U3A Site Builder: Frequently-asked Questions

File Uploading

Can I add pictures to the site, and upload associated files?

Yes: once your site has been published. But not all file formats are supported, and there will be a limit on the total filespace which your site can use. If that is exceeded you'll need to remove some files before adding more.

What file formats are supported?

For pictures: .jpg, .png and .gif.

For uploaded documents portable document format (.pdf) is recommended, as it is platform-independent and safe. For security reasons, formats which support executable code (including HTML) are not allowed. Our protective firewall sometimes delivers Microsoft office .docx files in 'scrambled' form.

What about Flash or other "movie" files?

A better solution is to upload the movie to YouTube and use the relevant Site Builder menu option to embed it in a normal web page. It will not be subject to size restrictions and should be viewable on any computer.

Are there limits on individual file sizes?

For an image file the limit is 1.5 megabytes. Today's digital cameras can generate very large files, but reducing the longest dimension of any image to about 1200 pixels will reduce the file size while retaining good quality for screen display.

For a single document file the limit is 5 megabytes. To keep the size down it is advisable to reduce any embedded images before creating the PDF version.

How many files can I upload altogether?

The real limit will be on file space usage. To avoid problems, give priority to documents and pictures which represent the current state of your U3A. The Site Builder is not designed to act as a long-term file archive. If you wish to make older material like past newsletter accessible online, please sign up to one of the cloud-based file-sharing web services designed for that purpose.

Why is a file-space limit necessary on Site Builder sites?

File-space usage over all the sites here must stay within the allowance for our current hosting account. We need to manage usage in a way which is fair to all U3As using our system.

Can I easily monitor and adjust space usage?

There are options to do so in the 'Utilities' section of the site administrator's menu.

Is there a "members only" part of the site for documents containing personal information?

Yes — you can load private documents into a password-protected area so that they can be seen only by members of your own U3A. But such documents should be removed once current members have had the time to download and read them.

Are there any constraints on file names?

File names consisting of fewer than 64 characters, and just letters and numbers, are guaranteed trouble free. Don't include apostrophes or quotation marks in file names — they clash with the way those symbols are used by the Site Builder and links to the files will not work!

See also some specific questions about uploaded pictures.

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