About PICASA
Jun 28, 2012 21:54:31 #
There's a string going in this section titled "Beware Picasa" that has a lot of stuff in it that doesn't ring true in my experience. I just couldn't let this one go by without adding to the mix.
Picasa is a very smart, very sophisticated program underneath all that easy-to-use interface. I'm not a software expert, but know enough to realize that the questions and comments in the "Beware" string come from mis-understandings - with a dash of paranoia for flavor - about what it does and how it works. I've used Picasa for a couple or three years, and have never experienced ANY of the situations I've just read about, in the above or any in other posts. Please let me add my little bit of gleaned knowledge.
Think of Picasa as a viewer, if you will. When you download Picasa, it looks at your hard drive for anything that is tagged .jpeg, .tif, or whatever extension is appended onto your shots. It then creates a directory of those for itself, and for you, to use to go get them (through Picasa) so that you can actually use Picasa for the reasons you downloaded it! When you go into Picasa, you're looking at your photos through the Picasa view of your photos. How else would you expect it to work? It has to know what you have so it can do what you want!
First, Picasa doesn't "download" anything, except it's own operational program - the ".exe" and other work related files. It doesn't send hidden messages about what you're doing, it doesn't collect user data, it doesn't do anything but make your pictures look good. Google has bigger things going on than to know how you edited a picture of your cat.
Second, Picasa does NOT destroy your original shots. It automatically creates folders called "Picasa Originals" that safeguard all your original shots. In fact, what you're actually seeing and working on is a copy, because it's already stashed your original away. Their thinking is that if you want to do something to your photo, you're going to want to see the changes, alterations, fixes, whatever, you've done to it. You don't see the "Picasa Originals" folders unless you specifically tell your computer to display hidden folders. I don't know why Picasa doesn't display the folders in their directory, but I see them all when I use my PSPX4 or SmartPhoto Editor; my originals are all there.
Third, your photos never leave your computer. Picasa doesn't take them into some humongous data base somewhere in the cloud. They don't care about your pictures!
Fourth, when you're using Picasa, you're working entirely on your own computer. The only time they get something, is when you sent it using the "Edit in Creative Kit" button. Download and It does everything locally; opens your shot, edits it, and saves it locally, and only goes out to the 'Net for upgrading. You haven't opened any inner doors in your computer.
Everything I've read in this forum concerning troubles with Picasa stems from folks who think Picasa - read Google - is snaking into their computer. "Picasa downloaded my entire hard drive..." No it didn't, it simply went out, sorted through the mess, looked at what you have, organized it, then made it easy for you to get to it whenever you use Picasa. The folks at Google are on the very cutting edge of software development. For them to put Picasa out there, for free, it has to work, and to make it work, it has to be good.
Again, all this is based solely on my experience and time using Picasa. I think it's great. It isn't everything - those of you who use PhotoShop have far more creativity at your fingertips that Picasa has to offer. I use it as part of a group of PP tools; what one doesn't have, another will.
Please - everyone - feel free to add or argue. Thanks for taking the time to read this...
Picasa is a very smart, very sophisticated program underneath all that easy-to-use interface. I'm not a software expert, but know enough to realize that the questions and comments in the "Beware" string come from mis-understandings - with a dash of paranoia for flavor - about what it does and how it works. I've used Picasa for a couple or three years, and have never experienced ANY of the situations I've just read about, in the above or any in other posts. Please let me add my little bit of gleaned knowledge.
Think of Picasa as a viewer, if you will. When you download Picasa, it looks at your hard drive for anything that is tagged .jpeg, .tif, or whatever extension is appended onto your shots. It then creates a directory of those for itself, and for you, to use to go get them (through Picasa) so that you can actually use Picasa for the reasons you downloaded it! When you go into Picasa, you're looking at your photos through the Picasa view of your photos. How else would you expect it to work? It has to know what you have so it can do what you want!
First, Picasa doesn't "download" anything, except it's own operational program - the ".exe" and other work related files. It doesn't send hidden messages about what you're doing, it doesn't collect user data, it doesn't do anything but make your pictures look good. Google has bigger things going on than to know how you edited a picture of your cat.
