VBD2 is closed. Please go to https://vbd3.co.uk instead.

Yes, I got the email last night, over 8,000 photo's no longer accessible via the embedded links in the forums I belong to. 7 years of work cataloging my collection frustrated by corporate malice. No warning, very little discussion and lots of very annoyed punters from what I can see from a quick Google search. They've been gradually switching off the functionality for the last two weeks from what I can see.

Given the number of pop ups on the site they were struggling for revenue. Given the hefty charge they now expect they won't get many subscribers unless they are over a barrel and really need their images. I won't be paying so this thread up to now means nothing without the images which were its core.

I'll think about how I proceed, find a good host and start again most likely. It'll give me a chance to put some order into where everything is and start to upload variation groups. I might also be able to identify and get rid of duplicates which have crept in with my bargain and group buys.

Cheers

Dave

RSSierra wrote:Yes, I got the email last night, over 8,000 photo's no longer accessible via the embedded links in the forums I belong to. 7 years of work cataloging my collection frustrated by corporate malice. No warning, very little discussion and lots of very annoyed punters from what I can see from a quick Google search. They've been gradually switching off the functionality for the last two weeks from what I can see.

Dave - this has always been a problem with the free hosting sites - eventually they need to generate more income than they get from advertisiing to ensure maintenance and upgrades to hardware and software are done. if you have one of Nz's unlimited bandwidth accounts you could consider hosting the photos on an older machine at home - usually pretty easy to set up. Personally I lease a virtual server from Rimuhosting in Cambridge for a few dollars a month and load my photos on there (currently 17,699 photos taking up 3.45 Gb of space). I also run my web site and email from that server. If you need help Rimu Support staff are brilliant BUT the servers are usually LINUX servers (which I prefer as they are more secure than Windows based servers).

Having said all that a preconfigured linux-based NAS with GIU admin interface can be got pretty cheaply from the major suppliers such as PB Technology. An advantage of these is that they can be set up with "hot change" disks and run as RAID systems so you don't have a problem with data loss (unless you only have two drives in them and both go at exactly the same time) AND they can serve as media streaming devices for Music and Video... note they are best when you have 2 or more identical drives in them - they become inefficient if you have different sized drives (e.g. a 2TB and a 1TB drive, or 4TB and 6TB, or 2Tb + 4Tb + 6Tb + 6Tb).

Ian

This is almost akin to holding users to ransom. Pay up, or ship out. I've had a paid account for 12 years. Nothing has stopped working yet, but there's going to be a lot of holes in all the forums I use in the very near future I fear.

Only the US$399 per year account includes third party image hosting.....there is already a significant amount of noise on other forums as pictures are prevented from being accessed.

Well after an extended break I'm back. I spent 10 hours of a cold wet windy spring Sunday yesterday uploading the 2,000 images in this thread from iPhoto to Postimages.cc (Thx Kevin!) to here, that's a lot of mouse clicks I can tell you. But I have successfully reinstated what was previously 2 years work. The major benefit is I now know what parts of my collection haven't made it to here in pictoral form so far and I will be adding these older photo's of unseen models in with my new arrivals going forward.

Arrivals since I last posted on the 1st July are as follows:

Dumper





GMC Citerne Tanker, My second one as the first is missing the windscreen surround





RAF Anniversary Spitfire









Blue Transport Plane missing from the Shipment a couple of pages back









RAF Phantom







Studebaker











Atlas Berliet Tipper - I'm still after an original of this model, but they're extremely pricey for what is nearly 50% plastic.







I also picked up a couple of French Dinky Boxes with instructions to complete the package with a couple of good unboxed models I had.

A well proportioned set of Petrol Pumps by an unknown maker









A Gaggle of Cheapy Atlas Dinky's































Plenty more to come as I complete photographing the latest arrivals. I'll be back soon.

Cheers

Dave

The first batch of previously unseen models:

I'm not a Dinky collector, but really like the models. Thanks for all your comprehensive posts, and spending the time I know it takes to bring these models to us.

RSSierra wrote:Well after an extended break I'm back. I spent 10 hours of a cold wet windy spring Sunday yesterday uploading the 2,000 images in this thread ......

Hi Dave,
I echo Bob's comments, this is a big effort to reload all your images, it is a wonderful reference. Good job and much appreciated.
Bert

Welcome back Dave, Glad you have found 'postimage' of use. That 'Chrome' Spitfire, WOW! when was the last time I saw one of those and boxed! You certainly do find some treasures (along with a Silver Shadow from 1967) and a fuel tanker to die for, fantastic stuff you bring to the forum, already looking forward to more.

Ghosthunter.