Photobucket... WTF!!

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by BF11GhiaZF6

Yep no warning just got the screen message, swore like hell, then reluctantly paid up and pics were restored immediately, they are a multi billion dollar company with millions of users, can't see them folding, will see how things pan out, now I'm a paid up member will be pushing them to offer smaller packages than the 500Gb, is only a dollar a Gb but really is way to big for the average user, have been using them for about a year prior for free, is now much easier to use and ad free, got a year to think about alternative and future strategy.

I really think "go furthers" idea is a good one, maybe the AFF should make the approach to PB?

If they don't come at the "group buy" proposal, then there is another option...

Account Syndication ...

10 members get together and share ONE plus 500 account, each contributing US$40 per year, and each with access to the same password / username.

With each agreeing to use no more than 51Gb each (510Gb total under plan).

Each syndicate member has their own album set up in the account to upload their photos.

[ScotchanDry]

lets say you sign with another upload service,with the inability to edit your own posts on this forum, then re uploading pics on old posts not possible ?

[jstanovic]

Beware if using imgur. It has similar ability to copy the image link to use as a 3rd party host, BUT...

The terms and conditions specifically state they are not to be used as a 3rd party host (even though they give you the easy option to do it). So most likely they will go the same way as PB.

I imagine the others have the same, it's only a matter of time...

From their website:
Stuff not to do

Also, don't use Imgur to host image libraries you link to from elsewhere, content for your website, advertising, avatars, or anything else that turns us into your content delivery network. If you do – and we will be the judge – or if you do anything illegal, in addition to any other legal rights we may have, we will ban you along with the site you're hotlinking from, delete all your images, report you to the authorities if necessary, and prevent you from viewing any images hosted on Imgur.com. We mean it.

[Pepscobra]

Originally Posted by jstanovic

Beware if using imgur. It has similar ability to copy the image link to use as a 3rd party host, BUT...

The terms and conditions specifically state they are not to be used as a 3rd party host (even though they give you the easy option to do it). So most likely they will go the same way as PB.

I imagine the others have the same, it's only a matter of time...

From their website:
Stuff not to do

Also, don't use Imgur to host image libraries you link to from elsewhere, content for your website, advertising, avatars, or anything else that turns us into your content delivery network. If you do – and we will be the judge – or if you do anything illegal, in addition to any other legal rights we may have, we will ban you along with the site you're hotlinking from, delete all your images, report you to the authorities if necessary, and prevent you from viewing any images hosted on Imgur.com. We mean it.

So how does one possibly protect themselves from another PhotoBucket?
There's nothing to stop imgur, Flickr, etc doing the same thing.

Almost every forum I've visited lately is devoid of photos, deleting years and years worth of knowledge.

[Mechan1k]

At least Flickr is reasonable if you wish to pay for a Pro account anyway.

[Pepscobra]

I might give Flickr a go instead.

[wodahs]

i wonder how many have a home or company server
and also wonder whats entailed in the utilisation from this server to host your own pics ??

[BFIIGhiaZF6]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

If they don't come at the "group buy" proposal, then there is another option...

Account Syndication ...

10 members get together and share ONE plus 500 account, each contributing US$40 per year, and each with access to the same password / username.

With each agreeing to use no more than 51Gb each (510Gb total under plan).

Each syndicate member has their own album set up in the account to upload their photos.

I'm open to that idea, any takers? PM me, more the merrier, 50Gb is massive, I'm currently on 0.5Gb approx 1500pics

[EB#]

Originally Posted by Pepscobra

So how does one possibly protect themselves from another PhotoBucket?
There's nothing to stop imgur, Flickr, etc doing the same thing....

From the Flickr terms and conditions page:

...Your rights to use the Flickr APIs terminate automatically if (i) you violate any of these terms...
b. You shall not:....
....Display more than 30 Flickr user photos per page in your application or use an unreasonable amount of bandwidth.

and

...Flickr is committed to free and open access to our APIs for commercial and non-commercial purposes. However, providing the APIs does have real costs for Flickr. For uses of Flickr APIs over a certain rate or for certain types of commercial applications, Flickr reserves the right to charge fees for future use of or access to the Flickr APIs.

