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Our commercial publisher tools can be used to create a photo network that allows publishers to share images of all types -- including multimedia -- with others in their network.
Important note for individuals: CityTools has a commercial product that allows publishers to create their own networks for news and advertising.This how to is for publishers subscribing to that paid service it is not one of our free services for individuals.Anyhow, caveats aside, publishers who subcribe to our services -- or are considering subscribing -- should read on.For the purposes of this howto, we shall assume that you have signed up for CityTools news and classified networking products.If you have signed up for service you can use the links on each step of the howto to go directly to the page discussed.1A few minutes of planning are necessary
There's a key concept in this: unlike normal news and classified networks where the content gets moved from one place to another, in a photo network we're not actually moving the photos themselves to every member of the network.
Instead, we're moving information about the photos to all network members. AND that information includes how to retrieve the photo.
There's a reason for this: if we actually moved the photos to every member of the network, it could become a crushing burden some network members who have limited bandwidth.
Plus, it would just be wasteful: you might end up chewing up hundreds of megabytes of bandwidth when all you want is a single photo.
Instead, what we're going to move is text-based information about the photos, cutlines for example, and of course categories (sports, news, food, etc) and also we'll send a URL where other members of your network can retrieve the full photo.
Then, on the receiving end, when another network member sees a cutline or category that tips them off to a photo they want, they head over to the URL for the photo to retrieve it.
Any network member planning on sending photos to the network must be able to create a file -- in the usual formats, such as XML, CSV, pipe-delimited, tab delimited -- that contains at minimum some descriptive text about the photo, a category and a url that points to the actual photo.
This means that any member who will share photos in the network will need to have an ftp server or a web server set up that holds the files other members will pick up by using the URL.
This isn't hard, though, and it's likely your systems folks can set it up very quickly.
If you have some kind of gallery software -- there are lots of nice open source packages for this -- it makes for a better experience for all network members.
(FYI, if enough customers tell us they want CityTools to provide this gallery service, we're certainly consider that.)
Anyhow, once you can generate the file containing the categories and the description and the URL to retrieve the photo, you're ready to build the network.
That part is a piece of cake.
If you have a data file ready, you can do this whole thing inside of 10 minutes.
Instead, we're moving information about the photos to all network members. AND that information includes how to retrieve the photo.
There's a reason for this: if we actually moved the photos to every member of the network, it could become a crushing burden some network members who have limited bandwidth.
Plus, it would just be wasteful: you might end up chewing up hundreds of megabytes of bandwidth when all you want is a single photo.
Instead, what we're going to move is text-based information about the photos, cutlines for example, and of course categories (sports, news, food, etc) and also we'll send a URL where other members of your network can retrieve the full photo.
Then, on the receiving end, when another network member sees a cutline or category that tips them off to a photo they want, they head over to the URL for the photo to retrieve it.
Any network member planning on sending photos to the network must be able to create a file -- in the usual formats, such as XML, CSV, pipe-delimited, tab delimited -- that contains at minimum some descriptive text about the photo, a category and a url that points to the actual photo.
This means that any member who will share photos in the network will need to have an ftp server or a web server set up that holds the files other members will pick up by using the URL.
This isn't hard, though, and it's likely your systems folks can set it up very quickly.
If you have some kind of gallery software -- there are lots of nice open source packages for this -- it makes for a better experience for all network members.
(FYI, if enough customers tell us they want CityTools to provide this gallery service, we're certainly consider that.)
Anyhow, once you can generate the file containing the categories and the description and the URL to retrieve the photo, you're ready to build the network.
That part is a piece of cake.
If you have a data file ready, you can do this whole thing inside of 10 minutes.
2Create the file you'll upload to the network
Working with your systems' folks, create a file that contains -- at minimum -- descriptive text about the photo (cutlines usually work nicely), a category for the photo and a URL where other members can retrieve it.
Remember, this file contains only text about the photos and how to retrieve them, not the photos themselves.
Since the URL has to be on the internet, you might want to consider putting it on a password protected area of the site and distributing the password to network members in the file upload.
