Advice needed on Photo Sharing Sites

[Princess Leia]

I am just looking for some advice on using photo sharing sites. I have used Flickr a little in the past. I am about to do a Trip Report and I am still undecided whether to go with Flickr or Photo Bucket. I have worked out how to upload and post photos from each. When using Photo Bucket the ads and 'you have won' messages are annoying. I see that you can pay to go ad free.

Two questions really:

1. What is your preference and experiences of using these photo sharing sites?

2. In terms of privacy for sharing on DIS do you have to leave as public? If so do this mean that anyone can view and take copies of your photographs?

Thanks in advance

 

[xlxo]

I've been a long time flickr user. My fav feature is the ability to set up guest passes if you want to share private images with friends and they don't need to setup an account. Flickr strength how you can tag images.

 

[photo_chick]

If it's between Flickr or Photobucket, Flickr will win every time. Photobucket is awful. Photobucket's image optimization has always been pretty bad where as Flickr has worked to improve theirs. If you're sharing on a message board it does to an extent have to be public. You don't have to have the image in a listed gallery (many hosting sites give the option of unlisted galleries, that is only you see them and you give out direct links to the gallery or image), but it cannot be in a password protected gallery. And yes, anyone can view or take your images when you post them on a message board or other media forum. It's the nature of the internet. But its not as big a deal most of the time as people make it out to be.

 

[Princess Leia]

Thanks xlxo and photo_chick for your advice. Good to get advice from people experienced in posting their photos.

 

[dmaxphil]

I use Smugmug for most of my images and then place a few on Flickr occasionally. Smugmug has lots of privacy and organizing settings and was pretty inexpensive. I use photobucket for any photoshops/graphics/miscellaneous stuff.