Bad Photobucket, bad!
| Submitted by kathycf on Sun, 2017-07-16 00:07 | ||
Dang it Photobucket! I've prepared a thoroughly immature rant just for you. Hmm, after writing it out I think I feel a bit calmer and less like my head will explode. I have been a subscriber for a little over ten years to Photobucket, posting tutorials on using the site's services and recommending it to many people. Well, let's just say they pulled a dick move. I noticed my photos had all been replaced with this ugly clicky picture. "please update your account to enable third party hosting". I click on it and the page loads and says "Our Terms of Service does not allow 3rd party hosting with your current account level.". The terms of service was changed on July 5, 2017. Perhaps they let users know in advance, but I was not informed. That was likely my fault since I am lax about checking email. It just made me annoyed. Like I been doing this third party hosting dealy through some sort of exploit, when it had been a service all along. So now I either upgrade my account ($$$$) or piss off, since the site has become basically useless (to me, at any rate). I know in the scheme of things this isn't really anything, but geez, I really was quite satisfied with my Photobucket account and now... whoosh! In order to keep using my account exactly like I have been for years I must pay quite a large sum of money to upgrade my account to a "Plus 500" I mean, what the hell am I going to do with 500GB?! I had 2 GB with my old account and have a ton of pictures and my storage is only at 23%. Quote:
Quote: 500 GB - $399.99 / Year  
Oh well, I hear good things about Imgur, must check them out. I know many companies offer a free version of their products and in return for not having to pay for stuff, the customer accepts that there will be limitations to what their version can do. No problem, I get that. It's like "free to play" MMOs. They offer the bare bones because they want you to upgrade and add features to your account. Makes sense really. It just feels crappy to when reluctant to leave a service or feature after many years with it. blogs: |
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Comments
Kathy that really sucks that photobucket would pull such a stunt. I can understand that they want to be paid for their service, BUT making a long time user who uses very little storage pay is just wrong! Wish I knew someone who worked for them, because I would jam a stick in their ear, make a high resolution photo of them and then mail both the ear with the stick in it and the photograph to the site owner. They should charge the big companies and professional photographers who use their site and leave the little people alone.
Glad I'm not the only one pissed off
Another rant full of rantiness.
Yup, it is getting a wee bit ridiculous. Not only do you have to pay money, (for the same service photobucket had for free) they bill on a yearly basis. That means coughing up $400.00 (for the most premium of the premium accounts) in one rather LARGE chunk!
What is the purpose of having an account if you can't even give links to your images?!
Okay, I could see charging a fee. A reasonable fee, not freaking four hundred bucks. I wouldn't like it, but I would feel like I would have more of a choice. Stay and pay or leave. As it is I have no other option but to leave.
In the same vein, another cheap move was made recently by Fios on their "on demand" TV feature. Say you want to watch an episode of your show from a month ago. Welp, that's going to cost money. Even on free network channels like NBC or CBS. Even if it's the current season of the show. It is only $2.99 but it's the principle of the thing. We are already paying for on demand, it's a feature included in our subscription.
Just, just Ugghhh&%$$#@*!
The world is going to hell in a hand basket!!!
What does that saying even mean? I get the part about things getting worse, but what on earth do "handbaskets" have to do with it? How would you get a handbasket that big?
What the hell is a handbasket?? :o
Google to the rescue! World Wide Words
There, now we know and knowing is half the battle. You're Welcome!!
Well it does kind of explain what going to hell in a hand-basket means. However what is a hand-basket a basket one can carry, like with a handle? I think these service providers are just attempting to turn us all into a pillar of salt. Company to customer. "This is a totally free service". "Should you wish to use it there is a small fee, for handling the the hand-basket wherein is your free service." "We are not charging you for the free service mind you, we are charging you a fee for the delivery to your home of the free service." "Check by your front door in a few days for a basket containing your free service. Once you have the product, please call the phone number provided for pickup of the basket. Please remove your head and place it in the basket as payment."
I read through their Terms of Service, and note that they don't guarantee that other internet users can't see your private content, but expect to charge you if it's shared. They tell you that the content might get lost, so keep a backup.
What service are they actually providing? If you need your own copy, and can't share with others, what does the free service do? After all, it's not "free" - it's paid for by advertising.
BTW, I hear bad things about imgur, too. I host my own stuff, and pay more for the internet connection to do that, but it's on my terms.
Oh for goodness sakes. Things used to be so much simpler! Now imgur people can "like" my pics (if they appear in the gallery) plus all that "sharing"/facebook/twitter/social media crap.
I'm afraid I don't care if random internet strangers like my pictures. They can bugger off. I only post screenshots and pictures here, since this is the only "forum" type place that I still care about and belong to.
I haven't signed up with imgur yet and all I did was skim over the privacy policy. Didn't think to read the terms of service. Thanks ghastely.
I just uploaded this image without registering. The link works but I can't use img codes.
http://imgur.com/I7f6MSX
I can't even put a link to my image anymore with my photobucket.
I use this site, http://tinypic.com/ there's no need to sign up, just browse to your image and select upload now, there's usually a screen with 2 words on it, type it in then select one of the options on the left, I use the IMG Code for Forums & Message Boards, copy it and paste it into your post on here, simples.
From the tinypic ToS:
"Photobucket, Inc. ("TinyPic" or "we") operates TinyPic.com (the "Site"), "
Well this site seems basic and easy enough. ImgBB
I was able to upload this image without an account.
Remember her?
If I make an account then I can store the images. No blather about sharing one's image or "tweeting" it or something equally dumb. No offense to folks who like all that social media stuff but I am old (old-ish) and grumpy and think it's all really stupid. Now get off my lawn you damn kids.
More about the site. They only accept images that are less than 16mb in JPG PNG BMP GIF formats. No editing tools except resizing. Fine with me. photobucket had a few nice features to edit with but I normally "embellish" my pictures before uploading anyway.
Their terms of service seem straight forward enough.
The privacy policy seems equally uncomplicated. They don't give out information about a user, they only use information for moderation purposes.
The moderation part seemed weird to me. I mean I understand it, they don't want any potentially illegal or offensive content. But they have a team of moderators who check out pictures uploaded to the site?
Checking each and every image would take a significant amount of time, dont'cha think? They probably aren't that big of a company or have all that many accounts if they are willing to do that (I am assuming here).
*shrug*
I don't know if business growth will make them like the current photobucket. They started out smallish as well. Oh well.
This is on the Wikipedia page about them.
"Once Tinypic decides the image has had enough time online or decides it has not had enough access to it would be deleted from his servers. (Even if the image is accessed everyday by hundreds of readers on forums)"
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I couldn't find anything on the ImgBB site about copyright assignment. That may be a good thing. Some sites want to claim ownership of anthing you upload to them. Do not confuse with ImgDB, which does that!
Regarding ImgDB: Wow. I went to their website (which looks weird, btw) and their terms are almost draconian. I appreciate you doing some research into all this ghastely.
I would have probably signed up with imgur since I tend to be extremely lax when reading policies and terms. (online mmo on patch day: scroll scroll scroll, hit accept. Rinse and repeat).
I need to mend my ways, big time.
Moros, although I am going to create an account w/ImgBB, thanks for the tip and that funny picture. Zombee lol
Bare elf and Sigofmugmort, thanks for the comments. It's always nice to see, well, nice comments.