Back To Top error

[ishtar]

Forum URL: Teenagers UK
Rectangle symbol, normally plain, shows this dark grey box inside.
Has been running okay until today, and this error also shown on other forums.
Using Google Chrome web browser: Version 111.0.5563.65 (Official Build) (64-bit)
Please fix this for us soon as possible?

[Chris]

The image (http://i.imgur.com/tZow8hc.png) no longer exists on imgur.com.
You would need to fix this yourself by obtaining a new image and adding it to the plugin so it can see wassup.

[bigballofyarn]

This is a friendly reminder that can't use most free image hosts as your content delivery network. Please do not use Imgur, Imgbb, and similar sites for banners, avatars, shop items, signatures, et al. You can upload theme images directly to your theme.


Edit:
While the arrow I made is nothing fancy, you are free to download it and upload it to your own theme. Then you can add it to your plugin via the settings tab. Please don't hotlink to the image.


storage.proboards.com/355429/images/kSPI0BCBZi0eIPjjgTaV.png

[Scott]

Mar 10, 2023 1:08:14 GMT -8 ishtar said:

Forum URL: Teenagers UK
Rectangle symbol, normally plain, shows this dark grey box inside.
Has been running okay until today, and this error also shown on other forums.
Using Google Chrome web browser: Version 111.0.5563.65 (Official Build) (64-bit)
Please fix this for us soon as possible?

ishtar -

As pointed out by Chris the image is no longer available on the service that hosts it. We cannot fix this as this is not an official ProBoards' plugin (we did not author it), nor do we have any control over images hosted on another service.

While it can appear to be an unfortunate situation as the image link is part of the plugin's code and the plugin is not an open build, the upside is that the plugin allows for one to specify their own image(s) for use. Admin > Plugins > Manage > Back to Top > Settings tab, scroll down to the Custom Images section. Just enter the URL of your custom back to top image and/or go to bottom image. And remember to click the Save Changes button.

If you do not have your own image to use, bigballofyarn was gracious enough to offer one for you along with instructions.

Additionally if the above is not an option you wish to explore you can try reaching out to the plugin author if they offer support info in the About tab of the plugin.

Another option for you would be to use a different plugin for the same function such as the Quick Scrolling Buttons plugin.

A final option would be to use the keyboard equivalent (Home = back to top / End = go to bottom) in lieu of using any plugin.

[ishtar]

We solved this problem using one: Best Free Image Hosting Sites.
Placing an Up Arrow transparent .png image file; sized 16 x 16 pixels for our forum preference.
Feel sure whoever made this Back To Top plugin, could use one Best Free Image Hosting Site.

[bigballofyarn]

Mar 17, 2023 1:05:09 GMT -8 ishtar said:

We solved this problem using one: Best Free Image Hosting Sites.
Placing an Up Arrow transparent .png image file; sized 16 x 16 pixels for our forum preference.
Feel sure whoever made this Back To Top plugin, could use one Best Free Image Hosting Site.

Most of these sites don't allow you to use their services as your content delivery network. Please see my post above. Upload the arrow directly to your theme.

[Kami]

Mar 17, 2023 8:51:59 GMT -8 bigballofyarn said:

Mar 17, 2023 1:05:09 GMT -8 ishtar said:

We solved this problem using one: Best Free Image Hosting Sites.
Placing an Up Arrow transparent .png image file; sized 16 x 16 pixels for our forum preference.
Feel sure whoever made this Back To Top plugin, could use one Best Free Image Hosting Site.

Most of these sites don't allow you to use their services as your content delivery network. Please see my post above. Upload the arrow directly to your theme.

Just to sort of help flesh out what constitutes a content delivery network (CDN): this would be using an image host to store an image that receives constant traffic from your site.

Example:
- Hosting an image that will be posted in one thread: Not using the host as a CDN as it's not going to receive constant requests to load, limited only to a specific page or condition (eg: a quoted post).
- Hosting an image that appears globally on your forum: Using the host as a CDN as it will receive constant requests to load any time the site is accessed.

I just wanted to add clarity as image hosts can still be valuable resources for one-off posts, so it's important to note what actually turns your activity into a CDN.

Also for the record bigballofyarn , imgbb doesn't have a clause in their TOS against CDN use.

[bigballofyarn]

Mar 17, 2023 9:13:51 GMT -8 Kami said:

Mar 17, 2023 8:51:59 GMT -8 bigballofyarn said:

Most of these sites don't allow you to use their services as your content delivery network. Please see my post above. Upload the arrow directly to your theme.

Just to sort of help flesh out what constitutes a content delivery network (CDN): this would be using an image host to store an image that receives constant traffic from your site.

