Question Simple Photo Upload tool for Elderly Users?

[xfile102]

I manage a website for a local master naturalist group, the vast majority of the members of which are over the age of 60, and not particularly tech savvy. These users want to be able to share their photographs with the rest of the chapter, and I need an easy solution for them to be able to upload the photos they have to the website. We used Google Drive uploader before, and it worked fantastically. (They clicked an easily identifiable button on the website, selected the photos, entered their name and e-mail address into the form, and click submit. The photos were automatically uploaded directly to their Google Drive folder for the group. It is complicated as this group is willing to deal with.)

However, the link Google Drive Uploader creates is only good for a day, unless you pay for the service. Unfortunately, as older retired folks, they are not interested in having to pay for a service that does this, as this is a volunteer-run organization. Does anybody have an idea for a solution that makes it as drop-dead simple as clicking a link, selecting your photo, and submitting it?

With Drive Uploader the images went straight into one specific folder in their Google Drive, so everything was consolidated nice and neatly. It was very easy for the volunteer who would be posting the images to the site to be able to just open that folder and select a few pictures.

 

[lvt]

I think the best solution is to use a forum software with built-in photos manager.

The photos will be stored directly on the server and you can have a backup at any time.

 

[Ralston18]

This:

"However, the link Google Drive Uploader creates is only good for a day, unless you pay for the service. "

How much is the cost of the service?

= = = =

I looked at a number of naturalist websites across several states. (Filtered to the "last year".)

I saw two state level websites with a "Donate" button. Deliberately not linking the websites but you should have no problems finding examples.

Being a volunteer organization you may be able to get a discount on the cost, maybe even free "sponsorship" via Google/ Google Drive Loader or some other entity, and lastly just some contributions via grants, educational organizations, direct contributions from individuals, businesses, etc..

If your state has a state level master naturalist group - contact them for help and assistance.

No harm in putting together a simple document about your organization, what it does, who it supports etc..

Then solicit accordingly. Add the solicitation to your website requesting contributions.

Hopefully you will be able to gather some funds, pay for the service, and stay with the current sharing process.

Very likely could become "Win - Win" for all involved.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[punkncat]

Here is the issue I see and have seen where it comes to "free hosting".

Remember when Google Photos was completely free AND would auto update from a phone or PC?
Then a few years later: "it's still free, but you have to accept a slight quality degredation"
Then sometime a year or two ago: "We changed our mind and if you have a legacy account, what you have there now will remain ""free"", but once over X limit we are going to charge"

That last statement is pretty common across all the platforms. I think Amazon is ever so slightly behind on the surprise poke in the wallet (butt) with doing said.

One way or another, whether you pay for hosting, or pay someone to make a page and the equipment to run it privately (and worry about backups) a "free" method of doing this is going to become more and more scarce as time goes on.

 

[TerryLaze]

However, the link Google Drive Uploader creates is only good for a day, unless you pay for the service.

But the pictures do stay on the google drives right?!
Wouldn't it just be a matter of some poor sob collecting the links each day and converting them to a permanent link to the directory?
I mean if you have pics on a shared folder and give out the link that stays valid forever, or not?!