So, some time ago, imageshack had this "great" idea that they'd set upload limits for free accounts - 500 images. Well that's fine per se, I don't really need to store more than 500 images, but the way they executed that was horrid. If you had more than 500, they wouldn't let you upload until you removed excess images. At the time they placed that limitation, I already had over 2000 images uploaded on my imageshack account, so you can guess what that entailed - my imageshack account was effectively rendered useless.

Well, it seems now they've done something smarter - instead of image limits they have storage space limits, 5GB, so I can use my account again. This is great, I don't have to use photobucket anymore, which does things like recompressing JPEG:s to crappier quality and stuff like that.

Of course I could have avoided all the fuss by paying for a premium account, and I did that once, when I needed the account more, but at times when I only need to upload things sporadically I really couln't justify paying for it...

I, indeed, did just that DD (paid for a premium account). $24/year ($2/month actually) so far isn't breaking the bank, but I do symphathize with your situation dd (I actually had over 9000 images at that time; even more now. lol)

Yeah, imageshack kept just continuously telling me "if you don't buy premium we'll delete your excess images by xxx" and everytime after xxx came they'd just keep moving the goalpost by another month or so. I was like "go on, delete them already!" but they'd just keep moving it and moving it and eventually I just stopped checking my account and used photobucket.

In the end, they never deleted them. I could have lived with the 500 image limit, but the way they executed it was just plain horrible. If you're not going to delete them, why have that warning text on my account "threatening" me with deletion of images? And why not give me an option to "delete all excess images" so I could use the account without paying for premium? That's what sort of pissed me off, it kinda started feeling like blackmail, like "either you pay us, or you'll have to manually delete 1500 images, or you can't use your account"... so that kinda made me not want to pay for the premium either.

But, that's all water under the bridge now, and I can use imageshack again, so no biggie. Imageshack has generally given me very good service, they were very nice to me when my old email account was destroyed and I had to change my email. One thing they should do though - fix the linux version for the damn uploader! This isn't 2001, you can't get away with just providing windows apps anymore.