Just to confirm, uploading pictures to both Photobucket and Imgur removes the GPS data from the picture.
I sent a very detailed explanation of this couple of months ago, using the Contact link at the bottom of this page; I didn't get a response. I didn't want to raise it on the forum itself, because as helpful as it is, it also educates anyone that doesn't know how to establish the GPS location of an image. But now it's out - it's well worth heeding Col_C's advice. I'm a member of a car club forum too, and all photos that are uploaded are automatically stripped of their GPS/EXIF data - so it's definitely possible to achieve (hopefully for this forum too). To manually strip it out using a Mac: Open the image using Preview. Click Tools > Show Inspector. Click the GPS tab and click Remove Location Info. People take photos of their bikes in their garages and on their driveways - and with the gift of GPS data and Google Street View, you can pin point them exactly.
That would be fantastic Rob - thank you. I'm 100% certain it strips it out on the other family of forums that I frequent - there was a similar thread to this a few years back...and I tested it out carefully. No GPS data is ever stored against an uploaded image. If you check it out and get nowhere, drop me a PM and I'll put you in touch with one of the administrators - I'm sure they would be happy to help. It might be a different club and field of interest, but I can assure you that we all share something in common...an absolute desire to thwart thieving scumbags.
Amazing! For the record, I prefer to keep GPS data against the photos that I take with my phone - I travel and like the way you can track back to see where they was taken. Having the forum automatically strip the data away is a valuable feature. I only subscribed yesterday and you've already made the £5 investment worthwhile - brilliant stuff Let's hope you see more and more members becoming subscribers
OK, I have now made the fix. Anyone want to give it a test for me?! Forum should strip ALL Exif/location data on every picture uploading from now on.
Poachers use the same info to find out where rhinos and elephants are in game parks from people putting their holiday photos on facebook
OK, just tested it. Forum automatically all info, EXIF data, phone / camera model etc etc upon upload. You're safe now chaps Rob.
Rob - the Thumbnail option has gone and the Full Image button doesn't seem to work at first, but then when you post the reply, it does display the image. I've then tried to delete it, but it won't let me - I deleted the 'ATTACH' code, but it returns on save. The DELETE button under MORE OPTIONS doesn't work either. No GPS data though Edit: I switched it to a thumbnail by removing the word 'full' from the code. When I delete the code however, the full picture comes back
Thanks. This is a bug. Switching to the old theme allows it to be fully deleted. I will look into it!
Hi a further heads up, a lot of digital cameras also have GPS built in ! So do the data strip on your computer before posting to a website ! Don't know how you turn it off in the cameras but you must be able too. Cheers capt.
Thanks Rob, that's great news.......... But now for the real test..... Is there any way of blocking EXIF data being read from pre-existing posts? It's quite likely that those that have made the mistake in the past probably aren't too computer literate and would struggle to remove the incriminating data manually. .....And yes I am a bas#ard. Enjoying the makeover and i for one fully understand that there will be a few bugs show up in the process, members please be tolerant (and helpful).
On my Samsung phone the "settings cog" symbol appears in the top LH corner when you switch the camera on. Press this and then press the "three dots" symbol and a menu screen appears with several (14) icons - make sure the location tags icon says "off".
Now that Rob has changed the site to remove EXIF data on upload we can now safely use whatever settings we prefer on our smart phones.
