Why I’m Changing My Thoughts On Cloud Photo Storage

If you read my email on Friday, I have been doing yet more soul-searching this week.  A few months back, you may have read my post where I mentioned that I set up my memory vaults in OneDrive so that they would still be intact if for some reason my computer and my external drive (with my shadow copy) failed me.

However, I'm realizing now that I am not comfortable with that set up.  In fact, I want to apologize for suggesting it to all of you.  Let me explain why.

I originally suggested that plan because with the multiple operating system failures I have had over the past year, my vaults always restored right back onto my hard drive when I reinstalled OneDrive.  I liked the fact that even if my computer failed completely, or I had a house fire or some other catastrophe that wiped out my external drive, too, I would have things covered.  Plus, I use OneDrive for a lot of my other files to have easy access from my phone, my iPad or any other computer I have access to.

But as of yesterday, I don't store my vaults or my photos in OneDrive.  For me, it's a comfort level thing.  According to OneDrive's (and Microsoft's) terms of service (as of 08/19/2016),

To the extent necessary to provide the Services to you and others, to protect you and the Services, and to improve Microsoft products and services, you grant to Microsoft a worldwide and royalty-free intellectual property license to use Your Content, for example, to make copies of, retain, transmit, reformat, display, and distribute via communication tools Your Content on the Services. If you publish Your Content in areas of the Service where it is available broadly online without restrictions, Your Content may appear in demonstrations or materials that promote the Service.

That's part of what makes me nervous.  However, the Privacy policy DOES state:

We do not use what you say in email, chat, video calls or voice mail, or your documents, photos or other personal files to target advertising to you. Our advertising policies are covered in detail in the Privacy Statements.

I am NOT saying that Microsoft is using every photo you have stored in there.  At this time, the privacy settings will default to not making your files automatically public (shared).  But the thing about it is, terms of service and privacy policies can and do change, even without notice.  They have total control over what happens with your files and photos, and they could suspend or delete your account at will.

Most of the other file storage and sharing sites/apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, Facebook and Instagram … none of these places are going to offer you more security for your photos.  In some cases, like Facebook and Instagram, you may not be able to retrieve your photos at their full resolution if you needed to.

After spending some more time looking at what I can do with permanent storage from Forever and starting to use Forever's Valet app, I made the decision that I am going to start doing things differently.  And the first move was to relocate my current memory vault.

My second move was to increase my permanent storage space.  I'm not keeping every photo I've ever taken in my permanent storage.  But I am working to keep the best ones there.  And probably a whole lot more.   Because Forever guarantees my storage and keeps my file formats up-to-date for me, I feel safer about my photos now.

I am writing more about this that I will post this week, but I wanted to let you know this before I got the rest of my thoughts written.  Of course, it's always your choice.  But if you did want to look at increasing your permanent storage with Forever, or purchasing it for the first time, Forever is offering 20% off through the end of August.  These are always the best deals for getting started or adding to your storage, and I wanted to make sure you knew about it.

More soon!

~ Deb