You might see that the Dropbox Community team have been busy working on some major updates to the Community itself! So, here is some info on what’s changed, what’s staying the same and what you can expect from the Dropbox Community overall.
Forum Discussion
The Photos page is changing...
I've just seen the banner that says "". The gist is that they are removing the final remants of the Carousel functionality - which makes me wonder what the point was in purchasing it in the first place:
"After that date, you’ll no longer be able to create or share albums on the web, or browse photos in the current timeline view. However, all your photos will remain safe in your Dropbox account."
Even funnier, it says:
"Creating a better photos experience
We’re continuing to work on new photos and file experiences on dropbox.com. As we learn more about how our users prefer to work with photos, we’ll launch improvements to the experience."
With these changes there will be no photos experience that is any different to normal files. If they remove camera uploads, that would be the last straw for me and I'll be moving to a different service.
Hi everyone,
Thanks again for your continued feedback on our upcoming changes.
I wanted to let you know that we've heard your concerns about how difficult it is to preserve your album structures in Dropbox. Our engineers have created a simple album export tool to help make this process easier. It's available starting today at the following URL:
www.dropbox.com/photos/album_download
The tool will allow you to download your albums to your desktop as .zip files. Please note that you'll be downloading a new copy of your photos, not moving them, so the photos will still exist in your Dropbox in the original location you saved them.We hope this tool will help alleviate some of the frustration that some of you have reported in this thread. If you have any problems using the tool, feel free to contact us via www.dropbox.com/support.
Regards,
Richard
I have spent ALOT of time creating and organizing Dropbox photo albums over the years. The "value added" that they provide is that a single photo file can be included in multiple albums, albums based on different themes, events, etc that all relate to that single photo. I have also spent ALOT of time, working with thousands of photos to set the "Date Taken" file attribute, which is the default (and only) sort order available in Dropbox albums.
The recent Dropbox announcement about "changes" to the Photos page appears to take this all away, with no honest explanation offered, and no substitute functionality evident.
It is incredible to me that functionality would be removed from a product in this way. The claim that Dropbox is "focused on building better ways for you to work with all file types" would be laughable if it weren't so distressing.
Is "Date Taken" (and I'm not talking about "Date Modified" here) going to be offered as a sort option in the File list displays that we are left with?
The announcement states that "Dropbox won’t be able to automatically convert existing albums into folders", and instead I should create new file folders to match my albums and "Select the photos you’d like to move by clicking the checkboxes to the left of the file names". Do you really expect me to do this for thousands and thousands of file names?
It's seeming to me that my time might be better invested elsewhere.
- Exactly. They need to address these concerns right away.
The new Photos may be better by I do not understand why existing albums can't be turned into folders automartically (at least as an option) as part of the update so people keep their pictures sorted somewhat like they are used to. I have tons of albums and will have to spend hours on creating folders to re-create the way I have my photos organized. It's like Dropbox pushes a large part of the burden of a extensive update over on their (paying) users. This may give me the Google Photo's itch again. I so want to stay with Dropbox, but this turn may be one too much. I hope not though.
And there's no mention of mobile, in my case Android. Will this affect how photos are synced, accessed and organized on my phone? I would really like to see the option to choose synced folders on the phone like Google Photos has. I would also like to get rid of the "Camera Uploads" folder concept used today. Maybe this will change also after June 30?
For me Dropbox is a finely tuned tool I use to move seamlessly between computer, phone and web access to files and photos in which sync and share is a very important aspect. I am so afraid this will mess it all up for me. I already know it will create a lot of work! It may be a long hot summer! :)
//C
I am so with you on this, I'm really pissed off that they won't automatically create folders out of the albums I have. And there isn't even a way to go into the album and batch move them all into a new folder. Only into a new album or download them. And there's a limit for how much will download at once. I guess this is the problem with relying on a software like this. =/
Agree, i had spent HOURS AND DAYS making my albums and I did follow their prior save and download instructions but it only saved my photos individually, and now I can't even group my photos into files or folders. I feel like I have been photo raped, I have invested so much time and energy into dropbox and will be stopping my subscription unless you can restore my albums. DONE!
I found out that you can still post photos, but they have to be in the "Files" folder. That's all they had to say rather than some inarticulate garble about how photos will be better. So, its format is a bit different but at least you can upload a folder.
