Since the forum was updated some time ago the way images are displayed was changed, now they open in a dreadful "Lightbox".

I'm sure there are people that like that feature, but in my opinion is not good at all, before I could be reading a thread, see there's an image attachment, use the mouse middle click to open it in a new tab and keep reading the thread while the image loaded, then I could go over the other tab and check the image, then go back to the thread tab quickly and/or keep the image open so that if someone down the thread makes a comment on it I can check it again easily. I could also open several images at a time, so for example in the Photography forum I would open a thread, open in new tabs and read the thread as the usually large images load in the background and again I could keep them open so that I could take a look again if someone in the thread points to something I didn't notice the first time or some other such thing.

Now it's a chore, having to click an image, wait for the animation thing to do its thing, waiting for that one image to load and all the while twiddling my thumbs just waiting without being able to read anything else on the thread. Then if I want to see the image again I have to go back to the post and repeat the process.

Quite honestly more often than not I get exasperated by the whole thing and leave the thread without checking any other images.

So... would it be possible to revert to the old way of displaying images? perhaps have a setting in the user preferences to choose the way they display? perhaps at least have the middle middle mouse button open it in a new tab as normal and the left button open the Lightbox thingie.

I agree

+1

I much preferred the old system where I could open the image(s) in a new tab or browser window.

If possible let the user chose how images should be displayed.

Me too - the old way was simple and worked fine. You could have the image opening in a new tab whilst you carried on reading...

Yep .... another vote for going back to the old way.

Most of the feature changes in the forum I quite like and are beneficial when you get used to them, but the way it handles images now is a real pain.

I also dislike this new "feature"!

To solve the problem I right-click and select open in new tab or window. Easy. Works in IE and Chrome on XP.

opalhort

I also dislike this new "feature"!

To solve the problem I right-click and select open in new tab or window. Easy. Works in IE and Chrome on XP.

opalhort

Does it, years of just clicking on the image and it automatically opening in a new window meant I didn't even try that.

If that is the case, forget anything I said (about this)

Too funny, didn’t even try the right click. Am way to used to Ctrl+left click or Shift+left click to open in new tab or window, which now doesn’t work.

Thanks Opalhort! Back to the old trusty right click option it is.