Where are my files?

(This article was created by @markrwatson 01/05/2018 and is last updated 01/09/2018.)

In Minds, everything is stored in databases.  You don’t get your own personal space, instead, each item is indexed to the user who uploads.  

If you click on Discovery, you will be presented with three categories at the top:

Videos —> https://www.minds.com/discovery/trending/videos

Images —> https://www.minds.com/discovery/trending/images

Channels —> https://www.minds.com/discovery/trending/channels

If you scroll through each of these, you will find images like a global Pinterest file, videos like everyone’s videos and channels, well you get it.

However, if you notice the green menu bar has changed. On desktop it will always be there, but mobile, you have to select it. When you do, notice the item down the list “My Media” click on it!

Now you have caused the database to index each category to your Albums, Videos and Images (channels has disappeared for obvious reasons*).

My Media —> https://www.minds.com/discovery/owner

Albums —> https://www.minds.com/discovery/owner/albums

Video —> https://www.minds.com/discovery/owner/videos

Images —> https://www.minds.com/discovery/owner/images

Upload button —> https://www.minds.com/capture

Important! The upload button is where Minds receives all media from you but please upload images when you clicked on images, or upload videos if you clicked on videos!

At the capture window, upload all your images or all your videos respectively that you want going into a particular album. If that album does not yet exist, create it first! Then upload all relevant files, then click the Save To button which will save the items into the album you selected.

This is all done for correct database indexing. When all done, as you begin to view your images or videos within albums, no matter what, the address will be:

https://www.minds.com/media/somebiglongnumberyoucantremember

When you go into My Media and click on Albums, into an album, all the items you put there will be there but they all have been assigned a unique number in the database. 

If you make your images or videos “Public” that is not just Minds public, but Internet public, which means, if your direct image or video link is given, it can be seen by anyone with a browser. This is great if you want to share with friends not yet on Minds, but if you meant it to be private it should be unlisted. Notice the options you have when uploading, you can categorize the item as explicit, or select what level of copyright. 

After the upload is completed, you may go to the image or video and change the item either Public, LoggedIn (Minds users only), or unlisted (private) this tells the database the availability of your item. It is in the Great big Minds database, but only with the privileges you select. 

If you make a blog or a post you can include your images or videos by using the direct link to the item you want into your post.

What if someone hacked Minds, and downloaded the database? Well then they would have everything, but the same is true for Facebook, Twitter, and every other database-driven social media platform (most of them). Gmail is one big database of emails. Think about it. Now, stop thinking about it. Minds is awesome!

I know, it’s not the same as having directories and readable paths, but just imagine if someone at Minds had to figure out if John Smith’s boat trip pictures from 2015 were available? How many John Smith’s are there? Easier to index all data by user login, and punch it up in a database query,

If you do not want something findable online, do not upload it anywhere. Otherwise, use social media, Minds included, responsibly. 

And have fun!

-Mark Watson, @markrwatson

UPDATE: * It may not be obvious at all, however, but some Minds users have multiple channels- wouldn't it be nice if at least all the channels that relate to a primary account would be featured in our own channels section of our own corner of the database, so to speak. Just a thought. Since I have over 20+ channels, having them in one place would be rather helpful. (I forgot to include this footnote)

Mark is an avid Minds user, channel developer and Content Creator helping to build tools to help others succeed in social media and hoping those efforts help him to succeed himself. With over 20 Minds channels to date, he is forming a production engine @Studio8424 and a strategic approach known as @TheGreatGameOfMinds. By far his most active channel is @boostershot which has crowdboosted several subscribers dramatically increasing their views beyond normal boosts. His wife @tamgraver, his black lab @harveythedog and her small wiener dog @leximay do life through the @adventuresofmarkandtam.  His full or most complete channel list is found @markrwatson. When you roast or drink coffee from an independent roaster, add @dailyroast, drink Wine, @dailywine, smoke cigars or pipe smoke @dailycigar, and we we will remind your post there.