Much depends on what you need. My free web space with my ISP is very limited and I can't store all the images I would like to be shown on my pages. Facebook, Flicker, Servimg.com - Free image hosting service and Minus are all used by me. All free accounts.
Facebook is a pain not because of facebook themselves but because main firms, schools and colleges have it on their banned list. So although my own page has the link to show the picture many can't see them. Flicker has to a lesser extent the same problem. So using the lesser known storage places can be an advantage as they are not as yet banned by corporate users.

However the reverse also applies in that people looking for the images can't find them as easy.

Google has shaped our internet. And also to an extent the other search engines. So the meta data connected to the pictures displayed will make a huge diffrenance in how easy found. But consider the roles reversed. If you want to find a similar picture to what you have taken how would you find it.

Thumbnail views are now a must. I am still using the old hot spot and a contact sheet on my site.