Important notice - Photobucket image posting problem
- Thread starter Aguila Blanca
- Start date
Aguila Blanca
Staff
It's unclear how they are selecting what images -- or whose images -- to block. As of the last time I checked, my images still show up in two forums. I've seen other posts -- SINGLE posts with multiple images -- in which some of the images were visible and others were blocked. I'll leave my account until my photos get blocked -- if and when that happens, I'll delete the account. I have already downloaded the photos, as insurance. I should already have them on my hard drive, but I wanted to be certain.
Some people are abandoning Photobucket but leaving the images. I won't do that. Photobucket uses your images. Do a Google search on something like "dog" or "pony" and one of your top search results will be Photobucket -- and they'll show you a gazillion photos of dog or ponies. Guess where they get those photos?
Some people are abandoning Photobucket but leaving the images. I won't do that. Photobucket uses your images. Do a Google search on something like "dog" or "pony" and one of your top search results will be Photobucket -- and they'll show you a gazillion photos of dog or ponies. Guess where they get those photos?
(Red line)In the reply mode/additional options/Manage Attachments, the red line showing your "sum of all attachments". In that screen there's no indications of what attachments one has.
I didn't know about the attachment section of User CP.......Thankyou for the info!
But still we can't go back and get rid of the blackmail notices, or can we?
I would think that a temporary lift of that "no edit" feature might make the forum archives look lots better.
What about us posting pictures in a new post at the bottom (in order) then lifting the no edit for a few hours allowing people to swap blackmail notices for pictures? Just an idea.
I didn't know about the attachment section of User CP.......Thankyou for the info!
But still we can't go back and get rid of the blackmail notices, or can we?
I would think that a temporary lift of that "no edit" feature might make the forum archives look lots better.
What about us posting pictures in a new post at the bottom (in order) then lifting the no edit for a few hours allowing people to swap blackmail notices for pictures? Just an idea.
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Aguila Blanca
Staff
A few hours? More like a few days or a few weeks. On the forum where I'm a moderator, I just heard from a member who just woke up to this issue. He wrote me that he has 433 images just on that one forum. If the administrator does decide to open it up for editing old posts, can you imagine how much work is involved in tracking down 433 images, and changing all the links?GWS said:
Yes, so true, not thinking clearly I'm afraid. This has all been a shock. The one I listed above I copied to Microsoft Word and added the pictures back in......for my own use....as it had a lot of valuable knowledge & experience from multiple posts by BartB and Walkalong. And maybe no one else needs or wants that particular education on sizing and seating difficult LC brass with minimum run-out."
Most of my "important" contributions are on "stickies" on the AR15.com forum not here....and they are trashed too. Unfortunately AR15 has their own added obstacle. Although they don't have the "limited time to edit" feature TFL has, my pictures loaded from Google Pictures, appear to load fine on repaired threads, and appear perfect on preview, only to turn into tiny blank boxes when the thread changes are saved. Can't win for losing.
Most of my "important" contributions are on "stickies" on the AR15.com forum not here....and they are trashed too. Unfortunately AR15 has their own added obstacle. Although they don't have the "limited time to edit" feature TFL has, my pictures loaded from Google Pictures, appear to load fine on repaired threads, and appear perfect on preview, only to turn into tiny blank boxes when the thread changes are saved. Can't win for losing.
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I see your point, but I don't think Photobucket's pirate flag is going to solicit much new business. It says "We don't care about our customers and we'll happily screw you over if we think we can make a buck out of it."
My account, which I've had for over a decade, was cut off today. I've only used it for casual posting of pictures on various forums. So it appears that they intend to cut off everybody, its just taking them a while to find them all.
I can understand if PB decided that the cost of providing the bandwidth necessary was too much. It would have been one thing if they'd issued an explanatory email and said "Sorry, but you can't use PB for 3rd party hosting from now on. But to just suddenly cut it off without warning and to charge such an extortionate rate to restore it is unacceptable.
What a public relations disaster.
Part of the real kick in the pants is the amount. I don't mind paying for services, but $399 is way more then the amount of service they provide for me. I'm posting a handful of the images and a handful of forms, not running a major website.
I think Photobucket has essentially destroyed their business with this move.
I think Photobucket has essentially destroyed their business with this move.
stagpanther
New member
Interesting--my account was supposed to be deleted as of today--but I just logged on and they are still showing all my pictures. Some kind of "snatch and grab" maybe?
Just wait. My account was limited because of "excessive usage". In the 10+ years I've used Photobucket, I've used 9% of the 2GB limit. Most of those pictures were linked to auctions that have been gone for years or forum posts that by now are either deleted or dormant. I probably have 2 or 3 PB photos in active threads. So there's no lower limit to activity, they plan on cutting off all 3rd party hosting unless you pay the ransom.
stagpanther
New member
My guess is way down in the fine print they retain some commercial use of my images--even if I terminate my relationship with them. This is the day and age where law only matters if you get caught and are prosecuted--otherwise anything goes.
I've never liked photobucket and use imageshack . They were free up until two years ago and now it's $4 a month . $33-ish dollars a month does seem a bit high for a simple service .
