Is it true that Ranchoweb (www.ranchoweb.com) is no longer a free service? I'm confused please help.

This is taken from their site when you log in:

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ranchoweb.com is now charging a nominal fee for our previously free 1MB image hosting accounts. This is to prevent our site from completely caving in due to it's own weight. It was never our intention to charge for these accounts, but it is no longer economically feasible to continue to offer free space to the hundreds of new users who sign up each day. The 1MB accounts are now $9.95 per year, that's less than 84 cents per month! Well worth it, and the service for all members has already greatly improved.

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I guess the answer to your question is, yes it is true!

Is that retroactive for all account holders or just new users?
I seem to be able to access my files all right. So far, anyway.

Just tried to upload new images. No can do. 30 days to either remove the images , pay up, or they will be removed.

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Is that retroactive for all account holders or just new users?
I seem to be able to access my files all right. So far, anyway

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I was just thinking of that myself. When another.com started charging for their service, they let all current members keep their accounts, but started charging for new members. I can access my files also, so I would assume this would stay the same.

I've also just tried to upload and nope, it can't be done.
If anyone wants their avatar hosted, I think I can do it with plenty of free space I have on a server.
PM me if you're interested.

That is extremely generous of you to offer. Might I make a suggestion that you ask people to ensure that their avatars are not excessive in size, either that you you help people make the files smaller - some are rather large in size. It would dreadful if you got penalised for the amount of bandwidth you are using.

I can always shrink them anyway. I have up to 10mb of file space, so there's plenty for everyone!

Aren't you lovely, silverginger?

I had a look at your site silverginger, simple and impressive. I am sure that a number of members will take up your very generous offer.

Aw cripes, Tanzen! I will forever thank you for pointing me in the direction of Ranchoweb. If I want to find something similar, what do I do now (if I don't take up Silverginger on her kind offer, that is, but I can't see all of us doing that!)

I know of two, but I have to look them up! Apparently I've forgotten my passwords, or even sign-in name for that matter! I really must write these things down when I get fancy! I'll get back...might take a day or two. One is called ASPhost.........or something similar...the other I can only find at work.........

Apart from taking Silverginger up on his kind offer, is $9.95 for a year that bad?

OK, you can throw things at me now

Okay, I have the basics up and running, but there may be a few bugs to iron out. Feel free to PM me for the moment, if you want your image added, and I'll get back to you.

If 99 of you just want your small image hosted on the site, you could get together and pay 10 cents each

And if everyone takes silverginger up on his offer and he maxes out his space, let me know - I have a ton of room I'm not using on my domain.

Isn't everyone just lovely! Thanks silver and LadyMacB...you are too nice!

*Edit* OH! I have a question, now! If we don't pay, will we be removed? I mean, whatever we have uploaded there now....am I still visible? Am I gone? I have my pic on my hard drive, too, and I can still see me! Can you? Oh.......

It looks like Ranchoweb is having trouble deciding what it wants to do... One one page it says 1MB accounts are free on the right side and then that they are $9.95 on the left. (Also, apparently it's cheaper if youget 5MB - $5

I changed my little pic a few days ago on rancho web. It let me upload no problem.

I have just visited ranchoweb for the first time, I hadn't realised that it is intended to host images for people selling on eBay, not for avatars and the like.

As for the charges, it says the FIRST 1MB is $9.95 then each ADDITIONAL 5MB will cost $5, that is not a choice of having 1MB or 5MB.

I hadn't even seen that at first, but you're right Sue. My little site is now stable, as far as I can see, and a couple of people have taken up the offer (including gtho4 who has 14 images up there!), so just let me know if anyone wants theirs uploading.

That's right Sue, that is their primary purpose. The test of time has proved they haven't minded hosting avatars though. Presumably they keep an eye on type of images they're hosting.

I did a little googling, and found villagephotos.com They offer free hosting, just as ranchoweb used to. From what I understand, you can store 25 images the size we need here, for free. I have already switched over all that I wanted to keep from ranchoweb to there.

I signed all brand-new again! Here's a good site for webhosting, I believe!
web page

Thanks, babymoo. I joined villagephotos this afternoon. I'm not too sure how to use it yet, but I'll figure it out soon!I am going to check out lefois's suggestion now.

I wanted an avatar so I took ShadowHippie's instructions and went to rancho. I don't mind paying $9.95. I got some great images. Shadow's instructions were easy and I got it the first time. Thank you to all you FT users out there. Now I feel like part of the group. Now I need to know what a UBB code is and how to use them. Can somebody "splan" me that one?

What a hypnotizing avatar you got, quaxo!

UBB code is used e.g. to make your text bold or to add a link to your post. You can either click on the "Instant UBB Code" just underneath the text-box you type your posts in, or enter the code manually. The different UBB codes are explained in the FAQ of this forum, more specifically here. Hope this helps...