Second, Picasa does NOT destroy your original shots. It automatically creates folders called "Picasa Originals" that safeguard all your original shots. In fact, what you're actually seeing and working on is a copy, because it's already stashed your original away. Their thinking is that if you want to do something to your photo, you're going to want to see the changes, alterations, fixes, whatever, you've done to it. You don't see the "Picasa Originals" folders unless you specifically tell your computer to display hidden folders. I don't know why Picasa doesn't display the folders in their directory, but I see them all when I use my PSPX4 or SmartPhoto Editor; my originals are all there.
Third, your photos never leave your computer. Picasa doesn't take them into some humongous data base somewhere in the cloud. They don't care about your pictures!
Fourth, when you're using Picasa, you're working entirely on your own computer. The only time they get something, is when you sent it using the "Edit in Creative Kit" button. Download and It does everything locally; opens your shot, edits it, and saves it locally, and only goes out to the 'Net for upgrading. You haven't opened any inner doors in your computer.
Everything I've read in this forum concerning troubles with Picasa stems from folks who think Picasa - read Google - is snaking into their computer. "Picasa downloaded my entire hard drive..." No it didn't, it simply went out, sorted through the mess, looked at what you have, organized it, then made it easy for you to get to it whenever you use Picasa. The folks at Google are on the very cutting edge of software development. For them to put Picasa out there, for free, it has to work, and to make it work, it has to be good.
Again, all this is based solely on my experience and time using Picasa. I think it's great. It isn't everything - those of you who use PhotoShop have far more creativity at your fingertips that Picasa has to offer. I use it as part of a group of PP tools; what one doesn't have, another will.
Please - everyone - feel free to add or argue. Thanks for taking the time to read this...
Jun 28, 2012 22:29:34 #
Jun 28, 2012 22:37:48 #
Jun 28, 2012 22:38:13 #
Jun 28, 2012 22:46:52 #
I use Picasa for two reasons. 1) It displays snapshots of RAW files which other similar programs do not without a RAW converter interface and 2) It enables pausing a video file, then taking a snapshot from it as a jpeg. This is very handy for sports fireworks and flying things. I have used it for about 3 years with no problems.
Jun 28, 2012 23:09:23 #
I have no reservations recommending Picasa.
Heck, as far as 'snaking' goes have you ever noticed how fast an ad pops up here pertaining to your reply.
Heck, as far as 'snaking' goes have you ever noticed how fast an ad pops up here pertaining to your reply.
Jun 28, 2012 23:48:58 #
rebride wrote:
I have no reservations recommending Picasa.
Heck, as far as 'snaking' goes have you ever noticed how fast an ad pops up here pertaining to your reply.
Heck, as far as 'snaking' goes have you ever noticed how fast an ad pops up here pertaining to your reply.
Ya I have, but that seems to be all over the net now. Even things you looked at a few days or weeks ago. :hunf:
Jun 29, 2012 01:23:07 #
Jun 29, 2012 02:06:51 #
I use Picasa 3 daily to edit my digital images, especially built-in Picnik.
Jun 29, 2012 05:47:17 #
I concur. I think Picasa is an excellent program. Although, I am taking a serious look at Lightroom. I have been told that it has the capability to bring out detail in blown out wedding dresses--that would be handy.
Jun 29, 2012 06:15:33 #
Jun 29, 2012 06:16:41 #
Jun 29, 2012 06:18:59 #
elsteff
Loc: Delaware.
Nikonian72 wrote:
I use Picasa 3 daily to edit my digital images, especially built-in Picnik.
I thought Picnik had or was going away. Picasa has some fun new features.
Jun 29, 2012 06:21:51 #
walk
Loc: Canton,Ohio
I think Picasa is great, a good and easy program to learn or as a stepping level. I have the free program Picasa 3, is there a Market Program and is it any better? Thank you for input
Jun 29, 2012 06:28:54 #
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