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/922/iym4bx.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/538/dUX4Y4.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/901/5Cr0Vo.jpg
My photos still work through imageshack but I have to assume if the bucket gets away with this . Imageshack wont be far behind . I will add that imageshack does loose pictures from time to time . Not sure why but all of a sudden a picture I know was uploaded is no longer there . Of the hundreds I've uploaded my guess would be 10 or so have been lost and most of those were do to a server crash at imageshack .
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/922/iym4bx.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/538/dUX4Y4.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/901/5Cr0Vo.jpg
My photos still work through imageshack but I have to assume if the bucket gets away with this . Imageshack wont be far behind . I will add that imageshack does loose pictures from time to time . Not sure why but all of a sudden a picture I know was uploaded is no longer there . Of the hundreds I've uploaded my guess would be 10 or so have been lost and most of those were do to a server crash at imageshack .
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A pause for the COZ
New member
Photo bucket was the cats meow for many many years.
I have literally thousands of images hosted there.
Now I am not against any business making a profit. But what has finally got my goat with them. I had paid a one time fee to them for add free hosting for life.
When I asked them to honor their commitment. They of course reserved the right to change the term of service at any time.
So I am done with them.
Now that they are blocking images that were linked.
Its time to move them.
There is a way to down load your whole bucket at once. But off the top of my head I cant remember. I will need to spend some quality time figuring it out. but I know it is possible.
Update: there is a link to down load your entire album on the left hand side of the screen. trying it now.
Update#2 after down loading my Album twice. Both times they sent me corrupted zip files.
So back to plan A, I guess.
I have literally thousands of images hosted there.
Now I am not against any business making a profit. But what has finally got my goat with them. I had paid a one time fee to them for add free hosting for life.
When I asked them to honor their commitment. They of course reserved the right to change the term of service at any time.
So I am done with them.
Now that they are blocking images that were linked.
Its time to move them.
There is a way to down load your whole bucket at once. But off the top of my head I cant remember. I will need to spend some quality time figuring it out. but I know it is possible.
Update: there is a link to down load your entire album on the left hand side of the screen. trying it now.
Update#2 after down loading my Album twice. Both times they sent me corrupted zip files.
So back to plan A, I guess.
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Mr. COZ, you are dealing with a new group that bought out PhotoBucket a year or so ago, I believe. These people have no interest in any "promises" the previous owners made with customers.
My feeling is that they have a plan to make a lot of money quick then shut it down. At least that is the only reasonable reason I can think of to screw all their customers. So they are scumbags pure and simple. Think about it....they have 15 billion pictures and videos........if they can get one dollar for each, that's a lot of money. So they consider those pictures potential cash.....and they are not going to give them up easily.
And speaking of simple, you can't simply download all your stuff and bow out. For one thing, any picture you have "shared" with what they call a third party, and replaced with one of their blackmail notices, is locked....you can't download it period.
What you can do is download any album you haven't yet shared with other blogs or forums.....if they haven't yet replaced a picture with the notice you are good to download.
I have copies of all my stuff on my harddrives.....so since all my posts are replaced with their blackmail notices anyway I just erased every picture on their site. So I have a lot of work to do....replacing their b.m. notices with the pictures.....it'll take a while.
My feeling is that they have a plan to make a lot of money quick then shut it down. At least that is the only reasonable reason I can think of to screw all their customers. So they are scumbags pure and simple. Think about it....they have 15 billion pictures and videos........if they can get one dollar for each, that's a lot of money. So they consider those pictures potential cash.....and they are not going to give them up easily.
And speaking of simple, you can't simply download all your stuff and bow out. For one thing, any picture you have "shared" with what they call a third party, and replaced with one of their blackmail notices, is locked....you can't download it period.
What you can do is download any album you haven't yet shared with other blogs or forums.....if they haven't yet replaced a picture with the notice you are good to download.
I have copies of all my stuff on my harddrives.....so since all my posts are replaced with their blackmail notices anyway I just erased every picture on their site. So I have a lot of work to do....replacing their b.m. notices with the pictures.....it'll take a while.
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stagpanther
New member
At this point I would say they have violated their agreement to delete my account--everything is still up and running well after the promised time for taking it down. My guess is that they are simply extracting whatever value they can--I wonder if at some point they may even be crossing over copyright laws.
I think the excess usage means the bandwidth needed to deliver the pictures and not the amount of storage. My images started going out quickly after posting, but only the ones I put up for test. I see them in my library, but when I select to go to window where you edit and copy a link, the ransom notice shows in their place.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
If I remember what I think I saw in the terms of service, Photobucket does retain a right to use YOUR photos for any purpose THEY want as long as you leave the photos on their server. Consequently, if you choose to protest their hostage taking by terminating your account, first be sure you have all your photos somewhere else, then delete them all from Photobucket, and THEN delete your account.stagpanther said:
FrankenMauser
New member
Very large zip files tend to get corrupted when downloading from servers that throttle bandwidth. Based on previous experience with PB, I'd be surprised if they don't limit download speeds. ...Or, they could just have a massive percentage of their user base overloading the servers by trying to do the same.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Flickr.comSkans said:
postimage.io
ImageVenue.com
FreeImageHosting.net
A number of people are suggesting Imgur.com. Their terms of service do NOT allow for third party hosting, but so far they're not blocking it. I'm not willing to risk moving all my photos and links over to Imgur, only to have them decide to block third party hosting next week/month/year.