I think the answer is "no" but I am just checking
Not unless you want to hack around the back-end of the database
Not at the moment, but that is by design.
Just substituting another image behind the scenes has implications as there is hidden metadata added into the image data to connect it the original issuer. Not just normal image metadata, but steganography. This is a security/integrity mechanism Mozilla has added for Open Badges.
My understanding is that if you bypass the regular upload process, the image will be missing this. That may not matter in casual contexts but matters very much for accreditation, professional, and business contexts.
There may be some ways around this such that the security data could be stamped on download/email. Or a badge could have "versions" of itself all recognized as the "same badge" (like paper certificates). The ultimate answer will be some sort of ping-back security method so a badge out in the wild can find the original issuer and verify/update/replace itself. (Lack of such a mechanism is why revocation is not yet available. Mozilla is working on this.)
Actually, I think my description of what happens in Moodle was incorrect.
Some people do badges that way, "baking" them on creation, but it seems to me from looking at the code, that the baking process that puts the metadata in the image to make the badge, happens at the moment of 1) download by the user or 2) copying it to a connected backpack by the user.
Until then the pages showing awarded badges are a generic image combined with badges issued data from the tables.
Simon or Yuliya - is this a correct description of how it works?
If so, it would be technically possible to swap the image out from the back end: if you can figure out where and how it is stored. But then there would be a visual discrepancy between the image for already baked badges and any future badges.
You are right that the badge image is "baked" at the time the badge is downloaded or exported.
I don't think it's a particularly good idea to change the badge image once awarded though, both technically (fiddling with the internal workings of the file API) and for usability (since you are moving the goalposts somewhat for existing users who already have the badge).
Simon
Thanks for the info Simon.
Makes sense to me that once awarded, you'd want to avoid ever changing the badge. But until revocation is functional, I can see where an institution may need to control what images teachers use for badges, for copyright or branding or other reasons, and might feel compelled to try to swap an image.
This does make sense. It would be unusual for an organisation to recall printed certificates to amend them after issue - and this is the same. If a badge needs to be updated then a current badge can be withdrawn (without any effect on existing badge recipients) and a new replacement badge can be created.
However the message that is displayed when you click "Enable access" doesn't make it clear that the image can't be edited or updated later. So perhaps this could be improved?
i.e at the moment it says:
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Changes in Badge Access It is possible that some users already meet this badge's criteria and will be issued this badge immediately after you enable it. Once a badge has been issued it will be locked - certain settings including the criteria and expiry settings can no longer be changed. Are you sure you want to enable access to the badge <badge_name>? |
This could be changed as follows:
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Changes in Badge Access It is possible that some users already meet this badge's criteria and will be issued this badge immediately after you enable it. Once a badge has been issued it will be locked - certain settings including the criteria, expiry settings and image can no longer be changed. Are you sure you want to enable access to the badge <badge_name>? |
This can be done locally in the language pack but perhaps this could be a suggested improvement for the core language for badges in the future.
All the best,
Jim
Hi Jim. This sounds like a good candidate for the en_ fix language pack as suggested in AMOS Suggesting improvements to English language strings