Photobucket and Others Restricting Service

[Boxer .45]

I'm not paying anywhere near $99 a year either, they can KMA. I might consider $30, maybe. Personally I think they have severely screwed themselves and given themselves a bad name in the process. The way they went about this and continue to do so, with no warning or reasonable fee will probably be their complete fall and at this point I hope it's one they won't recover from. They asked for it IMO.

They have to be rolling in the cash with over a dozen ads per page, not to mention popups, etc for years. Even their "sign up for PB" popup had five ads in it. Because of that the site was already suffering, I know about eight people within the last year on a forum I was a mod on that closed their paying account because of it, that was before this BS. Most people would have likely paid for an account if they hadn't advertised, which would have reduced or gotten rid of the lag.

 

[Boxer .45]

If you guys look back through this thread it's already happening here in this thread.

 

[WValtakis]

For those that say, "I am not having any problems", just wait. I have seen five people just today that had this happen, more all of the time, it seems progressive.

...they got me.

Anybody know a bored lawyer to file a class action suit? It seems like there should be some prohibition against doing this with pretty much no warning. I don't recall getting an new ToS update or anything about this.

~Chip

 

[Esav Benyamin]

imgur may be your guys' best bet. I haven't had any problems with it on my phone(haven't tried on desktop), and it's all free.

Yup, PhotoBucket has been going downhill.
Spark has been recommending imgur.com

 

[-Corey-]

I wasn't being a smart ass, you saw the smiley face after right?

I figured I was taking it the wrong way, my bad brother. And just for the record...

 

[RamZar]

PhotoBucket's Plus 500 is the only way to have image links within your posts. However, at $399.99 per year most here will not bite.

Time to use an alternative like Imgur which I was for a while.

If someone wants to see your Photobucket image all they have to do is copy the link of the PB update to a new web browser page. Unfortunately, they have to put up with PB's ad barrage.

Oh, well. It is what is.

 

[rycen]

Test

 

[Scott321]

Can you guys see this image? Testing Google Photos.

Edit: If you guys can see the above photo, I used Google Photos, but didn't click "share". Instead I opened up the image (so the black background appeared), right clicked the image, selected "copy image location", and pasted that link in the BF's "add image" pop up. Google Photos (at least for now) allows for unlimited photo uploads of "high quality" size.

I don't know if it matters, but I was using Chrome Browser when I copied the link.

My Photobucket account also stopped allowing 3rd party hosting for free.

 

[WValtakis]

I can see it

~Chip

 

[Scott321]

Chip, this is the pic you are trying to embed, right? I used the link to find your photo and then find the location URL before you re-edited your post.

I'll check this thread tomorrow after I get some sleep. If you have questions, I will do my best to answer them. I did not try this on my phone or tablet yet. I am using my computer.

 

[RamZar]

I downloaded one of my last pictures from PhotoBuckets and then uploaded it to Google Photos. I was able to get the direct image link from Google Photos and it's very long but it works. See below. Let's see if this stays here a while. I had to use a web browser because you can't get the link through the Google Photos iPhone App.

 

[WValtakis]

Yup, that was my test from my phone. I couldn't grab the image location because it's an Android phone and it kept opening the photos app. Tried your way from my laptop and it works like a champ .

Now I just have to figure out how I can do it easily from my phone.

Thanks for the info,

~Chip

 

[mykel m]

Yup PB F'd me too so now to get used to imgur.
And after playing a bit I do believe I've got it.

PB's CEO btw.

 

[WValtakis]

Noooooo! @Lone_Wolfe got hit...truly a tragic loss of great pics

~Chip

 

[ndmiller]

...they got me.

Anybody know a bored lawyer to file a class action suit? It seems like there should be some prohibition against doing this with pretty much no warning. I don't recall getting an new ToS update or anything about this.

~Chip

They could just close their service because they cannot afford to give away resources anymore..........

