Photobucket pulls the plug!

[Airsporter1st]

I see, Paul. The problem with this is that the pics have all been uploaded to Photobucket and to do so all over again would take months of work - there are well over 20,000 so far and lots still to upload!

Spending a few minutes every day uploading is manageable but doing it all in one go is not (for me anyway).

I'm sure that's part of Photobucket's calculation - that they feel they have people over a barrel.

The trouble is, when I started, PB seemed much more benign than it does today, and I didn't really expect the galleries to take off as they have. In my naiivety, I thought there were only a few hundred different models of airguns out there, not thousands.

Perhaps I'm also being naive, but I wouldn't have thought it beyond the realms of possibility for you to provide them on a memory stick to the host organisation via Admin, for a more direct means of uploading. Of course, I could easily be talking bollocks, not for the first (or last) time, in which case I have no doubt there'll. e no shortage of people to enlighten me

Just a thought.

[Garvin]

Perhaps I'm also being naive, but I wouldn't have thought it beyond the realms of possibility for you to provide them on a memory stick to the host organisation via Admin, for a more direct means of uploading. Of course, I could easily be talking bollocks, not for the first (or last) time, in which case I have no doubt there'll. e no shortage of people to enlighten me

Just a thought.

I probably could do that, but at the moment they are organsed to some extent by make/model etc. It would be a huge job to upload them in a way that would end up 'user friendly' whichever way you did it, unfortunately.

[Lakey]

Well I have donated some money to help Danny keep these massively valuable sites going. The way I see it , it is a small price to pay for all the knowledge over the years. Not much is free in life any more, but without Danny's work and dedication in maintaining these sites, all that invaluable info would just disappear.

Danny, thank you for all the unpaid days and hours you have put in on behalf of the Airgun Collecting community. I am more than happy to play my small part to keep these resources up and running for the good of our hobby. Time to step up to the plate.....

We are all in Danny Garvins debt.


Lakey

[Garvin]

Well I have donated some money to help Danny keep these massively valuable sites going. The way I see it , it is a small price to pay for all the knowledge over the years. Not much is free in life any more, but without Danny's work and dedication in maintaining these sites, all that invaluable info would just disappear.

Danny, thank you for all the unpaid days and hours you have put in on behalf of the Airgun Collecting community. I am more than happy to play my small part to keep these resources up and running for the good of our hobby. Time to step up to the plate.....

We are all in Danny Garvins debt.


Lakey

Thanks Andy. All your help is greatly appreciated.

[Garvin]

And thanks to everyone else who has donated or pledged so far.

[ccdjg]

Danny has put an immense amount of time and effort into compiling the Gallery, which is now an incredible resource for anyone with an interest in airguns. Making a contribution to keep it alive is a no brainer and I hope everyone who has used or will use the Gallery will pitch in and help.

The only downside is that a payment to Photobucket every year will be just putting a steady (or steadily increasing) supply of money into their greedy coffers, for little or no effort on their part. But at least in the short term our monetary support will let Danny buy some time to find an alternative solution to the problem, at which point we can then all wave two fingers to the Bucket.

All success with the cloud funding, Danny!

Cheers
John

[Garvin]

Danny has put an immense amount of time and effort into compiling the Gallery, which is now an incredible resource for anyone with an interest in airguns. Making a contribution to keep it alive is a no brainer and I hope everyone who has used or will use the Gallery will pitch in and help.

The only downside is that a payment to Photobucket every year will be just putting a steady (or steadily increasing) supply of money into their greedy coffers, for little or no effort on their part. But at least in the short term our monetary support will let Danny buy some time to find an alternative solution to the problem, at which point we can then all wave two fingers to the Bucket.

All success with the cloud funding, Danny!

Cheers
John

Thanks John!

Yes, it is rather painful, the thought of enriching these smash-and-grab extortionists. But hopefully they won't be in charge forever and people with a longer-term approach to things like 'customers' and 'brand loyalty' will take over Photobucket... We can but hope. In the meantime, we just have to do what we've got to do.

