I just wanna get a feel for the opinions that exist out there about this subject. I've worked with everything from small to very large image storage requirements within PHP and MySQL.
What are some of the issues/usage requirements that you guys look at when considering building mysql apps that include things like user ability to upload images?
Personally I only prefer to use the file system for EXTREMELY SMALL image requirements since I hate dealing with file permissions and like to control everything myself. On the plus side, I have found file systems to be more efficient and faster than mysql binary storage.
A third option, that I've recently experimented with, and have to say am quite happy with is a hybrid of both. I store file paths in the db but the images themselves stay in the file system.
Any thoughts?