What are we going to do about PhotoPoint???

M

mmtmatrix

Joined
May 15, 2000
Messages
353
I know that this is not directly knife related, but I thought it really needed to be talked about.

I recently received an email from Photopoint.com an online web site that I know MANY, MANY of us her a Bladeforums use to post pictures of our knives. One of the things that instantly attracted me to this web site was the fact that it was free. But in this recent email they have notified me that this service will no longer be provided for free. As of mid-May users will have to begin to pary for the use of their site. The fee is not huge but still a fee, I don't want to sound like a tight wad, I am just curious to others feelings and plans of what you will be doing?

Thanks - I would appreciate anyone's ideas or opinions, sorry for posting in the general forum, but I know that so many of us use this site and it is knife related.
Malcolm
-mmtmatrix-
 
Well I was JUST about to post about that too and make the subject-'I guess ya'll are screwed'... lol
I barely used it but I realized out of the 2 photos I had in there I had 250 hits! I wish I had used it. Dang. Oh well. I'll just use my Yahoo! Page now. lol

Ya'll know what though? Well dang. THat wouldn't work either. I would say i could try to make a server for ya'll after I get up some money but I would have to have the bandwidth. Dang...

------------------
 
I did not get this email (yet).

could you cut-n-paste part of it here? just wondering whether it's a hoax.
 
I didn't get the email but hate to hear that. What is the fee? Freebies on the net will all be gone pretty soon.
 
I got the email, too. What can we do???
 

I really don't know what can be done, Here is the main and important stuff from the email (I have edited/deleated some of it to be more to the point (this is just the mail body) - there was some legal stuff also at the bottom ex. fine print, but I am sure that this is the real deal - it was complete with links to the site and links to stuff like BUY NOW / click here to order)

What can be done??? What other free photo servers are out there???
There has to be some other way -- maybe they will give BF.com members free photos? (we could send them some knives for free use of there web site, just an idea)
smile.gif


Thanks,
Malcolm


Subj: Important Information About Your PhotoPoint Account

Please note, this email is being sent to inform you about a change in your PhotoPoint account.
Even if you have opted out of promotional messages, we are required to contact you regarding
this important change.

Dear Member,

PhotoPoint has dedicated its business to protecting your pictures and allowing you to share them
easily with your family and friends. We thank you for making PhotoPoint the #1 online photography
company.

To continue providing you the online photo experience you enjoy, we need to make several changes
to our service in the coming weeks. Most significant is that, starting in mid-May, PhotoPoint.com
will no longer be a free service, except for limited "trial" memberships.

We believe you deserve to get real value for your dollars. For the past six months we have
conducted surveys and talked directly with members to learn what people want from an online photo
company. We have built a full-service program based on value, not just storage, designed by users
like you.

As a PhotoPoint Member, you will enjoy all of the current PhotoPoint features including secure
photo albums and PicCheer photo postcards, plus:

- Save 5% off all print orders for the year
- Create and Save up to 5 SmashCast Movies - add music and graphics to your photos
- Store up to 1000 photos*
- Print at Home service - print photos at home like a pro
- Enjoy express customer service
- Receive our PhotoPointersTM Tutorial Series - valuable tips and tricks for improving your
photography

For a limited time, you can join for an entire year for a one-time charge of $19.95, and we'll
include 25 free prints (the prints alone are a $12 value). As a valued member, you also have the
option of a special lower priced basic membership, which does not include prints, for just $9.95
for the year. These introductory offers will end April 30, 2001.

We want to thank you for your loyal support of PhotoPoint, and look forward to continuing to
provide you with the best photo service on the Internet. If you have any questions, please visit
our More Information page, or contact Customer Service.

Sincerely,

Ed Bernstein,
CEO
PhotoPoint.com

Membership Plus $19.95
With 25 Prints (a $12 value)
Buy Now

Basic Membership $9.95
With No Prints
Buy Now

If you do not want to continue as a PhotoPoint Member, click here

 
Here is the email I got.

Dear Member,

PhotoPoint has dedicated its business to protecting your pictures and allowing you to share them easily with your family and friends.
We thank you for making PhotoPoint the #1 online photograph company.
To continue providing you the online photo experience you enjoy, we need to make several changes to our service in the coming weeks.
Most significant is that, starting in mid-May, PhotoPoint.com will no longer be a free service, except for limited "trial"
memberships. We believe you deserve to get real value for your dollars. For the
past six months we have conducted surveys and talked directly with members to learn what people want from an online photo company.
We have built a full-service program based on value, not just storage, designed by users like you.
As a PhotoPoint Member, you will enjoy all of the current PhotoPoint features including secure photo albums and PicCheer photo
postcards, plus:
Save 5% off all print orders for the year
Create and Save up to 5 SmashCast Movies - add music and graphics to your photos
Store up to 1000 photos*
Print at Home service - print photos at home like a pro
Enjoy express customer service
Receive our PhotoPointersTM Tutorial Series -valuable tips and tricks for improving your photography
For a limited time, you can join for an entire year for a one-time charge of $19.95, and we'll include 25 free prints (the prints alone are a $12 value). As a valued member, you also have the option of a special lower priced basic membership, which does not include prints, for just $9.95 for the year. These introductory offers will end April 30, 2001.
We want to thank you for your loyal support of PhotoPoint, and look forward to continuing to provide you with the best photo service on the Internet. If you have any questions, please visit our More
Information page, or contact Customer Service.

 
knife knife knife
smile.gif


how many knife pics did you guys have there? I checked, and had two.

