In-post image as it currently looks hosted on photobucket (compressed to 33kb):
Oooh, I am livid about this! Can you see the difference?
Header image as I originally uploaded it (97kb):
Header image hosted on photobucket (compressed to 48kb):
In-post image as I originally uploaded it (99kb):
In-post image hosted on photobucket (compressed to 47kb):
I have never run into this problem before this week, and suddenly, you might notice that all of the photos in my most recent three updates, as well as my header image, have been compressed without my permission. Are any of you fellow photobucket users noticing this? Or are they just picking on me?
I did contact customer support and described my problem and this was the response I got:
We run compression on our site in order to balance the cost of bandwidth and storage while providing a variety of useful features and overall site performance for our users.I do already upload using the 1024x768, by the way.
Within the next few weeks we will include a "High Resolution" setting in the upload tab that will allow for storage of the high resolution version of your image, still, you may notice that the album displayed and linked images are the compressed versions. In this scenario, downloading the image from your Photobucket account should download the high resolution version.
Even though you should expect compression to occur on our site in general, you may want to try to re-upload any images you are concerned about using the resolution settings (e.g. 1024 x768) instead of the file-size limit settings (e.g. 1MB). This may preserve the quality closest to the original in the short-term.
So, what it sounds like is that we won't be able to link to full-quality images from photobucket anymore. These are NOT huge files I'm uploading, and I already save for web at about 85% quality. I do NOT want my images compressed any further. If I didn't care about the image quality, I wouldn't go through the BOTHER that I do to make these images look good.
I do have backups of all of these, thankfully, but because I have so many of them hosted by photobucket for this blog, it's really freaking me out quite a bit! Are they going to compress ALL of them? All the photos we've EVER uploaded? All the photos I've been uploading for the past two years???
And they say "you should expect compression to occur on our site in general." Should we expect it? We should expect that our photos can't be viewed at full quality? I am well within the limits for storage and bandwidth for my account, so even if it is a free account, I still expect what I thought I was entitled to, and what I've been entitled to for the past two years, which is linking to my full-quality image. Right?
I'm sure all of you fellow sim-bloggers would be equally FREAKED OUT about having to re-upload ALL of your images somewhere else, and relink each and every one of them!
I get it, kind of, they can't afford to keep up what they promised by providing this service to all of us freebies. Maybe they're even hoping we'll be freaked out enough to buy the pro account. Does anyone reading have a photobucket pro account? Are your linked photos being compressed as well?
But still, if they downgrade my ENTIRE album of pictures, I am going to be so pissed off. I will make it my life's mission to let the entire INTERNET know how much photobucket SUCKS, until the end of time! (LOL, I'm channeling Fiona McCullough today ;)
Please somebody tell me I'm not crazy for thinking this is complete bunk!
That does suck. It really killed the quality of your photos hopefully they won't do it your entire album and you can find an alternative for the new ones. I don't know what I would do, thank god Wordpress doesn't do that
ReplyDeleteMan that does suck. I'm still trying to figure out how to let my images on blogger to be larger than what I have then now. If I make them bigger they come out of frame. I upload my pics to photobucket sized at 430x383. I just looked over my most recent updates and they haven't been compressed. So maybe like you said, eventhough you are uploading them at the recommended size, they are being compressed anyway. If it happens to me I'll be sure to let you know.
ReplyDeleteI do find it sneaky that they would do this so more people would switch to a paid account. And who says that in the future they won't do the same with the pay accounts as they are doing with the free ones.
I haven't had this problem at all yet. Which is um, weird, because I have three or four different accounts. As for compressing pro-accounts, I highly doubt it. That would kill ANY reason for ever having a pro account, period. That is suicide for any site.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I JUST uploaded pictures today for my simfic50... and no compression at all. I've also gone back and checked a ton of my old images... no compression. All my albums are 100% private. I know that keeps from RANDOMLY and annoyingly having images deleted.
