MarsWatch FTP Site

In order to transfer images to be verified and placed on the MarsWatch website, we have set up a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server. This server is convenient and fast, and only requires a few instructions to help you get started. After you have finished uploading your images, please send an e-mail message to David Klassen so the images can be processed to the web site as quickly as possible.

Important note: For all images you submit, you retain all ownership and copyright. However, by submitting them here, you are granting permission for anyone to copy and/or distribute your images in any medium, so long as they are not modified in any way from the version presented here (the sole modification exception is that they can be rescaled to fit the indented purpose).

If you have problems or difficulty with the FTP site, you can attach your images to your e-mail message and they will also get processed. Use of the ftp server, however, is preferred.

Instructions

Using FTP on a command line:

Open a Command prompt or Terminal window and change to the folder containing the images and text files you wish to upload

At the command prompt type ftp elvis.rowan.edu

At the login prompt type anonymous

Enter your e-mail address for your password

Change to the upload directory by typing cd pub/marswatch/incoming

Set your ftp client to binary transfer mode by typing bin

Turn on the progress meter by typing hash

Upload your files by typing put filename for each file

Note for advanced users: to transfer multiple files at once if the only files in your folder are those you wish to upload

Turn off interactive prompting by typing p

Upload all images by typing mput *

Disconnect and exit by typing bye

Using a graphical FTP client

Similar to above, but you will be entering in the machine name (elvis.rowan.edu) into some kind of connection command box. You will be able to change directories by double-clicking on them and transfer files by highlighting them and clicking on a transfer button. The exact directions will vary depending on the exact FTP client program you have.

To find a graphical/windows-based FTP client, you can go to google and type ftp client, or even just ftp in the seach box. Although I give no formal recommendations, I have had good results with WS-FTP under all flavors of MS-Windows, Cyberduck under Mac OS X, and gFTP under Mandrake and RedHat Linux. A MarsWatch contributor has successfully used, and reccommends, a program called FTP Commander for Windows (Thank you Jay!). It has a complete, on-line user guide so it should be fairly straight-forward to set up and use.

Using a FireFox browser

If you are using Mozilla FireFox, you can download an extension that will provide a simple, graphical FTP client. To get the extension:

1. Under the Tools menu, click Extensions and choose Get More Extensions in the window that pops up. This will open a web page at the Mozilla site.
2. In the search box type fireftp and choose Extensions in the drop-down box; click the Go button.
3. You should see a link to the fireftp extension; click on it then click on the Install Now link and complete the installation.
4. Once installed, exit and then restart FireFox.

Now click on the Tools and select FireFTP. When you do, a new tab will open with the graphical client open.

At the top just fill in the boxes:
Host: elvis.rowan.edu       Login: anonymous       Password: your e-mail address

Click the Connect button

In the right hand window, in the box next to the folder icon, type pub/marswatch/incoming

In the left had window, navigate to the directory where your image(s) are located on your hard drive

Highlight the images you want to submit—click on the first one, then hold the CTRL button (Windows) or Apple button (Mac) and click on the rest of the files in succession

Click the rightward pointing arrow to send the images.

Click the disconnect button at the top to end your session; you can then close the FireFox tab.

Formats

If at all possible, please send all images as JPEG or PNG format. These formats are the most universal and allow us to quickly view, verify and post them to the MarsWatch website. Note that Unysis holds a patent on the GIF format and it is unclear if we can use this format without paying a license processing fee. If you send a file of a different type, please indicate this by the extension you use for the file (".tif" for TIFF, ".pic" for PICT, etc.).

File Naming Conventions

When sending an image, please name it YYYY-MM-DD-OOOA.FOR where YYYY is the UT year of observation, MM is the month number, DD is the day number, OOO is your observer code, usually your first, middle, and last initial. A is a letter for multiple images on the same day (start from "A", then "B", etc.). FOR is the standard image format suffix (e.g. jpg, gif, tif, etc.). This will make the work of posting your image on the website and the ftp area much easier.

If you have not annotated your image, you can include an ASCII text description of this image and name this text file the same as your image file, with the extension .txt" (this way we can keep images and descriptions together). The description only need be one or two sentences long but can be as descriptive as you wish. We reserve the right to edit descriptions for length and clarity, but for the most part we probably will not have that kind of time, so please make your descriptions as clear as possbible. At the very least include your full name, date, time and place of observation, fliters used (if any) and sky conditions for the observation. Additional information on observing techniques would be appreciated by all.

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