Hostage of Photobucket

[Fred W]

I apologize if this was already covered but I do not think that it was. Has anyone with a paid subscription to Photobucket had any problem linking to their photos stored on Photobucket, or been told they willl have an increased subscription rate to do so? It seems to me that the only people complaining here are those that were using the free 2GB image storage space.

 

[08FJR4ME]

I am using the free service. They haven't mentioned a thing to me yet. I keep using it as i normally do. I posted pic's here yesterday without any issues. I haven't used up half my space yet so maybe that's why they have left me alone sofar. I only use to post pic's here and have very little personal stuff on it. But as some have mentioned they do have the most annoying popups I have ever delt with. It is free so I put up with it.

Dave

 

[RossKean]

Nobody who has a paid subscription has specifically mentioned anything here - YET. In fact, only some people with free 2 GB accounts have had problems so far (mine is still intact). Since some have definitely lost linking to what they have, I suspect that the rollout is gradual or possibly based upon usage. Time will tell...

 

[dcarver]

Maybe we all should consume the free limit with pix of 'PhotoBucket Sucks'.... then never use the site again.

 

[Old Guy]

Nobody who has a paid subscription has specifically mentioned anything here - YET. In fact, only some people with free 2 GB accounts have had problems so far (mine is still intact). Since some have definitely lost linking to what they have, I suspect that the rollout is gradual or possibly based upon usage. Time will tell...

I'm only at about 32% of the free 2Gb and don't expect ever to need it all. As I understand it, people are exceeding the 2 Gb limit then getting the account locked until they subscribe to a pay service. That'd irritate me as well. I can see getting a notice that the pics you're trying to upload won't because it'd put you over the limit. I can see allowing you to clean some old pics off to make room. But just shutting down on the one picture that puts you over with no recourse other than a paid subscription does sound wrong.

 

[escapefjrtist]

I'm at 7% of the "free" 2GB of storage, which is to say I have 884 pics reduced to forum posting size. I've got the originals catalogued in trip / event folders and safely stored on an external HDD and backed up elsewhere.

Since I'm no where close to the 2GB limit, it's the 3rd party linking usage that's getting accounts shut down. I've been using the free PB account since 2004, so I guess it was a pretty good run. From my spot checks, all of my thread posted pics are held ransom.

--G

 

[hppants]

I've paid for Photobucket for years, and as of this writing, I see no change in my service, nor have I received any notice of an impending change, or request for more money. IIRC, my annual service renews in December, so I've got some time.

I've confirmed (via email from customer service) that Smug Mug has unlimited storage capacity for all plans, but users are limited to 5000 pictures per "gallery", which I believe is synonymous with a folder. Also, there are absolutely no ads and S/M allows image linking to other websites using the traditional syntax.

 

[BkerChuck]

FWIW, current owner of SmugMug is the same person who owns/runs ADVRider forum. I'm semi active over there but not nearly as much as on here. I've noticed some overlap of screen names.

20% SmugMug Credit is listed there as a discount code for anyone interested. Haven't tried it myself so use at your own risk.

 

[rbentnail]

I am using the free service. They haven't mentioned a thing to me yet. I keep using it as i normally do. I posted pic's here yesterday without any issues. I haven't used up half my space yet so maybe that's why they have left me alone sofar. I only use to post pic's here and have very little personal stuff on it. But as some have mentioned they do have the most annoying popups I have ever delt with. It is free so I put up with it.
Dave

I've had a good run with PB and my free acct is at 46% according to their meter. Third party linking has been disabled for my acct so I'm thinking they just haven't gotten around to you yet.

I'm liking the "fill with pics of PhotoBucket Sucks and quit using" idea.

 

[FJR Flyer]

Nobody who has a paid subscription has specifically mentioned anything here - YET. In fact, only some people with free 2 GB accounts have had problems so far (mine is still intact). Since some have definitely lost linking to what they have, I suspect that the rollout is gradual or possibly based upon usage. Time will tell...

I'm only at about 32% of the free 2Gb and don't expect ever to need it all. As I understand it, people are exceeding the 2 Gb limit then getting the account locked until they subscribe to a pay service. That'd irritate me as well. I can see getting a notice that the pics you're trying to upload won't because it'd put you over the limit. I can see allowing you to clean some old pics off to make room. But just shutting down on the one picture that puts you over with no recourse other than a paid subscription does sound wrong.

That is exactly what happened to me. I've got a work around, which may be temporary, but I've got all my pics backed up.

 

[TomInPA]

Thanks Bounce. Pretty much the same advice as when this subject came up before. If something (like a ride report) is important to you...link to something you own or control.

Iggie, this forum has resisted compatibility with Tapatalk for a long time, but they do host images without cost and make posting from remote locations on a mobile device a cinch. It might be time to reconsider this forum's adversity to mobile devices. The days of laptops and desk computers are numbered, and the ability to construct trip reports from mobile images has a lot of value. Most of all, we are losing the hosting services of Photobucket which was the standard for years. FWIW, not many of us own or control servers.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Tom, Tapatalk sucks Donkey. It's full of adds and half the time won't connect to its stupid server. It's convenient when it works, but the new adds are bullshit. I thought the other Forum got spammed until I figured it out. I am using the PAID Pro-version of Tapatalk. Now they want more money to make their new adds stop. Screw them! Tapatalk is NOT a good solution to this issue!!

 

[TomInPA]

I agree Tapatalk may not be the best, or even a good answer, but eventually platforms will at least work with mobile or have more limited participation. At least when I'm on the road it makes posting easy. I don't view the site other than to use it that way, and I suspect it won't be long before they follow the Photobucket example of self immolation.

