The Great Photobucket Purge

[DinoToyForum]

Photobucket have disabled unlimited third party hosting and are now charging a fee (or a ransom).

Firstly, this means Photobucket is no longer a viable image host, don't continue to use it.
Secondly, it means the majority of existing Photobucket images on the forum are now broken. With so many users posting over so many years, this is swathes of images.

The solution?

It will be a huge undertaking but by working together systematically I'm confident we can rid the entire forum of broken Photobucket links. Therefore, I'm suggesting we team up to undertake The Great Photobucket Purge.

I suggest this to consist of two initiatives.

The first is a call for all members who have posted using Photobucket to transfer their images to a new host. There is a discussion about alternative hosts in the Posting Images thread: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=173.0 This involves risks (who knows which hosts will become the next photobucket?), but *anything* is better than Photobucket at this stage. After changing hosts, I request all users go into their old posts and replace their image links. There is no obligation to do this, of course - I realise the difficulties involved. However, I want to give people the opportunity to replace their old links prior to initiative two...

Initiative two will see myself (and any moderators willing to assist) go through the forum, thread by thread, post by post, to delete every photobucket link ever posted. I'd rather have blank posts than residual Photobucket spam. It might take months, but if we work as a team, little by little, we will get there.

Before I implement initiative two, I think it is important to give users several weeks to replace their images with the understanding that any remaining photobucket links will be removed by staff in due course. Every link a user changes will be a link a moderator doesn't have to delete, so I encourage users to take matters into their own hands to help out.

I also want to open this up for discussion before I implement initiative two. I'm aware that there are some photobucket-hosted images that still seem to appear on the forum. I'm not sure if this is because the users have paid the ransom, or if they haven't exceeded the number of third party images required to prompt the ransom message. My feeling now is that all Photobucket images should be purged, no matter what. Thoughts?

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I am in complete agreement with your assement and plan. I think they should have said something like...existing images will remain as they are, but anything new will require the charge. For them to just shaft the world like that is hardcore and I am all for eradication....lets nuke the site, its the only way to be sure !

[BlueKrono]

In my case it is the latter - I posted only a small number of images on PB so mine still show up just fine as I haven't crossed the threshold where they require payment. It would be possible but a little tedious to switch these to Postimage. If they are still fully visible I'd just as soon leave them. I can understand wanting to fix or delete old, broken links though.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

The thing that hits me is, what happens when people everywhere, not just the forum mass up on the few free hosts and bury them with hosting upload......do you see them handling the load and more, or struggling, and causing service issues, broken links or worse, as you stated, charging ransom just as photoransom is now

[DinoToyForum]

In my case it is the latter - I posted only a small number of images on PB so mine still show up just fine as I haven't crossed the threshold where they require payment. It would be possible but a little tedious to switch these to Postimage. If they are still fully visible I'd just as soon leave them. I can understand wanting to fix or delete old, broken links though.

I strongly recommend you rehost them. Out of solidarity with your fellow DTF members, as a principled stand against Photobucket, and to make our  job easier when we coming to ridding the forum of Photobucket entirely. It will be a big enough job for us to delete them all without having to double-think which ones are fair game. In any case, what will you do when you do eventually cross that threshold?

[BlueKrono]

I see your point. I'd go along with it in solidarity; I just have to find the time to switch them all. Unless they change the limit I would never have crossed it - I haven't used Adbucket once since I met my true love, Postimage.

[DinoToyForum]

The thing that hits me is, what happens when people everywhere, not just the forum mass up on the few free hosts and bury them with hosting upload......do you see them handling the load and more, or struggling, and causing service issues, broken links or worse, as you stated, charging ransom just as photoransom is now

These are the risks we pay for free hosting. Nothing is truly permanent on the web, as DTF regulars will know we have a lot of downtime ourselves. As I say, *anything* is preferable to Photobucket right now. 