There are a number of ways of handling this, however, and we'll be happy to advise you on different approaches.
Anyhow, create the file with minimum elements described above. And if you want to you can add the byline, expiration date, all the usual stuff of CityTools networks.
Make sure your systems folks can automate the creation of the file as well as reading in the same kind of files you'll get from the network.
Hooray for you! The hard part is done. Everything else here will take inside of 15 minutes to accomplish.
Remember, this file contains only text about the photos and how to retrieve them, not the photos themselves.
Since the URL has to be on the internet, you might want to consider putting it on a password protected area of the site and distributing the password to network members in the file upload.
There are a number of ways of handling this, however, and we'll be happy to advise you on different approaches.
Anyhow, create the file with minimum elements described above. And if you want to you can add the byline, expiration date, all the usual stuff of CityTools networks.
Make sure your systems folks can automate the creation of the file as well as reading in the same kind of files you'll get from the network.
Hooray for you! The hard part is done. Everything else here will take inside of 15 minutes to accomplish.
3Create a network to move information about the photos
When you create a network for photos, specify "news" as the network type. Do this even if the photos are for ads.
The reason is that the news network type has some of the pre-built attributes we'll need later.
Specify whether you want it to be a public or private network -- all the rest.
Since this is an advanced how to, we'll assume you already know how to do that because you have created other networks.
The reason is that the news network type has some of the pre-built attributes we'll need later.
Specify whether you want it to be a public or private network -- all the rest.
Since this is an advanced how to, we'll assume you already know how to do that because you have created other networks.
4Create the network map
Click on the title of this step and find your network on network map page.
You'll see a prompt asking (OK, telling...) you that you must greate network categories for this network. A network is not live until it has network categories.
If you've created other networks before, this will be familiar. If not, click on the "create network categories" link.
In the form you arrive at, enter one category per line. Remeber these will be categories that the photos will reside in. So, for example, you might enter:
college sports
professional sports
general news
human interest
...as categories.
As always, you can decide to make as many, or as few, as you like.
The usual category suggestions are in effect: make the network categories as specific as possible without making them so specific that no one can decide where to stash content.
Once you hit the save button, you'll be ready for the next step: the mapping wizard.
As with other networks, the wizard will start right away after you create the network map.
You'll need the sample file with the photo information handy at this point because you'll be at step 2 of the wizard: "Upload your data for preparation."
If you don't have the dump file, you can stop here and come back to the mapping page when you have the file.
You'll see a prompt asking (OK, telling...) you that you must greate network categories for this network. A network is not live until it has network categories.
If you've created other networks before, this will be familiar. If not, click on the "create network categories" link.
In the form you arrive at, enter one category per line. Remeber these will be categories that the photos will reside in. So, for example, you might enter:
college sports
professional sports
general news
human interest
...as categories.
As always, you can decide to make as many, or as few, as you like.
The usual category suggestions are in effect: make the network categories as specific as possible without making them so specific that no one can decide where to stash content.
Once you hit the save button, you'll be ready for the next step: the mapping wizard.
As with other networks, the wizard will start right away after you create the network map.
You'll need the sample file with the photo information handy at this point because you'll be at step 2 of the wizard: "Upload your data for preparation."
If you don't have the dump file, you can stop here and come back to the mapping page when you have the file.
5Map your categories to the network
If you're still in the wizard, you'll be prompted to upload your sample file now.
If you had to stop the wizard and come back, go to the mapping page (linked from this item's title) and find the photo network panel.
You'll see links that read:
edit category maps from you TO the network
edit categories FROM network to you
Click the first one: "edit category maps from you TO the network"
That will restart the wizard at the second step.
You'll be prompted to upload your sample file and select the file type to use (XML, CSV, etc.)
Upload the file and, assuming no errors, you'll be taken to the next step -- actually mapping your publication's categories to the network categories you created in the previous step.
As will all networks, you'll use dropdown menus to set the mapping.
