Adding links to posts

[arky217]

I searched for adding links to posts but I'm still not sure if what I want to do is allowed.
I have an account with MEGA and have several pdf documents on it.
Can I insert a link to one of those documents in a post on the Forestry Forum ?

[terrifictimbersllc]

Pdf documents may be attached to posts, if you can do that. 

[arky217]

Pdf documents may be attached to posts, if you can do that.

No, I don't mean attaching pdf documents to a post, What I mean can I attach to a post a link to a pdf document that resides on a server, in this case my account on MEGA.

[btulloh]

AFAIK that is ok.  Really the same thing as linking to youtube video.  I think the only links that are prohibited are links to photo storage sites and lunks to craigslist ads.  (I'm not an administrator but I slept in a Holiday Inn Express 30 years ago.)

[Southside]

The problem is some day down the road if that server no longer exists then the link becomes a dead end and your post likely won't answer the question someone is seeking.

A website for photos that uses a bucket did that and a lot of sites out there have a blank space where a photo once was posted. Imagine if you need a picture of a specific part or repair and you finally track it down and find "Image not available".

That's why we require photos be uploaded here.

[arky217]

The problem is some day down the road if that server no longer exists then the link becomes a dead end and your post likely won't answer the question someone is seeking.

A website for photos that uses a bucket did that and a lot of sites out there have a blank space where a photo once was posted. Imagine if you need a picture of a specific part or repair and you finally track it down and find "Image not available".

That's why we require photos be uploaded here.

OK, I understand that. But as replier #1 indicated, is it ok to attach a pdf file directly to a post ?
If so, is there a size limit; is a 2MB pdf file too big ? And can the pdf file have imbedded images ?

[btulloh]

Pdf's are frequently attached here.  I think the max size us stated in the attach file dialogue that you can invoke during the reply process.  Look at the bottle of the txt box when you're typing a reply.  You'll see it right above the "click here to add pictures".

Pdf's are linked to frequently also. Many of Don P's posts link to pdfs located on various servers.  It's done frequently by many others as well.

[Ianab]

Here's the text from the Attachments option. 

Allowed file types: skp, xlsx, txt, doc, pdf, xls, wks, html, htm, shtml, kmz, eml, ods, docx
Restrictions: 4 per post, maximum total size 7028KB, maximum individual size 7028KB

Size limit 7mb, and the document can contain images that are part of the document, but don't use this function for actual image uploads, there is a separate gallery for photos. 

Also be aware of Copyright. If it's your .pdf, or you have permission to distribute it, then that's fine.  If you don't know, then it's better to link to the page where it can be found or downloaded from. That way any potential copyright hassles don't involve the Forum. (This may result in dead links from time to time, but that's just the nature of the Internet).  If you upload legit stuff to the Forum server, it will stay available with the post indefinitely. 

[Jeff]

If the pdf is primarily photos, no, you can not link it or post it here. If the pdf is diagrams or instructional and not a way to get around posting photos in the required manor. Maybe.    We do not allow hot linking to anything other than video services.

[21incher]

Another thing to worry about is I have seen people take photos of copyrighted pdf or manual documents and post them that could cause problems for Jeff so be careful what you post.