Flickr will limit free accounts

[Predatorpt]

At least they didn't do a Photobucket-like ransom and warned everyone with plenty of time

Free users with more than 1,000 photos or videos will have until January 8th, 2019, to upgrade to Pro or download their surplus content. After January 8th, free users with over 1,000 pictures or videos won’t be able to upload any more. And on February 5th, 2019, free accounts that are still over the limit will have their content actively deleted until they’re back under 1,000 (starting with the oldest content first).

https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/1/18051950/flickr-1000-photo-limit-free-accounts-changes-pro-subscription-smugmug

[robh]

This was pretty much inevitable and all other"free" services will go the same way eventually. Better approach than Photobucket (who I noticed now start sticking a big semi obscuring watermark on all external linked free hosted images).

Expect the rush of condemnation from all those people demanding the right to get something for nothing and the "where to host my pictures ...." threads.

Interesting they chose a numeric limit rather than a bandwidth based approach, presumably server capacity is not really the limiting issue they claim.

[OSHIROmodels]

Expect the rush of condemnation from all those people demanding the right to get something for nothing and the "where to host my pictures ...." threads.

I was paying Photof**it £30 a year which is a perfectly reasonable sum for ‘space’. Still pissed me off mightily and rightly so.

[Arlequín]

Expect the rush of condemnation from all those people demanding the right to get something for nothing and the "where to host my pictures ...." threads.

Well yes, nobody likes losing out on free stuff, but you have to have a huge sense of entitlement to openly complain about it. They should just quietly go and ask Flickr for a refund.

 

[Anatoli]

My problem with Photobucket was that I had a paid account (for many years, and from the beginning of my blogging/hobby activity online), but they suddenly wanted me to upgrade to an account that was something like 4 times more expensive in order to be able to share pictures on forums. Otherwise I would only be able to store my photos... 

I now use "one.com" which has proven to be a very good service provider so far, though it costs me more per year with the than my photobucket account did.

I looked at other cheaper/free options, Flickr among them, but never found that it would fit my requirements.

[Coenus Scaldingus]

After the Photobucket situation, I switched to Microsoft's Onedrive. Takes a few extra clicks to get links for use in forums, but has basic 5GB storage which will be sufficient for years to come. Being somewhat part of a paid service, I don't expect any major differences to occur, so it'll hopefully stay accessible. Perhaps a practical alternative for some.

[Cait Sidhe]

Expect the rush of condemnation from all those people demanding the right to get something for nothing and the "where to host my pictures ...." threads.

Nobody was getting anything for nothing, that's what all the crippling adverts are for and why a service like Facebook is "free"... Also, as stated by folks already, not everyone was using for free anyway and still got shafted as they hiked prices up by a huge amount.

Well yes, nobody likes losing out on free stuff, but you have to have a huge sense of entitlement to openly complain about it.

Yup, why would anyone complain about years of threads on every hobby and subject imaginable being destroyed overnight with zero warning... 

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Yup, there's no doubt that Photobucket's approach to the whole thing was just terrible. The "something for nothing" thing goes both ways - if you offer something for free for  more than 15 years and then take it away of course people will be upset. Also of course: Anything free on the internet we pay for in data. Except for wonderful places like LAF.


@Coenus Scaldingus: I've been using OneDrive occasionally (due to my beautiful phone ) and it seems OK. Of course the major cut-down in space (from 15GB to 5GB) was a bit annoying, but for our requirements it's still perfectly fine.

One useful alternative I've been using on and off now is imgur. I don't get (or much care for) the "social media" aspect of it, but for quick and dirty picture hosting it's perfect.