Picasa vs Google Photos:: Take Two:: BACK IT ALL UP!

Copyright 2016, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

The other day I wrote about the upcoming changes at Picasa/GooglePhotos.  My original post was encouraging other Blogger users to not panic, just carry on.

After a few hours of feedback from readers and blogging friends, I started back peddling. Issues started popping up.

I spent a LONG day fussing, digging, researching, experimenting, and partially recanting and editing my original post.

In my usual manner, I changed settings, experimenting.  Not all those experiments/changes were a good thing.

I woke up several days later to find that much of my blog had the death mark, those black boxes with no images. Gulp!

A few nervous moments followed.  I did manage to find what I had changed and was able to change it back.  (Whew - - wiping brow!)

So, here are some random thoughts.

I am going to continue to use Picasa as long as Google lets me.  I have read some rather humorous reactions to GooglePhotos.  One was in reference to the size of the images/avatars you see when you open Picasa vs GooglePhotos.  One fellow said the Picasa images/avatars are only an inch wide, and the ones on GooglePhotos are HUGE. Yes, indeed the way they present are different.  The HUGE presentation by GooglePhotos is annoying to me as well. It is something that will be adjusted to.  SIGH.

My take is that GooglePhotos is NOT ready for prime time. It is at times clunky and not intuitive.  Maybe learning curve time will cure that for me.  I reserve my right to change my mind, to learn to hate it, or maybe just put up with it.

Now, that issue of MIA photos.  IF you used Picasa (computer version) and Google to upload all your photo collection from your hard drive with the auto upload facility, I am NOT addressing your MIA photos.  Frankly, and I am so sorry, I have NO clue what happened to your photos.  I am talking to those that have used Blogger for their blogs and any photos you may not be able to find on GooglePhotos.  I have many!  LOTS! BUNCHES!

We are told they are there, that you have NOT lost your photos.  Boiled down to the short version (I hear your chuckles, as if  Carol is ever short and brief - - )

Picasa has different ways of displaying and marking your albums.  Confession, other than the albums I have personally created, I do not have the best understanding of their process or reasoning.  In other words, I am confused.

It appears that this process has changed over time.  It also appears that if you were an early blogger (ca 2009 for me), that Blogger and Google and Picasa assigned you a album and it is marked by a little orange B.  See graphic:

That is the original album created by Picasa and Blogger for Reflections From the Fence. When I discovered that they were dumping hundreds of photos in albums I also discovered how difficult it was for me to find a photo buried in albums of over 900, I changed how I did things.  I learned to create my own albums and directly upload what photos I wanted in there.  Door County Wisconsin is an example of an album I created and I uploaded photos to.  (Footnote, I believe that Picasa albums used to be limited to 999 photos per album.  That also may have changed.)

Note the difference, the Orange B and no Orange B.

Now, here is the thing.  I strongly suggest that you do NOT change any of the privacy settings on any of your folders/albums.  The next image shows the privacy settings on that huge folder of 935 that Blogger made.  If you change that privacy setting you could end up with those Black boxes with no photos.  Yep, I fussed with the settings, and I ended up with Black boxes.

Now, the issue here is that any of your albums that are marked with the Orange B will NOT be seen in GooglePhotos. That is the current state of affairs.  Knowing Google, that also may change.  The current info that I have heard is that even tho Picasa is going away, they are going to institute "something else". You will NOT be able to add photos to this "something else" but, that this "something else" will allow you to view what you had on Picasa before it dies. Follow that?? Sigh, yea, I know.  Super duper confusing.  If I understand it, and I make no promises that I do, the albums that are marked with the Orange B, will be view-able in this new "something else".

Short of it,  DO NOT change settings in Picasa.  Let the dust settle and stay tuned.

IF you are in a panic, you can backup your Blogger blogs in several different ways, one of my favorite is to make a word processing document out of each blog post.  I can then use those documents to augment my family history data base.  Or, share with others.

I have most of my blog photos backed up on my hard drive.  I have back ups of those back ups.  If things go MIA, I can probably recover from my back up methods.  I am not sure I want to, or have the energy to do so, but I do have that ability.

For now, I am done researching this issue.  Since I do not have a crystal ball I cannot foresee what will happen. None of us can.  Go forth, bravely, but, with BACK UPS!!

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Test Post:: Picasa vs Google Photos ::EDITED and Now Cautionary, Semi-Recant Of Original Post!

Copyright 2016, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Testing.  From the fireworks show at Lake Havasu last year.  Still pretty, eh?

Testing of Google photos, as they are taking Picasa away soon.  The photos produced in this post are using the same photos as I used a year ago. They do present a bit differently in posting and then in viewing size.  When I used Original size before to post, I now I have to use XLarge to post.  The size you will view is slightly different.  This makes no difference to you, my readers.  Last years post with some of these same photos, the photos appear just a bit larger last year. It is a minor detail and I am not sure any of you will notice, I do, because, it's my blog.  They pay me to note such things. OH, dear, no one pays me.  Sorry, slight error there.

I will play with the sizing issue in the next few months, to see if I can adjust it to where I am more pleased with the final product, my blog posts.

In the meantime, there is no reason, MAY BE REASON, to panic if you use Picasa online to store your photos. They are already at Google Photos, same photos, same albums, BUT NOT ALL??.  Just a bit different look and feel to the app.  I am not particularly fond of the new app/look.  But, it WORKS, and that is all I end up caring about. By the way, "Albums" from Picasa are now called "Collections" by Google Photos. SIGHHHH.

You do NOT need to move your photos to a new venue.  You do NOT want to move them to a new venue if you use the photos stored at Picasa on your blog if you use Blogger for your writing/blogging.  (And, if you don't know where your photos are automatically stored by Blogger, here is a hint, they were stored at Picasa and now will be stored at Google Photos.)  To move them will un-link all photos on your blog.  I have been blogging for almost 7 full years, I have hundreds of photos.  I see no reason to panic and start fixing and fussing and moving.  Frankly, my dears, I don't have the time or energy.  I have fresh blogs to write, hundreds more photos to share from our western travels. I am not into do-overs for no reason.

No panic.  Relax.  Go forth and blog, your photos are safe and sound.

Well, maybe!  As I further investigate, I am having issues finding photos on Google Photos from 2009. Those photos ARE on Picasa.  I was informed that it is even worse if you use Goggle Drive to access photos. Whewie, are they correct.

I am still NOT moving anything OUT of Picasa. But, now, I am concerned about the earlier years, such as 2009.

Stay tuned, this may turn into a rant instead of a supportive post.




P.S.  This is NOT the Picasa you download to your computer.  That has always been confusing, having a web version and a computer hard drive version.  I am only addressing the web storage version of Picasa in this post.


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