Photobucket - Please Read

[Tumbleweed]

Does anyone know if is there anything allowed with a free account aside from counting our lucky starts  stars we have a place to put our images. (Like there aren't such things as flash drives and memory sticks, etc.) Is there a way to safely share images at all like if we keep the "a" link with the photo is it o.k. then? Anyone know? (Sorry, tried to read all the posts but may have missed some that might have answered my question.) 

[Derek‽]

Jul 11, 2017 0:17:18 GMT -8 Tumbleweed said:

Does anyone know if is there anything allowed with a free account aside from counting our lucky starts we have a place to put our images. (Like there aren't such things as flash drives and memory sticks, etc.) Is there a way to safely share images at all like if we keep the "a" link with the photo is it o.k. then? Anyone know? (Sorry, tried to read all the posts but may have missed some that might have answered my question.) 

Nope, not possible.

This isn't like when people got in a tizzy because Imgur simply forbade in their TOS using the service as a content delivery network, but still made the images available. Photobucket has imposed a hard block that rewrites any request for an image not associated with a Plus 500 account and replaces the image with their now infamous "no 3rd party hosting" image.

Earlier in the thread there was a trick shared that let you open an image in a new tab to view it properly, but that's been patched to also block the image (someone forgot to account for requests with no page referral header, it seems) since they won't even let you link to an image unless you subscribe to their second most expensive plan.

[Skidjit]

Jul 11, 2017 0:17:18 GMT -8 Tumbleweed said:

Does anyone know if is there anything allowed with a free account aside from counting our lucky starts we have a place to put our images. (Like there aren't such things as flash drives and memory sticks, etc.) Is there a way to safely share images at all like if we keep the "a" link with the photo is it o.k. then? Anyone know? (Sorry, tried to read all the posts but may have missed some that might have answered my question.) 

Tumbleweed If I understand what I think you are asking....

I was wondering this too. What is the use of having a photobucket account and not be able to "share" the image on a website somewhere? How would we "use" that free photobucket account?

What I came up with on my own, we can use the free photobucket image BUT when posting you have to post on your website NOT the image but the link back to photobucket account where the people would have to click your link to see it.

I talk in circles a lot.

So, in order to use a free photobucket account, say you have 10 smileys that you want to use on your site. SO!

On your site, you will offer a list of links of 10 smileys to choose from.

The person wanting to make a post will have to click have to choose from that list of links to put in their post.

Then the reader will have to click the link to the photobucket account to see what the smiley was chosen.

This is just dumb. UGH!

EDITED: SEE BELOW post for correction.

[Kami]

Jul 11, 2017 7:19:23 GMT -8 Skidjit said:

Jul 11, 2017 0:17:18 GMT -8 Tumbleweed said:

Does anyone know if is there anything allowed with a free account aside from counting our lucky starts we have a place to put our images. (Like there aren't such things as flash drives and memory sticks, etc.) Is there a way to safely share images at all like if we keep the "a" link with the photo is it o.k. then? Anyone know? (Sorry, tried to read all the posts but may have missed some that might have answered my question.) 

Tumbleweed If I understand what I think you are asking....

I was wondering this too. What is the use of having a photobucket account and not be able to "share" the image on a website somewhere? How would we "use" that free photobucket account?

What I came up with on my own, we can use the free photobucket image BUT when posting you have to post on your website NOT the image but the link back to photobucket account where the people would have to click your link to see it.

I talk in circles a lot. So, in order to use a free photobucket account, say you have 10 smileys that you want to use on your site. SO! On your site, you will offer a list of links of 10 smileys to choose from. The person wanting to make a post will have to click have to choose from that list of links to put in their post. Then the reader will have to click the link to the photobucket account to see what the smiley was chosen.

This is just dumb. UGH!

Without paying the two highest tiers, Photobucket is simply glorified storage.

At the second tier, you can link to your content in storage.

At the highest tier, you can display your images off-photobucket.

[Skidjit]

OK I get it. One says LINK and the other says DISPLAY. Thanks Kami

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Actually, I don't get the difference between linking and displaying and the P'Bucket community is asking that same thing.

Linking is displaying. They are DIRECT linking to their own images they are having hosted by P'Bucket. That isn't the legal definition of hotlinking. And I think as this moves further along, someone will start a class action suit and that's going to be the focal point for that suit ~ along with changing the original intent of the site that was established since it's inception without warning to its users. 

[Tumbleweed]

Jul 11, 2017 7:23:46 GMT -8 Kami said:

Jul 11, 2017 7:19:23 GMT -8 Skidjit said:

Tumbleweed If I understand what I think you are asking....

I was wondering this too. What is the use of having a photobucket account and not be able to "share" the image on a website somewhere? How would we "use" that free photobucket account?

What I came up with on my own, we can use the free photobucket image BUT when posting you have to post on your website NOT the image but the link back to photobucket account where the people would have to click your link to see it.

I talk in circles a lot. So, in order to use a free photobucket account, say you have 10 smileys that you want to use on your site. SO! On your site, you will offer a list of links of 10 smileys to choose from. The person wanting to make a post will have to click have to choose from that list of links to put in their post. Then the reader will have to click the link to the photobucket account to see what the smiley was chosen.

This is just dumb. UGH!

Without paying the two highest tiers, Photobucket is simply glorified storage.

At the second tier, you can link to your content in storage.

At the highest tier, you can display your images off-photobucket.

That's what I was afraid of. 


