Hey everyone, I’m sure you’ve noticed images around the site starting to flicker out of existence, again. I was hoping to not need to write a post the last few times it’s been resolved, but here we are again and images aren’t loading.

As many of you know, all our images are hosted on the domain https://img.subeta.net, directed to a secure storage "bucket" on AWS. For over a decade, this setup has served us well, housing our item images, avatars, and more.

A few years back, we migrated our servers away from AWS, keeping only a few essential components there, including the S3 bucket. These components are linked to older parts of the site that require a significant overhaul to transfer elsewhere.

Regrettably, for the past few months, our AWS account has been facing frequent suspensions due to "suspicious activity" flagged by external sources, likely trolls. I've had to jump through hoops multiple times, resetting passwords, and rotating tokens just to regain access and restore our images and queues. Our minimal usage means our bill hovers under $100, disqualifying us from upgraded support.

After pleading with AWS support during the last suspension, I learned that false reports of illicit content in our buckets trigger these suspensions. Due to our modest bill, Amazon suspends first and investigates later, leaving us stuck in this frustrating loop. We're constantly at risk of suspension due to these malicious reports.

Currently, I'm awaiting AWS support to reinstate our account. Once resolved, I'll strategize moving our remaining AWS infrastructure elsewhere to prevent future disruptions. This situation is exasperating, and is mostly out of my control. Your patience and understanding are sincerely appreciated, and images should be loading again very soon.