# Reviews - Member Photos



## Kel

I joined TUG in 1997.  I was a paying member for about 15 years.  I let my paying membership lapse for a while.   I just signed up for a 3 year membership because I wanted access to the Reviews section again.  Am I missing something?  Where are all the member’s uploaded photos of the resorts?  All I see a few photos for some resorts under the Overview tab.  And, most of the photos look like they are from the resort’s website and not member photos.  There used to be a lot of photos that went with the reviews.  Thanks.


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## TUGBrian

TUG has never removed any photo provided by a member unless it was reported as outdated and a new more current photo was provided of the same image (bathroom/kitchen remodel etc).

the new system does display the most recent photos first, so any newly uploaded or replaced photos would show up before the older original ones.

any person (member or not) can upload a photo at any time using the link directly on each resort review page along the left hand side.  we also mention in every new membership and renewal for folks to visit their home resorts (or resorts they recently stayed at) to provide any new information or photos to the review page if possible!


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## Kel

Brian, What do I click on to see members photos for specific resorts?  Thanks.


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## TUGBrian

the default photo is the large one displayed on the resort review page, clicking on the smalle rthumbnails below that will allow you to view all the other photos for the resort and as you click on them will rotate thru all the available photos uploaded for the resort.


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## Kel

Brian, I still don't get it.  Here is an example.  There are 128 reviews for California Marriott Desert Springs I Resort.  There are only 8 photos.  I know there should be more.  There are many other resorts with more than 100 reviews that should have more than 6 or 8 member photos.  I am selecting a resort and clicking on Overview and then scrolling through the photos.  Am I not in the right area for member photos?  Thanks again.


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## DeniseM

Kel said:


> Brian, I still don't get it.  Here is an example.  There are 128 reviews for California Marriott Desert Springs I Resort.  There are only 8 photos.  I know there should be more.  There are many other resorts with more than 100 reviews that should have more than 6 or 8 member photos.  I am selecting a resort and clicking on Overview and then scrolling through the photos.  Am I not in the right area for member photos?  Thanks again.



Reviews and photos are submitted completely _separately_, so there really isn't a relationship between the number of reviews, and the number of photos.  

Many people post their pictures on the discussion forums, or they may post a link to their photos which are hosted somewhere else - they don't necessarily post them to Resorts and Reviews.  To be quite honest with you, I can't remember if I have ever posted one there.


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## TUGBrian

you are in the right spot, but I agree there should be far more photos of those two resorts (dsv1 and 2)...and i show nothing prior to 2013.

ill look into this further.


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## Kel

Brian,  Thanks for looking into this.  I remember that a few years ago there were a lot of photos for a lot of different resorts.  Lately, I've been using Tripadvisor.com for resort reviews and photos, but we had timeshare resort exchange in Cabo that Tripadvisor didn't have a lot of info on and I thought I would check out TUG's reviews again.


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## NHTraveler

I will add photos I have taken of the resorts I have visited within the next week or so.  I do reviews and have been meaning to add photos.


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## TUGBrian

good catch here, we discovered thousands of photos for whatever reason were no longer linked to their resorts.  we believe we have restored these photos (well the links anyway...the photos were never really gone) to the review pages, hopefully they show up for you now!

please let us know if any appear incorrect or out of place!

thank you!


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## dioxide45

There is also a sticky in the Marriott forum that links to other online sources where forum members have posted photos of Marriott resorts.


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## Kel

Thanks Brian.  But, I still think there are a lot of photos not linked to the resorts.  Example - there used to be a lot of member photos for the Royal Resorts in Cancun and the small handful of photos I see are mostly the resort's promotional photos.  

Thanks again.


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## TUGBrian

royal islander?

i show a bunch of older photos were re-added.

with so many missing, im sure there were some that didnt get re-linked programatically (wouldnt be feasible to do it all by hand).

we can look into additional resorts though to see if we missed some.


