Will all my uploaded images be deleted once lemm.ee shuts down?
from TheImpressiveX@lemm.ee to nostupidquestions@lemmy.world on 05 Jun 2025 13:14
https://lemm.ee/post/65978956
from TheImpressiveX@lemm.ee to nostupidquestions@lemmy.world on 05 Jun 2025 13:14
https://lemm.ee/post/65978956
If so, should I edit all my posts/comments and update them to generic hosting links?
I’ll use postimages.org in the future to prevent something like this from happening again.
#nostupidquestions
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well, my instance makes a local copy of posted images... so when i moved bertstrips it uses my local copy of those images.
i guess it depends on where your communities end up
Jesus, so much to unpack there. I love it.
I would say use ai to generate you a script that download all the images in the instance
Shouldn’t they be federated permanently with other instances?
No. If you look at the URL of any meme community, its hosted on the instance of the OP, not your instance.
Yea but the posts still exist on any other instance that was federated with OPs, right?
The post will remain, but the image would be gone.
Let me give you an example. I’m gonna attach an image in this comment, I want you to see this comment, acknowledge seeing it, then I’ll go to my profile and delete the image without deleting this comment, and you can check what happens when I delete the image.
<img alt="This is an image from Star Wars most epic scene. If you do not see the image, then I’ve deleted it" src="https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/d1a7580f-3b94-4326-949a-5f1126af93a9.jpeg">
Okay!
Hmm that’s weird. I deleted the image and I can still see it. Maybe bookmark the comment check back later, I don’t think the “delete” action is instantaneous.
Anyways, if you open the image, you’ll see that its hosted on sh.itjust.works, which means your instance does not keep a copy of it.
So I want you to think: What do you think happens to the image if, hypothetically, my instance sh.itjust.works shuts down?
When you open the image, your webpage is still gonna attempt to find the image from the url, and since sh.itjust.works is gone, there is no way for there to be an image.
But anyways you can check later and perhaps the delete action finishes.
Hmm I’m still a bit unclear. Because wouldn’t deleting the image be different than just the instance going down? Because with a deletion you’re actually pushing through a deletion request for federation. Whereas if your instance shut down it wouldn’t. The last federated copy of your comment/post/picture would be archived on the other instances you were federated with. I think?
When you are reading a text post/comment your request goes from:
Your Device --> eviltoast.org (your instance) send you the text --> You receive [eviltoast.org]'s copy of the text
When you see an image that goes from
Your Device --> eviltoast.org gives you the link to image --> Your Device receives the link, then sends a request to retreive image --> OP’s instance, OP’s instance then send back the image --> Your device receives the image and you see the image
Most instances do not keep a local copy of the image. I don’t think I know any instance that makes a local copy. Your instance certainly does not.
Oh interesting. I would have thought there’s always a local copy. Thx for explaining.
Okay so I found an older comment which I deleted the image, take a look: sh.itjust.works/comment/18929187
If you click “view source” button below the comment, you’ll see the url, but if you open anothet tab to try to see it, it will show an error.
That’s what images will look like if an instance shuts down.
This depends on the settings of the other instance. Some instances copy images, others don’t.