The Photos page is changing...

[Darren S.1]

I've just seen the banner that says "The Photos page is changing on 30 June 2017 but your pictures will stay safe in your Dropbox account. Learn more". 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.

[tims]

You certainly have NOT made it clear.  What I think you could condense down to one sentence is - GOING OUT OF PHOTO BUSINESS.  Really - I don't rely on public albums in dropbox, but the few that I have it was very conveinient.  Why would I ever go back and work on changing an album - really.  More work!  People for $5 a month SMUGMUG.com will give you unlimited photo albums. (I have no stake in smugmug, just a user)

[Simone C.9]

Thanks for that link. 

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@Mike H.57 wrote:

For those thinking of switching, as I am, here is a recent of photo sharing sites

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/comparing-the-best-ways-to-store-your-photos-online/

I am thinking either Flickr or Google Photos. Unfortunately I had just renewed Dropbox for a year ... I wonder if I can get my $$ back?

(Ironically, the review above says  "Dropbox, for example, has a standalone photo-focused app called Carousel, designed for simple photo sharing that backs up your photos to your account automatically".)

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[Aardvark]

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After June 30, the web Photos page will continue to be a place where you can view all of your photos across Dropbox folders, but will no longer contain the speed scroller functionality, or the ability to create, share, or modify albums and sets of multiple photos. All of your photos will remain safe in your Dropbox account, and there are still many ways for you to work with photos in Dropbox. The changes to this page do not impact the way you share and organize photos through Dropbox folders, shared folders, or shared links. 

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I have a question about this. So, with Albums, I could tag a photo in multiple albums and then share those albums. I did not need to create a copy of the photos. After this change, if I want a photo to exist in mulple 'collections', I now need to copy that photo into multiple directories? Which now means maintaining multiple copies of the same photo for no good reason. Have I got this right or am I misunderstanding. If this is the case, Dropbox just went from useful...to useless. The only reason I use Dropbox is for managing my photo library and giving me an easy way to share out photo sets with family and friends without having to maintain duplicate files. I am really hoping I am misunderstanding this change.

[Simone C.9]

This is now down as "solved" on your main page. It is not "solved". Users are going to have to spend days and in some case weeks downloading photos from current albums and then re uploading them into shared folders. I think you will find alot of people will be reuploading them elsewhere!
In addition, if a user wants the same photo in several albums they will be using a lot more dropbox space - more money for DROPBOX. But not if you lose lots of your clients due to this unthinkable change

[Aardvark]

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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?

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This is another important question. Because when copying files, the date taken data remains intact, but the date created data for photos is overwritten. So, all I can see from dropbox was using date created. Being forced to make copies of files to create albums in the new improved dropbox is going to mean the dates are all stuffed up.

[Charles L.5]

Rich, a couple of questions you may be able to answer:

1.  What is "speed scroller functionality?"  What does it do?  How does one currently use it?  There are two types of "scrolling" on timeline.  The first is that ability to move backwards and forwards through your photos once you open any one of them.  The alternative would require you to open and close each photo.  The second is right scroll-bar that, once clicked and dragged, shows dates, enabling you to quickly locate photos taken at a certain time.  That is tremendously useful.  So which does Dropbox consider "speed scroller functionality?"  Also, what is the reason for eliminating these basic photo tolls?  Is it a limitation of the a new Dropbox UE that is being rolled out, or are legal considerations at play?

2.  If I understand the Dropbox doublespeak, all photos will essentially be kept in what is now the "Camera Uploads" file of the non-Timeline Dropbox.  I don't use albums much, but as I understand albums it is essentially a series of virtual foldes with photo links.  This enables a user not to have to keep or make multiple copies of the same photo in different folders, and of course saves space.  This tech is ancient prior art -- not patentable.  As I understand the change, you will now have to create multiple copies of the same photo and create new folders (instead of albums) to put them in.  As you can tell from the comments, that's not going over well with Dropbox users who use albums.  So, if my understanding is right, a few questions: 

(i) Is this about the limitations of the new UE, or is Dropbox just trying to get users to max out their limits faster?

(ii) does this change precurse Dropbox rolling out and charging an additional fee to preserve (or perhaps enhance) the photo functions currently available? 

(iii) in the future, if I want to tag and share selected photos with selected persons (which I can now do by a link, but without creating a link, will that functionality continue to exist.

(iv) Will a user still be able to post selected photos to FB and other social media.  (5) and finally, why all the marketing double-speak?  I can't believe Dropbox is incapable of using simple and clear prose and direct messaging.  It is clearly (and justifiably) apprehensive about how this is going to go over with users, but I usually advise my software clients to be upfront if a newer version is going to eliminate essential or desirable functionality.

I appreciate your time and reponses.

[kip]

Why the change clearly you are disrupting many peoples existing processes.  You also clearly have time to realize you are upsetting a large piece of your customers which have many new opportunites to share - Are you encouraging us to try other services as you have your own agenda exclusive of existing users?  Good luck with that, you will need it

[bcondrey]

This is hardly solved. If I have a photo I want in multiple albums, does that now mean I have to copy it to multiple directories? I might be jumping ship after many many years as a dropbox customer. 

[cdysthe]

Well, it would make sense from a business perspective since you would use much more of your paid storage having to keep several copies of any picture you want in more than one album. That was a joke, but it would be the result of this "update". 🙂

[JedDinger]

I agree with your comment about corporate doublespeak. When I see cringe-worthy terms like 'sunset', it makes it difficult to imagine that the user experience is going to improve. If Dropbox would just upload a video demonstrating the new user interface, it would be greatly appreciated and go a long way towards setting our expectations. If that video is not available yet Perhaps Dropbox could let us know when it might be.