Back on topic, Photobucket has become almost unusable for me. I went there last night and tried to update my mobile downloads and view my photo library and got hit with more spam than a free porn site. Banner ads, popups and promotions to upgrade made it impossible to do anything.

 

[Bounce]

Despite reports from pundits to the contrary, mobile platforms remain an content consumption platform. Content creation will remain the strength of desktop/laptop devices for the foreseeable future simply by the nature of their OS and I/O. They remain the trucks of the superhighway while mobile is the passenger vehicle. Lots of passenger vehicles access the highway but the heavy work is done by the trucks.

The industry is littered with failed businesses who banked on the pitch the IT pundits were throwing. The problem is because mobile is changing rapidly and is therefore more interesting to them while the heavy lifting OSs are more established and stable (so less interesting to the popular press). We are far from being in a so-called "post PC world".

 

[Laser Dude]

Tapatalk had it's claim to fame a couple years ago. For a forum to support it, you had to install something on your server. Unfortunately, there was a major security flaw in what they had people install on their servers, which opened a lot of people's sites up to some serious security issues. It got them a horrible reputation. After they worked through that, the changed their model to apparently make money from ads. Now, all they seem to care about is ad revenue. There are other options that have been much better than Tapatalk.

If I had a server, there's no way I'd install it on my server.

 

[Uncle Hud]

There seems to be a little confusion in what Photobucket is doing.

As I understand it, they are blocking access to your photos from websites, forums, blogs, etc where you've linked to the photos hosted on their site. They're not keeping you from accessing those photos.

This has nothing to do with the amount (gigabytes) of storage your photos occupy on their server. It has everything to do with the bandwidth consumed as the photo is "summoned" from Photobucket to be displayed on various places throughout the internet.

For example, let's use beemerdons' favorite. You only have one photo on PB, but it's an exquisite photo of Salma Hayek draped all over you after a fabulous ride on the Dragon. The photo's so good, you post in on 35 internet forums and your 5 blogs, and it goes viral because it's mentioned on TMZ. Each embedded instance of the "hosted" photo requires bandwidth through PB and PB's ISP, and the fact that it goes viral requires a lot more bandwidth.

PB pays for bandwidth, and you're using up a LOT more than any of their other customers, so -- zing -- you exceed some bandwidth limitation (maybe explicitly stated deep into their Terms of Service) and they decide to suspend linking to your photo.

So ..... while you may only have one photo stored on your PB account (the 2.0 megabyte file of Ms Hayek and you), the number of times you've referenced it is using PB's bandwidth beyond what they expected.

It will only get worse if other internet citizens get the PB address for your now-favorite-of-all-time photo, and post it on their own websites ("Get a load of this geezer with Ms. Hayek. He must be rich, because he sure ain't in her league.")

----- INTERNET SAVVY FOLKS, PLEASE CORRECT ANY ERRORS -----

 

[RossKean]

From the new terms and conditions:

Free account : Each individual Member gets one free account that provides 2 GB of free storage or space available for your original photo files, or videos under 10min. The free account does not allow any image linking or 3rd party image hosting. If a free account Member exceeds their Content Limit, their account will be immediately suspended and they will need to become a Paying Member (defined below) in order to continue accessing their account. You can upgrade to a Plus account at any time.

This suggests to me that you could lose access to your free account if you have more than 2 GB in it. No idea whether they are doing this...

I agree that the issue is bandwidth with respect to requiring the expensive account for linking.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Well, back in post 51 I linked back to a 2009 post about a ride with Old Michael. On July 1 the pics were good. 6 days later they're gone, the bastards. And my sig line had only two of the five icons I've been using for years left, all replaced by the great photobucket "full gauge" symbol. Photobucket's chances of ever getting a dollar from me, and I sincerely how that applies to all of us, is ZERO! I'll take the loss of the pictures I've posted and find somewhere else, free or paid, before I'd submit to their extortion. There's really no difference between what they did and those criminal bastards who plant a virus in personal and business computers and then demand a ransom to unlock the systems.

Nice new signature line I have now, right? (Today, I have two of the original five icons. Wonder how long I'll have any at all. For that matter, I wonder how long I'll be able to keep using my silly dog-biting-himself-in-the-balls avatar. Guess that's hosted in scumbucket too.)

 

[mcatrophy]

... For that matter, I wonder how long I'll be able to keep using my silly dog-biting-himself-in-the-balls avatar. Guess that's hosted in scumbucket too.)

Luckily for you (and many others), avatars are hosted by this forum (I've put some spaces in the URL so it will display here):

http : // www. fjrforum. com/forum/uploads/profile/photo-thumb-11508. jpg?_r=0

 

[Fred W]

Amusing all of the angst and hatred for a company that has been literally giving away its product to you free account users for years, who then decides to change its terms of service in an attempt to become profitable. Do you feel entitled to have someone provide you free web hosting for eternity with them picking up the not insignificant expense? Do you also get angry when the cable company gives you a week of free HBO and then discontinues it unless you subscribe?

All companies are in business to make a profit. How do you expect them to make a profit by you uploading photos to a free account (probably while running an ad blocker) and then linking them to a forum or social media site that does not display any of their advertising?

I do not think the problem has anything to do with bandwidth, as Hud suggests. I think it has much more to do with basic economics and the fact that they get no income from allowing free users to link to photos. Why they ever allowed that practice is the real question.