Photobucket Photo Hosting

[MkIV Lux]

quote:Originally posted by TTM
   
This thread is slowly taking the same shape as the "3 questions" thread. Different people with different expectations, etc. Let's keep the consensus everybody got used to instead of risking satisfying a few just to get more moaners :)
   

   
   the thread's title is: "Photobucket Photo Hosting", with the underlying message of the Administrator's first post, as I read it, being:
   - if we want to continue using photo documentation in our Forum in the future, we have to consider alternatives
   - so the discussion is open and any suggestions are welcome

[TTM]

Pedant still makes a good point about how many ACOC members actually "use" the forum, whether they post messages more or less actively or remain quiet and just read what is posted by ACOC members and non-members alike.
   If a survey is organised and emitted in the next edition of ACtion to reach the highest numbers of members, how to make sure ACOC members who will anyway never ever touch a computer will even be bothered returning their opinion? Every contributing ACOC member should have a word on the subject, even if it may go above the heads of many who are happy to live without a computer.

[AC Ace Bristol]

.
   .
   The Forum was created to complement ACtion not replace it, The Forum
   serves its purpose by answering questions and informing / confirming dates,  invites and  current activities to club members.
   
   Whereas ACtion magazine is distributed to all members worldwide on a monthly basis, many of whom rarely use  the forum, maybe they still live in the 20th Century,
   Reading the Old Testiment and not yet opened the New. ( Not all members have access to the internet, or simply do not wish to partake).
   
   Seriously, If one scrolls down and reads the Statistics at the bottom
   of the page you will read that :-
   
   706 of 1137 members have made 26,891 posts in 11 Forums.
   Currently 3719 Topics..[;)]
   
   Conclusion..  ..   the ACOC Forum serves it's purpose, can be / must be continually improved to meet new demands and criteria...
   
   Keith

[MkIV Lux]

quote:Originally posted by AC Ace Bristol
   
.
   .....706 of 1137 members have made 26,891 posts in 11 Forums.
   Currently 3719 Topics..[;)]
   
   Conclusion..  ..   the ACOC Forum serves it's purpose, can be / must be continually improved to meet new demands and criteria...
   
   Keith
   
   

   
   Hi Keith,
   
   Fully agree with you on the purpose of Action and Forum.
   
   I understand that the statistics at the bottom of the page refer to Forum Members.
   
   Forum Members are not necessarily ACOC members. And ACOC membership does not necessarily imply Forum membership.
   
   The website structure has 3 different clusters:
   1) General info including Forum view
   2) Forum posting
   3) ACOC Members Area
   
   There are 3 types of Players:
   A) ACOC members - membership grants a Username(A) and a personal PW(A)
   B) Other General Public (non-ACOC members)
   C) Forum Members - membership by registering online through website => selfdefined username(F) amd personal PW(F);
   Players C are part of A or B
   
   Cluster 1 can be accessed by A & B
   Cluster 2 can be accessed by C
   Cluster 3 can be accessed by A
   
   

[Exowner]

Whatever happens, I think it is important that the members of the ACOC, not the majority of the forum users dictate what path the forum takes. Regardless of who actually uses the forum, it is paid for by membership of the ACOC. What percentage of club members use it is neither here nor there. If those users who are not members have such strong feeling about the future direction of our AC forum, perhaps they should all get together and finance one of their own. All this talk of current ACOC members not using the internet/accessing the forum can only, in the future, swing toward 100%, as computer literacy will become an essential part of everyone life -like it or not.
   
   Back to the point - I repeat - whatever the committee decide, I think that being able to add photos to a thread should be made as simple as attaching a photo to a an email.

[GSouthee]

Quite right. In this day and age it should be simple browse, point, click and photo there.
   
   I wonder what the age profile of the membership really is, if as suggested most don't use computers, pads, smart phones etc etc. I am an anti tecno guy and even I use a laptop, in this world even now you cant by with out it. (unfortunately)

[nikbj68]

The forum may not be the most user friendly & up to date model,  but that is not the point.
   
   I'm BLOODY FURIOUS about this change to Photobucket.
   
   To suddenly impose a $399 per annum charge to be able to show your photos, be it 20 or 2,000(as I have uploaded for myself and many others to this forum Over many years) is no worse than Ransomware attacks! Blackmail, pure & simple!!! They can go to Hell if they think I can afford that.
   
   You can't even view the photo by clicking the 'missing' picture.
   Greedy bastards.
   To migrate all of the photos I have uploaded to another free host and subsequently edit every post I've made with photos in would take months!

[TTM]

People may want to check what is included in their contract with their Internet provider, but I believe some webspace for hosting data is fairly standard these days?
   Alternatively I will be happy to host pictures ACOC members may want to post on here. I can host them graciously on my own webspace for as long as they wish. Could be a temporary solution until the forum can "host" pictures itself.

[Classicus]

Thought it might help clarify things along a bit so out of personal interest had a go at a new forum based on this current one, but of course most definitely not intended for future use.
   
   Just for clarification purposes only nevertheless good fun....[:)]
   
   http://acoclub.activeboard.com/
   
   Paul

[jonto]

Well now its happened, photobucket wants payment to host pictures.
   I am trying 'tinypic', a free site which is working, see 'car no 6199 1921' thread on the 'Vintage PVT' page, procedure is the same as it was for photobucket.

[BE774]

My only reservation is that all hosting providers will start charging, now that the big players have introduced it.

[Classicus]

It would obviously need to be confirmed first, but if anyone's interested as far as I know these would be the current pricing and features packages for yesterday's demo forum....
   
   http://www.activeboard.com/pricing.spark
   
   http://acoclub.activeboard.com/

[Exowner]

There seems to be a lot of 'goings on' related to this theme.
   From what I can gather (being a strictly non iT person), the most recent talk is about a new type of forum, which would be the same as this one as far as attaching photos is concerned? or have I misunderstood?????????
   
   For the sake of clarity - is attaching photos to a thread on a forum in the same way as one would attach a photo to an email -
   A/ not possible
   B/ just  matter of cost
   Can someone out there with a knowledge of these things give an easy to understand answer???

[MkIV Lux]

quote:Originally posted by AE512
   
....
   For the sake of clarity - is attaching photos to a thread on a forum in the same way as one would attach a photo to an email -
   A/ not possible
   B/ just  matter of cost
   Can someone out there with a knowledge of these things give an easy to understand answer???
   

   
   Hi Glenn,
   
   The simple answer is B: cost as a function of the storage capacity the Club will contract on the hosting platform.
   It takes 3 clicks to attach a photo to an e-mail.
   Please read my posts of 6 October 2016 at 7:23:01 and 11:26:05 on your thread about: "3-questions" and you can understand what I talk about.
   
   While we were on the International in Devon I gave our webmaster a demonstration of the site I refer to.
   
   http://www.acownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4432
   
   Cheers
   Constant

[Exowner]

Constant, thanks for that. Things are somewhat clearer now.
   It's frustrating knowing that simplicity of operation is what I want, but not knowing enough about the subject to make any realistic judgement! Hopefully a simple way forward will be agreed upon.