DON'T Use Photobucket on Ratsun

[dat521gatherer]

Still using xp with firefox and both stopped support a while ago and I can still see Klotz photos.

 

I did get a email in November saying my plus 20 plan was being discontinued and that I needed to migrate up sooner rather than later. Nothing on my pb page says though.

[thisismatt]

I have no agenda, nor do I use photobucket. But you can't constantly complain about losing a free service. You cost them money and they got tired of it. I agree they didn't transition away from their free service smoothly, but it's not their fault all these forum posts are now screwed up, it's short sighted users who thought they could get a costly service for free for eternity

[datzenmike]

Now I can't see your posts either....

[thisismatt]

Mike likes the cawk

[DanielC]

It really was not a free service.  Photobucket was selling your eyeballs to any one who used photobusket to advertise what they were selling.

[mklotz70]

Thanks Matt.  You being able to see them.....provided you're not using the "fix" someone programmed for us......shows that my account still allows 3rd party hosting links.  It will end at some point.  Since I've been paying for a "pro" account for many years, I think I have a right to bitch about them jerking us around like this.  The links still work on what's up, but I don't think I can put any new ones up.  There's no way in the world I'm going to go back and try to fix 6000+ pictures I've put links to on ratsun.  Without the pictures, the many hundreds of hours I spent typing in writeups and the like become a complete waste of time.  I lost a ton of stuff when they shut down NWDE.  That was annoying.....this is infuriating!  I loved sharing stuff on this forum, but I'll be damned if I'm going to bother with another image host.  I can see why people are moving to creating facebook pages for the build threads.  

[thisismatt]

It really was not a free service. Photobucket was selling your eyeballs to any one who used photobusket to advertise what they were selling.

But not with 3rd party hosting as everyone has been using it posting pictures on other sites (eg this forum), hence why they shut that down.

[wayno]

And there you go, EVERYONE has been using photo hosting sites to post their photos somewhere, what other reason is there to host photos somewhere?

Really what reason is there for them to even exist if they don't host 3rd party photos?

If all the 3rd party hosted photos were removed everywhere, would there be photos to see on the internet anymore except for the ones on sites that host there own photos?

[240zness]

Now I can't see your posts either....

Need eyes too see.

[thisismatt]

And there you go, EVERYONE has been using photo hosting sites to post their photos somewhere, what other reason is there to host photos somewhere?

Really what reason is there for them to even exist if they don't host 3rd party photos?

If all the 3rd party hosted photos were removed everywhere, would there be photos to see on the internet anymore except for the ones on sites that host there own photos?

When you view photos on their site they gather ad revenue. When you circumvent this by posting photos directly to other sites (eg forums) they lose money. They probably had enough views on their site that they allowed this for some time. But it's not y2k anymore and banner ads don't generate ad revenue like they used to. When you uploaded and view photos on their site it's not 3rd party since their revenue aspect is still in play...

[zenndog]

This sucks, the photobucket issue

 

Are most folks using imgur now?

 

I dread opening a new account

 

I am pulling my 320 out of mothballs and am going to try and post some threads coming up

[240zness]

Postimage , made an account. but can post w/out loging in

[wayno]

OK, I am trying to get this straight, lets say Fisch decides to use Photobucket to host his art, he then copies them and puts them on his site to sell them, is this what you are talking about, or are you saying that Fisch can put a link to his account so others can look at his art, I don't even see a reason for this as Fisch could just host his own photos on his own site, why would he need Photobucket and their fees?

 

I would happily pay a reasonable sum of money for what Photobucket had back in 2010-2012, that was easy to use, what they have now is basically a mess and not worth paying for, but maybe that is the point, all this stuff about 2010-2012 makes me think about how I sure do miss Windows XP, that was an awesome operating system.

 

I just don't get what they are selling, well I just looked it up, they are a photo hosting site, well most out there(75% of a 100 million) used Photobucket to host 3rd party photos, 25% of them must use them to host photos for business or other non 3rd party activities, and I am sure the businesses will host their photos on there own web based site in the future and likely are now, so like the Photobucket employee base, they will likely fade away unless they find some other way to make money.

[Charlie69]

I've been on it all morning....seriously....since about 3:30am.  It's actually been working great for me.  The "download" option has been working .....or maybe is a download app....either way, it's been playing nicely all morning.  I had previously saved out all of the pics, but I couldn't get it to do anything with the vids.  I was able to do the vids this morning....more or less one at a time.  I think I've gotten the majority of them saved out, just in case.

