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Opened 8 years ago

Closed 8 years ago

Last modified 6 years ago

#40782 closed defect (bug) (invalid)

When photographer adds MORE INFO data to image, Image Titlle pulls data from MORE INFO and not FILENAME

Reported by: tonyzeoli's profile tonyzeoli Owned by:
Milestone: Priority: normal
Severity: normal Version: 4.7.4
Component: Media Keywords:
Focuses: ui, administration Cc:

Description

Generally speaking, any image uploaded to the media library pulls the image file name and inserts that filename into the Title field in the media library. However, if a photographer adds additional data, like a Headline in the More Info section of the image, the Title field pulls the Headline and not the filename.

I see this as important because in most cases, when uploading any image to the media library, the Title field is normally populated by filename and it's not apparent to the user after working with WordPress for an extended period of time, that the Title field might be populated by anything else but the filename. It took me a few hours to finally ascertain what information was being pulled for the Title field.

Here are screenshot to guide developers on this issue.

Media Library View of Image and Headline populating the Title field: https://cloudup.com/cNqGE28IlAG

MORE INFO meta from Image where Headline is clearly the meta info being used for the Title field, and not the filename: https://cloudup.com/ci8YHFKybUf

Change History (7)

#1 follow-up: @subrataemfluence
8 years ago

Thank you for the ticket. Can you please tell me where is "More Info" section? I don't find it when I try to Edit an existing image in my media gallery.

#2 in reply to: ↑ 1 ; follow-up: @knutsp
8 years ago

Replying to subrataemfluence:

Can you please tell me where is "More Info" section? I don't find it when I try to Edit an existing image in my media gallery.

This "Headline" is metadata (IPTC type?) added to the image file before upload, and not a field in WordPress Media Library. "More info" seems to be an expandable section on a file properties panel on Mac. If I understand it right, this ticket reports that this information, when present, overrides the file name as source for suggesting a Title for the media attachment, after upload.

Last edited 8 years ago by knutsp (previous) (diff)

#3 in reply to: ↑ 2 @subrataemfluence
8 years ago

Replying to knutsp:
Thank you for explaining. If this is related to some specific environment that should be mentioned in original ticket, otherwise it would be confusing for non-Mac users like I am on Ubuntu Linux! Hope this makes sense :)

Replying to subrataemfluence:

Can you please tell me where is "More Info" section? I don't find it when I try to Edit an existing image in my media gallery.

This "Headline" is metadata (IPTC type?) added to the image file before upload, and not a field in WordPress Media Library. "More info" seems to be an expandable section on a file properties panel on Mac. If I understand it right, this ticket reports that this information, when present, overrides the file name as source for suggesting a Title for the media attachment, after upload.

#4 @tonyzeoli
8 years ago

Sorry, yes, I did not explain exactly where the More Info is. I believe I did attach a screen shot. I use a Mac, so right click on the image and select Get Info for the image. When the info pane opens, there is a More Info panel under a carat drop down. That is where this additional info is stored.

I have always been under the assumption that the Title field is populated by the filename in the media library, so I educate my clients to write an SEO friendly filename in order for it to populate the title field to save time. Now that I see when additional unexpected data exists, its disruptive to the workflow I've gotten used to and assume others have too.

#5 @dd32
8 years ago

  • Milestone Awaiting Review deleted
  • Resolution set to invalid
  • Status changed from new to closed

While some users may have gotten used to the fact that the items name is populated by the filename, others will have gotten used to (and rely upon) the ability to name their media items prior to uploading using tools which alter the EXIF/IPTC data.

Specifically, WordPress uses the Image Title / Description IPTC & EXIF fields, it's been the case for 7+ years.

#5162, #22768 may be of interest.

Unfortunately while there are some cases where a user may set data that they're not intentionally expecting to show up as the title, the data is embedded in the image and viewable by everyone, I'd rather keep the functionality as-is. A plugin could quite possibly be used to disable that functionality if you wished.

#6 @tonyzeoli
8 years ago

@dd32 I believe you are making a wildly broad assumption about users who manipulate EXIF data before image upload.

You are assuming tens of millions of people actually know EXIF data even exists to override the file name converted to Image Title method. I'm going to ask a few teens who run WordPress blogs if they know that EXIF data appears in the media library text fields when they upoad using the mobile app from their mobile phones. I suspect they don't know or could care less.

You're making an assumption that all users know that all photos have EXIF data to begin with.

And, you're making an assumption that all users should know if EXIF data exists it will populate instead of the file name, when millions of users are probably not well versed in EXIF and simply upload photos from their phones, which generally populate something like IMG001.jpg, which is the filename, even if it is also stored in the EXIF fields and becomes the matching file name.

For pro photographers, they may manipulate EXIF data, but nowhere does it say in the Media Library that EXIF data is pulled and stored anywhere. Once you see that the filename is pulled almost exclusively, you get used to the idea that if you change the filename, you populate the Title field. It's completely unobvious, especially when a majority of time, it's the filename that comes from either the filename itself of the EXIF data stored filename, if that's possible.

Maybe you want to rethink this wild assumption. It's a bit myopic, I think. Sorry...just saying.

This is about usability. WordPress has always been about usability, but then someone comes along and says, "hey, we've been doing this for 7 years and you should know that," which, quite frankly, ignores everything about usability and makes a vapid assumption of user habits with no research or studies to back up the statement. It's a bit frustrating to get this response, to say the least.

I've been uploading media files to WordPress for 13-years. This is the FIRST time this ever happened to me. There was no way to figure out how that data was coming in, BECAUSE NOWHERE IS IT EXPLAINED, or at least nowhere where there should be a tooltip to explain why the EXIF is overriding the title pulled from the filename.

Then, you change the filename and reupload and it still populates the filename from the EXIF that was set by the photographer taking the picture, which you wouldn't know was there if you didn't check the images to see if EXIF data exists. Your assumption makes a faulty assumption that the tens of millions of WordPress users know if someone added EXIF data to an image. If you're a web producer, you're not checking for that...you're just trying to get your story live.

It stands to reason that someone should either fix it OR MAKE IT INSANELY OBVIOUS that the EXIF data can override the filename if EXIF data exists. If you can provide me with research that says millions of WordPress users absolutely understand that EXIF data will override the filename, then I'll agree with you. But, I run WordPress Chapel Hill and have spoken at 9 different WordCamps and at no time have I ever heard anyone tell me this is the case. Sure, I can't be everywhere, all the time. Someone may know this, but I google'd it and didn't come up with anything.

Considering I've been a member of the WordPress community since 2005 and this one escaped me...well...that says a lot.

Usability should be the foremost thing on every single core contributors mind. This answer pays little attention to usability and makes a decision without keeping the user in mind first and foremost.

#7 @desrosj
6 years ago

#38330 was marked as a duplicate.

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