly increasing costs, so it was switched off in favour of sourcing images from posters’ remote sites.
I guess it is a trade-off between cost and reliability. I can imagine that given how active and enthusiastic SOTA-goers are, the size of the database would balloon fairly quickly and therefore so would the costs (unless there is a way to monetize those).
I am happy I could fix the problem with a fairly simple and free solution but I think the availability of free SSL depends on the host being used, so I was lucky in this case.
If your hosting provider isn’t offering free SSL, change. They’re either bit invested in maintaining their systems, or incapable of doing so. Either way, you aren’t going to be getting value from them
(if my knees let me).