 

The info I got from them said that I had until Dec of 2018.  I have that chrome app running that someone here did for use so we can see PB pics.  I'm not sure if my PB links work in the threads or not.  Can you guys see the pics in my threads?  http://community.ratsun.net/topic/8175-mklotz70-project-mend/

 

Time to do something else.  I was also converting CAD files from my old program to fusion360.....had to do it via solidworks.......I'm computer numb right now!!!

Mike I see your pictures fine but I am using the FireFox plugin that Lost_Player wrote for us to use. 

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/54932-photobucket-ratsun/page-18?do=findComment&comment=1507475

[mklotz70]

Mike I see your pictures fine but I am using the FireFox plugin that Lost_Player wrote for us to use. 

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/54932-photobucket-ratsun/page-18?do=findComment&comment=1507475

 

Thanks for linking that up Charlie!!!  

 

I have to agree with Wayno.  When PB started, they were specifically a hosting site that encouraged you to store your pictures with them and then share/link them everywhere you wanted.  They made it extremely easy and created those links for you.  That was their sole purpose when they started.  So, they get everyone entrenched in using them, then decide to charge $400/yr to be able to continue to use all the links you've put in place over many years......bad decision driven by greed!  They could have upped the prices 20% and started charging for what was previously free......but $400????  That's complete and utter BS!!  My weebly based web page and go daddy domains don't cost me anywhere near that much!  I guess I'll look into creating some pages on my site just to store photos.  I could probably dump a ton of pics on my mediafire account too.  PB could have put an ad on each picture that was viewed via a link.....like youtube.  

 

I was just looking at my PB account....been a member since Sep 2006 with 9600 files uploaded.  It's set to renew Aug 2018.....which is probably when my links will quit working if I don't pay their ransom.  I can't seem to find anywhere on the site that allows me to change my prepayment setup. 

 

They have a plus 100 account that says unlimited "sharing".....which seems to be just via email and social media.  I guess that would be fine if I wanted to put build threads and how-to's up on a FB page.....but why not just load the pics to FB then?  It's $100/yr.  That would be a reasonable price to have unlimited 3rd party hosting.  Anyway.....I've got other stuff I need to get done.  I'll change my PB account so that it does not renew and just let it die.  Hhmmm.......I wonder if anyone has thought to pay the $400, then charge to sublet space on it?  If 10 people went together and shared the login.....$40/yr...??  Hard to find 10 people you could trust like that these days. lol  

[mklotz70]

Now I can't see your posts either....

 

Are you using the "fix" to be able to see pics on ratsun?  If not, can you see the pics in the thread I linked?  

 

I've been paying $25/yr to PB for a long time.  I'm going to ask them directly if I keep paying that, will the links continue to work. I don't care about being able to upload new pics and create new links, but if I can maintain at $25/yr to help keep the threads valid, I'll do it.  If not, I'll cancel the renewal and it will die in Aug '18.

[mklotz70]

Here's where I saw the Dec '18 date.  Mine renews in Aug....I'll probably just let it die then since it's only a few months away.  I have a Plus 20 account.  This is copied from the support page on photobucket.

 

What Users Are Affected By The Changes To Our 3rd Party Hosting Policies?

Moving forward, new and legacy free account users will NOT have third party
hosting available.

If you were a Plus Account subscriber in good standing as of June 1, 2017,
you will continue to have all the privileges you have enjoyed including 3rd
Party Hosting until December 31, 2018 as long as you maintain your
subscription.

Non Plus 500 Account subscribers that purchased after June 1, 2017 will not
have access to 3rd Party Hosting.

[datzenmike]

Are you using the "fix" to be able to see pics on ratsun?  If not, can you see the pics in the thread I linked?  

 

I've been paying $25/yr to PB for a long time.  I'm going to ask them directly if I keep paying that, will the links continue to work. I don't care about being able to upload new pics and create new links, but if I can maintain at $25/yr to help keep the threads valid, I'll do it.  If not, I'll cancel the renewal and it will die in Aug '18.

 

Not using the plug in at all. If everyone did I guess I would have to also. If I did, I would see and post things that the majority could not, so what's the point really. Having switched to another host I will never go back to that incredibly slow, un-navigable, aggravating service. Ten years I wasted on PB and it probably shortened my life a measurable amount. I have all my transmission pictures on my computer and backed up on a hard drive.

 

[mklotz70]

So do you see my pics or not? lol

[datzenmike]

Actually I do. I thought the 'fix' only worked for those who had it.

[thisismatt]

Mike sounds like he's on a grandfathered plan that still allows 3rd party hosting, but will stop allowing that at the end of 2018. I can see his pictures and I'm not using the "fix" for the same reason - it does little good to be able to see the pictures if so many other people can't.

