Photobucket

[Dave J]

I wondered why lots of posts and threads on here and other forums I use were showing 'upgrade' messages with Photobucket hosted pictures, and now I have just noticed their changes to terms and conditions when hosting on third party websites.

No warning, no explanation, just a load of dead threads now due to their 'ransom'. I, of course, realise there is a cost to every business, virtual and all - just scary how much useful info, work, and hobby sites are now affected (and are useless) & we the users didn't properly appreciate the fact their Ts&Cs mean they could do this without warning. BBC link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40492668

I will move my pics to my Flikr account and sort my build thread, but it could happen to them as well I guess. I want to keep occasionally sharing my experiences with my ED30, and hope everyone else will. Images are a vital part to so many forums...so, to the I.T guru's out there - is there more reliable solution than a third party image hosting service?!

[ducman77]

Hi Dave J,

I literally just posted a new thread on this exact same topic!

What a scam! They want you to upgrade to a "500" account which cost $399 per year if you want 3rd party image sharing???

Can't believe it!

I can only hope this is some kind of mistake, or cyber hack or something?

Otherwise, surely, almost all Photobucket users will simply abandon their accounts?

Seems like a totally insane move on their part??

And, as you have rightly pointed out, the worst part is that a whole range of build threats etc are now rendered almost useless as none of the images can be viewed!

Very frustrating.
Regards, Dave
 

[Gary]

Unfortunately not a hack or a scam, this will essentially kill photobucket. Although when I last used it about 4 years ago, the site was slow and buggy as hell.

[ducman77]

Definitely killed it for me Gary...

Such a pity about all the awesome threads and builds whose photos I can no longer view...

Sad day

[ducman77]

Just read the BBC article you attached in your first post Dave J.

Sorry I should have read it the first time...
Wow!! What a nightmare...

Seriously cruel of them considering (as mentioned in the article) for some people there could almost be a lifetimes worth of images; created, stored and shared with the express intention of helping, and educating others in a "free" format.

Car threads - DIY threads - home building threads - etc etc. What a clusterf*ck...

[Pesky jones]

My photobucket photos still show for me... Am I immune or can you always see your own?

[willni]

My photobucket photos still show for me... Am I immune or can you always see your own?

Maybe it depends on the age of your account?

[pudding]

It was only a matter of time before 'free' sites became subscription sites (in spite of advertising) but $400 a year is a complete rip. 

I used Soundcloud a lot to listen to my mate's DJ sets, but they've now tacked audio adverts onto the end of every song, which you can only remove by paying for a subscription service.  Just waiting for UHUTube, Fecesbook & Instashat to charge £10 a month and that's the circle complete.

I don't have a problem with paying my way in this life, I just object to the underhand tactics some of these arse wipes use to extract money from us.  People have the power to shut them down by boycotting them, but nobody ever does.  A quick moan and then pay up.

[ducman77]

Pay up, pay up, pay up - mothaf*cka

[Dan_FR]

I think they have backed down..... My account was hit - every image - but now its working again. Image below is from an affected account

[rich83]

Basically they have f*cked up the internet. Every forum going will contain literally millions of PB linked photos. They are essentially holding their users to ransom.... f*cking ****s. I imagine they will rethink.....

[pudding]

It might have been the result of a disgruntled employee, internal politics or a hack.   I just can't see the board of directors agreeing to professional suicide.  "Yeah let's f'ck everybody over, get sued, have no money and have to get another job".  Yep, that seems like brilliant business sense to me 

Then again, the standard of a lot of managers and chief execs these days is shocking.  Incompetence rewards in the corporate world.

[Dave J]

I do agree - it would be good if it was one of your scenarios, but so much time has passed, that I think it absolutely Corporate greed & a complete '**** you' . You enjoyed it while it was free for so long ....'now you must pay' attitude.

It seems they are so desperate to fund their 'business' by doing this, no wonder I have seen comments on other forums whereby users have said if you pay the $399, what's to stop them raising the prices in an another extortionate rate next year.

Maybe they are testing who uses them seriously for business hosting, and are not worried to lose the huge numbers of us free users (for sharing on 3rd party forums (like me) who currently pay zero. I guess storage of their boasted 100 millions users' worth of images causes them some quite some bills, which they are now unable to cover. Like me - free users of Photobucket have complained of the site being so slow and bloated by adware - we are frustrated and go elsewhere anyway, without clicking on the sponsored links. Maybe advertising doesn't pull in the revenues for PB, sponsors are getting $hitty, etc...

PB seem to have had enough in a way, and are trying to force an industry change in the most sh*ttiest way they could.

For most of us hobbyists who used PB, they are pushing us on to their competitors now with this ransom and have probably caused them a fair amount of storage issues? I am not sure how long the other currently 'free' hosters may now last as I fear they will follow suit...

This is a very sad change - t'internet  may never be the same. Still, I won't delete my PB account storage like many others have - I want them to keep paying for it...
They are utter bellends.... They could have been good and said we will honour any image loaded before xx/xx, but after we are levying a small charge. However - $399 a year. U are Junker crazy...

[Shoduchi]

Imageshack has done the same in the past.

[Matto]

So has anyone got any decent alternatives?