posted on October 19, 2001 11:26:36 AM new
I'm very frustrated right now. I've been using PhotoIsland for awhile now and for the most part it's been great. Every once in awhile, for some unknown reason, the system would fail to return the URL for a picture and I would have to try a few times before the system would return a URL. But overall, that problem was few and far between. And the first time it happened to me, I sent an email asking for some assistance and never got a response. But since the problem cleared up on its own quite quickly, I was just grateful for that much.
However, today I'm unable to get a URL for any picture uploaded today! The system will return a URL for pictures that were uploaded prior to today, but not for pictures uploaded today. I've even tested this by uploading pics that are already up there and while I'm still able to get a URL on the pic that was already there prior to today, I can't get a URL for the new one I uploaded today. And since it's the same pic, it can't be something wrong with the pic.
And, of course, I emailed them several hours ago and have yet to get any sort of response or acknowledgement of the problem. And the problem is not clearing up this time. Is anyone else that uses PhotoIsland having these troubles today?
posted on October 19, 2001 12:45:27 PM new
Well, in the meantime, I've found a new place called WebPhotos that seems to work. At least I was able to insert a copy of that picture that PhotoIsland won't give me a URL for into my auction ad. I'll use this new place for awhile to see how it goes.
But, any more upheavals, and I might seriously consider moving back to AW for image hosting. WebPhotos now makes the 3rd one I've tried this year. First PhotoPoint with their 5 or so day shutdown, now PhotoIsland not giving URLs for newly-uploaded pics, what next?
posted on October 19, 2001 01:59:47 PM new
Hi, I am new to Photo Island but I have been loving it. (And loving not having those Auctionwatch fees, too!) But I had the same problem you had starting on Wednesday evening and continuing through last night. I e-mailed them Wednesday night and again last night, but got no answer in time to put on any auctions last night, so I had to work around it by using another site. I used Baypal, which is OK except they allow only 15 photos on at a time, and that's just not enough for me.
Anyway, I got two e-mails back from Photo Island today, both telling me to try again and it should work. I'll try again later tonight when I go to list some more auctions.
But it was quite maddening when I was having trouble to have no way to get in touch with them, not even any discussion boards or an announcement board that would have stated the problem was site-wide. Like you, I was worried I was doing something wrong myself. And like you, all my previously uploaded pictures would give me a URL, but the newly uploaded ones would not.
posted on October 19, 2001 04:32:49 PM new
Yes, I was talking about the free photo hosting on Baypal. I'm sure you are right and that at some point I'll have to begin paying for picture hosting again, but for now I am enjoying getting something free again for a change.
I used to use Auctionwatch for everything, even after they started charging for the services. Then I still used them for everything because it was cheaper than just using the picture hosting. But things have changed so much, with eBay, Paypal Auctionwatch charging for just about everything, that I am really having trouble making any money at all.
I don't make a whole lot of profit off what I sell -- clothing, makeup, general odds and ends I find on sale -- especially since eBay moved into being more like everybody in the world's garage sale. I used to make a very good profit on children's clothing, for example, but now I can hardly give the stuff away, even the really good boutique items from "name" designers. And since the Sept. 11 tragedy, Auction for America, the downturn in the economy, all the fees have started to be unbearable for a small seller like me. (I have 26 auctions running right now, and that's a lot for me.)
So, about a month ago, I made up my own template and went in search of free photo hosting. I like both Baypal and Photo Island, and I guess when I start having to pay again I'll use one of those.
posted on October 19, 2001 07:49:40 PM new
I agree that at some point there will be no more free image hosting anywhere. WebPhotos looks to be a brand new site, at least the copyright date is this year. It will only be a matter of time before they start charging also.
And I don't intend to jump ship and run from free place to free place everytime the "free" runs out either. To me the most important thing is stability. There's been too little of that in the image hosting dept. lately to suit me.
I gladly paid PhotoPoint for a year of service and 5 weeks later discovered my auctions hadn't had pics for days. You all know about that fiasco by now and I think many of us who were new to them jumped ship because it was totally inexcusable. When I told them I wanted to cancel my account with them to prevent being charged annually (as I'd authorized them to do, never do that again) they thumbed their noses at me and just said, "No refunds under any circumstances." They didn't even care they were losing a paying customer.
And as long as PhotoIsland offered the first 50MG free, well, that's more than sufficient for my needs so why should I pay for an upgrade? But it seems there's a serious instability problem there. I had some warnings of this I suppose when the system occasionally failed to give me a URL unless I tried a few times over and over before it finally worked, or when I'd edit a photo online to adjust the brightness and after editing it the system wouldn't give a URL on the edited picture at all. So I quit editing on their system and did it using my software before uploading the pics. Those things all put together just don't add up to a stable, reliable site. Can you imagine how PhotoIsland's paying customers feel, that is, if there are any?
Can you imagine how I'd have felt if today had been a free listing day and all of a sudden I found out that my image hosting site is down for the count? WOW! I'm just glad it wasn't, that's all I can say.
Oh, and I just checked it out again. More than 12 hours now after I uploaded that pic this morning, and PhotoIsland still won't give a URL for it. No response to my email, no announcement on the site, nothing. Sounds like another PhotoPoint fiasco in the making to me.
posted on October 19, 2001 08:58:59 PM new
Yes, BJGrolle, ditto here. Photo Island sent me the two e-mails telling me to try my photos again, and I am still having the same exact problem I was having before! I can't stand that sort of instability. Guess I will mosey over to Web Photo with you and check out their service. Thanks for that lead ...
posted on October 21, 2001 06:10:28 PM new
BJGrolle -- I signed up with Web Photos (Photo Island still messed-up), but I can't find anyplace that tells me the URL link for my auctions. Do you know how to find that?
posted on October 22, 2001 07:03:06 AM new
Hi savannahmom,
There are no instructions on the website that explain how to do this. However, it's quite simple and there are actually 2 ways.
1. Right click on the picture you want to link to your auction. A short-cut menu will pop up. Click on Properties way at the bottom. It gives you the address URL right there beginning with the http stuff.
2. If you're using Word or FrontPage to write and save your auction descriptions for cutting and pasting later, then you can select Copy from the short-cut menu and Paste it into your Word or FrontPage document. Word and FrontPage automatically create the proper HTML code for the link. The picture(s) will show up in your document as well with this second method, giving you a preview of how it'll look "live".
I think it's disgusting that PhotoIsland has not been generating the URL codes since, from your experience, Wednesday evening through as recently as Sunday evening. That's 4 full days at least the site hasn't been functioning.
And you can't just right-click to get a URL from them either, since their system of using "temporary links" (first time I've run across a site that worked this way) won't give you a link to the pic any other way.
I know. I tried the right-click thing when I first registered with them and all you'll get is a red x in a box.