Someone mentioned to me today that the reason I haven't already been 'switched off' as a subscriber - unlike the free account holders - is probably because they don't want law suits from people who bought a product under different t&cs. If that's right, the gallery is safe until my subscription plan (now abolished) runs out at the end of the year.

[slow_runner]

I recently received a message from Flickr
Subject: Terms of Service Update
Date: May 23rd, 2017

If you haven't heard, Yahoo plans to sell its operating business, including Flickr, to Verizon Communications Inc. We anticipate the completion of the transaction to occur in June 2017. Upon the completion of this proposed transaction, Yahoo products and services, including Flickr, will be provided by a new Verizon-owned company called Yahoo Holdings, Inc.
In connection with this proposed transaction, Yahoo is updating its Terms of Service. You can review the changes by visiting our Terms of Service

These updated terms will automatically be effective on June 8, 2017, unless you cancel your Yahoo account before then.

That's it! We look forward to continuing to deliver your favorite products and services.
Don't want to receive messages from Flickr members via email? Change your notification settings. To report abuse, click here.

I have yet to set aside a few days to read and digest this
https://policies.yahoo.com/us/en/yahoo/terms/utos/

[Garvin]

I recently received a message from Flickr
Subject: Terms of Service Update
Date: May 23rd, 2017

If you haven't heard, Yahoo plans to sell its operating business, including Flickr, to Verizon Communications Inc. We anticipate the completion of the transaction to occur in June 2017. Upon the completion of this proposed transaction, Yahoo products and services, including Flickr, will be provided by a new Verizon-owned company called Yahoo Holdings, Inc.
In connection with this proposed transaction, Yahoo is updating its Terms of Service. You can review the changes by visiting our Terms of Service

These updated terms will automatically be effective on June 8, 2017, unless you cancel your Yahoo account before then.

That's it! We look forward to continuing to deliver your favorite products and services.
Don't want to receive messages from Flickr members via email? Change your notification settings. To report abuse, click here.

I have yet to set aside a few days to read and digest this
https://policies.yahoo.com/us/en/yahoo/terms/utos/

Interesting. I've scanned that small print quickly and can't see anything about embedded/'third party' links, but that may come later...

[Citizen K]

Danny, I think for the long haul you might want to consider self hosting your own image gallery. You can get a managed hosted bundle Chevereto gallery from as little as $46.20 a year which includes hosting and the gallery software licence. I know it would be a monumental task to edit all your thread image links but paying PB $400 a year is a non-starter.

I setup a test site last night using their free version and it seems to work pretty well, even with castrated free version functionality: https://www.airrifle.org.za/

[cinedux]

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[Garvin]

Thanks both for the advice.

I've decided that for my part there won't be a 'long haul' because life is just too short to upload all the pics again! If anyone else wants to do it, I will supply the pics and any other assistance I can. It will have to be on a non-profit basis though, since most of the pics were donated on this understanding.

My hope is that in time Photobucket's business model will have to involve a big drop in the charges because competition will drive that outcome. This may not happen for years, of course. There are probably millions of 'captives' in the same boat and screwing your customers for a ransom each year is not a sustainable model!

I have put a description of the current predicament here.

[Abasmajor]

There have been a number of useful alternatives posted here for Danny to consider, but in the meantime I believe it's important for us to fully support the donation request to allow time for any future changes to be properly evaluated.

Brian

[Garvin]

Thanks Brian. If it's any reassurance, the money will stay in a dedicated account for the purpose and if Photobucket reverses itself, I will return the donations ASAP.

[Binners]

I have only just read this post properly and didn't realise that our photographic bible is at risk

As soon as I went to Danny's BSA site, I saw the paypal ready made link and did a payment straight away.

I am sure our fine admin could do a New sticky with a brief explanation on what is at stake here. If that instant paypal link could be included, we could sort this in no time

I know the Mods are very busy, but this great collection of pictures and references must be saved for life...

Please look into it.