Notice to all Photobucket Users

[GiveMeABreak]

For those of you who use Photobucket as an image hosting provider, you may be aware that as of 28th June 2017, Photobucket changed their TOS (Terms of Service).

As a result, they have now locked all hosted images unless you upgrade to a paid account. This means that for users who have previously added image links from Photobucket from basic / free accounts, your image will now have been replaced with the following picture:

Photobucket Blocked Image

Please note that this is a direct result of Photobucket's decision and nothing to do with the FCF.

At present, we are trying to look at ways of 'harvesting' the existing Photobucket-hosted images displayed on the site with a view to converting them to the FCF servers directly.
Please don't edit your links or delete your images at present as it may yet be possible for us to recover them.

Members should be aware that they can now upload their images directly to the Forum as an alternative if required, by using the attachments option available under the full post editor.

We will update this thread as and when a solution has been found, but in the interim, we would suggest you don't link any new images from these accounts as they will ultimately be locked by Photobucket.

For the current status of photobucket images, please jump to page 6 of this topic: viewtopic.php?p=541147

[CitroJim]

May I recommend flickr (www.flickr.com) as a good alternative?

[myglaren]

Just looked in my Photobucket accounts and there is (as yet) no notice of any change

[Gibbo2286]

I gave up on photobucket, it became a damned struggle some time ago.

[CitroJim]

I gave up on photobucket, it became a damned struggle some time ago.

Same here... Last time I tried to use photobucket it was virtually unusable due to all the adverts and other assorted detritus around it... I honestly thought at the time it had been attacked by spammers...

The general poxiness of Photobucket drove me to do my own image hosting a good few years ago now...

It's only recently I've discovered flickr and that is still very functional and usable... Something else I'm heavily involved in uses it as a primary photo-hosting platform with excellent results... I now have a few albums of my own up on it...

[bobins]

My Photobucket account stopped the 3rd party hosting function a few days ago. I've been editing my old posts to now use the FCF image upload, but will pause for a while in case the admins can find a workaround

[GiveMeABreak]

Just looked in my Photobucket accounts and there is (as yet) no notice of any change

It'll depend on how they analyse it and usage I guess Steve - I used mine quite heavily on here historically for pics over thousands of posts - so they may well home in from the number of image clicks they get from various forums. If you're a light user or don't link as heavily then you may stay under the radar! I know it's caught a lot of people out - and some of those can't seem to get their photos unlocked and others say it has ruined their Forum!

[CitroJim]

If you're a light user or don't link as heavily then you may stay under the radar!

That's possibly why my very few images from years ago remained visible then Marc, I only ever used it a few times for a few pictures and not recently. Last time I actively used it was about 6 years ago now...

[xantia_v6]

It could also be that they are progressively locking down accounts at random as some which appear to have been dormant for years have been locked.

[myglaren]

I have one account dedicated to this forum only. Images hosted on behalf of members who had problems uploading images,
Not affected as yet

[elma]

My pictures are still intact too.

I cant understand why they are backdating this. I rwckon photobuckets going to upset a large proportion of its users.

[bobins]

My pictures are still all on photobucket and perfectly accessible to me, it's just they've disabled the 3rd party element. It can be restored if I'm willing to pay for a plan, but as I come out in a severe allergic reaction whenever I have to pay for previously free stuff, I shall be closing my Photobucket account as soon as - one way or another - my photos on this forum are viewable again

[myglaren]

My pictures are still intact too.

I cant understand why they are backdating this. I rwckon photobuckets going to upset a large proportion of its users.

The vast majority I'd say James.

Reading various other forums comments, there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth - mainly due to all the advertising prior to this most recent twist of the knife.

[GiveMeABreak]

Yes, it's just beginning to sink in with people and a few articles are starting to emerge now:
http://uk.pcmag.com/webcom/90124/news/p ... e-internet
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/06/30/photo ... ed-images/

Here's how it will be leaving a lot of other forums looking:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum ... ost2310895
and the disgruntled users thread has started to grow:
http://blog.photobucket.com/status/comm ... /#comments

[MikeT]

Just heads-up for everyone.

I re-visited my photobucket account to try and get a handle on what's what as last time I gave up due to the prolific spamming of adverts creating a practical DOS attack on my laptop.

This time, while persuing old photos and videos I'd uploaded, I clicked a folder after playing a video and got redirected to a fake "Critical Firefox Update" download page. If you get this, do not click the Download link, it's malware.

Now, I can't positively point the finger at photobucket or the invasice adverts they feed in that's caused this as these malwares get through unseen vectors but once bitten, twice shy, as they say.