To post an image on the forums, first you need to have a URL link which goes directly to that image (in other words, the link should end with .png or .jpg, etc). You can use websites dedicated to this which allow you to upload an image, giving you a link, or you can use other services like Steam or Discord - providing again that the link is publicly retrievable (anyone can click to view it). I'll go through my normal process for image hosting sites, Discord, and Steam:
Using Dedicated Image Hosting Websites
Step 1 - Go to your preferred image-hosting site (example below) and upload an image:
Step 2 - Grab the link to your image. To do this you can either:
Click on the 'Grab Link' button (although I've found this has bugged-out in the past on this particular site)
Right-click on the image and click 'Open image in new tab', then copy the URL from the top of your browser
When you have your link, it should end with the picture format (e.g. .png, .jpg, etc):
Step 3 - Paste this URL into your forum post, and it will automatically convert the link into an image which you should be able to see:
Step 4 - Make your post! 🙂
Using Discord
Step 1 - Post an image into a Discord channel (or find one you want to share):
Step 2 - Right-click on the image and click on 'Copy Link':
Step 3 - Paste this URL into your forum post, and it will automatically convert the link into an image which you should be able to see:
Step 4 - Make your post! 🙂
Using Steam
Step 1 - Find an image that you want to share on Steam in your 'Content', then click on the image to view it:
Step 2 - Right-click on the image and click 'Copy Link Address':
Step 3 - Paste this URL into your forum post, and it will automatically convert the link into an image which you should be able to see:
Step 4 - Make your post! 🙂
Footnotes
Think before you share! Does your images meet the forums rules / community guidelines? Do they contain any personal information in them? Is it something that is appropriate to share publicly? Think about what you intend to post before posting it.
Self-Hosting Concerns - If you choose to self-host (have your own domain / website to host the images) have you made sure to wipe all metadata? Metadata is hidden data contained within an image which can include some personal information, and even your location coordinates (if taken on a phone). Hosting sites / social media sites wipe sensitive data automatically on upload, but if you self-host images then you will need to check and make sure this happens yourself.
Longevity of Images - The images you post on the forums are not hosted here, they are linked to the original (hence the need for a URL). This means that if the original source of the image is deleted, it will no longer appear on the forums. This might be a consideration for the longevity of a forum post, if you intend on keeping the image viewable for a long-time.
kinda funny how u said i barely take sits when the only reason i get on is to take sits because the only way i find gmod fun is staffing. i dont rp and i take sits first