Great Idea But….

  • This is a great idea and I agree with another reviewer who said this should be part of the WordPress core but it still has bugs to work out. I would love to be able to organize my media by folders, that makes so much sense but I had problems immediately after install and trying to upload and organize.
    After install I uploaded about 50 photos and then created some folders to put them in. I started moving them to the folder where I wanted them. All seemed well until I got to the last 6 photos. Then it said it couldn’t find them even though I could see them clearly in the media collection. I tried several times but with no avail. It was late so I went to bed and thought to try again the next morning.
    The next morning, when I checked the WordPress media files, those 6 photos only had empty place holders where they had photos the day before. I deleted them and then tried to upload them again but there was no progress bar or any indication that they were being uploaded so I did it again but still no indication of upload.
    That’s when I deactivated “Media Folders” plugin and then went to the wp media folder to see if everything was back to were it was supposed to be, which it was, including two sets of the photos I had just tried to upload.
    Just to be sure I uploaded one more photo and now the upload indicator is working.
    If the issues are fixed so it doesn’t mess up the wp media system then I will gladly change my rating. I hope this can be fixed – great idea.

    • This topic was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by sunkissmarc.
Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

  • I recently started using the free version of Media Library Folders. I, too, had problems while implementing it and reorganising my media folders to improve the way the site works.

    I don’t view the problems I had as ‘bugs’ in Media Library Folders – instead, I view them as a legacy left over from the early development of my site. I challenge any plug-in writer to be able to identify and write software that successfully corrects all the problems caused by other plugins.

    During my site’s development I tried several media plugins, and they each left their own trail of damage and detritus. It then became the live system. Thanks to Media Library Folders the trail of damage and detritus is now gone, I have saved (off the top of my head) about 10 – 20% of the space my uploads folder occupied at the start of the exercise, and the media is now far more logically pigeonholed so I know what must remain, and what is ephemeral/transitory.

    While doing this data cleansing exercise I took the trouble to look under the WordPress hood – as a result of which I have a better understanding of how WordPress works and, more to the point, where WordPress falls short in its handling of media. I now have enough confidence in my ability to write simple database/media validation scripts to warn me when media ‘goes missing’ and, therefore, will enable me to give my site’s visitors a better user experience. As with all good validation scripts they should be seperate from the primary data handlers (WordPress and Media Library Folders) and will, therefore, highlight possible problems in both – as well as problems introduced by my own working practices.

    In my experience – Media Library Folders does not ‘mess up the wp media system’. Rather, it brings to light problems that existed before Media Library Folders was added to the system and allows the webmaster to correct them.

    Thread Starter sunkissmarc

    (@sunkissmarc)

    I appreciate your feedback but my installation of Media Folders was on a brand new WordPress Install – clean install with a top host. There should be no legacy issues at all. Because of this fact I can say without reservation that there is s problem with Media Folders plugin. Under no circumstance should a plugin interfere with the core functionality of WordPress Core. Also the fact that when the plugin was deactivated all functionality was restored. You can’t argue with those facts.

    Plugin Author maxfoundry

    (@maxfoundry)

    Howdy, Marc.

    Sorry you ran into an issue with MLF. Mind pinging alan at maxfoundry dot com so that we can figure out what the problem is? Pretty sure we can get it straightened out.

    Thanks,

    Bob

    Thread Starter sunkissmarc

    (@sunkissmarc)

    I am glad to contact him. I would love to see this working well.
    Thanks,
    Mark

    @sunkissmarc: Once I installed MLF I stopped using the core process to upload files – and used the MLF file uploader. I also used ftp, followed by MLF’s SYNC functionality for the few bulk uploads I had to do. That might be why I’m not seeing the same problems as you.

    Thread Starter sunkissmarc

    (@sunkissmarc)

    @dday61: perhaps you’re correct. I considered doing that same thing and it is a consideration for a workaround but if I can help the author make it work flawlessly I think that is a good thing to do.

    • This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by sunkissmarc.
    Thread Starter sunkissmarc

    (@sunkissmarc)

    @maxfoundry: Bob, I just sent Alan a detail of the issue along with some more information in the hopes that you’ll be able to track down the issue. Please keep me updated!
    Thanks,
    Mark

    @sunkissmarc: I don’t really see it as a workaround as I know the purpose of the file I’m uploading before I upload it and, therefore, know which folder to upload it to. Why use two processes when one will do?

    The structure I have is that some folders are for images that will be permanently retained whereas others are for ephemeral images used in Calendar events. If I need to use an image in both I upload a duplicate to the relevant folder. Once the events for (say) 2018/04 are over their records will be reused and will no longer link to the images in the events/2018/04 folder – which can be cleared down and removed without risk of the front end suffering missing image problems. MLF helps to stop me accidentally deleting permanent media files amongst the ephemeral ones.

    You might not, of course, have that luxury. Many systems/users have different requirements.

    You’re right that any plugin should be able to integrate with the core functionality gracefully. If MLF is causing problems the cause needs to be corrected if possible or, if not, properly documented.

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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