I have grown tired of advertisements on my (free) websites, and photopoint pics seemed to load slowly anyway. So I purchased a domain name, and have recently been shopping the web for cheap hosting deals.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">for just $9.95 for the year</font>
Click to expand...

What are we talking about here?

Eighty-three cents a month. That's what we're talking about here.

Yes, I know you'd prefer free, but 83 cents per month isn't much for what you get from PhotoPoint.

There are other picture-hosting sites that are still free. Others will post those, I'm sure. If you don't think that PhotoPoint's service is worth 83 cents per month, then switch services, but don't whine about it.

------------------
Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
I host several websites including http://www.baliosongcollector.com at New Global Network. You get 100Mbytes of space for $10.95/month if you'll put a small link to their home page on yours, or $12.95 if you choose not to. And, you get unlimited e-mail forwarding so you can have a cool e-mail address like chuck@baliSongCollector.com.

I won't say that this is the best web hosting deal going, but it's pretty good for a larger site (which knife picture sites tend to be), and the service has proven for two years now to be reliable and good.

If you sign up with them, mention that I recommended them as I get $2 off my bill for each referal. But, I don't make my endorsement because of the $2, but because I've had good results with them. But, I'll still take the $2 if you please.

The advantage of having your own domain and paying for hosting is that your site is not peppered with ads that you have no control over, maybe for products or causes that you don't endorse, your pictures are not there primarily to sell mouse pads and coffee mugs from which you get no profit, you can control the presentation, add informative text, personalize your site, have fun with it, and, you can offer viewers higher resolution pictures if you want to. Some of the pictures on my site are upwards of 2MBytes for one image (I warn people before they click to download those). These are wonderful images, rich 30-bit color, uncompressed details, etc. An increasing number of people have broadband connections at home (DSL, cable modem, etc.) and it's a treat for them to get such content.

Of course, $12,95/month is a lot more than 83 cents per month (Have you noticed that modern computer keyboards don't even have the symbol for cents on them anymore? That's how little 83 cents is, I guess.) But, you have to decide what you want to do.



------------------
Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
There are alternatives to photopoint. You can open a www.geocites.com account and use the ftp to upload your pics. Run a search on a search engine and you will find other alternatives. Don't waste your $ on photopoint.
 
Here are two possibilities that are not only free, but (in my opinion) better than photopoint:

www.ofoto.com

www.photo.net

I should note that, while photo.net will host your photos for free, this is not really what they are about. They are a forum for photographers to discuss and learn about photography. So, if you choose to use them, please be conscientious not to clutter up their storage capacity with a lot of old or worthless stuff.
 
A lot of people have web space that they're already paying for and don't even know about. Many ISPs include some web space (often 10-30Mbytes) with every account. All you have to do is ask and they'll give you the necessary information. In 10Mbytes, you can easily put up a hundred nice pictures.

There are still places to get free web space too, such as xoom.com, anglefire.com, and homestead.com. Others will post similar resources I'm sure.

So, there are plenty of resources.


------------------
Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
I wonder if they are going to pull the ads now that it's a pay site? Or will it be like the movies where you pay $8 and then have to sit through three commercials for Coke or Snickers etc.

I'll probably go ahead and pay the $10 this time, but their performance over the next year will decide if I pay again.

Paul
 
Well, for the time being I'll pay the ticket. I don't like the new PhotoPoint as much as the old system, but I have so many pics on there right now it's worth the $10 not to have to move them. I'm getting DSL by the end of the month and it's probably time to build my own website.
Funny I think I have another free photo hosting account somewhere and I can't remember where it is? I think I opened it last year when PhotoPoint was down for a while?

I found the other free site.

http://www.zing.com/

------------------
"Will work 4 Knives!"
My PhotoPoint Site

[This message has been edited by PhilL (edited 04-07-2001).]
 
Ten (or even twenty) bucks a YEAR sounds like a deal to me. My website was originally with a "free" hosting service, and two months ago they informed all the members that they were simply shutting down. I would have jumped at the chance to stay with them for 20 bucks a year. And, now that PP is going to CHARGE for their service, they will have to PERFORM. I think that is the most attractive part of the deal.
smile.gif


Holger
www.cockroachfarm.com
 
Test.

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[This message has been edited by remster135 (edited 04-07-2001).]
 
My suggestion would be to move your pictures to www.geocities.com, or www.angelfire.com, or any other free hosting service. This is how I post my websites, and I will continue to do so until I am forced to pay. The burden is now on photopoint to either provide first-rate service which merits being paid for, or lose thier customers. It will be interesting to see what happens!

------------------
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!
 
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