If you’ve used WordPress 2.0, you may be as frustrated as I have with the new image upload mechanism that inserts images in posts at ridiculousy small thumbnail levels. There’s a few options for this:
- Resize in the HTML. Requires switching to HTML mode, knowing your desired resolution (sometimes unrealistic), and setting it.
- Manually upload the file via FTP to a designated location, then manually inserting the HTML into the post.
- Use a plugin such as Filosofo’s Old-Style Upload to restore WP 1.5.x functionality.
- Or take WP 2’s greatest weakness and turn it into its greatest stregth.
I opted for the fourth option. Initially, I saw this technique in action by Scott over at Matthewman.net and I fell in love. Scott is not using WordPress so it was not as easy as just dropping a plugin in, but he pointed me in the right direction of Lightbox JS where I began tinkering with the code to make a WP plugin.
I almost had it nailed when he emailed me again this morning with a link to Lightbox for WordPress. I have enabled it and it seems to be working well. It’s run in javascript, so if you’re superfast on the clicks, there might be a slight delay in getting the effect of the plugin while the javascript downloads to your browser.
The idea is that images will be inserted into my posts at stupidly small thumbnail size, but when you click on them… oooh, that’s when the sexiness happens. Check it out.
Stumble it!
About the Author: Aaron Brazell is the lead editor of Technosailor.com and a social media expert. His passion is to see companies and individuals use the internet and web technologies wisely and effectively to promote their brands and companies. He served as Director of Technology at b5media from 2005-2008 and is currently an independent consultant.
perhaps you can help me. I use wordpress too and i know that wordpress 2.0 is out. Problem is, i dont know how to upgrade it. Can you please tell me how to? thanks
P.S. I really enjoy your blog :)
Sure. You can email me at aaron [at] technosailor [dot] com
Whoa! Wasn’t ready for that… =)
Sexiness… :)
Yes, that’s very nice. I understand your earlier test now. I’m not sure how practical it is for me because usually I just want the image proper size in the article.
Any news on the proper functionality for WP2.0 though? As I see it, the little ‘use thumbnail / no thumbnail’ image makes no difference - it just inserts it as a thumbnail anyway?
Surely this is a bug and will be fixed at some point in a dot upgrade…
Andy,
This is a topic that has been discussed in crazy amounts on the mailing lists. What it boils down to is that the image is inserted at the same size, but when “Using Original”, you have the ability to resize the image to the original resolution without losing clarity on the image. The reason it is inserted at thumbnail size, though, or at least the argument goes, is that what if you were inserting a hi-res 1600×1200 image. It would not fit in the editor and would end up taking all kinds of energy from the processor.