Refer:
https://www.flickr.com/services/api/tos/

[jstanovic]

Originally Posted by Pepscobra

So how does one possibly protect themselves from another PhotoBucket?
There's nothing to stop imgur, Flickr, etc doing the same thing.

Almost every forum I've visited lately is devoid of photos, deleting years and years worth of knowledge.

You can buy some webspace and make your own site and host images on it, costs start at about $5/month. Not sure how, maybe someone more computer literate could expand on this info I read elsewhere on the net...

[EB#]

Originally Posted by jstanovic

From their website:
Stuff not to do
Also, don't use Imgur to host image libraries you link to from elsewhere, content for your website....

If Imgur is so specific about NOT linking images, then wtf do they have the feature installed at all? Confusing.

[GO FURTHER]

The problem we all face who are currently with Photobucket is finding a viable solution.

Only 5 logical possibilities exist;

1. Stay with Photobucket and pay the ransom of AUD$520 and have all your thread images immediately reinstated.

2. Share the cost of a 500 plus Photobucket plan with other members (forming a member sydicate).

3. Wait till AFF find a solution using its own AFF servers to store the images and hopefully a script is installed allowing albums and photos to be relinked when photos are uploaded.

4. Find another image hosting site that allows 3rd party hosting, and hope a script is provided by AFF to relink images in threads to the new host.

5. Set up your own site / server.

The problem with (4) is that with millions of Photobucket users moving to sites like Imgur, Flicker and others, is the added pressure and 3rd party hosting costs these sites will obviously experience, forcing them to maybe also charge high yearly fees like Photobucket down the track.

Choices? ... But what to do.

[russellw]

UPDATE

Ok. Here is our current approach.

1. We will be opening the period between the 1st August and 14th of August for post editing by users for all threads in the Project Cars forum. This will only allow an individual to edit their own posts but it's one option for those who have vaible alternate storage.

2. We are currently installing a new integrated gallery application on the test server to replace the current Photopost Pro that (as noted earlier) is past the use by date. The new app will undergo testing once it is integrated fully and we will then migrate to that server for all users. At this stage, that is only backed by 1 Tb of RAID storage but we have asked for more to be added to the storage array.

3. User who had the Photoracket privacy option ticked will not be able to easily migrate without re-linking all their images as the obfuscation of the file names was effective.

4. Whether we can script the links for other image hosting solutions (outside of AFF) will depend on whether they mangle the image name from that which is currently embedded on the forum. For example, if you image is called my_car.jpg and the image host doesn't change that then we can fix the links with a simple database query. If it is named gfriwnfdkl.jpg and that isn't the real image name then we can't.

We've considered an aggregated account (and it's still an option for those who want to try it) but I am firmly of the belief that eventually this will spread to all commercial sites that currently offer free hosting options. Note: This option may be ok for scripting as only the gallery name should change so a query might well fix it.

We have no intention to do anything other than offer a cost recovery option for members and as we are adding storage to our existing (new) server, that cost should be manageable for a small annual fee although as it is a redundant solution, the cost effectively doubles (because we need two physical disks for every one disk of space).

Cheers
Russ

[Uncle_Ken]

thanks for all your efforts Russell.
UK

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by russellw

[B]UPDATE

1. We will be opening the period between the 1st August and 14th of August for post editing by users for all threads in the Project Cars forum. This will only allow an individual to edit their own posts but it's one option for those who have vaible alternate storage.

Hi RussellW,

Thank you for all your efforts in this matter, much appreciated!

My build thread containing 370 images and I have been running for 12 months is in the "Show N Shine" forum. Will I be granted permission to edit only my posts in that thread, even though it is not in the "Project Cars forum" ?

I'm sure many members are in the same position?

Thanks

[CB1123]

Originally Posted by russellw

UPDATE

Ok. Here is our current approach.

