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.

[Robert R.55]

The information Dropbox sent out in its emails is confusing, incomplete, and is already being modified.  The inability to share an existing file across multiple albums is a big problem for lots of people.  Dropbox needs to publish a better description and guide rather than forcing us to search through Community postings and submit tech assistance requests.  Again, it is confusing, incomplete and appears to be doing away with features that users depended on.

Rossi

[Charles L.5]

Thanks. I'm a little slow on the uptake for the forum, but figured that out, and reposted my questions to the guy with the Dropboxer tag.

[Charles L.5]

As an IP lawyer who has been working in the software/Internet/computing field since there was one, I am constantly surprised by how many companies have really bad messaging -- almost as if CRM were an afterthought. You really can't play "hide the peanut" when your user base is computer savvy. We're seeing an excellent example of that in this Dropbox change.

[Robert R.55]

"After June 30, you’ll no longer be able to create or share albums on the web, or browse photos in the current timeline view. Your photos will remain safe in Dropbox, and you can view them like any other file in your Dropbox. The quick scroll functionality of the current Photos timeline will no longer be available, but you'll be able to view all your photos in a redesigned page using the same link to Photos in the left navigation bar"

So what does this mean.  I depend on using the timeline to find pictures that have been uploaded from my camera.  

There is no description of how the "redesigned page" will work.  

This whole thing is getting more and more confusing and its sounding like it will be a real problem.

[Mark]

Been doing some checking as that post marked as solution is, well, not one.

Been told it's been marked as a solution just to keep it up at top where people will see it.

I've no other information than that.

[Simone C.9]

Dear Mark

I  of course agree with you and I do not really understand the "Super User" title,  but it appears it has been marked by another "Super User" as solved, and that "Super User" Rich has merged all threads into one, including the new one I started as "Chapter 2, not solved" 

This is all very frustrating. Perhaps as a "Super User" you are able to also, like the other "Super User", Rich, find out from DROPBOX themselves what is going on and explain to us all how a non Dropbox employee, albeit a "Super User" like yourself  is able to take control of these threads, mark them as "Solved" and "Accepted"  when they are not? 

[Mark]

I can assure you it wasn't marked by Rich or myself. We have an unwritten rule that we don't mark posts as solution.

It was marked as solution by the person posting it (i.e. A Dropbox employee) so it bounces to the top and stays there, as I said, and for no other reason.

[Chris T.20]

I guess like most people I'll vote with my feet/cash. This change is likely to make Dropbox photo's useless to me so I'll prepare accordingly (or try to with their 1gb download limits). I'll start to utilise the Apple photo's solution for now and then when the change is announced, unless something amazing happens, it's likely that I'll remove the photo's - which then removes the need for me to pay for the 1tb plan. 

I doubt it matters much to Dropbox and where they're trying to move to, but we'll see

[Rich]

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Mike H.57 wrote:

As far as I can tell Rich is just a user (although a "Super User") like you. So he probably doesn't know the answers to all of your questions. Dropbox employees are tagged as "Dropboxer"

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Yes, exactly.

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Simone C.9 wrote:

I do not really understand the "Super User" title

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Super Users are basically the moderators of the forum. We volunteer our time here, answering questions and providing help to other users like ourselves, directing people to open tickets where necessary, and generally try to keep things moving along in a civil manner. We are not employeed by Dropbox. We sometimes get early updates from the Dropboxers so that we'll be prepared to answer questions, but in many cases we're in the same position that you are; waiting for answers.

Simone C.9 wrote:

but it appears it has been marked by another "Super User" as solved, and that "Super User" Rich has merged all threads into one, including the new one I started as "Chapter 2, not solved"

It was marked as solved, but not by either of us. It was Dropbox that did so, simply to put the Dropboxer's reply to the top of the thread, as mentioned here and here. There is no other intent here than to make the post visible to anyone that opens the thread.

I did merge multiple related topics into this one so that the discussion wouldn't become fragmented. A single thread is easier to follow and maintain. Multiple threads end up having the same people posting in each one, posting the same information multiple times, cross-posting to say "I posted there over there too", etc. It serves no useful purpose.

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Simone C.9 wrote:

explain to us all how a non Dropbox employee, albeit a "Super User" like yourself  is able to take control of these threads, mark them as "Solved" and "Accepted"  when they are not?

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As stated above, Mark and I do not mark threads such as this as solved. That's up to Dropbox or the original poster of a thread. We can, however, merged and move topics, remove spammers, etc. Basically, simple moderation tasks to keep the forums flowing smoothly.

Hopefully that answers you questions about the Super Users.

[Simone C.9]

Thanks Rich and Mark for that clarification. As you have a close relationship with DROPBOX and have direct contact with them, something we as normal users do not have, can you tell us or give us an idea as to when or if we are likely to receive replies to the multitude of questions raised by various users on this topic and what the likelhood is of either the photo albums being retained, or , if not, a practical solution ie Dropbox do the hard work and save everyone here weeks of work and move our current albums into folders for us?

Your experienced advice/opinion would be much appreciated.