Google+ Presents Problems with Google Picasa Web Albums

I have had to work through several problems and processes to possess, retain, and use the best options for my needs to send my online Google Picasa Web Albums to families and friends since upgrading to Picasa Version 3.9 with Google+.

I was too quick to subscribe to Google+ on my laptop that offers the new Picasa Version 3.9 without realizing the consequences of my rush. I did not realize that I would not be able to send Picasa Web Albums to family and friends via email, not be able to post Picasa Web Albums to Facebook, or not be able to export my Picasa Web Albums to my desktop. If you find that my assessment is incorrect, please let me know.

The only option given to Google Picasa Google+ users is to send a Picasa Web Album to circles of friends at Google+.

At first, I was frustrated and decided I would delete my Google+ membership. However, when I read the consequences of removing my Google+ membership, I decided against that move.

On January 8 on my Facebook page, I wrote, “Anyone else dissatisfied with Google+ and the fact that if you use Picasa for maintaining your photographs, if you upgrade to Picasa 3.9, you lose the ability to easily locate your Picasa Web Albums?

Instead, pictures will show by default in Google+. For this reason, I thought I would downgrade my Google+ account, not delete it.

Read the following explanation from Google+ Help to understand why I do not want to choose Option 3. Instead, I will choose Option 1 or 2 and hope that will keep my Picasa web folders where I want them. Go to: http://support.google.com/plus/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1044503&rd=1
Downgrade from Google+ - Google+ Help

“If you want to disable Google+, you have several options, ranging from temporary to permanent.

Option 1: Change your profile visibility settings to hide everything except your name and photo from public view. With this option, you can hide the content that appears on your profile without deleting or losing access to anything you've already created. The stuff you've shared will still be accessible by those you shared with.

Option 2: Downgrade your Google+ account, which will delete your profile and remove your Google+ posts, circles, and other content. You'll still be able to access Gmail and most other Google services.

Option 3: Delete your Google account. You'll lose access to all Google services and existing data requiring a Google Account. If you use Gmail, your Gmail address can't be reused.

To downgrade your Google+ profile:

Sign in to Google+.

Click your full name or email address in the Google bar.

Click Account settings.

Click the Account overview tab.

Click Delete profile and remove associated social features.”

In the end, I did not choose to use Google+ Option 1, 2, or 3 to disable, downgrade, or delete my Google+ account.

With Picasa Version 3.9 I cannot send my Picasa Web Albums to anyone unless they have signed up with Google+. There is no option to send web album invitations to people who have email addresses, without other social media. There is also no option to send web albums to another social media presence such as Facebook or Twitter.

Another flaw I discovered with Picasa Version 3.9 and Google+ is that I cannot download a Google+ Web Album to the online Picasa program.  I processed my imported pictures to a Google+ Web Album before creating a folder for those pictures on the online Picasa program.

My solution now is to retrieve the original pictures from the My Pictures Folder on the C Drive and import them into the online Picasa program again. I am thankful I can “start again” and choose some pictures to send to Facebook, export some to the desktop on my laptop or desktop computer, or order some from online vendors.

What gave me the idea of returning to Picasa Version 3.8 is that Picasa Version 3.8 remained on my desktop. I discovered that I can use the email, Facebook, export, and Google+ options with Picasa Version 3.8. I can send my Picasa Version 3.8 Web Albums that are viewable on any computer I sign into, with Picasa as email invitations.

Here is my solution: So far I have "fixed" my Picasa problem with Google+. I installed the previous version of Picasa that will allow me to send my Picasa Web Albums to family members via email address. The newest Picasa download version does not give the option to send invitations to view Picasa pictures using family or friends' email addresses, only to Google+ Circles.

Here is the website I used to go back one version to find Version 3.8 on January 18, 2011: http://www.oldapps.com/picasa.php?old_picasa=22%3Fdownload

Download Picasa 3.8 Build 117.41 - OldApps.com

The description from www.oldapps.com is as follows:

“Picasa is marketed as being easy to use and it offers many one click effects such as color enhancement, red eye reduction and cropping. Other features include slide shows, printing and image timelines. Pictures can be organized into albums. Albums can be organized into collections. Pictures can be rearranged in albums by drag and drop. Images can be resized and exported for external use, be e-mailed or printed. There is also an integrated facility to order photo prints.

One fundamental principle of Picasa is that it never overwrites original images. This means that any changes applied to images using Picasa are stored only as differences relative to the original file, and only appear within Picasa. To see any changes in other software, the user must Export the images.”

At some point, I will probably look for Download Picasa 3.8 Build 117.43 as it was the latest Picasa 3.8 Version that included:

• Fixed importing from scanners.
• Fixed Backup and Restore creating duplicate .ini files

according to the Picasa and Picasa Web Albums Release Notes:

http://support.google.com/picasa/bin/picasa.google.com/support/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=release_notes.cs

I am not an Internet whiz kid by training or guru by experience.  I share this information in case it will help someone else who is having the same difficulty. Please make a comment if this helped you, or if you have a different solution to my problem. I appreciate your input.