NEW! Flash Uploader for IE and older browsers

Andy · March 28, 2011

Hi Everyone,

Uploading is the thing you do first on SmugMug! It can also be the thing that is problematic for some. We've just released our new Flash Uploader, which will be particularly useful for folks that use Internet Explorer (IE6(!), IE7, IE8, IE9). We have the tried-and-true Simple Uploader which uses Java, but there are more and more issues arising around Java, so we wanted something that would be really easy for IE folks to use. If you want to give it a try, you simply have to click the link "Try a different uploader" here:

You'll need to have flash installed (most of you already have this, but if you need it, get it here. When you choose the new flash uploader, you'll see this:

Go ahead and click browse, select your files, and upload.

Unfortunately, Flash doesn't allow for drag and drop, so if that's important to you we highly recommend using Google Chrome, Firefox, or Apple Safari - then you'll be able to use our HTML5 uploader.

We haven't defaulted IE users to this uploader, we'll soon be defaulting to the new Flash uploader for all versions of IE and older versions of Safari, Chrome and Firefox that don't support HTML5. Want to switch around? No problem - all of our uploading options will be available once you click the "Try a different uploader" link on the bottom left.

To be clear: The old Java uploader isn't going away anytime soon. We don't expect there to be many enhancements to it, and we'll try and stay on top of any bugs that come up... and we'll at some point in the future default non-cookied IE users to the Flash uploader.

No matter what your favorite browser may be, we'll keep trying to make uploading a no-brainer. Let us know if you have any questions, issues or thoughts!

brokenlens · March 28, 2011

Drag and Drop is working fine for me in IE. Do you mean really old versions of the browser, like version 7 or earlier? I'm using IE9.

Andy · March 28, 2011

brokenlens wrote: »

Drag and Drop is working fine for me in IE. Do you mean really old versions of the browser, like version 7 or earlier? I'm using IE9.

Did you switch to the Flash - FLASHY uploader?

Baldy · March 28, 2011

brokenlens wrote: »

Drag and Drop is working fine for me in IE. Do you mean really old versions of the browser, like version 7 or earlier? I'm using IE9.

We're going to change the word Modern in the text that you saw in the screenshot above, which is confusing.

What we mean to say is we'll soon be defaulting to the new Flash uploader for all versions of IE and older versions of Safari, Chrome and Firefox that don't support HTML5. IE doesn't support HTML5, which is why we had to go with Flash for IE.

Facebook and Flickr went with Flash uploaders for the same reason we had to: Java has become too hard to support. But we wanted our customers to have drag & drop support without Java, hence the HTML5 uploader on browsers that support it.

Allen · March 28, 2011

Now if you'll just fix the HTML uploader to show individual photo progress. Not
that one big line that gives no hint. Especially important for videos that take
a long time to upload. Also it's the only indication of upload speed and if very
slow I'll wait to upload another time.

Also add the path/gallery link above like the Simple uploader so I can
quickly open the gallery in another tab.

Andy · March 28, 2011

Allen wrote: »

Now if you'll just fix the HTML uploader to show individual photo progress. Not
that one big line that gives no hint. Especially important for videos that take
a long time to upload. Also it's the only indication of upload speed and if very
slow I'll wait to upload another time.

Try Chrome, not Firefox - Chrome does this, FF doesn't (browser limitation, not us).

Also add the path/gallery link above like the Simple uploader so I can
quickly open the gallery in another tab.

It's there for me, can you show me where & how you're not seeing it?

Allen · March 28, 2011

This is what I get first, almost every time when clicking "upload" "This gallery". Occasionally the Simple comes up.

At this point I "Try a different uploader" and switch to Simple.

Just to test I did this after the 1st load shot above and it does show the
link. Clicked "Try a different uploader" and select HTML5 and get this

But get no photo progress indication only spinning arrow.

SamirD · March 28, 2011

Andy wrote: »

To be clear: The old Java uploader isn't going away anytime soon. We don't expect there to be many enhancements to it, and we'll try and stay on top of any bugs that come up...

Thank you for clarifying this. I thought I was going to have to deal with uploading nightmares this year due to yet another workflow change.

Andy · March 28, 2011

SamirD wrote: »

Thank you for clarifying this. I thought I was going to have to deal with uploading nightmares this year due to yet another workflow change.

You could always use an HTML5 browser and get the best experience

SamirD · March 28, 2011

Baldy wrote: »

Facebook and Flickr went with Flash uploaders for the same reason we had to: Java has become too hard to support. But we wanted our customers to have drag & drop support without Java, hence the HTML5 uploader on browsers that support it.

So besides olde faithful, what other options will remain available? It sounds like Java will be phased out completely. And if SM requires a cutting edge version of flash, that's not going to be much better than the HTML5 browser requirement.

Andy · March 28, 2011

Allen wrote: »

But get no photo progress indication only spinning arrow.

No progress will show in FF - try chrome in the html5 uploader.

We'll get the other thing fixed (no gallery hyperlink).

Allen · March 28, 2011

Andy wrote: »

No progress will show in FF - try chrome in the html5 uploader.

We'll get the other thing fixed (no gallery hyperlink).

I have no idea what uploader that 1st screen shot was.

Andy · March 28, 2011

Allen wrote: »

I have no idea what uploader that 1st screen shot was.

Easy to tell, just go to 'try another uploader' and choose your poison. Then you'll know.
But I can tell you: it's the HTML5 uploader.

Allen · March 28, 2011

Andy wrote: »

Easy to tell, just go to 'try another uploader' and choose your poison. Then you'll know.
But I can tell you: it's the HTML5 uploader.

Seems on first entry it's missing parts and have do like you said for the gallery link to show.

corbosman · November 22, 2012

Sorry to be posting in such an old thread, but i was wondering if this uploader is based on an existing piece of software or if it was made by smugmug? Looking for an uploader for a project, and smugmug's is just too cool.

NEW! Flash Uploader for IE and older browsers

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