Click save and you'll be taken to the next step -- mapping the network categories BACK to you. Again, this will be familiar to anyone who has set up other networks. Use the dropdowns to specify which network categories map back to your local categories.
When you're done, the upload will complete and you'll have a live network ready to go.
If you had to stop the wizard and come back, go to the mapping page (linked from this item's title) and find the photo network panel.
You'll see links that read:
edit category maps from you TO the network
edit categories FROM network to you
Click the first one: "edit category maps from you TO the network"
That will restart the wizard at the second step.
You'll be prompted to upload your sample file and select the file type to use (XML, CSV, etc.)
Upload the file and, assuming no errors, you'll be taken to the next step -- actually mapping your publication's categories to the network categories you created in the previous step.
As will all networks, you'll use dropdown menus to set the mapping.
Click save and you'll be taken to the next step -- mapping the network categories BACK to you. Again, this will be familiar to anyone who has set up other networks. Use the dropdowns to specify which network categories map back to your local categories.
When you're done, the upload will complete and you'll have a live network ready to go.
6Optional step: Automating the uploads and downloads
Some photo networks are created by newspapers who just want to create temporary feeds -- to pool resources on a special event, etc.
If that's the case, it may be more convenient to simply manually upload and download material by going to the "my nets" tab in the management area and clicking the appropriate URL.
Manual uploaders can skip this step.
However, if this is going to be an ongoing network you'll want to automate the uploads and downloads.
The first step is obvious and one your system folks will have to do, create the dump file that contains the information about the photos, including the url where other network members can retrieve it.
We can't help you with that because how you go about it is specific to your content management system.
The next detail, though is quite easy.
Once your systems people have created the process to create files destined TO the network and read files retrieved FROM the network, use Curl to automate the uploads and downloads.
A complete guide to using Curl with CityTools is linked from the title of this item.
If that's the case, it may be more convenient to simply manually upload and download material by going to the "my nets" tab in the management area and clicking the appropriate URL.
Manual uploaders can skip this step.
However, if this is going to be an ongoing network you'll want to automate the uploads and downloads.
The first step is obvious and one your system folks will have to do, create the dump file that contains the information about the photos, including the url where other network members can retrieve it.
We can't help you with that because how you go about it is specific to your content management system.
The next detail, though is quite easy.
Once your systems people have created the process to create files destined TO the network and read files retrieved FROM the network, use Curl to automate the uploads and downloads.
A complete guide to using Curl with CityTools is linked from the title of this item.
7The network is live, load the results you receive
OK, now that you've got your network set up and it's automated, all you have do is automate the last bit -- automating the loading of the files you download into your chosen content management system.
Unfortunately, we can't help you with that. However since your download bundle contains lots of different file formats, there's one that can be used by virtually any system.
If you load the file and make the URL into a link if you find a photo you want in the feed, simply click on it and you go to the web site of the member and download the photo.
If you really want to get fancy, look at the extra tip below.
Unfortunately, we can't help you with that. However since your download bundle contains lots of different file formats, there's one that can be used by virtually any system.
If you load the file and make the URL into a link if you find a photo you want in the feed, simply click on it and you go to the web site of the member and download the photo.
If you really want to get fancy, look at the extra tip below.
8Extra tip: allow some HTML and see the network photos!
On the "My Nets" you'll find special controls for each network to which you belong.
One of them specifies where to limited html or no html at all.
The default is to allow limited html, which permits links and images to move in the body of a story.
If you permit limited HTML, members of the network can circulate links to images in the body of their text about the photo. This permits other members to see the picture in question.
A final, slightly off-topic FYI about the "allow html setting" -- for security reasons, scripts are never allowed to circulate through the network irrespective irrespective of how you set this option.
One of them specifies where to limited html or no html at all.
The default is to allow limited html, which permits links and images to move in the body of a story.
If you permit limited HTML, members of the network can circulate links to images in the body of their text about the photo. This permits other members to see the picture in question.
A final, slightly off-topic FYI about the "allow html setting" -- for security reasons, scripts are never allowed to circulate through the network irrespective irrespective of how you set this option.