♥ ℒʊ√ ♥, Linking would simply be the link in text format so you have to go to photobucket to view. . Display, you'd be able to see the image where you pasted it, aka, using img tags.

Thanks everyone for your responses to my question. And also forgive my typo in my post (not quoted here)..."counting our lucky starts" should have been "stars".

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Jul 11, 2017 10:48:48 GMT -8 Tumbleweed said:

♥ ℒʊ√ ♥ , Linking would simply be the link in text format so you have to go to photobucket to view. . Display, you'd be able to see the image where you pasted it, aka, using img tags.

Yes, I realize that, Tumbleweed . But if you simply place the direct link (which is text format), it is  the image in some formats.

Law requires specificity. If they want to be legally correct, they need to specify "linking" as linking to the URL only ~ which they do not. They are leaving linking up to wide interpretation ~ because they are not using the term "display". That was used here by a member.

Ambiguity and the law do not mix. And when they do, the law generally sides with the consumer, not the company who is held to a higher standard since they are considered the professionals in the situation.  


But at this point, using P'Bucket under the current ToS is out of the question until/if/when things are made more clear.

Moving on is absolutely best. And we have some great options to do that, thankfully.

[Kami]

♥ ℒʊ√ ♥, the distinction is the link will redirect you to view it on Photobucket, whereas display will allow you to let the viewer avoid going to photobucket -- the central theme here is their bottom line, and their excuse is that in order to compensate for the lack of revenue that displaying on external sites leads to, they're charging the absurd amount.

That is what the difference is for them. I think it's ridiculous, personally, but that is how they are justifying the price and difference between linking and displaying.

They do specify in the tiers that linking and displaying are not the same thing, though agreed they should be specific because unless you understand the difference between their intent, it seems to be the same (since both require a link).

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Yup, I understand that quite well, Kami . But again, they  aren't making the distinction clear.

They are saying "linking" is allowed in the one tier. But they are NOT specifying that that linking must be to the URL only. They need to make that very clear. For most P'Bucket users, they will assume it means what it always meant. Using any of the four linking options besides each image that they have done for years and years and years.

Only those who understand that small, but important, difference will comprehend P'Bucket's intent.


The onus is on them to make their intentions crystal clear. We may get it, but sadly, so many others will not.

[Kami]

♥ ℒʊ√ ♥ yeah i agree with you; i think to the average user that's going to be confusing and i think personally that is intentional on photobucket's part.

*shakes head* honestly i'm still of the opinion that they expect at least some of their user base to pony up the cash because they can't find anything else that works the way they're used to.

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Sadly, and quite frankly, I agree with you, Kami , Given how the new ToS was rolled out; their lack of communication during and after that process; that a BLOG post was made to make the announcement rather than emailing every customer is egregious and yes, intentional.

I'm always bombarded by mass emails from the company. They should have utilized this function for notifying their community for what, in essence, changes the entire original mission statement and intent of their company. Ironically, they still have up the link for how to link to eBay auctions with no change in the instructions that in order to do so, they must now pay $400/annually!

[Kami]

Jul 11, 2017 12:23:04 GMT -8 ♥ ℒʊ√ ♥ said:

Sadly, and quite frankly, I agree with you, Kami , Given how the new ToS was rolled out; their lack of communication during and after that process; that a BLOG post was made to make the announcement rather than emailing every customer is egregious and yes, intentional.

I'm always bombarded by mass emails from the company. They should have utilized this function for notifying their community for what, in essence, changes the entire original mission statement and intent of their company. Ironically, they still have up the link for how to link to eBay auctions with no change in the instructions that in order to do so, they must now pay $400/annually!

Quite frankly I am waiting for the other shoe to drop for tinypic -- unlike Photobucket I still actually use my tinypic account on occasion (mainly affiliate images for the short URL / quick uploads if I'm grabbing like, a screenshot or something).

I'm quite floored by the whole fiasco tbh, but I am willing to bet -- and so are they, clearly -- that they'll take the negative press and still stay in business due to the aforementioned userbase willing to pay up. It's disappointing and I do hope, at least, that other companies take the backlash to heart and realise that communication is essential for this sort of thing.

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Kami , I have an account with TinyPic, but I use them for "throw away" images. Being owned by P'Bucket does keep one in suspense about "the other shoe dropping".

I don't think the majority of folks are paying the $400. That's much too much. As most are saying, they can't trust them any longer so how can you trust them with your financial information?

Many are filing online fraud complaints with Colorado's Attorney General. It's easy enough to find the link and fill out the form. If enough complaints come in, they will investigate ~ which does need to be done.

[Kami]

Jul 11, 2017 13:15:02 GMT -8 ♥ ℒʊ√ ♥ said:

Kami , I have an account with TinyPic, but I use them for "throw away" images. Being owned by P'Bucket does keep one in suspense about "the other shoe dropping".

I don't think the majority of folks are paying the $400. That's much too much. As most are saying, they can't trust them any longer so how can you trust them with your financial information?

Many are filing online fraud complaints with Colorado's Attorney General. It's easy enough to find the link and fill out the form. If enough complaints come in, they will investigate ~ which does need to be done.

Yeah, that's generally what I use it for as well, but it is easiest with an affiliate image since imgur is out of the question -- perhaps I'll find a site that I can use other than tinypic for the one aff image.

And no, I don't think that most people are paying that. I think there are a few who will, and due to the price tag, even a few might be enough for PB to stay afloat even if there's a mass exodus.

At least, unless those fraud complaints go through and action is taken against them.