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Getting Started => Technical Support/Testing => Topic started by: GrahamB on July 15, 2017, 10:40:26

Title: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: GrahamB on July 15, 2017, 10:40:26
A disaster has occurred! Especially for anyone who likes to use the old posts on this site for reference.

You will have noticed that many photos are no longer appearing on PF. This is because Photobucket (a very popular image hosting site often recommended by users here) has stopped the free use of their site for Third Party Hosting of images (upload photo to their site, post a link here on PF). I luckily upgraded to a paid account recently (to improve uploading efficiency), so all photos I posted are still appearing. I think if you upgrade to a paid Photobucket account now, all previous links will be restored. But moving to another hosting site will not do this (there is no way of editing those old posts to put in new links, even if you wanted to).

So if you want to post pictures here from now on, you can
1. Upgrade to a paid Photobucket account
2. Use attachments
3. Use another image hosting site- there are some free ones.

See here (https://www.ghacks.net/2017/07/02/photobucket-alternatives-for-third-party/) and here (https://www.lifewire.com/free-image-hosting-sites-3486329) for more on this.

I wonder if there is any other workaround, especially for older images (especially from people no longer active on PF)?
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: playmofire on July 15, 2017, 11:19:06
As you may have seen, Graham, some of my threads have been hit by this.

I was already thinking of leaving photobucket as it really is a rubbish site in its free version (not much better I hear as the paid version) with all the ads and being very slow.  I definitely will be now, as soon as I've managed to download the albums I want to reuse, something which took ages yesterday as, I guess, lots of other people are doing the same.

Interestingly, the recent emails I have had from photobucket have all been flagged as spam by Thunderbird, while a link I clicked on in one of the ads on photobucket yesterday was blocked by Norton Security in a major way.
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: Ismene on July 16, 2017, 05:49:02
I've often had issues viewing photos on Photobucket.

There's Flickr, of course, though I haven't kept up with recent changes, so I don't know if they are doing similar. I use Dropshots for personal photos, but I haven't tried it on the forum.
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: Macruran on July 16, 2017, 11:11:18
imgur is a free host I use all the time and recommend. It's actually better not to make an account because those have limits, whereas uploading without an account does not.

Ultimately everything online can disappear at any moment.
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: Tiermann on July 16, 2017, 17:53:24
I mix between hosting at my own site and using a paid Flickr account. I don't know how good Flickr's free account is but the paid is great and allows off site linking easily.
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: Georgeag1972 on July 17, 2017, 08:43:56
The pictures I have sent until 2013 are still on the forum. From 2012 and back are not visible. There is not way to pay these money to have an account on Photobucket.

Can someone tell me how to use attachments? I have tryed it in the past but I didn't understand what I must do.
Is there a thread on the forum with some explanations?

George.
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: Hadoque on July 18, 2017, 00:34:11
I was recommended by some here to use Photobucket, but I (gladly) never did it. I prefer to keep my pics saved at my own personal hard-& software, as I anticipated things like this would happen.
Soon other free hosting sits will follow suit and you´ll have to pay, mark my words. Or you´ll get a service to pull your hairs out, like often already is the case.
I predict same will happen sooner or later with social media, even when Suckerberg keeps insisting his Fakebook will remain for free. Money makes the world go round, they say. (Though I´m sure it are laws of physics that do the trick.)

I´d like to use this occasion once again to plead for allowing larger attachements then 100KB here on PF.  No need for huge pic-sizes like on f.e. fakebook, but picture-sizes same as on Klickywelt would already be a great improvement.


@George:
When you start typing a post or a reply, you see the sentence "attachements and other options" directly below the text-field.
A few CMs further down you should see "Attach:" with a button "choose file". There you click on to upload pictures from your computer, laptop, mac, Intergalactic Iphone or whatever hardware you use.
You should first resize your pictures to a max. size of 100KB. You can attach 4 pics per post. For uploading more then 4 pictures, you have to add another or more posts.
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: Pynedor on August 02, 2017, 01:32:17
Thanks for letting us know about this, GrahamB. I saw this issue coming up elsewhere too. My threads (and many others too) are now full of those terrible placeholders. :(

Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: bonniebeth on August 06, 2017, 01:27:03
I discovered this a few days ago and am pretty upset about it. It means all my photo stories, dioramas, everything I've ever posted here is now lacking pictures. :( What's worse, I don't have most of those pics anywhere but photobucket due to a computer crash, and I'm having trouble downloading them from photobucket. Very frustrating.

