File Hosting websites

[Dave]

I've reserved this first post in the thread for a possible list of appropriate file hosting websites - depending on how the discussion below progresses.

Dave

[Dave]

gareth said:

Hi all,

Frankly, from what I have seen from rapidshare.de regarding sharing files, I think we should really reconsider using their services.

I noticed that on the last few visits, Rapidshare was sponsored by a number of blatant pornographic websites.

This is surprising; the worst advert I've ever noticed on Rapidshare's website is "Make Money Easy" - and I' hadn't noticed even that before you (Gerrit) mentioned the other adverts you've seen. I would never knowingly use a service like this that shows links or adverts to porno sites; I shall certainly keep a close eye on it from now on. What makes it even stranger is the first line in their FAQ: "No files that are not allowed to be shared. (illegal, pornographic, copyrighted, etc.) so I am puzzled. It doesn't seem to make sense ostensibly to bar pornographic files yet to link to pornographic sites.

I wonder if such adverts are experimental, were a mistake, or are "Country sensitive" (i.e.different adverts display depending on the apparent origin of the user's IP address?). Has anyone else seen "improper" adverts on Rapidshare like the ones mentioned by Gerrit? I'd have thought that if they keep showing such adverts or links they will have shot themselves in the foot, many many people will drop them like a stone. As adverts are often handled for websites by advertising agencies, I wonder if mistakes were made by an agency? It will be interesting to see if it recurs.

As it may be useful to have a handy list of suitable free file-hosting sites (they can be useful for all sorts of things) I've reserved the first post in this thread for such a list, if we decide to do it. The list at Proboards Support might make a suitable starting point but I'll await any comments before doing anything about it.

Dave

[Richard]

Hello Dave!

When I downloaded your version of Hayley's video from Rapidshare the other day, I spotted an advertisement at the bottom of the page that included a very rude six-letter word that I can't repeat here!

Did anybody else notice it?

It was the first time I've ever managed to view anything from Rapidshare, and I think it should be the last!

Gerrit's web hosting is much better! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes,

Richard

[Dave]

Hi Richard, so it's not just a one-off. In which case, I won't use Rapidshare again.

However, that doesn't change the main point of starting this thread which is to make a list of useful (and wholesome!) file hosting sites which can be used easily (and are free) by anyone - for whatever they wish.

Gerrit's site is fantastic for permanently hosting files related to the many classical related performers he is interested in, including Hayley However, only a small number of people are ever going to be able to upload to it and then, there is inevitably a time lag before Gerrit can make the links available for viewing. Sometimes, you just want to get your file out there... now! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif And of course, it's not suitable for hosting random files completely unrelated to anything we discuss on here or Gerrit's sites (you'd be surprised! )

My suggestion is, then, to make a list of some easy to use sites like Rapidshare (in that case a warning about it) - identifying the most useful sites, which may be different for different file sizes and file types . Those of us who use them (only occasionally in my case) could, in other words, share our experiences of them and use them as needed for anything... and in the case of classical/Hayley matters, to make files temporarily available until Gerrit was able to "grab" them. So why don't I just do it? Well I probably will do... unless I'm talked out of it, hence this thread!

I hope that makes sense!

Dave

[Richard]

Hello again Dave!

I've just clicked on your link again, and this time there are THREE undesirable advertisements, including an invitation to get whipped! Does Rapidshare think I'm a walnut?!!!

Bye for now,

Richard

[postscript]

Hi Richard.
Well, at least they don't think you are a dog! Walnut is a really lovely wood with a very nice patina and quite espensive. So not inappropriate!

Seriously, while this is a practical issue and if needs must ... but I think it is a shame the subject arose.

I do not imagine for a moment that Hayley is in any way naiive but the beauty of her is that she is so down to earth wholesomely decent (and the rest of the family, individually and as a collective whole) I really think we should try and eliminate this aspect from the board.

Or am I mollecoddling her and not letting her 'grow up' in my mind?

Peter

[Dave]

Rapidshare will not be used again (the link is deleted) and I won't for the moment be publishing a list of such sites.

But for some of us, the problem remains.

Dave.

[gareth]

Hmmm, well, I was trying to check the Rapidshare link again, to see if it was just a temporary aberration (that remains a possibility - I only noticed the unsavoury links yesterday - an never on my previous visits.

Maybe we should e-mail them about this matter? Is there anyone here who has actually signed up for a premium account with them?

I will be investigating ways in which I could give out once off codes for people to upload to my webspace and which would return to them a link which they could post on the forums.

This type of scripting us somewhat beyond me though, so I have to check with some colleagues at work.

For the rest, my offer stands that anyone who has video material available and who knows how to use FTP, can share it with the rest of us that way. You won't have an immediate link - but the end result will be a permanent direct link that doesn't need re-editing ....

I have used this successfully with Katherine Jenkins videos (that video of Hayley on BBC Breakfast recently was acquired that way!)

Gerrit

[Dave]

Thanks for noticing that Rapidshare problem Gerrit and thanks for what you do; I'll have a think about your suggestions. I suspect that we will find a solution to the problems soon enough. I did check out the site again before I removed the link and Rapidshare seem to be careful not to display the porn links on their main page - so they are not immediately apparent. They seem only to appear after you click the button to Download a file and they are at the very bottom of the page - off the screen in my case, which is why I'd missed them. This looks to me like a quite deliberate policy on their part.

So for now I don't want any more Rapidshare links posting in the public forum (and it was me who first suggested it, lol) although they can, if it's the only way, be exchanged by private message or email so Allen and Raymond (and anyone else I''ve missed) please don't give up on what you do, your work is very VERY much appreciated!

Cheers, Dave

[roger]

As an Administrator of this Forum, I feel it would be wrong for me not to pass comment, however brief.

Having done minimal research, I am convinced that Dave's decision is the correct one and I thank those of you who have contributed to this discussion. I will leave the choice of other file hosting websites to those of you who are more knowledgeable about such matters than I am. Other than that, I trust that this discussion can now cease.

Thanks,
Roger

[gareth]

I would just add one more comment - On visiting the Rapidshare homepage, I noticed they are stating that maximum file size is 300 MB - yet it seems that (at least for the free service, there is a limit of 50 MB).

So, have they just upgraded their service, or do I have to conclude that their homepage is providing misleading advertising ?

Anyway - I think that Dave's suggestion about sending a private message with a dwonload link is an excellent one - and I trust that anyone with video material will not forget to send me a PM .

Hehe, that way, you can expect a reasonably quick response and a permanent host .

Cheers,

Gerrit

[Dave]

Hi Gerrit,

I've just had a look on their homepage too and they are now stating this:

Upload-limit: Unlimited! (Max. 100 MB per file! Split-archives allowed!)
Download-limit: Unlimited! (Some files have more than 100.000 downloads!)

IF Rapidshare maintain the current 100 MB file limit, it's tempting to continue using them as necessary but with links sent by private message as mentioned; we can refer to a private message in the main thread as long as we don't quote the actual link. Let's hope this increase to 100 MB is permanent and not just a "happy hour" event - they do do happy hours sometimes and this may be be the explanation for the 300 MB you noticed.

Cheers, Dave

PS: Sorry Roger, I think we've nearly finished now... honest!

[portia]

Has anyone thought of yousendit? It allows huge files (even zip files) to be sent for a period of up to twenty five days.