I'm checking their site now. If they are doing this they are obligated to MENTION it. I see nothing on their blogs, terms, forums... sigh. What the heck.
I decided to do a little check to see if any of my images would end up the same way, so I uploaded some recent pictures from Harrington and nothing happened. Then I decided that maybe they changed them afterward so I took a look at the pictures from Vivienne Hamlet and well... They've all been compressed, most to around 24kb (I didn't compress then, so some were in the 100-range, but some were less, 90-range etc. and they're down at the same level which I find plain rude).
ReplyDeleteNow I checked the date when I saved these pictures (I imagine I must have uploaded them a bit later, though going by the save-date it must have been April still) and it happened on the 7th.
I then decided to look over some images I took when I played a Victorian hood. Back in '08 I think it was... And they've been compressed as well, which is a bit odd since the other images in my other album (that are far older) haven't been touched, yet at least. Even odder is the fact that a lot of these pictures are a lot bigger than most of my newer ones are.
I don't think it happens immediatley as I remember seeing your header and I know that it didn't look so pixelated.
I have webspace so I can host mine, but I'd rather not use my resources for sim-pictures and other things if I don't have to.
heredon, I know, that's what I'm most afraid of, that they'll compress the whole album. OMG, to have to relink my entire blog would be insane!
ReplyDeleteRiverdale, ugh, I SO don't trust photobucket right now! Even if they gave me their word it wouldn't happen, I still wouldn't buy a pro account!
As for your blog, you'll need to choose a wider blog template. I think I started out using the template you're using and also switched because I wanted wider pictures ;) I think I'm using one of the "denim" templates. They're very easily modifiable! :)
Mao, my accounts are private too. The compression has been happening about 24-48 hours after posting, and it started with my July 16th post. So far, I haven't noticed any compression prior to that. I'm still keeping an eye out for it.
I would think they should mention it too! Ugh, I'm so mad!
Also, I swear it has something to do with bandwidth, because the images are fine while in the account, and fine for a little while after they're posted until they've been viewed a little. Then bam, compressed!
Valneanne, I just looked at Harrington, and check out your first pic on your "rocking the boat pt. 2" post - it is compressed compared to the others. I swear it must have something to do with bandwidth, since that image would get more hits for being on the front page. My first image of every post has always compressed before the others too. But the others have all eventually followed suit.
You're right, it's not happening immediately. My images are fine when I post them, then compress after a day or two of being viewed.
Oh, and by the way, my bandwidth is FINE, which makes me even madder. My account renews on the 5th, and I'm only at 50% for the month - plenty left still. So they shouldn't be doing anything to my pictures!
ReplyDeleteIf they tell us we have a certain amount of bandwidth we're allowed to use, they should let us use it!
That is nuts! What a crock of bull. I can't see this going over well at all. :\
ReplyDeleteI'll keep an eye on my images... I've checked everything I could and have noticed no compression at all. It sucks that this is happening and with NO warning!
Buh, nevermind. My Anderson update has been compressed. /shakes angry fist
ReplyDeleteIf they start doing this to KiD, WoS, or AoL... I am going to hit the roof. Hardcore. >:\
Mao, yup, you're right, they got you too! What will you do if they do get your stories? Will you relink from somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteUgh, I can't even fathom that. I actually checked my backup folder, and my year and a half of Sim-pics has amounted to 3600 images in this blog! It would take me months to repost everything! But at the same time, I can't fathom leaving them all compressed and horrible either :(
Another nugget of wisdom I discovered recently (probably while searching for an answer to this whole mess) is that free photobucket accounts terminate if you haven't logged into them after three months. I bet they just let all your pictures poof into thin air!
My story images? If they mess with those, I will go motherloving Trogdor on their asses. They will find out how I got a free computer from Dell that amounted to more than the computer I originally got from them. (which busted less than a year later, anyway, sigh)
ReplyDeleteI think they will be safe. Gameplay blogs get tons more hits than story ones. And I don't advertise or anything, so yeah. My sims 3 blog was hit and more BS posts were hit. Grr. I don't care so much about the gameplay blogs, they didn't compress them too badly (my old images had that level of compression)... but it's still annoying.
