Photobucket to stop allowing direct linking unless you pay.

[Diggers11]

4 hours ago, jrlx said:

Hi Diggers11, I can see both pictures. I'm using Firefox on a PC and Chrome on a Smartphone (mobile version of BM).

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

Thank you Jaime.

 

I can see both images as well, even when I'm signed out of Google, EDGE & Chrome on Windows 10 & Safari on iPhone. It seems that in this case so far using the shortened URL makes no difference. Maybe its the '?.JPG' added at the end of the URL that's all important. Simply copying and pasting the image into the post is not reliable, as shown with the missing photos in Das Abteilung's "First AFV Build For A While" thread.

 

Ok lets try another experiment.

 

First Image, with '?.JPG' added to the end of URL. The second image, a straight copy from Google Photos without '?.JPG' added to the end of the URL. Neither using shortened URL's and both inserted using the 'Insert other media' tool.

 

 

 

No prizes for guessing where this was taken. Certainly not Greece with that grey sky. (presuming you can see the images)

Ill have to stop posting these experiments because I'm sure everyone will start to get a bit annoyed. Most people seem to have found an alternative image hosting site to use and they all seem to work well so far. Its just that if Google Photos reliably works it might be handy for anyone who already uploads their photos to it.

Edited July 4, 2017 by Diggers11

[jrlx]

Both pictures are visible, like before.

[Diggers11]

3 minutes ago, jrlx said:

Both pictures are visible, like before.

 

Thanks again.

I don't know if this is good or bad. On the one hand the images are showing but on the other it makes no sense why they didn't before. it will be interesting to see over time if Google changes the URL's and the photos disappear.

[keefr22]

9 hours ago, Air-to-Air said:

Just a suggestion for members. If you've got a bucket load of content stored on Photobucket and you've been a big contributor to Britmodeller, most of us appreciate that it would be far too much work for you to update years and years of posts. All is not lost! Whilst your images are not revealed in those historic threads, the links to Photobucket still work - so long as you do not close your account! You don't have to pay the ransom, just leave the content parked on Photobucket as it is.

 

 

Except;

 

o Plus 50 Plan: 52 GB of Storage for $59.99 / Year. The Plus 50 Plan does not allow any image linking or 3rd party image hosting. 

o Plus 100 Plan: 102 GB of Storage for $99.99 / Year. The Plus 100 Plan allows for unlimited image linking but does not allow 3rd party image hosting. 

 

So, if the 'cheap' 60 bucks a year plan doesn't allow 'any image linking', I don't see the free links lasting very long....

 

All their prices seem set ridiculously high when Flickr give you 1TB free - wonder how long that will last?

 

Keith

[Alan P]

Well, I went for the nuclear option and deleted my account. 11 years of stuff, gone. Luckily I kept it all on my hard drive (2 of them). I guess I'll look silly if PB blinks and restores all the links!

[Rafbanter]

10 hours ago, Mike said:

 

That was then, this is now.  A lot has changed in 13 years Monetisation is the buzzword on the internet these days.  If you can't make money off it, you find a way to either make money off it, or shut it down. 

Having said that, the point is that if it is digital, then, somewhere it is free. Photobucket have already been making money off me fo years by spamming my screen with their third party ads. They want more? I respectfully decline.

[VMA131Marine]

Being a Flickr user, my images have been unaffected by this whole Photobucket mess. But, give Photobucket credit, with every image that they block they are giving themselves negative publicity. Each one bears a link to the organization that blocked it and these images are now spread worldwide across the Internet. This may be the most spectacular own goal in history.

[Kingsman]

Photobucket.  Are you listening?

 

June 5: this shall be OUR  Independence Day.

[Wez]

2 hours ago, Das Abteilung said:

Photobucket.  Are you listening?

 

June 5: this shall be OUR  Independence Day.

It's July...

[keefr22]

8 hours ago, Alan P said:

 I guess I'll look silly if PB blinks and restores all the links!

 

Don't worry Alan, you won't be alone...!!

 

Keith

[keefr22]

6 hours ago, Rafbanter said:

Photobucket have already been making money off me fo years by spamming my screen with their third party ads. They want more? I respectfully decline.

 

Have they though? Have you actually bought anything off those advertisers? I use an adblocker & the few ads that get through that (usually from PB themselves when I was in my account) I close instantly without looking at. So they've actually never made a penny from me.....

