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I was hoping this article would tell us how to change the default image placement from inline to one of the floating options. Alas, I was disappointed, and I fear it’s not the author’s lack, but Microsoft’s. It would also be good to be able to change the default image placement from Paragraph to Page, but again, MS falls short.

However, the good news is I picked up a great tip about placing images (and their captions if needed) into TEXT BOXES, which I believe default to floating and PAGE placement. This could solve all my issues with images, albeit with the hassle of the extra step of adding a text box. Now, if only we could get the text box add tool to default to our choice (transparent) instead of forcing us to choose it from a list each time…

Sigh.

Another Photo Sharing Service that seems not to have made it onto many people’s radar screens yet is Fotki.

I’ve been using Fotki for several years now and am quite satisfied with all they offer. According to your criteria in the article, Fotki comes up tops in all categories, including being able to download original images, managed folders, and albums in folders.

The biggest decider for me, however, is their pro account, which like others is in the ballpark of $25 a year (but you can frequently get it on sale for half that), which gives you totally unlimited storage, and – here’s the killer capability – COBRANDING! In other words, I can make my pro site look exactly like it’s part of my website, even though it’s really hosted on their servers. The pro account also allows you to SET PRICES for your photos and aftermarket items, so you can truly have an online store featuring your photos, with the prices YOU set; when someone orders a photo or a mug or a t-shirt or calendar, they pay the price you set, Fotki manufactures the item, ships it to the customer, and sends you the difference between the price you set and your cost.

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I believe it would help us readers greatly if you could build a table showing all the features rated for each photo sharing service (including Picasa, Fotki, and Kodak), and how they rate on each feature, so we can make a visual comparison. Perhaps two charts would be in order – the free service for each, and the pro service.

Thanks for a great start to a topic we all can use in one way or another. I look forward to the next installment.

David in Mississippi

Another alternative to DropBox and other cloud storage/sync services is NAS (network-attached storage) with internet access. I’ve avoided using Dropbox and its competitors for security reasons; I only store files that I don’t mind others seeing on MediaFire.com. That service allows unlimited sharing and downloads, even though it is plagued by ads shown to those who want to download the files.

Recently, I have purchased a Buffalo CloudStor Pro ($254, free shipping at Amazon) which gives me 2TB of storage. Here’s why I’m so tickled with it: (a) I own the device – it sits in my office attached to my router. (b) It appears on my network as a networked hard drive, so all my computers can access it at network (not internet) speeds. (c) I can access shared files from anywhere, such as when I’m on the road, by logging in to my account through the free PogoPlug services. (d) I can share any single folder or file on that drive with anyone I choose. They can download without creating an account, but they can also upload if they create a free account. (e) I can delete anyone’s access at any time. (f) If I am ever concerned about security, I can change the passwords on my account, or simply unplug the drive.

With 2TB of storage for a one-time cost, no additional monthy fees, and the ability to add another hard drive inside the unit – this seems to me to be a much better choice than DropBox.

David in Mississippi