Hi Everyone,
OPR is fortunate that as a nonprofit with so little funds (plus sponsorship from PhotoShelter and DigMyPics) can help so many. We started in 2006 with two photojournalist, Dave Ellis and Beck Sell, and have grown to thousands here and abroad. Except for our copy runs--actual on the scene photographing with high end digital cameras--all our work is done in the virtual world. Our website: http://www.operationphotorescue.org/ allows us to communicate not only with our volunteers, but with visitors seeking information.
Besides the homepage/blog, our best way of communicating with our volunteers is through the OPR Forum--http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php?action=forum The Forum offers help on a wide variety of topics. The main purpose is to help volunteers with the photos they are restoring. Nothing can burnout a volunteer quicker than knowing they have a damage photo that needs more skills than they have. Other times the Forum is to share what happened on a copy run and share the experience for those not able to attend. Other times the Forum is just a chance to chat and get to know each other. The icing on the cake is viewing thank you notes from families we have restored their photos. All of this has one common denominator and that is pictures. Those pictures are posted on the Forum as a way to communicate. Sadly, all Photobucket posted photos on the Forum have been kidnapped and are awaiting a $400 ransom per each volunteer using their service and that includes those posted before the new rules.
I understand and do not have a problem when a company has to change their long standing "free" policy to one of paying. What hurts is that what was offered in good faith as free for years is now being held for ransom. Perhaps as a nonprofit OPR we could have this service free, but all of our volunteers would have to pay $400/year to free their past pictures posted before this new rule went into effect.
OPR will adjust and we will find other 3rd parties that allow us to link our pictures free, but nothing will be able to replace what has been lost of our history. As president, I have been active in OPR since 2007 and I find this loss heartbreaking. What better way to show the loss than to let you see for yourself previous postings.
Margie
Camera Raw:
http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,4613.0.html
Kiska's Levels and Curves:
http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,3813.0.html
Reflection of the Metairie and Houston Copy Runs:
http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,4700.0.html
The Joplin Journal:
http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,3423.0.html
Blue Channel revisited:
http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,2214.0.html
Levels adjustment.:
http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,3538.0.html
Upload Button:
http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,3386.msg30613.html#msg30613
And those links are just a drop in the bucket of all that we have lost.
Greed wins... Seems mighty lowdown to hijack photos that were on Photobucket BEFORE the change. :mad: :mad: :mad:
Has OPR considered using Dropbox? I run two companies with it and rarely have an issue. I would probably even be interested in donating a year of service for the organization if it is something you think would work. No one would ever be able to take what you have ever again. I will be back in my office on Wednesday, but please feel free to email me and let me know if you would want to go this route.
[email protected] - thanks!
110mediandesign, we are able to store our photos in PhotoShelter and volunteers can access them. What we have been stopped doing and that includes photos posted years ago is use a 3rd party for linking. I'm not sure Dropbox does that? Thanks for your input.
Margie
I was looking at this thread.. i'ts not just us.. this is really bad..
https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/4/15919224/photobucket-broken-images-amazon-ebay-etsy-paid-update
Yep. PB's move impacted free and paid accounts. :-[
For those who would like to save some of their images, you can still download them to your hard drive. The process to use post image to fix the broken links is a bit of a pill and time consuming for sure.That said, maybe some of the threads where you felt like your images really provided an opportunity for all of us to learn something would be worth the aggravation. If you click on the confounded PB error box in your thread and then click View Image Info from the list, you will see the name of the original image at PB highlighted at the bottom of the window that opens. Write that down and then download it from PB. You can then go back and delete their broken link and use post image to add the create the new link. Was that clear as mud? :halo:
Um...
I'll write all that down when I get home ..thanks lyn :up:
I guess "add image to post" is a safer option than using an image storing site like Imgur. Although they have good reviews and have been around for a while, we still are at their mercy if they close down or want to charge a fee later on.
Add image to post is a wordpress codex and part of our website I think. That the posted images initially are not very large is a small price to pay for keeping our forum images in house.
Lynn, I think all your images are safe so you don't have to worry. :) For the rest of us, maybe this will make more sense. This was done with Firefox so it may vary depending on your browser.
(https://s4.postimg.org/zevvvrn6x/PB_Mess_8.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/zevvvrn6x/)
link test for pbase:
http://www.pbase.com/ob/image/165946765/medium.jpg
Link works. LOVE the critter!!! ;D
May have to wait for the weekend to get more into this. I already have a folder on my hard drive labeled Photobucket. The problem is that while I might be able to put my back up another way--if other posts are back in place, it kind of renders the post useless. Not to mention how tacky seeing all of the Photobucket warning boxes.
For those that who would like to express their appreciation to Photobucket here is their address:
QuotePhotobucket:
2399 Blake Street
Suite 160
Denver, CO 80205
Phone:
303-226-6800
Fax:
303-395-1165
Margie
The results of this are far reaching as noted by the BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40492668 Kiska said it best, but can't help but think Karma will have the final say.
Margie
Thanks Margie for the address and link... yes I agree.. no good will come of this for them..
Here's something I just found that I haven't in the past. I found saw this in a search I was doing. And when you click the link it give ya the full picture. Is that suppose to happen?
(https://s6.postimg.org/9cvrhf8ql/OPR_in_search.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/9cvrhf8ql/)