FAQ:

What is Thalia?

Thalia is a web application for storing, organizing, and sharing images. It's available to departments and projects in the MIT community.

What can I do in Thalia?

* Upload photos

* Organize photos into libraries, albums, and slideshows

* Download slideshows for offline playback 

* Share images with an MIT user, a Moira group, the MIT community, or the world

* Grant fine-grained permissions: view, edit, or download  

* Tag images with metadata for easier searching and more detailed records

* Search within your Thalia site

There sure are a lot of image tools out there. How do I choose the right one? Where does Thalia fit?

The Academic Computing Coordination group (ACCORD) is dedicated to helping the MIT community use the right technology for their needs.  For assistance, see http://web.mit.edu/accord/. They maintain a list of tools at http://web.mit.edu/teachtech/.  In particular, see image tool survey at http://web.mit.edu/teachtech/image.html.

Can I use Thalia for my class?

MIT's main tool for supporting teaching and learning is the Stellar Course Management System http://stellar.mit.edu/.

Can I use Thalia for archiving?

MIT Libraries offers resources for the archiving of digital materials through their online institutional repository: DSpace http://dspace.mit.edu/. 

Can I have my own Thalia site?

DLC's and projects may request their own Thalia site, which we call a domain.  A domain has its own URL, such as demo.thalia.mit.edu.  Within a domain, you can grant view and editing permissions, and preconfigure lists of metadata for users to assign to images.  Thalia is available to groups, and is not intended for individuals.

Can I try Thalia before becoming a customer?

Yes, we encourage it!  Please visit http://demo.thalia.mit.edu.   As a guest, you can view and search for images. 

In order to upload images or create new libraries and slideshows, you must request a separate demo account from a Thalia administrator.  Please send a request for a demo account to thalia-support@mit.edu and include your MIT Kerberos ID.

Do I have to install anything?

Thalia is a web service, maintained by IS&T. The server software runs on a secure, backed-up host.

To access Thalia, you need a supported web browser with the Flash plug-in. Please see the system requirements documentation for specifics.

How much storage space do I get?

Each domain is allocated 10GB to start.  More space is subject to availability and storage fees. Terms of Service.

Does Thalia include image editing tools like Photoshop?

No.  If you require the use of image editing tools, we suggest that you use Photoshop or iPhoto.

My department has an approval process before images are shared. Does Thalia include workflow tools that could manage this process?

No.

We have a lot of images. Are there tools to help us migrate to Thalia?

Yes.  Thalia allows you to upload files in bulk with a zip file.  Metadata, like titles or contributors, can be imported with a text file.  Details at http://thalia-test.mit.edu/help/bulkupmeta.htm.

Are there tools to export from Thalia?

Yes.  You can download an entire library, including its associated metadata.  You may also save a slideshow to play offline.

Where can I learn more about Thalia's features?

You can get a feature overview from the online help files.  These include video tutorials. We will offer hands-on training in 2009.

With whom can I share my images? Can I share editing privileges?

With Thalia, you determine who has access to your images and what level of access (i.e., permissions) is granted on a particular image or library of images.

How do I become a customer?

Send your request to thalia-support@mit.edu to get started.  (You can expect your new domain to be up and running within a week of sending all required information.)