Attention....loss of Images

[mgcjag]

Hi All....looks like we are probably about to loose all out images from the forum if your accessing from the UK....I noticed this morning that a photo Heuer posted was not showing up "in our area"... more details here from post number 2687 viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1408&start=2680

[Heuer]

You need a VPN if you are a UK resident but will not be affected if you are anywhere else in the world, except maybe North Korea. It used to be VPN's were required to bypass blocks imposed on journalists reporting from dictatorships and other hostile regimes although, probably to no one's surprise, that now includes the UK.

[mgcjag]

Any preference/easy options....assume you need one for each device you use?....Any downside to running a VPN on your phone/tablet pc....cheers..Steve

[Heuer]

You only need one and a subscription (typically £2 - £3 month) covers multiple devices (typically 5) including mobiles. I use IPVanish but NordVPN, SurfShark and Express VPN are all recommended. Go with whichever has the best deal.

They will all allow you select a country/city across the world to be in - EU and USA are favourites - with your connection encrypted. A VPN is pretty much essential for mobiles if you are using public WiFI (hotels, cafe's, hospitals, airports) as your data can be intercepted and read - passwords, credit cards, bank details included. No downsides other than cost - I would not recommend any free VPN services as they are full of ads and sell your data to pay for the servers.

Setup is very simple. Sign up with your chosen provider, download app, sign in, choose location you want and away you go. Copy details to other devices and they are protected. Leave the VPN permanently on. All 100% legal.

If you have a Pixel phone it includes a free Google VPN.

Bonus: gives the finger to Peter Kyle who introduced this flawed legislation as he claimed it could not be by-passed and we were all protected from vile images of E-Type's with their bonnets open. VPN use went up 93% after his announcement.

[Gfhug]

There I was thinking we lived in a free world democracy, but it now seems I’ve got to pay to pretend I live in a n other country that may or may not be a democracy, but this forum will then let me look at all those images Heuer posts in Collectors Corner.

Confused of ? As I’ve not chosen which country to pretend I’m in!

Geoff

[Heuer]

Think of it as a World Grand Tour, you can even choose what city you want to be in!

[tim wood]

This seems to be the way things are in today’s world. Everything is rented. Brings me back to the days when all television sets were like this.

Nowadays its phones, cars, broadband, everything on the “ monthly”
Being a miserable old bugger I won’t be subscribing and will just have to live without the pictures!

As an aside (but of relevance) how does Jag Lovers manage this ?

Tim

[Heuer]

J-L hosts photos themselves so are immune from the OPA but that costs server capacity. Although we thought image hosts were immune and it appears they are not because they 'may/could' contain harmful content. The biggest problem is web sites have to enforce the legislation on behalf of our Government and are required to do age checks AND retain that information. The legislation stipulates they must either record users credit cards, passports or photos or indeed any new age verification these idiots may conjure up. A lot of adults are seemingly wary of doing that! Of course whilst we more aged users struggle with this any 8 year old can figure how to spoof the system which includes borrowing mum's credit card/password for a few minutes, getting her to pose for a photo and using that or using a free VPN. Even before it became law dozens of computer games included work arounds along with AI apps to 'age' the child.

A bit like the useless GDPR regulations which mean you have to agree/reject cookies (i.e. targeted ads) on every web site you visit. Businesses have monetised this by saying either accept the ads or subscribe/pay to view.

[Philk]

Absolute joy! I thought we used PostImage (to load images) rather than Imgur (or are they one and the same)?

[Heuer]

Postimage is a free hosting.platform that has an embedded link in the PHP software we use. It is OK but has no cataloguing or editing features. I have no idea who owns or operates it. It may be the next to go!

[Series1 Stu]

Annoyingly, I can't use an overseas VPN due to the nature of my work.
I'll just have to live without the pictures. The trouble is that there are too many people in meaningless jobs trying to justify their own existence.

In the spirit of Douglas Adams, I know who I would send as the advance party to colonise new planets.

Regards

[Gfhug]

Stuart, we know the answer is 42

It looks like this problem is not just seen on here as the JEC members’ classified adverts have several with their photos blank.

Geoff