IBH
I use Dropbox for many reasons, but one of the most important were the photo albums. I actually deactivated my Gmail account knowing I could let go of Google Photos and store/share my photos only using Dropbox. I rely heavily on albums to share photos, for example combining individual photos from many folders to send my family, friends or colleagues. It's just not efficient to create new folders for that purpose. I've been expecting MORE functionality for photo albums, not less. The end of photo albums is a terrible idea and might make me change my mind about continuing my Dropbox membership. There's time to rethink this, guys.
I couldn't agree more. I absolutely rely on being able to share photo albums. And have spent considerable time creating them - and now they are going to DELETE my photo albums.
I am new to this forum as have never had to complain in the past, is there anything that can be done to stop this if enough people complait
I URGE ALL DROPBOX USERS NOT HAPPY WITH THE ABOLISHMENT OF SHARED PHOTO ALBUMS AND DELETION OF ALL OF OUR PHOTO ALBUMS to POST IN THIS THREAD!! AND ANY OTHERS YOU FIND ON THE WEB
I agree..this is a complete travesty. It is the most important function for me. Any options anyone? Maybe we should all get onto their FB page.
I just posted on DROPBOX facebook page on this issue
Please do the same if the removal of this funtion will affect you
- This announcement sounds like it was written by Sean Spicer. How exactly is this improving my photo experience? The current capability works pretty well for me. Seems like a big step backwards. What were they thinking?
...go through a number of complicated steps? Maybe it will be easire once implemented but for now it sounds like I need a new online program to EASILY share folders. Too bad, I've been a Dropbox users for years and looks like I have to find a new solution.
This is a serious negative. What is Dropbox thinking? And wouldn't you know it, I had just renewed for a year ...
I am so so upset about this
Sharing albums was very helpful to a small business for many reasons
And they are actually going to get rid of my existing albums
Gutted
WHY?
SonomaRose wrote:...go through a number of complicated steps? Maybe it will be easire once implemented but for now it sounds like I need a new online program to EASILY share folders. Too bad, I've been a Dropbox users for years and looks like I have to find a new solution.
I'm not sure what they're playing at - perhaps they want third party services to crop up like photowranglr that sit on top of the DropBox storage but add extra value by making photos searchable etc.
Or maybe they're planning to add a better experience?
I am furious. This is the most important function for me. Does anyone have any suggestions for an alternative option? Do we have the right to cancel since they have taken away the main reason to subscribe?
- As a photographer/producer, I use dropbox albums to quickly share collections of potential props, locations, talent, etc. Basically anything my client has to make a decision about. I also share proof galleries for clients to make final selections from. Elimination of this functionality is the final nail in the coffin. Bye-bye Dropbox- it was great while it lasted!
Stunningly dumb decision to eliminate Albums. That is the ONE feature that kept me using DropBox. I will now begin the process to decommission my account. Whoever came up with this idea should lose their job. Hope it was worth it!
This is a HUGE mistake for Dropbox.
The verbiage in the release is deceptively written double-speak, but the gist is "NO ALBUMS" and "NO AUTOMATED ALBUM CONVERSION TO FOLDERS". Why not just say "GET LOST LOSERS?".
WHY WHY WHY?
Darren S.1 wrote:I've just seen the banner that says "". The gist is that they are removing the final remants of the Carousel functionality - which makes me wonder what the point was in purchasing it in the first place:
"After that date, you’ll no longer be able to create or share albums on the web, or browse photos in the current timeline view. However, all your photos will remain safe in your Dropbox account."
Even funnier, it says:
"Creating a better photos experience
We’re continuing to work on new photos and file experiences on dropbox.com. As we learn more about how our users prefer to work with photos, we’ll launch improvements to the experience."
With these changes there will be no photos experience that is any different to normal files. If they remove camera uploads, that would be the last straw for me and I'll be moving to a different service.
So why are DropBox removing this functionality? I've got 5 years photos in what I thought were files, but now I worry they may be albums. I have no idea how to tell. There is no way I can move them one by one by 30 June. PLease can someone responsible in DropBox explain WHY this change is so essential. It seems like worse for users to me.
I'm also very confused. It's imperative that I be able to put my photos into separate folders. Right now, they are saved to dropbox automatically from my phone. I then can organize them letter. Is this feature going away? ! This would be highly distressing and make Dropbox more or less worthless to me.
