Dear Abloaders,
We regret to inform you of some sad news. After four indescribably intense months during which we racked our brains and explored every conceivable alternative for our possible future, the decision has been made:
Abload, along with all uploaded images and links, will go offline at the end of June 30, 2024. It pains us deeply, but we are certain that there is no other viable option. Please understand why we took so long with our considerations and calculations and why we have not been able to provide meaningful updates since our last blog entries on the matter. We wanted and needed to ensure that nothing was overlooked and that we were making the right decision.
For those interested in the background, you'll find it in the text that follows. To all those reading just these first few paragraphs, we would like to say:
Thanks that you have been part of this wonderful solidarity project, which for 17 (nearly 18) years has enabled everyone to share their images on the internet for free. A special thanks to all users who have supported Abload with their voluntary contributions or continue to do so to this day. You are truly heroes. The donations from the past weeks have been used, among other things, to provide you with the option to download your uploaded images if needed. More information on this can be found after logging in under the menu item "Bilder sichern".
We would be (very) grateful if you do not yet discontinue your support, as this feature and the work over the past few months have incurred incredibly high costs for us (in addition to those that we always incur).
We will be making the final direct debit withdrawals around June 20, 2024 either way, without requiring an active cancellation from you. However, if anyone wishes to cancel their direct debit donations already before this, we kindly ask you to send us a brief note via our
contact form (instead of revoking the direct debits through the bank, as this would incur high fees for us). Anyone who would like to thank us again for the past years or the download option can do so with an additional donation via PayPal or bank transfer. You can find more information on our
donation page.
Finally, we ask you to
keep an eye on our blog in the coming weeks if needed. If we have any important information for you, we will publish it there. Please especially check
this entry if you come across any technical errors or issues in the coming weeks – as we will post everything that is already known to us and does not need to be reported again right there. Also, please check
this entry first if you have any questions, even after reading the following text – as it contains the most frequently asked questions and our answers to them. Thank you!
P.S.: Those looking for an alternative for uploading images might consider checking out the advertisement from Directupload (
directupload.net) at the end of this text.
Background
There are essentially three reasons for the shutdown of the service. The first reason has been discussed on our blog for twelve years: While operating costs have continually increased, revenues have steadily declined: User-friendly advertisements have long since stopped paying off; and the number of donors has been decreasing for a long time as well, as more and more people opt for personal clouds, for example. The second reason is that our obligations have become increasingly comprehensive, especially due to continually new legal requirements. We have reached a point here where it would definitively become too much for a comparatively tiny project like ours if we did not pull the plug. Just the costs of legal consultations in this regard, which are becoming ever more complex and extensive, are proving to be prohibitive already. The third reason is related to the first two but also stands on its own: We have always been a small team, working almost on a voluntary basis, and our private life situations have changed significantly (especially in recent years). The "good old school and university days," when Abload went online and had its heyday, are long gone. By now, we naturally have completely different tasks – and these simply do not leave enough capacity for the continued operation of this project.
Some users have asked us why we don't simply make the service paid to save it. The short answer is that doing so would not address the challenges of increasing obligations and our personal situations, especially since, after many reviews in the past weeks, we do not believe there would be sufficient interest in a paid version. Also, we have been asked why we do not hand Abload over to someone else. This is mainly because we do not want someone else to continue the service in a way that would not be compatible with Abload's user-oriented philosophy, which we have always lived by. No matter how one might agree on paper in the event of a handover, someone else would have control; including over your images and links. And to us, the risk of a wrong development seems simply too great. Therefore, we have opted for "an end with dignity" – and hereby announce it well in advance, so everyone can prepare. We understand that this is only a small consolation. We know how accustomed one can become to services like Abload. But one should never forget that we have always been a free offer, run by a handful of people in their spare time. We really would have liked to continue, but times have simply changed a lot. We hope that you place your trust in us at this point, just as you have been able to over the past nearly 18 years – and that we and Abload remain in your positive memory.
Thank you to everyone "out there". We sincerely wish you all the best!"
On behalf of all current and former team members,
Jens
embracer.com