Problem with attaching photos here is I believe there's a limit on how many any given member can attach.
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: Georgeag1972 on August 10, 2017, 08:23:53

@George:
When you start typing a post or a reply, you see the sentence "attachements and other options" directly below the text-field.
A few CMs further down you should see "Attach:" with a button "choose file". There you click on to upload pictures from your computer, laptop, mac, Intergalactic Iphone or whatever hardware you use.
You should first resize your pictures to a max. size of 100KB. You can attach 4 pics per post. For uploading more then 4 pictures, you have to add another or more posts.

Thanks for the answer Hadoque.

George, :)
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: Tiermann on August 15, 2017, 19:58:22
A photo intensive board I belong to has moved to recommending  https://postimages.org/ (https://postimages.org/)
It's worth looking at as a new alternative.
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: VicKlicktor on November 22, 2017, 18:47:15

Hello all,

A tip to fix photobucket loaded photos no longer appear in forums was published in the Spanish forum Playclicks/Playforos by David Piraten.

Just add ~original at the end of the file name in the photobucket link of your post.
For example:

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums...zpsljueynle.jpg

and write:

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums...zpsljueynle.jpg~original

They already tested and it works. Don't know if it is a temporary solution. Only problem here is that the "Modify" button in posts is just available 24 hrs and nobody here will be able to try. By the way, they have always available the Modify option for all posts.
Title: Re: Photobucket no longer offers free Third Party Image Hosting
Post by: GrahamB on November 23, 2017, 19:14:20
Thank you for that useful piece of information, VicKlicktor.
IT WORKS! (So far, I only tried this on files which were posted here about 6 months ago)

Here is part one of Raven's story Toby and Jessica in Fairyland. If you look at it here (http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?action=post;quote=291544;topic=16191.0;last_msg=291809) you cannot see the pictures, but if you 'quote' it and edit the references to jpg. files on photobucket (by adding ~original; it took be only a couple of minutes using copy-and-paste), this is what you get:

Part One - Lost in the Forest

Toby arrived at Jessica's home early in the morning.

'Are you ready to go and look for Fairyland?' he said.

'Oh yes!' replied Jessica, 'I only need to get my rucksack.  My daddy has packed us sandwiches, cereal bars, and drinks - enough to last us all day.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF01_zps9ypfwtbw.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF01_zps9ypfwtbw.jpg.html)

'My mummy and daddy said we had to be back before it gets dark,' said Jessica.

'Yes, mine said the same,' said Toby, 'And that I'm to come back to your house because we're all having supper there tonight.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF02_zpsm33m5pt7.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF02_zpsm33m5pt7.jpg.html)

'We had better leave the forest path,' said Jessica, 'We've got to get lost before we can find Fairyland.'

'I just hope that we can get unlost again,' said Toby.

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03a_zpssj7xywep.jpg[/img~original][/URL]

Toby and Jessica had been walking off the forest path for some time when Toby thought he heard something behind him.

'Oh no!' he cried, when he looked back, 'Jessica, run quickly, there's a WOLF behind us!'

[URL=http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03b_zps8a8g2urs.jpg.html][IMG]http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03b_zps8a8g2urs.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03a_zpssj7xywep.jpg.html)

'There are no wolves in this forest,' said Jessica.

'There is one now,' said Toby, 'So run, just run.'

Jessica and Toby ran as fast as they could through the undergrowth.  Suddenly, Jessica spotted a stream.

'Let's go through the stream, Toby,' she said, 'I've read that dogs can't follow your scent through water.'

'It's a wolf, not a dog,' said Toby.

'Well, I don't expect that wolves can follow our scent through the water, either,' said Jessica.

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03c_zpsdtcbdnp2.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03c_zpsdtcbdnp2.jpg.html)

'Look there's a clearing ahead,' said Jessica, 'I can see horses, so maybe there's a farm.  Perhaps it was a farm dog that you saw.'

'It was definitely a wolf,' insisted Toby.

'Well, whatever it was, I think we've lost it now.  Let's go and see the horses.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03d_zpssv2itvdj.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03d_zpssv2itvdj.jpg.html)

'Toby!' squealed Jessica, 'These aren't horses - they are unicorns!'