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## Kel

Brian, I don't like being a pest, but I still don't see member's photos on resorts that I know had a lot of photos a few years ago.  Royal Islander shows 15 photos now and all or most of them are the resorts promo photos.  The Marriott Kauai Beach Club had a lot of photos and now there are just a few resort promo photos.  I just paid $30 for 3 years to TUG for access to Reviews which used to have lots of fun member photos for lots of resorts and now there are none.  Not happy.


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## TUGBrian

not a pain at all, if there are photos missing we certainly want to find them!

looking further into that particular resort, we even went to a very old backup of the tug2.com site from many years ago and it did not contain any additional photos than the ones that are listed there.

are we sure it was kauai beach club you feel had more pictures?  could it have been maui beach club or another similar name?

for that particular resort, the one that was restored was likely deliberately deleted as it was replaced by a more updated picture of the same exact shot (side view of the bedroom)

two tug members have provided their own personal photo gallery from this resort, perhaps one was linked in the resort description and that got deleted?  ive added this one back as its pretty inclusive!

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-mZt2L/


I can certainly ask if this TUG member would mind uploading these photos to the resort review page if you like?


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## taffy19

Brian, that album is mine on Smugmug.  I have never done a review here or anywhere (Trip Advisor or Redweek) because everyone has different opinions of what makes a timeshare great or a disappointment and I am biased about our own timeshares so not a good judge to write a report.

Tell me how to do it without a review.  In the past, it was Kristin who did it for us and for me.  She uploaded pictures for me for the Buganvileas and the Grand Velas in Mexico.  The Buganvileas was updated once for our timeshare and even more for the expensive timeshares they are selling now.  I posted about them in two TUG threads and included pictures but they were not updated on your website because I didn't post reviews.

Can TUG upload them for us if we do not write reviews?


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## TUGBrian

you most certainly can...they are completely separate features...here is a link to upload photos right on that resort review page:

http://tug2.com/ResortImageAdd.aspx?Marriotts+Kauai+Beach+Club&ID=14034

here is a photo showing where the "UPLOAD A PHOTO" link is on each and every review page...when you browse to the resort review page itself and click on the link, it will automatically link the photo you upload to that resort:

note that you can include a caption/description of each photo you upload.


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## taffy19

OK, I will try with my computer rather than with the phone. 

The pictures should still be current for that resort.  What is your favorite size for uploading now?


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## TUGBrian

I think the limit is 2 or 3mb on size for uploading per photo.


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## taffy19

I tried to upload the pictures but made a mess of it.  Some may be double so tried to delete them but I cannot find them on TUG.  I wasn't finished yet but I noticed that you have a link already to the Smugmug album which may be easier.

Do I really need to upload each picture separately?  Can you put the captions in later or erase a picture or change the caption?  Please, help.


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## TUGBrian

I show you successfully uploaded a number of photos to this resort, and only saw one duplicate (dont worry about that, we can delete the dupes on this end easily enough).

thank you!


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## dioxide45

TUGBrian said:


> I think the limit is 2 or 3mb on size for uploading per photo.



This is the one reason I don't upload photos. To the TUG resort pages. I have'nt tried lately, but I recall a size limit previously. Our new SLR cameras these days create file sizes that exceed the size limit on TUG, so I don't bother. It is a lot of work to go through each photo to manipulate it enough to make it within the size limit for upload. Is there any chance the size limit could be changed? Or could some type of program be installed on the server side to automatically reduce the file size at upload, kind of like they do with other photo sharing sites and Facebook?


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## SmithOp

dioxide45 said:


> This is the one reason I don't upload photos. To the TUG resort pages. I have'nt tried lately, but I recall a size limit previously. Our new SLR cameras these days create file sizes that exceed the size limit on TUG, so I don't bother. It is a lot of work to go through each photo to manipulate it enough to make it within the size limit for upload. Is there any chance the size limit could be changed? Or could some type of program be installed on the server side to automatically reduce the file size at upload, kind of like they do with other photo sharing sites and Facebook?





or you could do a batch resize before uploading.

http://download.cnet.com/FastStone-Photo-Resizer/3000-2192_4-10319476.html


Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk


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## TUGBrian

im not sure whats involved with creating an "auto-resize" section of code...if its something easy ive got no problem with it...but if it were super easy id think it would be implemented on far more applications/sites...its relatively rare (on the sites I visit at least).

the reason for the size limit isnt so much for space limitations....but the resolution of a 5-10mb picture is absolutely staggering and well beyond most monitors capability to view in full screen.  thus when a person clicks on it they are going to wish it were about 30% of its original size anyway or they will be scrolling back and forth to view the entire picture.