Example:
- Hosting an image that will be posted in one thread: Not using the host as a CDN as it's not going to receive constant requests to load, limited only to a specific page or condition (eg: a quoted post).
- Hosting an image that appears globally on your forum: Using the host as a CDN as it will receive constant requests to load any time the site is accessed.

I just wanted to add clarity as image hosts can still be valuable resources for one-off posts, so it's important to note what actually turns your activity into a CDN.

Also for the record bigballofyarn , imgbb doesn't have a clause in their TOS against CDN use.

The last time I checked, she wasn't using Imgbb to host the arrow. Perhaps she changed that.

[Kami]

Mar 17, 2023 9:31:17 GMT -8 bigballofyarn said:

Mar 17, 2023 9:13:51 GMT -8 Kami said:

Just to sort of help flesh out what constitutes a content delivery network (CDN): this would be using an image host to store an image that receives constant traffic from your site.

Example:
- Hosting an image that will be posted in one thread: Not using the host as a CDN as it's not going to receive constant requests to load, limited only to a specific page or condition (eg: a quoted post).
- Hosting an image that appears globally on your forum: Using the host as a CDN as it will receive constant requests to load any time the site is accessed.

I just wanted to add clarity as image hosts can still be valuable resources for one-off posts, so it's important to note what actually turns your activity into a CDN.

Also for the record bigballofyarn , imgbb doesn't have a clause in their TOS against CDN use.

The last time I checked, she wasn't using Imgbb to host the arrow. Perhaps she changed that.

Oh, I wasn't speaking to the OP's choice of host, I just noticed that you included imgbb in your initial list of no-CDN use free hosts post:

Mar 10, 2023 3:08:06 GMT -8 bigballofyarn said:

This is a friendly reminder that can't use most free image hosts as your content delivery network. Please do not use Imgur, Imgbb, and similar sites for banners, avatars, shop items, signatures, et al. You can upload theme images directly to your theme.

I agree tho, uploading to your theme is for the best for 99.9% of theme images

[bigballofyarn]

While not trying to hijack, when I made that statement, it was because a forum friend on ProBoards got an email from Imgbb around last November saying he couldn't put all his shop items on Imgbb. I didn't specifically check their ToS though.

[Michael]

Mar 18, 2023 2:43:01 GMT -8 lakshmi said:

Perhaps wrong, since image hosting sites like Cloudfare, ImageShack or PhotoBucket do.
Indeed, some forums on ProBoards use Cloudfare:

• Secure your websites, APIs, and Internet applications.

Cloudflare is not an image host but can act as a CDN (content delivery network). You can read more about how Cloudflare works as a CDN here: www.cloudflare.com/learning/cdn/what-is-a-cdn/

 All ProBoards forums use Cloudflare.

[tpgettys]

Mar 10, 2023 3:08:06 GMT -8 bigballofyarn said:

This is a friendly reminder that can't use most free image hosts as your content delivery network. Please do not use Imgur, Imgbb, and similar sites for banners, avatars, shop items, signatures, et al. You can upload theme images directly to your theme.

I would appreciate knowing how to upload an image to a theme so that I can correct this same problem.

[tpgettys]

Hm, I think I figured out how to add an image to a theme, but now how to reference it! The plugin has fields for custom images, but it says it needs a URL. Does that mean I will have to host the image somewhere else, or can I refer to the images in the theme?

[bigballofyarn]

Mar 25, 2023 14:29:41 GMT -8 tpgettys said:

Mar 10, 2023 3:08:06 GMT -8 bigballofyarn said:

This is a friendly reminder that can't use most free image hosts as your content delivery network. Please do not use Imgur, Imgbb, and similar sites for banners, avatars, shop items, signatures, et al. You can upload theme images directly to your theme.

I would appreciate knowing how to upload an image to a theme so that I can correct this same problem.

Admin > Themes > Theme Manager 

Hover over one of your themes. I would use the default one. Press the "images" button that appears to the right.

Scroll down a bit. There will be a section named  Custom Theme Images. Upload it into an empty space. Copy the link it gives you after you upload it.

Admin > Plugins > Manage

Click on the blue "Back to Top" plugin name.

Go to the settings tab. 

Paste the link in the box next to "Back to Top Image."


Edit:
This is assuming your question pertains to the main question in the topic.

[Matte]

tpgettys - if you want the same arrows as before, here they are. Like has been said, upload them to your own theme and don't link them from Imgur.

up arrow (go to top) - i.imgur.com/WUFLVnL.png
down arrow (go to bottom) - i.imgur.com/trdrLvE.png