Imgur cracking down on RP hosting

[Kalimalian]

Source

So Imgur have banned Jcink sites from using them as a host for images on their sites. I useImgur myself for my own forum, since I find it easy to use, but I'm going to back everything up and find an alternative host. Wanted to post here to let people know, in case Imgur move on to banning Proboards.

[Tommy Huynh]

Dropbox is a good source to host files for free as well.

[Boy_Wonder]

You could also host theme images in the proboards theme manager area (they load quicker then as its all from one area)

[Lynx]

Feb 11, 2016 12:43:09 GMT -8 Tommy Huynh said:

Dropbox is a good source to host files for free as well.

I could be wrong, but last time I tried, I couldn't get a direct link to an image when I had tried using Dropbox to host image files. The only link I could get was to download the image - not very useful when you're trying to just display it on your forum.

[Brian]

Feb 11, 2016 13:13:52 GMT -8 Lynx said:

Feb 11, 2016 12:43:09 GMT -8 Tommy Huynh said:

Dropbox is a good source to host files for free as well.

I could be wrong, but last time I tried, I couldn't get a direct link to an image when I had tried using Dropbox to host image files. The only link I could get was to download the image - not very useful when you're trying to just display it on your forum.

You can get a direct link to a file if it's in your Public folder, but not your private folders.

I've never heard of any firsthand experiences with Dropbox for image hosting. I've only read about them being wary of too much of a surge of traffic to a single file. I guess time will tell if it's a feasible alternative.

Strange that Imgur is including this change in their terms of service considering the majority of non-local direct link traffic was likely from embeds not just in avatars but in posts on forums and social media. I can understand them not wanting you to host every single image that constructs the layout of your site using their service but avatar images are likely a minimal hit to their bandwidth compared to larger resolution images and webm files like those that they feature on the front page of their daily gallery.

I hate that every image host wants you to go to their gallery pages now, but I guess they have to try and pay the bills with ad traffic revenue.

[leif]

I think it's time for a paid simple to use image service to come up. ImageShack failed at it terribly by deleting everyone's content, and still having ads. Paid photobucket? Redirected to gallery, and sometimes it hyjacks proboards pages and redirects you.

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

leif , I've used Photobucket's free version on our seven year old forum. There has been a few down times for maintenance, but they've never lost data. And those times are few and far between.

And despite the number of images and themes I have and the bandwidth we use, it's still free. And I use the same account for my thousands of personal photos ~ and I'm only at 50% storage capacity.

photobucket.com/pricing

[Brian]

Feb 11, 2016 19:24:32 GMT -8 leif said:

I think it's time for a paid simple to use image service to come up. ImageShack failed at it terribly by deleting everyone's content, and still having ads. Paid photobucket? Redirected to gallery, and sometimes it hyjacks proboards pages and redirects you.

I just looked at Photobucket's prices out of curiosity after reading your post because I completely forgot they had a paid option.

I think at those price points you might as well purchase a domain with hosting. You not only get to upload images but you get all the perks of owning a domain like email addresses and hosting all manner of files. Fun stuff.

[Tumbleweed]

Feb 11, 2016 21:10:05 GMT -8 Brian said:

Feb 11, 2016 19:24:32 GMT -8 leif said:

I think it's time for a paid simple to use image service to come up. ImageShack failed at it terribly by deleting everyone's content, and still having ads. Paid photobucket? Redirected to gallery, and sometimes it hyjacks proboards pages and redirects you.

I just looked at Photobucket's prices out of curiosity after reading your post because I completely forgot they had a paid option.

I think at those price points you might as well purchase a domain with hosting. You not only get to upload images but you get all the perks of owning a domain like email addresses and hosting all manner of files. Fun stuff.

I'll have to keep this in mind. If I ever open my site for people to browse my backgrounds/graphics for their use, my photobucket bandwidth will be used up fast I would think. Maybe I should check that out before I upload anymore to Photobucket. Any recommendations for a domain with hosting?

[Brian]

Feb 12, 2016 0:24:35 GMT -8 Tumbleweed said:

Feb 11, 2016 21:10:05 GMT -8 Brian said:

I just looked at Photobucket's prices out of curiosity after reading your post because I completely forgot they had a paid option.

I think at those price points you might as well purchase a domain with hosting. You not only get to upload images but you get all the perks of owning a domain like email addresses and hosting all manner of files. Fun stuff.

I'll have to keep this in mind. If I ever open my site for people to browse my backgrounds/graphics for their use, my photobucket bandwidth will be used up fast I would think. Maybe I should check that out before I upload anymore to Photobucket. Any recommendations for a domain with hosting?

I've been using DreamHost since 2013. No complaints here.

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Tumbleweed , we get a lot of pageviews and I have hundreds and hundreds of images for all of them hosted for free on Photobucket ~ plus all of my smilies, etc. and as posted my free account is only 50% used and I never have bandwidth overages.

Our homepage alone got more than a millions views in just over a little more than 2 years without ever having a problem. 

[Alanna 🥀🖤]

I stopped using PhotoBucket when they started replacing my oldest images with things my virgin eyes couldn't handle...

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

I've used Photobucket for 12 years, since I was a PowerSeller on eBay. That's never happened to me.

It might with their other subsidiary, TinyPic, but never Photobucket. My library has always been my library. No switch outs.

My eBay photos are still there after all these years.

[Alanna 🥀🖤]

Really, ♥ ℒʊ√ ♥? Damn, I must have been imagining it.

Ether or, I'm not happy about this news about Imgur and I'm honestly refusing to believe it... Imgur is the only image host that I don't have issues with.

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

@khristian , you are reading far too much into my reply.


I'm not imagining my experience either. Had that happened to me, I'd freely admit it.

I'm not on Photobucket's staff or an employee.

You posted your experience. I've posted mine.


I've been with them almost since they began ~ through many upgrades ~ and even with the upgrades, my photo urls did not change.


My reply was in reference to the company and how it functions. 

I have no doubt that glitches can occur with all companies. None have a 100% record.