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## dioxide45

TUGBrian said:


> im not sure whats involved with creating an "auto-resize" section of code...if its something easy ive got no problem with it...but if it were super easy id think it would be implemented on far more applications/sites...its relatively rare (on the sites I visit at least).
> 
> the reason for the size limit isnt so much for space limitations....but the resolution of a 5-10mb picture is absolutely staggering and well beyond most monitors capability to view in full screen.  thus when a person clicks on it they are going to wish it were about 30% of its original size anyway or they will be scrolling back and forth to view the entire picture.



I have determined that when I export out of Lightroom that I can set the max size of the image. What is the ideal size to have the photos in for display?


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## DeniseM

For TUG postings, I usually reduce pictures to around 700/800 wide max:

This one is 770 x 520 -


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## TUGBrian

dioxide45 said:


> I have determined that when I export out of Lightroom that I can set the max size of the image. What is the ideal size to have the photos in for display?



they vary from thumbnail size (which I dont find terribly useful either) to max resolution (that would cause you to scroll across your screen just to see a corner of the picture)

I think the overall average resolution of a computer monitor these days is above 1300x800 (and many are much larger)

in the example that denise provided shows 770x520 for comparison and anything close to that would be just fine.


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## dioxide45

This is a test. I exported out of Lightroom with a 750 pt width. If this looks okay, I will test upload some photos to the Resort page.


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## TUGBrian

I think thats a perfect size.


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## dioxide45

It looks like it worked. I just uploaded a bunch of photos to Marriott's Imperial Palms. It doesn't look like the upload recognized the rotation in one of the photos I uploaded. I should have rotated in Lightroom and then exported. I just rotated in Windows Explorer. It doesn't really edit the actual photo. That one photo of the kitchen that is sideways can be deleted.

It looks like the photos have to be approve before they are posted to the resort page?


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## TUGBrian

yep, but thats something easily done (and already completed)

you should see them all on the review page.


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## dioxide45

Thanks. There are a number of photos that are sideways because of the rotation issue. Can you delete those and I will fix and re-upload?


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## TUGBrian

sure can, think i got them all.


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## dioxide45

One other thing I noticed. When uploading a photo, you can select an Image Type (Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom etc). I don't see anywhere on the image view where this image type is shown. Am I missing it? I do see the captions that I inputted. But for photos where the Image Type was the same as what I would have put in the caption, I just left the caption blank thinking that this Image Type would be seen somewhere.


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## TUGBrian

have to look into it...probably just a glitch somewhere as those tags show up in the admin/approval section.


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## dioxide45

TUGBrian said:


> sure can, think i got them all.



Thanks. I uploaded new photos. There was one you missed of the in-room safe. I uploaded the corrected photos, just the one that is sideways needs deleted.


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## TUGBrian

got it deleted, as well as all the other photos approved!

someone was busy today!  thats alot of photos!  wow!


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## dioxide45

TUGBrian said:


> got it deleted, as well as all the other photos approved!
> 
> someone was busy today!  thats alot of photos!  wow!



I was busy. Even wrote a review.

