29 June 2017 - Photobucket Discontinues Free 3rd Party hosting

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

As of 29 June 2017 Photobucket has Discontinues Free 3rd Party hosting which has turned internet sites worldwide (forums, blogs, user websites, etc.) upside down.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/354711/photobucket-breaks-image-links-across-the-internet

Photobucket wants each user who has used there service for 3rd party hosting to pay $39.99 per month ($400 per year) to re-implement this capability which is simply not cost effective for someone like me who has used their service since it was implemented in 2003.  I will have to rethink how I do online graphics hosting.  Once I move my information elsewhere I will remove all my pictures from Photobucket, delete my account there, and start to fix posts however given how many posts I have made over 15 years, this well take a long while.

I am sorry for the impacts this has caused however it is an issue I have no control over.

Dave

[M & J]

I saw that Dave. Sorry you're having to deal with this.

[TerryH]

Wow. 15 years worth of the highly appreciated 'Dave postings'?
My sincere condolences.

[Rickf1985]

I have also lost well over a thousand pictures spread over 7 forums over ten years,  Three of them Pro repair forums. Like Dave there were a lot of do it yourself and detailed mechanical workshops lost. I could never, ever replace all of that because I have no idea what or where most of it is. I am sure I will never see anything of it but I sure hope somebody finds a way to sue the greedy bastards that own Photobucket! I have not looked but I am sure any pictures I have put on the forum here are gone.

[strykersd]

Did you guys lose your photos?  Mine are still on forums and I can still access my account

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

No, account is still accessible and the photos are still there.  You can only see them by going to the photobucket site itself.

[Rickf1985]

Apparently your pictures will stay on the forums until you try to post a new one, or do anything for that matter. One you access the account and try to move a picture they will nail you. I don't see it lasting too long. I think they hope a few people will pay before the rest bail and then they are going to close up and then all of your stuff will be gone. I cannot see them possibly staying in business after this fiasco. I have downloaded all of the pictures I did not already have copies of but that does no good at all for everything I had on forums, that is all gone.

[CapnDirk]

Dave:
You might consider Softsys.  I have clients that are paying $57 per 6 months (of course depends on bandwidths used). 
Photobucket was in a unique position to extort money from people given the external link aspect.


I think OZ pointed out that for a forum, external links create their own set of problems.

[LJ-TJ]

So as we all know me being computer illiterate does this mean all the pictures we have posted here to help others will disappear? Should we be doing something to save them? Hm? i??

[Rickf1985]

Nothing you can do as they are nothing more than a link to a photo site. All of mine are already gone as are Daves. Others that went through Photobucket whose pics are still there are only there because they have not goner to the Photbucket site for anything. As soon as you go there and wake them up they nail you. TJ, If you want to save any picture you see you can right click on it and then select "save as" and designate a folder on your computer to put them in.

[LJ-TJ]

Thanks Rick, I'm going to be busy for a while. You and Dave have and are doing a fa nominal job here which many of us really, really appreciate what you two do for us. Thank you. I know we don't say that very often but don't think we don't notice and are grateful.

[TerryH]

 

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Thanks all.  My first step is to download all my pics, then rehost somewhere.  I have my website so I can store some there.

[Wantawinnie]

I see my diesel conversion post along with the interior remodel has lost all images as well. Sorry for that and will be looking for an alternative.   

[Oz]

I figured this would happen.  Stopped using it a good while ago, but way too many photos to move and re-link in the hundreds, if not thousands of posts they were connected to.  I still have to get some of the site images moved since there were some left on photojunkit.

[srosa707]

I see my diesel conversion post along with the interior remodel has lost all images as well. Sorry for that and will be looking for an alternative.   

@Wantawinnie I just joined this forum and was captivated by your 5.9 swap thread.  Only problem was I couldnt see what the heck was happening!  Im sure I am speaking for others when I say that I would GREATLY appreciate your time and energy if you were to get those pics back on the thread in the proper order.  Recently, I purchased a D20 with a 318 and drove it 800 miles home.  I spent about 799 of those miles thinking about an engine swap!  I have a friend that is VERY into diesels and works on them daily at work.  I told him I was watching your thread and considering the 5.9 and he about jumped for joy.  Your thread with the pictures could prove very helpful in that endeavor. 

[Oz]

Just add photos as attachments.  That way, they can't be lost due to an outside source we have no control over.

[boohoo222]

dave, I see what you mean I was looking at a post you made about 454 belts and only saw I of your pics, went to daves place and same thing, I have posted 1000s of pics on many sites that I built for others and I hear there all gone