 

[WValtakis]

True...but Photobucket going under would affect me the same as the recent change

For now, I downloaded all my pics from Photobucket last night and uploaded them to my Google drive. I am in the process of changing my links over (at least here on BF).

I also contacted Photobucket via the app and let them know my feelings on the change. I mentioned the loss of millions of valuable pics across the web on many forums, and said that I will be deleting my account if the new ToS are not changed.

I said that I have no problem paying $30/year for the service I have enjoyed in the past, but $400/year is outrageous for non-commercial use.

~Chip

 

[taldesta]

To be fair, Photobucket could restrict third party links on free user accounts from the present onward with a restriction - not a complete historical lock out - without creating the animosity of suddenly locking all images linked across forums and blogs retroactively.

If they alerted free users that it will be 'pay' (lets name a reasonable figure here) or no more third party linking from now on - that could be a sound business move. Likely expected at some point by free users. Not to disregard that PB has used the free member account numbers as 'eyes' that leverage advertising income ... and 'eyes' that are fed relentless ads, spam and email solicitations. I have never read the fine print on PB and can't say if they have ownership and can market as stock photos the images uploaded from free accounts ... but I do wonder. So, free accounts are not a complete drain on the service. Clicks count.

So PB, on the website, perhaps right on the upload screen, block the image share for free user accounts from now on and do one of your infamous pop ups to say, pay or no play from now on ... and be realistic about the cost.

And don't anger your users who have trusted the service (you offered for free) by locking all their pics from the beginning of time across all their forums and blogs. You might try respecting the human time invested in these images. Free users have promoted Photobucket brand across the internet. It is not all take. To me it doesn't matter all that much compared to the gut-wrench that a lot of users are relating.

The retroactive lockout - not nice, not smart IMO. Oops, there goes all the work ...

 

[Scott321]

Hmm... my image is gone in the post now. I posted it about 6 hours ago.

There's another workaround using Google Drive that I've been using on my Wordpress site for months now, but I don't have time right now to play around with it on my computer. I will try again later.

 

[r8shell]

To be fair, Photobucket could restrict third party links on free user accounts from the present onward with a restriction - not a complete historical lock out - without creating the animosity of suddenly locking all images linked across forums and blogs retroactively.

If they alerted free users that it will be 'pay' (lets name a reasonable figure here) or no more third party linking from now on - that could be a sound business move. Likely expected at some point by free users. Not to disregard that PB has used the free member account numbers as 'eyes' that leverage advertising income ... and 'eyes' that are fed relentless ads, spam and email solicitations. I have never read the fine print on PB and can't say if they have ownership and can market as stock photos the images uploaded from free accounts ... but I do wonder. So, free accounts are not a complete drain on the service. Clicks count.

So PB, on the website, perhaps right on the upload screen, block the image share for free user accounts from now on and do one of your infamous pop ups to say, pay or no play from now on ... and be realistic about the cost.

And don't anger your users who have trusted the service (you offered for free) by locking all their pics from the beginning of time across all their forums and blogs. You might try respecting the human time invested in these images. Free users have promoted Photobucket brand across the internet. It is not all take. To me it doesn't matter all that much compared to the gut-wrench that a lot of users are relating.

The retroactive lockout - not nice, not smart IMO. Oops, there goes all the work ...

View attachment 726693

I agree. I know nothing's free. I wouldn't be terribly upset if they blocked me from 3rd party posting from now on. I have almost all my pics saved on my computer, but I just can't imagine going back and editing years of posts.
Also, there are pictures in threads going back years by members who are no longer active here. It makes me sad to think of all that info in the archives gone.

 

[WValtakis]

Hmm... my image is gone in the post now. I posted it about 6 hours ago.

There's another workaround using Google Drive that I've been using on my Wordpress site for months now, but I don't have time right now to play around with it on my computer. I will try again later.

Yeah, mine aren't lasting either I look forward to seeing your workaround when you have time.

~Chip