My response to Photobucket

[Charl]

Botophucket sent me a sweet little email informing me that:
Our Terms of Service does not allow 3rd party hosting with your current account level
My reply:
This amounts to a demand for ransom.
Your action is despicable, especially considering some of my pictures were uploaded under a paid subscription.
You have ruined hundreds of historic forum threads.
The internet is watching to see what avarice like this does to an online business.

Perhaps you feel like dropping them a line, too.
I hope nobody is actually paying up.

[toprob]

Yes, it has certainly broken NZFF, just about everything I've searched for lately includes their cheeky message...
This is something I've always been wary of, it's a pity that it's so easy to use a hosting site, otherwise I'd continue to host my own screenshots... in fact, I might go back to that just in case.

[Splitpin]

Well done Charl ....dirty tricks indeed.
I moved to OZx a long time ago ....but still worry sometimes.
Would be nice if we (the forum) could somehow host our own stuff.

[cowpatz]

Yes I gave them both barrells. Their loss. It nwas starting to annoy me anyway...slow and ad ridden.

14 July. I have just deleted my account. I only ever used it for putting the odd photo on a forum and nothing else. It was becoming increasing annoying to use with excessive pop up adds and very slow.
Deleted my account with them.

[aerofoto]

We're all caught up in this .... those of us whom have maintained PHOTOBUCKET accounts over the years at least .... and possibly nobody more than me, "over at HJG", given PB's what I've used, since 2006, to present imagery relating to our previews as well as all of my own "non commercial" aviation histories and FS features which I present over there

I feel the most despicable aspect of this entire PB debacle is not so much what's been done, but rather, "the manner in which they've gone about doing it" .... given nobody was forewarned of what they were going to do until "AFTER" they'd already started blocking the odd imagery from peoples accounts (on June 30th) .... then a week later (to the very day) blocking "ALL" imagery from peoples accounts .... until they complied with PB's new terms.

What PB's done amounts to nothing more than "extortion and holding people to ransom" (blackmail is "NOT" a particularly impressive business tactic) .... a stunt IMAGE SHACK apparently tried a few years back but which eventually bounced back on them (so I'm told) .... and which must surely eventually adversely impact PB as well.

No point wasting ones time trying to reason or negotiate with them .... because they're hell-bent on what they've set out to do regardless, but, it's going to cost them a lot of following (not to mention respect) .... and possibly even their economic sustainability .... given few but for major commercial businesses will likely subscribe (be able to afford to) to PB's new annual terms ($399 per year to allow 3rd part hosting of ones own images) .... BUT .... maybe that's the direction PB fully intended to go anyway in respct of transitioning into a more "business oriented and user pays system"

Who knows !!!!

I've simply "wiped my hands of them" .... and have just moved over to IMGUR.COM .... and are hoping for the best over there.

I suggest people "HERE" consider doing the same also

Mark C
AKL/NZ