Attention! Please read! Policy change!

[eldenwaff]

This is NOT to raise money for the owner! If that would be the case, he would have instituted an overall policy against outside hosting. This is a policy born by the moderators and managed by the moderators in order to preserve the forum integrity.

I agree with banning photo hosting for obvious reasons, the photobucket fiasco put a spotlight on that issue that makes it clear that photo hosting cannot be relied on long term.
Lets call a spade a spade however, this does wreak as a $$ grab, else every member would be able to post pics like 99% of other forums.
Don't think it will effect his bottom line though, people pay for estand selling and nothing else [claims of altruism aside] ,,, And people that didn't have the need for a paid membership because they don't sell aren't going to be coerced into paying just to post pics - They'll just go to another forum to post, or won't post at all.

So long term, IMO the collecting community at large is the loser here, will result is less raw material/info being posted. Instead of "ruined threads" because the pics went down months or years from now, there will be no thread at all.

[jack1]

-1

[Jeff V]

I agree with banning photo hosting for obvious reasons, the photobucket fiasco put a spotlight on that issue that makes it clear that photo hosting cannot be relied on long term.
Lets call a spade a spade however, this does wreak as a $$ grab, else every member would be able to post pics like 99% of other forums.
Don't think it will effect his bottom line though, people pay for estand selling and nothing else [claims of altruism aside] ,,, And people that didn't have the need for a paid membership because they don't sell aren't going to be coerced into paying just to post pics - They'll just go to another forum to post, or won't post at all.

So long term, IMO the collecting community at large is the loser here, will result is less raw material/info being posted. Instead of "ruined threads" because the pics went down months or years from now, there will be no thread at all.

Not a money grab by the owner at all, he is totally indifferent to the running of the forum. This policy was formed by the moderators alone. Also, the moderators asked repeatedly for all members to be able to post images through the site, but this was ignored. Obviously this is not a perfect solution but a necessary start IMO.

I do want to add that I find it odd that with the expensive items in this hobby that anyone would complain about $35.00 with everything this site has to offer. Compared to books that generally cost in the $100 and up range I always thought the forum was a great deal.

[jack1]

i agree with banning photo hosting for obvious reasons, the photobucket fiasco put a spotlight on that issue that makes it clear that photo hosting cannot be relied on long term.
Lets call a spade a spade however, this does wreak as a $$ grab, else every member would be able to post pics like 99% of other forums.
Don't think it will effect his bottom line though, people pay for estand selling and nothing else [claims of altruism aside] ,,, and people that didn't have the need for a paid membership because they don't sell aren't going to be coerced into paying just to post pics - they'll just go to another forum to post, or won't post at all.

So long term, imo the collecting community at large is the loser here, will result is less raw material/info being posted. Instead of "ruined threads" because the pics went down months or years from now, there will be no thread at all.

+1

[Chet Sowersby]

Perhaps those that want something for nothing should go else where if they are unhappy?

Chet

[Gran Sasso]

perhaps those that want something for nothing should go else where if they are unhappy?

Chet

+1

[Valter Gorenc]

Very good decision! It's really a shame that so many threads go useless b/c of pictures gone.

Some members will be affected for sure, but they'll still have the great (and even greater now on) opportunity to read, watch and learn from this forum, completely free. The matter of money - there's a thread in collector's community forum, How much you spend on militaria or something like that. I bet the wast majority of members spend more than 25 € or so annualy, so ...

[Sevrin]

Very good decision! It's really a shame that so many threads go useless b/c of pictures gone...

Agree.

A recent search in the DDR forum tuned up an old thread I was looking for, but unfortunately the guy's uniform pics were externally hosted & had expired/disappeared.

Also browse the collector's display forum a lot and have noticed that some of those old threads are full of these broken link messages instead of pics:

vanish.jpg

[Gary B]

not a money grab by the owner at all, he is totally indifferent to the running of the forum. This policy was formed by the moderators alone. Also, the moderators asked repeatedly for all members to be able to post images through the site, but this was ignored. Obviously this is not a perfect solution but a necessary start imo.

I do want to add that i find it odd that with the expensive items in this hobby that anyone would complain about $35.00 with everything this site has to offer. Compared to books that generally cost in the $100 and up range i always thought the forum was a great deal.

+1

[cobra-2001]

Pictures

Good idea.

[jack1]

The forum now might miss that long lost important history which has never been seen before or a important award which is original.
Some people join even if they do not collect just for a item handed down to them for appraisal because they want to sell maybe, or find out what they have been given to them by grandad from the war.

[Dietrich Maerz]

Jack,

you misunderstood what I wrote and what will be done from now on. Nothing about not being able to post, nobody here can block that. Posts or threads with such outside posting will be erased when answered or the posted photo will be copy/paste by a moderator to be preserved.
We all hope that sooner or later the owner will allow posting for all members. However, even then there will be people using outside hosting and it will be handled as described.
There is no need to make a big fuzz out of it!

[jack1]

Jack,

you misunderstood what I wrote and what will be done from now on. Nothing about not being able to post, nobody here can block that. Posts or threads with such outside posting will be erased when answered or the posted photo will be copy/paste by a moderator to be preserved.
We all hope that sooner or later the owner will allow posting for all members. However, even then there will be people using outside hosting and it will be handled as described.
There is no need to make a big fuzz out of it!

Fully understood now my friend.
Nice touch when answered.

[Douglas 5]

All for it .

Douglas

[eldenwaff]

Not a money grab by the owner at all, he is totally indifferent to the running of the forum. This policy was formed by the moderators alone. Also, the moderators asked repeatedly for all members to be able to post images through the site, but this was ignored. Obviously this is not a perfect solution but a necessary start IMO.

I do want to add that I find it odd that with the expensive items in this hobby that anyone would complain about $35.00 with everything this site has to offer. Compared to books that generally cost in the $100 and up range I always thought the forum was a great deal.

Points taken, am not saying membership fee is a bargain or not [I do remember quite a few complaining when the fee was jacked up not too long ago though].
In another one of these threads about the policy change, another mod said they had very little input, so I don't know.
If it wasn't about $$ and all about the good of the forum, then I fail to see why any registered member can't post pics and only premium members.

Perhaps those that want something for nothing should go else where if they are unhappy?

Chet

Might I inquire what the yearly fee of a lifetime member is ?
"Something for nothing" thats what I thought !
If you want to push for a policy of only paid memberships, have at it - Likely result will be a forum of 90% sales ads, you know it so do I.