[wayno]

I use the fix, but I cannot see every ones photos all the time, I cannot see Zenndog's signature photo, nor can I see Bob3's photos here on Ratsun in his thread, but if I search for Bob3's MX520 on the internet and click on one of his photos in the images that show on that search that obviously came from Ratsun, then click on "visit that page/source" in the options I can then see that photo on Ratsun and several others also, this is a complicated system that Photolame has set up to keep photos alive in a search and the results, but to have them replaced in the forum itself to forum users/members with that you need to upgrade image.

 

I believe the fix is only so I can see my own photos, I can see paying members photos because they are paying, I suspect they have been paying all along a lesser amount, if photos you could not see now suddenly appear then that person paid the higher amount otherwise you should have been able to see them all along, and I am sure there are reasons that a few had to pay because of it being a business decision as they sell parts on forums and they need there photos to show to sell parts, but for a member like me it doesn't make sense to pay that kind of money.

 

Forums all over the internet have only one entity(Photolame) to blame for this this time, but in the future if it happens again the owners of said forums can only blame themselves if they continue to let photos be hosted from outside sources, and it will happen again if Photolame survives this.

[mklotz70]

Thanks Mike. :)

 

yep....what Matt said.  You can see mine because my account was what was considered a "pro" account way back.....but, that goes away when renewal comes up.  I could renew and still have good links until Dec, but why....not worth the money.

 

I run the "fix" on chrome......I'm pretty sure it works with all PB pics I come across....even on other forums.....but I'm not positive about that.  

[Charlie69]

I use the fix, but I cannot see every ones photos all the time, I cannot see Zenndog's signature photo, nor can I see Bob3's photos here on Ratsun in his thread, but if I search for Bob3's MX520 on the internet and click on one of his photos in the images that show on that search that obviously came from Ratsun, then click on "visit that page/source" in the options I can then see that photo on Ratsun and several others also, this is a complicated system that Photolame has set up to keep photos alive in a search and the results, but to have them replaced in the forum itself to forum users/members with that you need to upgrade image.

 

I believe the fix is only so I can see my own photos, I can see paying members photos because they are paying, I suspect they have been paying all along a lesser amount, if photos you could not see now suddenly appear then that person paid the higher amount otherwise you should have been able to see them all along, and I am sure there are reasons that a few had to pay because of it being a business decision as they sell parts on forums and they need there photos to show to sell parts, but for a member like me it doesn't make sense to pay that kind of money.

 

Forums all over the internet have only one entity(Photolame) to blame for this this time, but in the future if it happens again the owners of said forums can only blame themselves if they continue to let photos be hosted from outside sources, and it will happen again if Photolame survives this.

 

The biggest benefit to the fix in my opinion is that I can see the picture and also when editing to replace the bad Photofuckit picture link with my new PostImage link, by clicking the top left button (BBCode Mode) in the edit window you can see the actual name of the photo instead of the photo.  I find this very helpful when fixing the bad picture links.

 

Thanks Mike. :)

 

yep....what Matt said.  You can see mine because my account was what was considered a "pro" account way back.....but, that goes away when renewal comes up.  I could renew and still have good links until Dec, but why....not worth the money.

 

I run the "fix" on chrome......I'm pretty sure it works with all PB pics I come across....even on other forums.....but I'm not positive about that.  

 

The FireFox fix works across the internet so I would assume the Chrome fix does to.

[wayno]

I just went thru my spam folder to delete everything and found two messages from Photolame, they offered me 3rd party hosting and up to 300,000 stored photos for $119.99 a year, it's all I can do to restrain myself from replying and telling them what I really think about them.

In my opinion they are trying to save themselves now, and I would suggest letting them go down to send a message to others that back stabbing is frowned upon, all forums should ban or at least discourage the use their hosting services, as when you quit paying guess what, your photos will disappear.

The way I see it, if forums don't host their own photos, they are going to have a lot of broken photos in their future, and what would have been a useful resource in the future will not be a  reliable resource ever again.

I remember when I first joined this forum I could search and find just about anything I needed with photos(photos are worth pages of words), now I find  a lot of "you need to upgrade" photos and there is only one person to thank for this, the CEO of Photolame, there is no one else to blame as when I signed up for a Photolame account it said "FREE", it's not any ones fault except their own that people have not been happy with what they have been offering that last 3/4 years(since the late 2013 change) and in my opinion it is not even worth paying for, so it would seem that lots of folks have went elsewhere and now Photolame might be struggling, I say let them fail, I am not paying nor am I going to pay,  no one can see them photos anyway.

 

I am curious about one thing, a few here on Ratsun have replaced their photos in their threads, once you did that did you delete/close your Photolame account?