On 6/20/06, Brianna Laugher brianna.laugher@gmail.com wrote:
Re: "crop" and "zoom" - seems like it would have very undesirable "suprise" consequences if the original file was replaced (and changed dimensions - for example if it itself was cropped).
Sharpness could be good though. See http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Village_pump#Low_sharpness for a striking example.
From that discussion, the issue seems to be the file size of the
generated thumbnail: smaller file size (lower quality JPEG compression) produces fuzzier images.
This is closely related to the basic divide that exists: Camp A: Thumbnails exist only to be clicked on, to show the real image related to the page Camp B: Thumbnails are a fundamental part of the layout of the page, and should be made as big and pretty as necessary to achieve a pleasing and effective page design.
Those in camp A tend to believe that thumbnails should have a small file size (15kb maximum), should not have a size imposed on them (respect users' preferences), and should probably be all laid out in a vertical column. Those in camp B tend to believe that thumbnails should have larger file sizes (30-50kb), should be resized as necessary, and should definitely not be laid in a vertical column.
Camp B here.
Steve