 

Keith

[RidgeRunner]

On 30 June 2017 at 1:20 PM, Mike said:

we will have to think about whether these thread are now a burden on the site.  The space isn't a massive problem,

 

Hi Mike,

 

please think carefully (as I'm sure you will) before doing this. I, for one, will endeavour to get re-hosted and then re-linked. It would be a real shame to lose such a great resource. Thanks.

 

Martin

[Black Knight]

6 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

Being a Flickr user, my images have been unaffected by this whole Photobucket mess. But, give Photobucket credit, with every image that they block they are giving themselves negative publicity. Each one bears a link to the organization that blocked it and these images are now spread worldwide across the Internet. This may be the most spectacular own goal in history.

and unless PB change the ransom message old threads on forums where the original poster has moved on [or no longer on this mortal coil] will continue to advertise this money grab of theirs

[Alan P]

10 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

and unless PB change the ransom message old threads on forums where the original poster has moved on [or no longer on this mortal coil] will continue to advertise this money grab of theirs

One BIG reason why I'm deleting my account. 

[Wizball]

I have not read all 13 pages, but a bit of advice: Take a look at your PB archive and back up whatever you feel you don't want to lose.

 

This is a sure sign that they're not doing well financially. It's a desperate act of a desperate company. There's no other reason - they would have tried something like $1 a month first if they aren't desperate for money.

[alex]

1 hour ago, Alan P said:

One BIG reason why I'm deleting my account. 

 

My first idea too, but as long as you're member, we can at least see the pictures by getting to the right folder and see them on the PB-website. They're not hotlinked, but still visible. If you close the account, they will be deleted, so nobody can see them anymore.

 

Alex

[DigDoug]

No complaints here, I don't see why people still use Photobucket when there are far better image hosting sites like imgur or Flickr. I die a little inside every time I have to click on a PB link in 2017. It's just a terrible website compared to so many others out there.

[Caerbannog]

I also suggest to keep the account and all pics there untill you either moved on to a new hoster and relinked all (or the part you think is important) pics. I do not expect them to become resonable again but you never know.

For now I expressed their customer care (lol...) my feelings and changed my signature...

[Mike]

3 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

please think carefully (as I'm sure you will) before doing this. I, for one, will endeavour to get re-hosted and then re-linked. It would be a real shame to lose such a great resource. Thanks.

 

We're not rushing at anything, don't worry.  If the backlash causes a volte-face by the board of directors, or their owners Fox Media get embarrassed by all the attention, we don't want to have done something we'll regret.

[ukmodeller]

Well, this was a shock for me too and very annoying. 

Anyway, I have now downloaded all of my pictures (even though I had copies) and uploaded one final picture (shown below).

Anyone who visits my Photobucket account will now be greeted with this message.

Maybe others would be wise to do the same?

I will, over time, try to edit my posts on here to include the pictures again. I am a patient man but I am not a mug. 

 

Take care folks.

 

 

[Mike]

Indeed.  Wonder how long it would take them to clear out all the photos that people leave behind?

 

Incidentally, @ukmodeller and anyone with a (now) PB ransom message in their signatures, could you start removing them please folks?  It's just a reminder of being royally shafted, so the sooner they're gone the better

[caterhamnut]

Grrrrr - I did upgrade to the $99 recently simply because as I started posting threads, already had a PB account etc, I decided to use it for all my modelling pics (back-up, storage). My few threads (WIP) are very very photo heavy.

So no I shall also be looking for alternatives to host on 3rd party sites. I'll leave my account alone for now, but won't renew.

 

At the moment my pics are still showing - I am sure I read somewhere that the links will still work until me renewal date? Have I just made that up? Don't seem to have had any emails from PB yet either....

[Mike]

@ukmodeller Thanks Kevin

[Mike]

6 minutes ago, caterhamnut said:

At the moment my pics are still showing - I am sure I read somewhere that the links will still work until me renewal date?

 

That's correct AFAIK.  After that you're going to be using someone else unless they have a change of heart... heh! The bigger the business seems to grow, the less their moral compass seems to work

[ukmodeller]

Just now, Mike said:

@ukmodeller Thanks Kevin

No problem, Mike.

You made a very good point there