Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing

Discussions about the Ward Directory and Map tool on churchofjesuschrist.org.
mevans
Senior Member
Posts: 2049
Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 1:52 pm
Location: California, USA

Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing

#1

Post by mevans »

Photo assignment has been working well for me lately, but tonight, I just tried assigning 5 photos I had uploaded and we're back to the problem where assignment takes forever. For example, I might assign a photo to a member and press save and it would take a few minutes to complete the assignment. In one case, I waited over 10 minutes and canceled it and tried again.

So it looks like something is wrong with that web service again. Uploading works fine.

I'm doing this from the Directory on "Upload Photos," not via LCR or the individual photo uploads.
lajackson
Community Moderators
Posts: 11460
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:27 pm
Location: US

Re: Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing

#2

Post by lajackson »

mevans wrote:So it looks like something is wrong with that web service again. Uploading works fine.
We could not even upload photos yesterday.
ebenvisher
New Member
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:43 pm

Re: Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing

#3

Post by ebenvisher »

I'm having the same problem. Failing, try again, all the usual. I'm a veteran programmer so I've tried:
1. Three browsers - Chrome, Safari, Firefox
2. Two OSes - Windows, MacOS
3. Different schedules - do one (which sometimes works), try another. Or, do one and wait an hour (still fails). Do one and wait a day. (fail)

It seems odd to me how few people have posted on this in the last 12 months, given how many people have (or had) the issue.

Thanks for any ideas!
--Eben Visher
davesudweeks
Senior Member
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 9:16 pm
Location: Washington, USA

Re: Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing

#4

Post by davesudweeks »

We have never had a problem that has been reported to me as ward clerk. However, we haven't had someone uploading photos for others for a few years. Members upload their own photos if they choose to and I review them. I have never had a problem (that I recall) approving any and no one has complained they could not upload their photos.
ebenvisher
New Member
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:43 pm

Re: Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing - SOLUTION INCLUDED HERE (make the files under 900 MB)

#5

Post by ebenvisher »

Dave,

Thanks so much for taking your valuable time to answer! I sure appreciate it.

SOLUTION: files over about 900 KB, fail. I re-made the failing files to all be 900 KB or less and everything is peachy. :-)

I *wish*,

(1) That, foremost, the ASSIGN PHOTO PAGE made this limitation very clear!

(2) That the error had been much better explained on screen by the programmers, and that it would have told us *why* the upload fails. It basically says, currently, "Ha ha you're screwed. 'Why,' is secret." Actually, it doesn't even say that, come to think of it. It just sits and spins the hourglass forever.

(3) That any of the replies in the postings I saw, had prominently featured the cause, so we searchers could have immediately known the solution. I was clued by one respondent, in one long thread, pondering whether it had anything to do with file size.

As soon as I saw that hint, I sorted by size and it was obvious both that file size was the cause, and approximately where the dividing line is. It seems to be somewhere in the 900 KB to 1 MB range. That's why I chose 900 KB as the threshold. It appears clearly out of the danger region, at least today for me.

Btw, as for this 900 KB restriction (photo size limit), I think it is *perfectly* fine (but again, should be much more discoverable). For viewing on screens, just about any JPEG in the 200-700 KB range will appear perfect to about anyone when viewed on a screen. Probably even for printing in normal everyday sizes (e.g 5"x7" or less).

Thanks again. I can't tell you how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel to be offered your kind support.

--Eben Visher, Sacramento, California
davesudweeks
Senior Member
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 9:16 pm
Location: Washington, USA

Re: Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing

#6

Post by davesudweeks »

Keep in mind that this forum is user to user help and not an official support channel for the church. Unless someone stumbles on your post who has experienced a similar problem, most won't have any advice to help you.
ebenvisher
New Member
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:43 pm

Re: Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing

#7

Post by ebenvisher »

David,

Yes. I understand that, thanks for the reminder. This forum exhibits the same concern, love, and sharing that I experience in others. Thanks so much again for your time.
scgallafent
Church Employee
Church Employee
Posts: 3025
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:55 pm
Location: Riverton, Utah

Re: Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing

#8

Post by scgallafent »

Also, keep in mind that the code underlying that application is getting old. There is working going on surrounding directory that will likely resolve some of those issues in the long-term, but you're not dealing with an application that is a bit aged.
mevans
Senior Member
Posts: 2049
Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 1:52 pm
Location: California, USA

Re: Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing

#9

Post by mevans »

Eben - thanks for reporting your observations. I'll try to remember what you found about size limits next time I'm having an issue uploading to see if that makes a difference for me. I can't remember if I experimented with different size uploads on photos in the past. I just remember many failures, but not so much lately.
ebenvisher
New Member
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:43 pm

Re: Assigning Photos - taking forever or failing FIX: RESIZE TO 900 KB

#10

Post by ebenvisher »

Mev,

I solved the problem by resizing photos. Still, today, the Church's photo-upload web app simply hangs and does nothing if the photo is larger than somewhere in the low 900 KB range.

I resized my hanging photos to all be under 900 KB and then they worked. There might be a slightly higher size, e.g. 910 KB, but I thought,
"Why bother?" I'm sure 900 KB works and there is no discernable difference between a 940 KB JPEG file and one that is 900 KB.

If you don't know how to resize photos on your iPhone, Mac, or PC, I can point you in the right direction. (Presumably people who only have an Android phone have some app available, too.)

--Eben Visher, Sacramento, California
Post Reply

Return to “Ward Directory and Map”