• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Photobucket giving it's users the $$$haft! No more image linking unless you pay!

GD70

GD70

Lunatic Member
So I got an email on 6/28/17 that it's turned off 3rd party image linking has been disabled (copying IMG links to paste in your thread) for my photos. To be able to continue doing this, they expect to be paid 399.99 per year!

So now, all my photos in my threads, and probably anyone else who uses photobucket, are gone, unless you ponied up the money!
What B.S. They are so many pop up ads as it is, they are raking in the money for advertising fees, print services etc... they offer.
I would say 100.00 a year is fair and reasonable, but not 400.00! Think of how many millions of users globally they have. This is a money grab, pure & simple.

So now what, sign up with another service? I was under the impression, that a hosting service like photobucket is necessary to put pics in our threads. Am I wrong, and is there another way?

Glenn
 
Register to hide this ad
GD70 said:
I was under the impression, that a hosting service like photobucket is necessary to put pics in our threads. Am I wrong, and is there another way?
Click to expand...
No, you can upload directly -- use the camera icon and pick 'Upload a File' -- or use a free and unrestricted photo service like Google Photos.
 
benricci said:
So host your pics somewhere else. There's no shortage of free image hosting sites.
Click to expand...
Yup, that's the plan.
I'll also try Dave's suggestion.

Sucks though, as I probably have hundreds of photos in various restoration threads etc.... Going through them to re-link pics is a major PITA!

Thanks, Glenn
 
I hate it when photos on AK are linked through outside accounts like photofu*ket. If I click on a photo to get a bigger image I get redirected all over the place and half time everything gets locked up or an ad takes over even though pop up blocker is on. Photos disappear from old posts around here all the time too when the OP moves on or drops his account and we end up with useless posts with that stupid picture of a kitten that says "Image Not Availale". I always just load photos directly to AK's server and they always stick around (unless we have another mega-crash!).
 
Well now, that's a bummer. I liked using them because I could plant my photos in the post were I wanted them. I have a gazillion photos on here that are strictly links. Looks like I'll be a changin' my ways.
 
Yeah, I'm pissed big time! Agree with you audiojones and all of you! Effen greed!
mfench, yeah, the last month or two the pop ads are out of control. Probably their plan to make it so frustrating to get to your files, you'll pay to get rid of them!
 
Last edited:
Free picture hosting that suddenly starts charging is hardly "greedy" -
its just that FREE is not a business model that works for very long
...I'm surprised its been free for this long!

Thats why I post my pix DIRECTLY into the forums I use ...
so 5 or 10 years later, THEY ALL WORK!
Well, unless the forum changes the software and breaks all the internal pix ...
:eek2:
 
Last edited:
GD70 said:
So I got an email on 6/28/17 that it's turned off 3rd party image linking has been disabled (copying IMG links to paste in your thread) for my photos. To be able to continue doing this, they expect to be paid 399.99 per year!

So now, all my photos in my threads, and probably anyone else who uses photobucket, are gone, unless you ponied up the money!
What B.S. They are so many pop up ads as it is, they are raking in the money for advertising fees, print services etc... they offer.
I would say 100.00 a year is fair and reasonable, but not 400.00! Think of how many millions of users globally they have. This is a money grab, pure & simple.

So now what, sign up with another service? I was under the impression, that a hosting service like photobucket is necessary to put pics in our threads. Am I wrong, and is there another way?

Glenn
Click to expand...
$399 a year, well you can't accuse them of being greedy! :eek:
 
I'm finding now that PB is just too cumbersome and what works best is to use AK's "upload a file" feature. What I normally do is get the picture I want to upload on my screen using some picture viewer and instead of uploading several megabytes of JPG I use the "Snipping tool" in windows and save it. It reduces the picture size to usually under 100KB and thus loads faster, doesn't put a drag on the page, and doesn't hog up much storage on AK's servers. Usually 100kb is plenty good enough for screen resolution anyhow..
 
This is an old business model. Offer a service at no cost until the right amount of users become vested in using it for their business or other important activity. Wait till the right time and BOOM. With little or no warning start charging for it so that people who are relying on it have to pay up to keep using it. It works...
 
Looking back at a long thread with many photos I see that most are still up, with the link to PBukt still valid. Some show the kitten, and some just read "
G-6700BiasAdjust.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]". As mfrench said, PBukt has become a real PITA over the last year or so. Just staying connected long enuff to upload and link a photo was a major accomplishment. I won't miss them when they are gone, and at four Benjamins a year that will be soon.

What is an optimum size and resolution to upload a photo to AK without hogging excessive HDD space on the servers, while still having enough pixels to view the object?
 
GD70 said:
Yeah, I'm pissed big time! Agree with you audiojones and all of you! ****ing greed!
mfench, yeah, the last month or two the pop ads are out of control. Probably their plan to make it so frustrating to get to your files, you'll pay to get rid of them!
Click to expand...

Their customer service link just got a strongly, but, briefly worded, F.O.A.D. letter, after their website locked my computer up, causing me to have to restart to get it back under my control.
 
It would be very unfortunate to not be able to see GD70's (or anyone else's) excellent pics in his multiple threads, and I agree, either way it's gonna be a PITA to correct it and keep them active. Alobar's comments in post #15 are basically identical to what I've always done - - - use a simple jpg file and it never needs to be larger than 100 KB.

What are other reasons why certain threads no longer contain the OP's pics?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom