Hi David, You bring up a good point but they are not the first image viewing/storage site to go away. The real issue is that with all the "new" digital camera owners that have no clue about archiving their files, better guidelines need to be discussed or written about.

An example of some tips.
Never overwrite your original files
Edit and only upload your best images for people to see
Archive all your files off your computer on CDs or DVDs

You are absolutely correct. Personally a lot of the "sharing" sites are just about exercising one's ego, so not much is lost there. One that provided me with a free opportunity to use their service called SmugMug, was so obvious I could not get into it I was laughing so hard - are people today really that shallowly self-centered? The sad thing is a newcomer who hasn't gotten as far as Shutterbug yet is sucked in by the slick promotions to sites that really offer little of substantial value and as a business model it does not seem sustainable were it not for teenagers and those who can't get past adolescence.

As cheap as blank CD-R/DVD-R discs if purchased from wholesalers on the web like CDR4LESS are, I can't see how paying a monthly fee to a sharing site for storage can be so attractive.

But short of buttonholing people as they leave Adorama and B&H in NY with their digital camera purchases, I fail to see any way to keep people from falling for the slick internet promoters.