Photo Point update

[Mr Lou R (Gary)]

Online photofinisher which vanished so suddenly may give subscribers a chance to download their missing images...

A few weeks ago (back on January 8th) we told you that online photofinisher PhotoPoint.com, the site run by Pantellic Software Inc. which vanished without warning in early December, had finally admitted that it had ceased operations. At that time, we also noted a faint glimmer of hope for the many PhotoPoint subscribers who've emailed us seeking a way to get back their photos...

Many people seem to have used the site as their sole method of archiving images, and were badly caught by surprise when the site disappeared along with their entire photo collections. PhotoPoint suggested that they were working to get the site back online to allow subscribers to retrieve their images, however - and it looks like they may have taken one small step closer to doing so. Where for the past weeks, PhotoPoint's server has been completely uncontacteable, there is now a brief holding page that states:
"PhotoPoint.com

Please click here to continue."
At this time, clicking on the link brings up another page updated this afternoon, stating:
"Updated: Wed Jan 30 13:00:40 AST 2002
PhotoPoint.com is currently offline.

Please check back here (www.photopoint.com) for further developments."
We're hoping that this is a positive sign, in that if connectivity has been restored perhaps there'll be a chance to get those lost photos back. Bear in mind, though, that we've read reports of creditors seizing hardware from PhotoPoint - and that this may potentially mean the company doesn't have every photo which members had uploaded. Only time will answer these questions, but until we get the answers keep your fingers tightly crossed - and check back here regularly. With the parent company ceasing operations, it seems likely that any opportunity to retrieve images will be brief. As soon as we hear of any way to get into the site, or any further updates on the status, you'll see it here!

Thanks to our friends at the Free Republic website for alerting us to this news...