If I have to go back and reupload all my story images, though, someone is getting freaking burninated. My husband is acting like I'm crazy, but he can kiss it. This is srs bsns.
Wow, that is a lot of compression! Almost 50% of your already compressed pics.
ReplyDeleteMy most recent post using LJ was on my personal blog, and I didn't notice any compression. But those pics were pretty small-- about 30kb. On average, I try to keep my pics around 500 x 500 and under 40kb. Kinda old school. XD
I've checked several images in my account and haven't seen any that have been compressed yet. But I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it from now on. That's not cool at all, especially when they're doing it without even letting members know beforehand.
ReplyDeleteI'm not 100% but it looks as if they've gotten me as well. But my eyes are bad. LOL If they did that sucks. My blog is no were as popular as yours and Mao, so I don't see why they would do that. Not to metion my pics are small. *sigh* I am a lost cause. How do you check to see if they have been compressed?
ReplyDeleteI haven't started to use photobucket for my Oasis Valley blogs yet because I still have storage space via freewebs. But if (and when) I do and they compress it I am going to be mad. My graphic card is already mediocre so further compression would really mess up my pictures.
ReplyDeleteThis sucks.
Apparently, they are doing this to pro accounts, too. Which is RIDICULOUS! Ugh. So, time to find somewhere else. What a pain.
ReplyDeleteYes, keep an eye out everyone. My images prior to July 16th still seem untouched, but I wonder how long they'll stay that way. I know other people have been hit further back than that.
ReplyDeleteRiverdale, if you can't tell by sight, the only way to tell would be to compare file sizes.
Mao, wow, that's just stupid! What's the point of even buying a pro account now?
They're doing this to pro as well. I hope those people don't sit by and let this happen. I would be even more pissed off if I'm paying and you messing with my pics! I see many people leaving photobucket!
ReplyDeleteThat really does suck and it sucks even more that they're doing it to the pro people too. That's appalling.
ReplyDeleteI haven't uploaded anything since I got back but I'm not sure what I'll do if I notice my pic quality has degraded to an unacceptable level. I use the in game camera so my pics are already around 40kb. Maybe they won't bother with such small pics? I don't know but I really hope this can all be resolved some way. :\
hey!
ReplyDeletemine too. this is sickening. i emailed them tons of times and initally they even told me that they DO NOT compress images. After few weeks later, someone emailed me saying that they infact compress the images and had send the exact email to me as well. i was ultra pissed off as i bought a pro account and this is happening to me.
damn photobucket. they should...close down since they cant fufill their promise!
I had this happen to the whole of my Photobucket album on my graphic design work. It's f**king ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI've stumbled upon your blog by doing a Google search on the Photobucket thing. I have to say, I have a Pro account and what I don't see? All icons (for LJ, mostly), have been compressed to below 5kb, when in reality they were about 20kb! And not only did they do it to the newest uploaded but to all the past ones. I won't be uploading to PB for sure and not paying them any more money if this is what I get. I emailed them and got the almost exact same thing.
ReplyDeleteI thought only happened to me.
ReplyDeleteI like the PB style for pics organization, but with this...
Yes. I have a pro account too and the images have been compressed. Such a hassle. Have tried contacting PB and also got a similar response.
ReplyDeleteYes, just noticed this too. Up until this point I enjoyed Photobucket's service very much so it is a shame to find out that they are so arrogant that they think I won't be mentioning this the next time I post photos on my site. I am a Pro paid up user and I have 115,000 views on photos just taken in the last couple of days, 1,100+ views of each photo per day. I am incensed. Bad business decision I feel. Is there a photo sharing site that I can use which doesn't butcher my images?
ReplyDelete