[DinoToyForum]

I see your point. I'd go along with it in solidarity; I just have to find the time to switch them all. Unless they change the limit I would never have crossed it - I haven't used Adbucket once since I met my true love, Postimage.

What is the limit?

[DinoToyForum]

I'll also send a bulk email to all members in due course to give all Photobucket users advance warning of the above plan.

[BlueKrono]

I see your point. I'd go along with it in solidarity; I just have to find the time to switch them all. Unless they change the limit I would never have crossed it - I haven't used Adbucket once since I met my true love, Postimage.

What is the limit?

It was on a banner on the top of the page on PB.com for a bit, but it looks like it might be 52 gigs:
http://photobucket.com/pricing

[Jose S.M.]

My pb pics are up still because I had very few but I'm willing to change them, I'm very upset about what happened to the people with extensive and beautiful collection threads.

[ceratopsian]

It seems like a good plan to me, all things considered. I've already replaced quite a few of my missing pictures. I will be closing my Photobucket account (if I can work out how).  Just leaving some images in my library for now to help me track down the threads in which I posted images. Like Amargasaurus cazaui, I find it hard to credit they made the change retrospectively.

[DinoToyForum]

I see your point. I'd go along with it in solidarity; I just have to find the time to switch them all. Unless they change the limit I would never have crossed it - I haven't used Adbucket once since I met my true love, Postimage.

What is the limit?

It was on a banner on the top of the page on PB.com for a bit, but it looks like it might be 52 gigs:
http://photobucket.com/pricing

I'm not sure - it says that even the 52 gig paid package doesn't include third party hosting.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I have my work cut out for me...over the years I must have made thirty or more threads with complete imagery. Where is everyone else going to host theirs now?

[Patrx]

I'm currently in the process of moving and relinking all the images in the FaunaCasts archive

[DinoToyForum]

I have my work cut out for me...over the years I must have made thirty or more threads with complete imagery. Where is everyone else going to host theirs now?

You need somewhere with bulk upload options! The Posting Images thread is the place to discuss hosting options: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=173.0

[DinoToyForum]

I'm currently in the process of moving and relinking all the images in the FaunaCasts archive

Thanks! That is a good place to start as it is self contained. I'm sure Malcolm will be glad.

[postsaurischian]

Good plan, but PLEASE give us some time!
Right now I'm working on my collection thread which will be done in a few days. Then I'll be checking my posts all over the DTF. I'm afraid the DTF v.1 will be ending as a cemetery. We will hardly get it back in shape. That's one of the sad things about Photobucked's terrorism. A lot of our history is lost.
Then I plan to move over to the ATF and re-post my pics there, which will be difficult because my posts are spread all over the place in a lot of different threads. Aside from that I have a job to do and friends to take care of.
I am talking about posts and pics of the last seven years. This won't certainly be done in a few weeks. I don't really want to break up with the ATF, so I suppose you give us a few months.

[DinoToyForum]

Good plan, but PLEASE give us some time!
Right now I'm working on my collection thread which will be done in a few days. Then I'll be checking my posts all over the DTF. I'm afraid the DTF v.1 will be ending as a cemetery. We will hardly get it back in shape. That's one of the sad things about Photobucked's terrorism. A lot of our history is lost.
Then I plan to move over to the ATF and re-post my pics there, which will be difficult because my posts are spread all over the place in a lot of different threads. Aside from that I have a job to do and friends to take care of.
I am talking about posts and pics of the last seven years. This won't certainly be done in a few weeks. I don't really want to break up with the ATF, so I suppose you give us a few months.

I appreciate it is a huge undertaking. I'll give you as long as you need.

I could even begin the second initiative (link purge) while avoiding posts by members (like you) who have specified here that they are in the process of updating all their links.

I agree - the v.1 archive is probably a write off by now. Shame. It's amazing that it is legal for a company to offer a free service and then decades later change their mind to hold beneficiaries to ransom like this.

[Halichoeres]

I'll get started. Might take a minute.