Yes this functionality is going away.
They are making moves because of traffic and seems like they have a lot of costs. Although they claim its for customer experience, I believe they are making a mistake. June 30, 2017 will not be forgotten when they look back and dropbox is no longer as powerful as they once were. This seems like they want to force something in order to save money or drive even more traffic to dropbox. Let's see.
Yep, it's time for bye bye to dropbox.
I'm still just trying to figure out what I'm going to do about all the hours I spent creating albums! Thankfully my son is only 2 because I've been doing picture highlights for every year for him.
Dropbox, if any employees actually read this, PLEASE put all of our albums into folders AT LEAST!
where do you recommend going for photo storage and sharing when you leave dropbox?
I suspected this was in the offing when Dropbox sent out a questionnaire that was heavily focused on photos. I called Dropbox out in my responses, but apparently it is marching along.
As an IP lawyer who has seen a lot, I have 3 working theories as to what may be behind this move:
- Poor Business Judgment: Believing it failed to win over consumers with Carousel, Dropbox dropped it, and is convinced it must minimize photo services to be perceived as a "serious" business app. That, of course, is a false dilemma. There is little or no overhead cost in being both, and no value in driving its customers who like the photo service away.
- It’s a Contract Issue: Carousel appears to have been licensed, or there was no reason to drop it. It may be that there was a noncompetition clause that requires Dropbox to get out of the photo-specific business after a certain time.
- It’s a Patent Issue. The move to “we’ll just put your photos in a folder” has the smell of a patent holder threatening to sue over online photo storage, or perhaps photo album-sharing. I don’t know if that’s the case, but Dropbox’s approach could be a work-around, since obviously putting photos in folders is prior art.
Whatever is going on, Dropbox’s attempt at coy messaging on this demonstrates it is either inept at marketing or just doesn’t care. However, working oneself into a lather over changes one hasn’t seen yet is counterproductive. I’m willing to give Dropbox a chance to roll out a useful product: one that maintains automatic file uploads and viewing, and posting to outside services, since I use Dropbox for many other things. The UE is a bit ancient, but it has the virtue of being simple. If Dropbox fails to satisfy, the market will provide – it’s not the only cloud in the sky.
- I believe that's an excellent theory. Your point that the wording is coy supports your claim that there are some legal issues at the foundation of the change. I would imagine that they are still in the process of trying to figure out a more practical solution to making the conversion, but until they figure out how to do it the current announcement is a stopgap measure.
This thread has been marked by DROPBOX as SOLVED!
I would also consider continuing to use Dropbox for photo storage if the camera uploads option remains. In some ways the folder organization is simpler and cleaner, too, in many ways. I never was relying on Dropbox for anything sophisticated at all, nor did I expect it. However, what they have done at this point is make it very difficult (nearly impossible) for me to migrate my albums to folders, as they suggest. I have way too many files in different places and no way to retrieve the groupings that I can see. The download limit of 1GB means I would have to break downloads into chunks from the photos page, which would be painstaking and time-consuming, as well as requiring me to download and re-upload a huge amount of data simply to maintain the organization of the files. I don't understand why it would be so darn difficult to at least provide a way to copy an album into a folder in one shot. If Dropbox would provide that simple functionality on the photos page until 6/30, I could then step through my albums one by one and save them to a folder. It would be really nice if the folder name were set automatically to the album name, but just any functionality at all that could ease a migration to a folder organization would be enormously helpful.
- Rich
Super User II
bwraith wrote:
I would also consider continuing to use Dropbox for photo storage if the camera uploads option remains.
The Camera Uploads feature is not, and never was, going away. Nothing relating to that feature is changing.
- Thanks for this piece of rationality.
Just finished transfering all data over to onedrive. Not ideal, but their pictures functionality has the timeline, albums and sharing options I am looking for. Work pays for Office365, so the storage is free. I didn't mind paying Dropbox since we have integrated into our lives on many levels. Taking away the photo/albums/sharing/timelines functionality means there is little justification to keep paying them.
I'm totally disgusted with this move. I've spent days organising photos into albums. One album has over a 1000 photos and the suggestion is to move them manually one by one to a folder. Ludicrous!!!! Not a smart move Dropbox. Am reconsidering my membership!