After using the photo upload feature, here are some things I noticed;


I can only upload one photo at a time. This is okay for one or two, but is rather time consuming and tedious for multiple photos. What would be ideal would be to be able to click the upload photo button and then be able to select one more multiple photos. Then on the page where you enter information, be able to see the small thumbnail of each one and enter the appropriate data for each. Would really cut down on all the clicks.
I noticed for some of the resorts I uploaded images to, the current photos that were there were either old or were all just the resort promo photos. If it was easier to upload multiple photos, perhaps more people would be inclined to upload photos.
The actual photo viewer is small. The thumbnails below the larger photo seem to be large by comparison. Only three thumbnails are visible below the larger image, it is kind of hard to click on the ones to the right of the third thumbnail. Some people may not even know there are more photos. The photos are part of the Overview section. Really, it would be better to have a Resort Photos section and have those on their own page, make the photo larger and have the thumbnails smaller. So you can see that there are more photos to view. It would be good if the photos in the viewer were the same size as the photo is when you click on it from the viewer. Then there would be no need to have to click on a photo to make it larger. Also, when you click on the photo to enlarge, you have to use the browsers back button. When you do, it reverts to the first photo.


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## dioxide45

I think I also may have goofed and uploaded an incorrect photo to Royal Palms. The photo of a bedroom with two twin beds with the orange bed accents really belongs with Imperial Palms.


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## TUGBrian

not sure how hard or easy it would be to implement some sort of bulk upload feature, but will ask the question!


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## TUGBrian

deleted the twin bed photo for you.

as for other "outdated" photos, if you click the link on any review page titled "contact review manager" or "suggest edit" it will open a box for you to send a note directly to the resort review manager for that resort.  suggest any changes or provide any new information needed for that resort and it will get updated asap!


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## TUGBrian

talked a bit about this tonight at length....we should be able to implement much of what you asked for!

1. the auto-resize thing apparently should be easier than originally thought
2. we plan to allow you to upload a photo(s) just after submitting a review, and the photos will be included with your review along with on the resort review page!
3. on top of this we plan on allowing members to go back to previous reviews and add photos from these vacations to be attached to their reviews as well!

hope when we get these rolled out it will provide most of what you were looking for to make photo uploading easier!


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## dioxide45

TUGBrian said:


> talked a bit about this tonight at length....we should be able to implement much of what you asked for!
> 
> 1. the auto-resize thing apparently should be easier than originally thought
> 2. we plan to allow you to upload a photo(s) just after submitting a review, and the photos will be included with your review along with on the resort review page!
> 3. on top of this we plan on allowing members to go back to previous reviews and add photos from these vacations to be attached to their reviews as well!
> 
> hope when we get these rolled out it will provide most of what you were looking for to make photo uploading easier!



Brian, This is great to hear! The easier it is to upload photos, the more photos that people will be willing to submit. Interested to see the new features.


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## taffy19

Can we also upload more photos at the same time rather than each photo image seperately?


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## TUGBrian

that was a more complicated ask than the other options...so until we figured out how difficult it was to implement a multi-upload option, I didnt want to commit to it here.


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## taffy19

Thank you.  I still had a few to upload but would have to look which images they are again.  My pictures are on Smugmug only as it is so easy to find them there and even the hidden ones.

I will upload some Hyatt Ka'anapali Beach resort pictures too because the larger image is of the hotel next door and not of the timeshare resort.  There were only three other pictures of outside, I noticed.


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## TUGBrian

shows that all 4 of the photos for that hyatt were uploaded by members...with the last 3 uploaded just a few months ago?

im sure plenty of members would love to see shots of the interior or other areas besides the outside of the resort and the pools!  (although admittedly, that is quite a view)


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## dioxide45

According to this thread, there may be some missing floor plans that were in the review photos section of Marriott's Harbour Pointe. Is there perhaps some "missing photos" where the links still aren't fixed?


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## TUGBrian

dioxide45 said:


> According to this thread, there may be some missing floor plans that were in the review photos section of Marriott's Harbour Pointe. Is there perhaps some "missing photos" where the links still aren't fixed?



I do not see any photos for harbor pointe that are broken or missing?

there are one or two resorts that do have some broken photos, and we cant quite figure out what caused it, perhaps the photos were just corrupted...but this isnt one of them.

hilton kings' land for example is one that for some bizarre reason, a ton of the photos are just flat out broken.  the photo is physically there on the server, but it appears the files are just corrupted.


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