'Wow!' said Toby.

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03e_zpsafxnqgj0.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03e_zpsafxnqgj0.jpg.html)

'Oh, they are beautiful,' said Jessica.

'Do you think they are dangerous?' asked Toby, 'I mean, I'm thinking about those horns.'

Jessica, however, was already stroking a unicorn.

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03f_zpsbkrqacav.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03f_zpsbkrqacav.jpg.html)

'Jessica!' said Toby, 'There's a man coming!  And he's got a blue and yellow horse!'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03g_zpsfii8cu8a.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03g_zpsfii8cu8a.jpg.html)

'Hello,' said the man, jumping down from his wagon, 'I am the Guardian of the Unicorns.  Who are you and why are you here?'

'I'm Jessica and this is Toby,' said Jessica, 'We were looking for Fairyland, and then Toby thought he saw a wolf, though it was probably only a dog, so we ran away and we ended up here.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03h_zpscd3rswg0.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03h_zpscd3rswg0.jpg.html)

'It could have been a wolf,' said the Guardian of the Unicorns, 'It could have been one of Red's wolves.  If so, it would not have harmed you.  But anyway, you wish to enter Fairyland?'

'Yes,' said Jessica.

'Do you know where it is?' asked Toby.

'I know indeed,' replied the Guardian, 'But to enter there you will need the permission of Willow, the Lady of the Forest.  She should be with Red this morning.  I will take you there on my wagon. Climb aboard.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03i_zpspuax4ukm.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03i_zpspuax4ukm.jpg.html)

'I will ride on front,' said the Guardian, ' Unicorns, do not follow us; I will return.  And horses: to Red's Outpost, please.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF03j_zpsojmymuqo.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF03j_zpsojmymuqo.jpg.html)

'Don't you have to drive the horses?' asked Jessica.

'No, they know the whole area,' answered the Guardian.

'Why is one of them blue and yellow?' asked Toby.

'Because she wanted to be, of course,' said the Guardian, 'But that's enough questions; just relax and enjoy the ride now.'

'OK,' said Toby.

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF04_zps1gksasxd.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF04_zps1gksasxd.jpg.html)

'This is as far as the wagon can go,' said The Guardian, 'We need to walk a little way.  The horses will wait for my return.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF05_zps7zpbtjvt.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF05_zps7zpbtjvt.jpg.html)

'Here's Red,' said the Guardian of the Unicorns, and then to Red, he said, 'I found these two human children in the Unicorn Grazing this morning.  They wish to enter Fairyland and so I have brought them to present to the Lady Willow.'

'Willow is not here,' said Red, 'She's gone to the Healing Grounds.  But Greenleaf can show them the way there.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF06_zpskrdzevfj.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF06_zpskrdzevfj.jpg.html)

'Greenleaf!' called Red, and a young elf came running.

'Greenleaf, these human children wish to fully enter our land,' Red told him, 'So they need to meet with the Lady Willow at the Healing Grounds.  Please show them the way.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF07_zpsltiife4x.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF07_zpsltiife4x.jpg.html)

'Certainly I will,' said Greenleaf, 'Come this way, humans.'

'Thank you Guardian, thank you Red,' said Toby, 'Bye!'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF08_zpsgkomdpog.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF08_zpsgkomdpog.jpg.html)

'I hope it's not too far for you to walk,' said Greenleaf to Jessica and Toby, 'I don't know much about humans, I'm sorry to say.'

'We're good at walking,' said Jessica.

'Isn't the Guardian of the Unicorns a human also?' asked Toby.

'He is half-human,' said Greenleaf, 'But we don't mention it much.  Follow me, this way.'

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF09_zpsmnrz3uz1.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF09_zpsmnrz3uz1.jpg.html)

After a short walk through the woodland, Greenleaf stopped at a bridge.

'This is as far as I can accompany you,' he said, 'You two must walk alone through Dragon Pass.  Keep to the path, and you will come to the Healing Grounds and the Lady of the Forest.  If all goes well.'

'Thank you, Greenleaf,' said Jessica.

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i157/Raven461/TF10_zpsdlpaha5n.jpg~original) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/Raven461/media/TF10_zpsdlpaha5n.jpg.html)

Tomorrow: Part Two - Dragon Pass