While no IT pro, I've been online since 1997, designed and ran my own website and have been admin and moderator off an on over those years starting with phpBB (which is still used but looks a bit 1995-ish).

Here are the parts of the use of this forum that are behind-the-times and don't follow common forum standards:

• Uploaded images need to be downloaded by the thread viewer - they do not show up in-line. That's a hassle. (Linked images do show up but not resized, so some can appear huge.)

• Preview and images: again, inline should be the norm and one should be able to preview a posting with image/s even before one posts or saves it.

• Adding a link: the norm is to highlight the text in the message and then add the URL to it, done. Here one has add link + text.

• Following one's OP should be by default, not an option one has to choose. It should be the other way around: opting out to follow one's OP/thread should be the option. (Being new here, I missed several responses for I never got an email notification).

• Spellcheck - it is a default standard that should not require a pop-up window. The norm as in any any form or text box with it should show the red or whatever colored "squiggle" line under the misspelled word with options to correct.

• The by-default "Edited by..." is a real nuisance - it always defaults to the blue check being active every time one edits one's post, adding line after line. It should be an option at best.

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That's what I can think of so far.

I've always liked the overall friendly jAlbum design going back to 2006 or so when I first used it. There must be a way to integrate an improved or even different forum platform, but I couldn't figure out which one is used here.

While I have only tested this forum on Chrome and MS Edge, the behavior must be the same in Safari, Opera, etc. Chrome is by far the most used browser in the world (about 65%, Safari coming in 2nd at about 18%, Edge at 4%, etc.) .

There are several forum software options out there, some even free - including phpBB. I'll have to leave the how and what to the webmaster/s of jAlbum if the above suggestions make practical and user-friendly sense.

The jAlbum staff on the way to an "all hands" meeting:

A little bit of searching might have found some answers to some of your problems.
When I clicked "Reply" I was presented with a page which allowed me to enter the text of my reply. The right hand column of that page consists of some helpful "Plain Text Help" which shows how to handle some formatting issues such as "bold" "italic" "underline etc. It also shows how to insert an image, a link or an email address into your message.
You CAN preview your message (with images) just by clicking the "Preview" tab beside the
"plain text" tab.

A little bit of searching might have found some answers to some of your problems. When I clicked "Reply" I was presented with a page which allowed me to enter the text of my reply. The right hand column of that page consists of some helpful "Plain Text Help" which shows how to handle some formatting issues such as "bold" "italic" "underline etc. It also shows how to insert an image, a link or an email address into your message.

The "Plain Text Help" is basically only providing the syntax of what the GUI does - which is kind of like asking someone to use text only DOS for a post instead of WYSIWYG Windows.

The forum's software by Jive is definitely old - 2006, though intuitive WYSIWYG posting was already implemented on the Net.

For example, I've been using Vegas Pro NLE video editing software from that year on to the present, and the basic forum at Sony (back then, now it's Magix) already had all the mentioned attributes in the OP's list.

But again, this is a moot point for Jeff explained why there isn't the resources or wo/manpower to upgrade this 17 y.o. forum software.
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You CAN preview your message (with images) just by clicking the "Preview" tab beside the
"plain text" tab.

Testing the two ways to include image:

Using the "Image: link syntax:

Image:

The upload from local source/computer:

One can't insert it here, it automatically gets put as the first element of the comment -- and while one can preview the version linked to a file on the Net, the uploaded image icon does not show up in preview.

It may or may not be due to some Chrome extension I'm using, but I've never had an extension mess with a text box on a forum or otherwise online.

Click the reply to icon and then in the text entry the last icon on the right, the " (Bold and Italic are on the left).

Not sure if you have seen, and tried, clicking on the '?' icon to the right of the word 'Legend', which is to the right of your first post. It takes you to Questions.

You're in an even more precarious position than the Mariposans.

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/076159e4-08a0-4ead-a4f2-6295ec695017

You're welcome