1. We will be opening the period between the 1st August and 14th of August for post editing by users for all threads in the Project Cars forum. This will only allow an individual to edit their own posts but it's one option for those who have vaible alternate storage.

.................

Cheers
Russ

I think this is the best option and one I would like to explore, however I have a couple of questions - which may only show my ignorance to this situation but here goes:

1. I have threads in the Show ' N Shine, Falcons > Classic , OzECruisers Workshop Builds .... is there a reason we couldn't open the editing across the site for posts we've authored?

2.Will the integrated gallery application be sorted by 1st August so that the editing we are proposing could allow us to populate our threads with images from the integrated gallery?

3. Bring on a fee for the image hosting service - I'll happily pay it .... I have gained so much knowledge, laughs, inspiration from this site and am keen to support it.

I hope that all makes sense?

[russellw]

The problem with opening editing globally is that it has the potential to create chaos and the capability can't be controlled by individual although it can be controlled by group which isn't going to really help in this case.

We could incorporate other forums but probably only Show'n'Shine is likely to be added, however we do have a couple of volunteers from the moderation team who will assist with edits in other forum areas to amend image links. More details later.

I doubt that we will have migrated to the new server by August 1st - the main problem is that we really need a long enough window to do the cut-over which requires a fair bit of work, including:

- a backup and restore of the current database (4-5 hours);
- synchronisation of the current gallery (1-2 hours);
- DNS migration (~1 hour); and
- testing.

Even starting at 01:00 on a Sunday morning, means that we are unlikely to finish much before 09:00 and that's assuming that everything goes to plan - which it usually doesn't.

Cheers
Russ

[BFIIGhiaZF6]

Thanks for everything Russel, I would be happy to make my Photobucket account and 500Gb of available space accessible to you if that would be of any help at all.

Regards, George

[PridenJoy]

Very strangely, Photobucket seems to have ruined all my pics on AFF except one

https://fordforums.com.au/showpost.p...&postcount=274

I have no idea why.

[BFIIGhiaZF6]

Think you'll find the pics are from another source or your AFF gallery, if you have one?

[ebxr8240]

Yea they won't support 3rd party unless you pay for the service ! Nice pr--ks.

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by PridenJoy

Very strangely, Photobucket seems to have ruined all my pics on AFF except one

https://fordforums.com.au/showpost.p...&postcount=274

I have no idea why.

They ruined that one too.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

They ruined that one too.

Seemed to have taken them some period of time to get around to defacing all the photos in peoples libraries ..

I've been with them from very early on (2003 I think) .. lot of old photos there I'll not bother to go relocate. Lucky they are only cars/bikes and not photos of lost loved ones, etc ..

Have to go down as one of the great PR disasters of all time.

[ScotchanDry]

Tried to download my photos from Photobucket failed 3 times..over it.. got most copies...Deleted my account and I stated reason, far too expensive for the small amount of third party embedding I do....

[BOSS 540]

Over 10 years of various project pics gone!

You can hardly even navigate on PBucket without 'pop up' crap invading the screen.

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by BOSS 540

Over 10 years of various project pics gone!

You can hardly even navigate on PBucket without 'pop up' crap invading the screen.

I just deleted my account and that was such a challenge on it's own. Between the popups, ads everywhere and the fact it runs slow as hell these days and is completely unstable, it took ages just to navigate between pages.

[OzriderXR8]

Someone on another forum has tried this and it appears to work.

it seems if you "edit" the thread and then add "~original" to the end of the URL of the picture, the picture is visible again

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by OzriderXR8

Someone on another forum has tried this and it appears to work.

it seems if you "edit" the thread and then add "~original" to the end of the URL of the picture, the picture is visible again

Just tried this and its working!

Thanks

[GO FURTHER]

Yep ... Appears to be working
I wonder how long it will be before Photobucket close this loop hole?

[jpblue1000]

shhhh dont tell them!

HAHAHAAaaaaaaaaaa yeah!