Community Forums

Timon · 12-20-2016, 07:05 PM

Do you use dropbox links for pictures or other files in your posts? If you do then prepare for everyone that you've ever used to start breaking starting in March because Dropbox is going to break them.

Normally we could just edit the links except we can't edit old links on this forum unless the administrator turns off the time limitation on editing old posts.

**NLOVNIT** · 12-20-2016, 07:26 PM

Information source? Link?

Lori-

Timon · 12-20-2016, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NLOVNIT

Information source? Link?

Lori-

Directly from Dropbox, starts in March for free users and Sept for paid users. There are also several threads on the Dropbox forum run by Dropbox. This is real.

tcg · 12-21-2016, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timon

Directly from Dropbox, starts in March for free users and Sept for paid users. There are also several threads on the Dropbox forum run by Dropbox. This is real.

Do you have a source for that? I did a search and could not find anything.

tcg · 12-21-2016, 06:32 AM

I found some information.

Apparently Dropbox eliminated public folders for free users in 2010 and any public links used until then were broken in 2012.

They are now doing the same thing for business and pro users.

You can still insert an image from your Dropbox account. The image below is from my Dropbox.

Nothing can be done about past links but you can still use Dropbox to post images.

I have never used the public folder or public links. Are you sure your links were the public links? Just because you shared a link does not mean you were using the public folder option. That folder has been eliminated since 2010 for new users and it appears public links were broken for free users in 2012.

If you created a free account after 2010 you aren't affected. If you have a pro account and used public folders (most people don't) then you may be affected.

But... why not use the forum software and just upload the image or file to their server? Then you don't have to worry about links being broken.

Route 66 · 12-21-2016, 08:11 AM

Discussion here;

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Shar.../197906#M11718

**NLOVNIT** · 12-21-2016, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Route 66

Discussion here;

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Shar.../197906#M11718

Thanks for the link, Dirk.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcg

.. why not use the forum software and just upload the image or file to their server? Then you don't have to worry about links being broken.

That will work until the attachment limit is reached on a std membership, 50MB. Then no more photos can be uploaded by the member.

One could use another photo-hosting site.....BUT....

The BEST solution is to upgrade to a Supporter & get unlimited MB

Lori-

Timon · 03-20-2017, 01:45 PM

Well, as they promised Dropbox has broken all of the older style links all the way back to the beginning of time. If you have any of the older dropbox links for photos the photos will no longer display. This has been one of the worst changes I've seen a site like Dropbox ever do and one that will likely cause them to loose many customers.

How do you fix your links here? Well, normally you could just edit the link in your post with the new format link making sure that the string ?dl=0 in the new link is replaced with ?dl=1. However on IRV2 you can't edit your older posts.

What would help is if IRV2 would enable editing posts at any time rather than only giving a limited time to edit. I'm sure IRV2 has a reason to limit editing but without unlimited editing no one that has broken dropbox links will be able to fix them even as painful as it will be to do so. If not then the only solution is to PM the poster and ask them to create a new post with updated links or have them send you the images.

OMT, even if you do edit the original post any quotes of that post will still have broken links but at least one can go back to the original post.