ms-havachat's thoughts on mypublisher.com closing

I shared on ms-havachat's Facebook page a while ago (you really should visit and LIKE it, then follow it and join in the chats there) that after nearly 2 years, I had finally managed to have the mypublisher software accept my album and payment for a holiday we did in Copenhagen. When the accept option worked and the album started uploading without a glitch, and the payment was accepted, and the confirmation email arrived I was delighted!

This album is a symbol of my stubbornness. G told me on numerous occasions when I asked him for IT help to delete the software and find a new provider. He even suggested at one point to not make albums - can you imagine??????????? What on earth is the point of taking photos if NOT to make albums?

With constant software glitches and 385 photos being downloaded from my MacBookAir photo software in no apparent order into mypublisher, I spent untold HOURS creating a spreadsheet of photo, ID and description including the all important date (who wants a holiday album that's out of chronological order????????????)

The help desk was no help. Their explanation was that their software wasn't compatible with MacBook Air. WT??????????? On too many occasions G would just shake his head and say 'find another program' snd still, I persisted in creating an album. HOURS upon HOURS of frustration creating the album pages, realising I'd missed a few photos, adding a page in .... then realising the flow of pages wasn't working, so having to back track in order to go forward.

THEN, searching online for the name of the Palace, or the museum etc so that the journalling alongside the photos meant something. The album is a pictorial emotional reminder of a fantastic weekend with our best friends from Sydney, doing things together we never thought we would.

When the hours of frustration got too much, I did search online for a replacement software, but none  came anywhere close to mypublisher. I would sign in to create an account, download the software, upload the photos, start to create the album but the layout options were never quite right, or the process of creating the pages and journalling didn't flow as well.

The biggest negative in changing companies was that no one else was offering the LAY FLAT PAGES option. This is a huge USP for the company, and its makes so much sense. That's one reason (IMHO) Creative Memories was  hit. Their albums worked on a flat-open spine which meant the pages opened flat and not all rounded in towards the spine. They last longer and the photos, especially double page spreads look amazing!

Lay Flat Pages are a must for all books as
it saves the wear and tear on the spine
and allows you to see right into the centre of the page
without that annoying roll.

Using mypublisher brought back fond memories of my days in magazines and newspapers when layout and design of pages was something I not only enjoyed doing, but was good at. Creative opportunities, flat open layout of pages, quality paper etc are all very important when creating a photo album of memories that you expect to last long after you're gone.

You can only imagine my response when one of my lovely FB followers informed me a few days ago that she received an email from mypublishers' GM saying they were closing mypublisher in May, having sold or merged with Shutterfly.

WT???????????????????????

Why?

Today I received the email she mentioned, from Juiena Rahman, General Manager, mypublisher.com explaining that on May 8, 2016, after 23 years, the business is closing. After that date, we are asked to please use Shutterfly.

Shutterfly is the American organisation that partners Ellen and gives away $US10,000 to very deserving people. In a fit of 'this software sux' I did suss out Shutterfly but didn't like it.

Shutterfly's logo along with several others, including mypublisher appear on the home page, so I'm hoping that this merge/acquisition means that they'll take the best of both online offerings and the customer will have an even broader choice.

So, now I will delete mypublisher from my laptop, and sign up with Shutterfly and create my first album with them.

Anyhow, if you want to email the GM of mypublisher and thank him for 23 years of great online photo albums, you can tell him ms-havacaht suggested it. I wonder if anyone at the company will read this?

Here's the email, jrahman@mypublisher.com


Here's a copy of my email:


Dear Juiena

Thank you for your email explaining the situation with mypublisher.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU and your team for the past 10 years of fun, creating online albums using your incredible software. I spent many years in print advertising, and loved the creative layout and design options as I felt my skills were put to great use creating ever lasting photographic memories for my family, especially our daughter.

You see, we are expats, and have called several countries home these past 10 years. Our photo albums are vitally important to us for so many reasons.

So, thank you for the memories,

Best wishes creating new ones,
ms-havachat.

ms havachat and the quest for creative, online photo albums

Do you leave them on your phone? WHY???????????

Do you upload them to your laptop and have them play in an endless cycle when the laptop is in sleep mode? WHY?????

Do you have them printed and make photo albums?

Do you create on line albums?

I used to make photo albums with real photos. I'd design the page layouts, and create headings, have the photo's developed then sort them out into chronological order before placing them into the albums to be admired and appreciated for years to come.

Then I switched to making them online - cheaper, quicker, more creative options, fabulous coffee table quality.

Then, the online company I was using decided to no longer be compatible with Apple (or maybe my new MacBook Air is the issue) either way I haven't made an album for quite a few YEARS and I'm freaking out.

This hasn't happened overnight.

I've been looking for what seems to be ages for a replacement online photo album company, but none of them seem to have the range of things the one I was using had - and I would love so much to be able to have it all again.

About 4 years ago, I used a different company as a comparison and didn't like the result. The quality of paper was different, there was no option for a flat-spine, so the perfect-bound spine is all cracking and you can't open the book flat to see the entire photograph.

We've done several holidays since, and all the photos are sitting on the laptop waiting to be made into albums.

I guess my issue is simply, I am years behind in my photo albums which is simply not like me at all and I'm wondering does it matter?

No one's asked to see them photos.

No one's gone looking for the memories.

Maybe one day they will ....... or not.

I believed taking the photos and creating the albums was important family documentation. One day, I won't remember or I'll be gone and MissM will go to the album, relive the memory because I spent time writing the story of the photograph for prosperity. She'll be overcome with emotions - happy ones I hope (cos who puts sad photos into albums?) and her expat kid life will be there is a pictorial diary, readily available.

Which house?

What year did we go to (insert place) for holidays?

Where were we when (Insert visitors name) did (????)

In grade 3, my friends were ..............

At (insert school) I went on (insert field trip)

I turned (insert birthday) (insert house)

The list goes on.

We're all so caught up in taking photos on our phones and uploading them to social media - has this replaced the urgency and desire to have them printed and seen in albums? We can create online albums on our FB pages, give it a title, and add pics any time.

Random FB photo page found on Google Images.

When we travel, we have the photos on our phones plus the ones on the 'big camera' (which I have to admit we don't always take with us anymore cos the phone camera's are so good). Is the impetus to 'see' the pics removed because we've commented and shared them already?

Camera phones are so convenient and the technology is great!

A friend, who is single and has no kids does not take photos. She travels A LOT and has been to many amazing places and still does not take photos. WHY, she asks me? They are 'my' memories and I'll remember them. No one wants to have to clean out decades of memories.

I have always thought that's sad.

Maybe that's the case with us.

Maybe, deep down, MissM doesn't want the albums either.

Maybe my not being able to find a reliable, creative online album company is a message that I'm to not bother.

On days like today, when I'm home with nothing specific to do, I know I could very simply work on the albums. Then I get stressed to the max trying to make them work ...... then give up (which so isn't in my DNA).

Maybe when the MacBook Air dies, I'll make sure my next laptop is compatible with the online software I prefer then I'll spend months going back over years of photos filed away, creating albums.

Gosh I hope I remember where we were!

With friendship

x